C-Chute is a science-fiction short story by Isaac Asimov.
It was first published in the October 1951 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction. It was later collected in 1967's Through a Glass, Clearly, 1969's Nightfall and Other Stories, 1973's The Best of Isaac Asimov, and 1990's The Complete Stories Volume I.
Summary[]
A civilian starliner bound for Earth is captured by the Kloros, a chlorine-breathing alien race, during an interstellar war. The human prisoners, a diverse group with conflicting opinions, are paralyzed by indecision on how to respond. Some argue for violent resistance, while others advocate passive acceptance.
The only volunteer for a dangerous mission to retake the ship is Mullen, a quiet, unassuming bookkeeper. Motivated not by bravery but by an intense homesickness for an Earth he has not seen in seventeen years, Mullen executes a daring plan. He exits the ship through the "C-Chute," the casualty chute used for ejecting bodies, and re-enters the control room via the navigational steam tubes. There, he kills the two Kloro guards by spraying them with oxygen, which is lethal to them.
Mullen's success secures the ship's return to human control, making the most unlikely member of the crew the hero who ensured their return home.
Adaptations[]
The story was adapted for the radio series X Minus One, broadcast 8 February 1956.
See Also[]
List of short stories by Isaac Asimov