Project Gutenberg 2020-12-11 Public domain in the USA. 120 Walton, Bryce 1918 1988 O'Hara, Kenneth Vestal, Herman B. 1916 2007 Vestal, H. B. (Herman B.) Vestal, Herman Beeson Beeson Last Call Produced from Planet Stories January 1952 Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Last Call" by Bryce Walton is a science fiction novella written during the early 1950s. The story explores themes of control, societal conditioning, and the quest for individual freedom in a dystopian future where a special phenomenon known as "THE CALL" beckons individuals toward Mars, promising a greater purpose. The narrative unfolds within a morally ambiguous framework where a soldier of the Disciplinary Corps, named Bronson, grapples with the implications of this mysterious call and the oppressive regime under which he lives. The plot centers on Bronson's decision to hijack a cargo rocket intended for Venus, with the intent of reaching Mars after experiencing THE CALL. Throughout the journey, he reflects on his troubled existence and the societal conditioning that has suppressed genuine humanity. After killing his crewmate Orlan and confronting Captain Morrow, Bronson learns from Morrow's curiosity the true implications of THE CALL. Upon arriving on Mars, Bronson uncovers the dark history behind it—a failed initiative by a group called Freedom Unlimited that sought to enhance human consciousness, ultimately leading to a catastrophic war. As he embraces his unique knowledge and power, Bronson resolves to free humanity from the psychological shackles imposed by their rulers, believing that the spirit of Freedom Unlimited will endure as long as there are those willing to heed THE CALL. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 77.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Psychological fiction Mars (Planet) -- Fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy 60121 2025-07-25T10:11:01.270511 text/html 36427 2024-10-18T09:02:26 text/html 492233 2025-07-25T10:11:03.275551 application/epub+zip 491080 2025-07-25T10:11:01.703550 application/epub+zip 77459 2025-07-25T10:11:01.463542 application/epub+zip 529192 2025-07-25T10:11:04.518490 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 521296 2025-07-25T10:11:03.071499 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 107874 2022-09-28T20:32:07.902525 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 53722 2025-07-25T10:11:01.164508 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 33930 2024-10-18T09:02:26 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17485 2025-07-25T10:11:04.652520 application/rdf+xml 30332 2025-07-25T10:11:01.565534 image/jpeg 4996 2025-07-25T10:11:01.512520 image/jpeg 482090 2025-07-25T10:11:01.283566 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