Probability

When a timid stranger walks into Mike Murphy's bar in 1922 and orders a single beer, neither man realizes this brief encounter will span three decades of unexpected friendship. Louis Trimble's "Probability" is a masterful science fiction short story that explores fate, chance, and the remarkable connections that bind us across time. For thirty-one years, the nervous little man named Rabelais Pettis arrives at precisely 5:10 p.m., Monday through Friday, ordering his glass of beer with the same fearful glance around the room. As Prohibition gives way to legitimacy and the world transforms around them, Mike and Pettis form an unlikely bond through quiet conversations and shared history. What begins as simple curiosity about this peculiar regular customer evolves into something far more profound—a meditation on destiny, probability, and whether our lives are truly our own. Originally published in the April 1954 issue of *If Worlds of Science Fiction*, this classic tale combines the intimate setting of a neighborhood bar with mind-bending philosophical questions. Trimble's storytelling captures the poignant beauty in routine and routine friendship, while gently challenging readers to reconsider everything they thought they knew about choice and consequence. Perfect for science fiction enthusiasts who appreciate character-driven narratives and speculative concepts grounded in human emotion, this audiobook offers a thought-provoking listen about the invisible forces that shape our lives.