Blish, James 1921-1975 creator Van Dongen, H. R. 1920-2010 text utu 2007 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "One-Shot" by James Blish is a science fiction short story published in the mid-20th century. The narrative revolves around a critical incident involving a mysterious egg-like object released by a Polish freighter in New York harbor, leading to a high-stakes investigation by the CIA. The story explores themes of intuition, risk, and the interplay between data-driven decisions and human instinct. In the plot, the protagonist, Dr. Peter Harris, is tasked with managing the unfolding crisis as various intelligence officials scramble to determine the true nature of the object before a looming deadline. Integral to this investigation is Abner Longmans ("One-Shot") Braun, a veteran gambler with a unique ability to read the odds in high-pressure situations. As time ticks down, Braun's insights become pivotal for making a crucial gamble that may endanger millions. Ultimately, the story examines the balance of logic against instinct in decision-making when lives are on the line, culminating in an unexpected twist that reinforces Braun's critical role in the operation. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2007-10-11 Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Original publication data not identified Science fiction Short stories PS Original publication data not identified https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22958 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22958 UtSlPG 260607 20260610133528.0 22958