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Una guerra en el siglo XXX
This science fiction story by Glenn Parrish depicts an interplanetary war resolved through single combat. The narrative opens with official declarations between the governments of Smylion (7th Confederation) and Korthok (Earth, 3rd Coalition) concerning an incident from April 2962, with an ultimatum expiring August 31st. The protagonist, Jary Ock, is arrested for "asocial conduct"—abandoning employment and vagrancy—while peacefully wandering the countryside. Before trial, Colonel Sixtus Wargh recruits him as Earth's designated champion. The computer authority has selected Jary to fight Smylion's representative on the neutral planet Bruddubnash to the death; the victor determines his world's victory. Combat employs no weapons; combatants rely on ingenuity to construct arms and survive. Jary reluctantly accepts, though disgusted by Earth's oppressive, hyper-controlled government under President Bushwukin. His reward for victory would be a captain's position in the Production Police—an outcome he finds absurd in a society offering no meaningful incentives beyond bureaucratic rank.