Tepondicon

"Tepondicon" by Carl Jacobi is a science fiction novella published in the mid-20th century. The story is set in a future where a plague ravages the cities of Ganymede, Jupiter's third satellite, creating a desperate environment rife with decay and desperation. The narrative follows the protagonist, George Dulfay, who embarks on a mission to explore the seven plague-stricken cities in search of a legendary treasure—the Jupiter Stone—believed to hold immense power and wealth. In the novella, George Dulfay, initially motivated by greed and the allure of riches, gains temporary immunity against the plague through the use of special pellets. As he travels through each of the seven cities, he faces various dangers, including the risk of being captured by those who see him as a symbol of hope, known as Tepondicon. With each city he visits, the acclaim he receives grows, but he soon realizes that with the potential of acquiring the Jupiter Stone comes a grave cost: his life may be sacrificed in the process of potentially saving the cities from their curse. In the end, Dulfay is faced with a critical choice between seizing the stone for personal gain and embracing a path of self-sacrifice to truly free the citizens from their suffering. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Carl Richard Jacobi was an American journalist and writer. He wrote short stories in the horror and fantasy genres for the pulp magazine market, appearing in such pulps of the bizarre and uncanny as Weird Tales, Ghost Stories, Startling Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stories and Strange Stories. He also wrote stories crime and adventure which appeared in such pulps as Thrilling Adventures, Complete Stories, Top-Notch, Short Stories, The Skipper, Doc Savage and Dime Adventures Magazine. Jacobi also produced some science fiction, mainly space opera, published in such magazines as Planet Stories. He was one of the last surviving pulp-fictioneers to have contributed to the legendary American horror magazine Weird Tales during its "glory days". His stories have been translated into French, Swedish, Danish and Dutch.