A space elevator stowaway kills a station employee

[cryptognome]

Many years ago (maybe 15-20) I picked up an SF novel on a colleague's desk and read the first few pages. The opening scene, if I recall correctly, featured a stowaway on a space elevator. Upon arrival, he (possibly she) kills a station attendant to conceal his presence and hides the body in a storage locker. It was fast-paced, immediately engrossing. I noted the title, but it's now lost to antiquity. Any ideas? I found a wiki page of novels featuring space elevators (aka beanstalks), but none of the titles really ring a bell:


(sorry, not allowed to post working links yet)

Any help is appreciated.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Actually, you're not supposed to post even non-working links just yet -- the anti-spam software can be a beast about that -- so I've edited out the one in your message up above so that your post could go through.

[Taltos]

Originally Posted by cryptognome

Many years ago (maybe 15-20) I picked up an SF novel on a colleague's desk and read the first few pages. The opening scene, if I recall correctly, featured a stowaway on a space elevator. Upon arrival, he (possibly she) kills a station attendant to conceal his presence and hides the body in a storage locker. It was fast-paced, immediately engrossing. I noted the title, but it's now lost to antiquity. Any ideas? I found a wiki page of novels featuring space elevators (aka beanstalks), but none of the titles really ring a bell:

Could it be Heinleins Friday ?

The opening sequence is "As I left the Kenya Beanstalk capsule he was right on my heels. He followed me through the door leading to Customs, Health, and Immigration. As the door contracted behind him I killed him."

[cryptognome]

Originally Posted by Taltos

Could it be Heinleins Friday ?

The opening sequence is "As I left the Kenya Beanstalk capsule he was right on my heels. He followed me through the door leading to Customs, Health, and Immigration. As the door contracted behind him I killed him."

That's very probably it. It rang a slight bell, but the synopsis I found didn't really help because I didn't get that far into it. I'll check it out and let you know what I find. Thanks very much!

[SciFantasy]

No I think I know what book you're talking about. If I'm not mistaken its about a swindler type guy who eventually becomes the most powerful man in the galaxy type deal? by eventually leading a large fleet of starships or something?

If I remember correctly, like you said he starts off as a stow-away on a ship and basically a 2-bit punk type of fellow. And he's hiding in some kind of storage room? behind some containers or boxes or something when an employee walks in there.

I dont think that's Friday though.

What I remember at any rate, is the main point of the story is that the main character goes from being basically a pauper to the most powerful man in the galaxy/universe.

I'm not sure if I'm getting different stories confused but there was one where the main character has some sort of mega-bomb (I think it was called some type of 'sun' bomb?) surgically fused into his body, has the surgery done while he's holding a gun on the surgeons with no anesthetic, which ultimately leads to him being in control of everyone. That might be the same story I described above or it might be another one with a similar start/ending, i.e. outcast to in control of everyone.

[DanielH]

I immediately thought of "Friday" too, except she was not a stowaway (or a "he", either). It's an excellent story though.

Also, it was the first thing I read that made my parents sit me down and tell me "What we believe in, in this family." Apparently, surrogate mothership wasn't one of those things, at the time, which is so weird now . (somehow, the bisexuality was okay though- or else they weren't told by by librarian about that part ).

[ghost8772]

And they didn't mention polygamy as a no-no either? wow the librarian musta missed out big on that one.

the description rang the Friday bell also. if male main character though that shoots the idea down.