Project Gutenberg 2007-10-27 Public domain in the USA. 10759 Herbert, Frank 1920 1986 Herbert, Franklin Patrick, Jr. Missing Link Produced from Astounding Science Fiction, Volume LXII No. 6, February 1959. Produced by Greg Weeks, Bruce Albrecht, Markus Brenner and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Missing Link" by Frank Herbert is a science fiction short story originally published in the February 1959 issue of "Astounding Science Fiction". Set in a fictional universe where interstellar exploration and alien encounters are common, the narrative explores the complexities of first contact with an alien civilization that possesses advanced technology derived from a lost human ship. The story delves into themes of communication, cultural exchange, and the unforeseen consequences of human actions in unfamiliar territories. The plot centers on Lewis Orne, a junior field agent tasked with establishing contact with the inhabitants of Gienah III after the disappearance of the ship "Delphinus Rediscovery". As Orne navigates the jungle-laden planet, he encounters Tanub, a Gienahn who holds an advanced alien rifle, suggesting that they have recovered the wreckage of "Delphinus". As tension rises, Orne must negotiate with Tanub and his people to prevent an inevitable extermination by their Terran overlords. The story develops through a series of discussions exploring the nature of power, technology, and the potential for coexistence between different cultures, ultimately leading to a precarious diplomatic resolution. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 87.5 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories PS Text Science Fiction Category: Short Stories Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy 69063 2025-07-09T13:52:24.766967 text/html 70392 2007-10-27T10:07:32 text/html 569620 2025-07-09T13:52:29.268947 application/epub+zip 567505 2025-07-09T13:52:26.601943 application/epub+zip 89162 2025-07-09T13:52:25.459931 application/epub+zip 656620 2025-07-09T13:52:31.130913 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 645803 2025-07-09T13:52:28.465930 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 143429 2022-09-11T04:22:20.263575 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 57206 2025-07-09T13:52:24.420946 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 57134 2007-10-27T10:07:28 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 55255 2007-10-27T10:07:42 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 742932 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 51658 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 50114 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 64935 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 63028 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 65408 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 62899 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 63242 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 64709 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 356681 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 71369 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 679422 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 66713 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 64111 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 63469 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 64992 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 68323 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 69204 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 37809 2007-09-13T18:54:22 application/octet-stream 21369 2025-07-09T13:52:31.256910 application/rdf+xml 12494 2025-07-09T13:52:25.933936 image/jpeg 3204 2025-07-09T13:52:25.694964 image/jpeg 21875 2007-10-27T10:07:44 application/octet-stream application/zip 477563 2007-10-27T10:07:44 application/octet-stream application/zip 21675 2007-10-27T10:07:44 application/octet-stream application/zip 547513 2025-07-09T13:52:24.793954 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia