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Burning (short story)
Encyclopedia
"Burning" is a short story by Orson Scott Card
. It only appears in his short story collection Capitol
.
of twenty ship all piloted by telepaths
are orbiting a settled star system. They are on the run from the imperial fleet and trying to leave settled space. When they request permission to take on supplies so that that can leave, the planetary authorities refuse. By the time the imperial fleet arrives they are nearly out of fuel and unable to fight the fleet or force their way down to the planets except by destroying one of them with a fusion bomb
. Captain Homer refuses to consider this but when some of the ships run out of fuel he is removed from command and a threat is made to blow up one of the planets. No one believes they will do it and the imperial fleet attacks. After a second battle with the fleet one of the captains launches bombs at the planets but they are intercepted by Captain Homer. When a final volley of missiles is fired at Captain Homer’s ship he launches fusion bombs at all three planets in anger. Captain Homer immediately regrets his decision, but his ship is destroyed by missiles just as he is about to abort the bombs. When the fleet gets back to Capitol the commanders get medals and almost a hundred thousand telepaths are murdered.
, such as the sleeping drug Somec and the taping of memories. It takes place on the planet Capitol shortly after the events in the story "Breaking the Game
". The story of Homer Worthing's destruction of a star system also appears in a much shorter form as a part of chapter 3 in Card's novel The Worthing Chronicle
.
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
. It only appears in his short story collection Capitol
Capitol (collection)
Capitol was Orson Scott Card's second published book. This collection of eleven short stories set in the Worthing series is no longer in print...
.
Plot summary
Captain Homer Worthing and a fleetNaval fleet
A fleet, or naval fleet, is a large formation of warships, and the largest formation in any navy. A fleet at sea is the direct equivalent of an army on land....
of twenty ship all piloted by telepaths
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
are orbiting a settled star system. They are on the run from the imperial fleet and trying to leave settled space. When they request permission to take on supplies so that that can leave, the planetary authorities refuse. By the time the imperial fleet arrives they are nearly out of fuel and unable to fight the fleet or force their way down to the planets except by destroying one of them with a fusion bomb
Nuclear weapon design
Nuclear weapon designs are physical, chemical, and engineering arrangements that cause the physics package of a nuclear weapon to detonate. There are three basic design types...
. Captain Homer refuses to consider this but when some of the ships run out of fuel he is removed from command and a threat is made to blow up one of the planets. No one believes they will do it and the imperial fleet attacks. After a second battle with the fleet one of the captains launches bombs at the planets but they are intercepted by Captain Homer. When a final volley of missiles is fired at Captain Homer’s ship he launches fusion bombs at all three planets in anger. Captain Homer immediately regrets his decision, but his ship is destroyed by missiles just as he is about to abort the bombs. When the fleet gets back to Capitol the commanders get medals and almost a hundred thousand telepaths are murdered.
Connection to the Worthing Saga
This story uses several plot elements also used in The Worthing SagaThe Worthing Saga
The Worthing Saga is a science fiction book by American writer Orson Scott Card, set in the Worthing series. It is made up of the novel The Worthing Chronicle and nine related stories...
, such as the sleeping drug Somec and the taping of memories. It takes place on the planet Capitol shortly after the events in the story "Breaking the Game
Breaking the Game
"Breaking the Game" is a short story by American writer Orson Scott Card. It appears in his short story collections Capitol and The Worthing Saga...
". The story of Homer Worthing's destruction of a star system also appears in a much shorter form as a part of chapter 3 in Card's novel The Worthing Chronicle
The Worthing Chronicle
The Worthing Chronicle is a science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card set in the Worthing series. This book by itself is out of print having been published along with nine short stories in the collection The Worthing Saga .-Plot summary:...
.