The Defiant Agents

"The Defiant Agents" by Andre Norton is a science fiction novel written in the early 1960s. The narrative revolves around a group of time agents who find themselves in a complex situation involving alien technology, espionage, and the implications of their missions. Central characters include Dr. Gordon Ashe and Colonel Kelgarries, who must navigate a web of betrayal and the urgent need to secure their project amidst a threat from a hidden sleeper agent. The opening of the book introduces a tense meeting among key figures in Project Star, where they discover that critical information has been compromised by a sleeper agent named Camdon. Dr. Ashe, Colonel Kelgarries, and their colleagues grapple with the fallout of this betrayal, realizing that they must act swiftly to protect their project from espionage. As they confront the implications of their situation, Ashe reflects on previous time-travel missions and the importance of their current goal: establishing a successful colony on another planet—Topaz. The urgency of their struggle against time and external threats sets the stage for a thrilling exploration of human ingenuity and the risks of wielding alien knowledge.