"Something Up There Likes Me" is a

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

by American writer

Alfred Bester Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987) was an American science fiction author, TV and radio screenwriter, magazine Editing, editor and scriptwriter for comics. He is best remembered for his science fiction, including ''Th ...

. The story was first published in '' Astounding: John W. Campbell Memorial Anthology'' (1973).

Plot summary

Jake Madigan, an exobiologist, and engineer Florinda Pot (pronounced "Poe"), both based at

Goddard Space Flight Center The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is a major NASA space research laboratory located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C., in Greenbelt, Maryland, United States. Established on May 1, 1959, as NASA's first space flight center, GSFC ...

, are assigned the preparation/launch of a

satellite A satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation ( GPS), broadcasting, scient ...

containing an Orbiting Biological Observatory. The assignment has various delays and failures, but eventually the satellite, containing experimental packages contributed by various research institutions, is delivered to

Cape Kennedy Cape Canaveral () is a cape in Brevard County, Florida, in the United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Officially Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River. It i ...

and launched. During this time, Jake and Florinda's relationship evolves from mutual dislike to mutual attraction. Within a day, they find that an experimental boom has not extended as ordered and that OBO is focusing on it, causing the satellite to spin in circles. This means that the solar array is not continuously focused on the sun, and so insufficient power is being generated. They calculate that at a certain moment, they can bypass the batteries and give the satellite a high-voltage 'swift kick'. This allows the boom to extend, but within a week, the experimenters begin receiving transmissions unrelated to OBO's mission. They eventually realize that the satellite has developed its own intelligence (most likely as a result of the swift kick), naming itself "OBO". Moreover, it is communicating with other satellites (including Soviet spy birds, resulting in attempts to transmit Cyrillic words using the standard English alphabet coding) and increasing its abilities. The authorities at Goddard want to initiate the self-destruct on OBO, as they are worried it's sharing secrets with the Soviets. Jake and Florinda are opposed, until OBO sends a message telling the two that it considers them to be its parents, and expressing shame that they are in an "illikit" relationship. When the DESTRUCT command is transmitted, OBO is unaffected. In a seemingly unrelated disaster, all electrical devices in a city overload, causing a huge fire. During the next pass, the signal is sent again. Another city goes up in flames. Jake and Florinda realize that OBO is behind the fires, and that he (and his satellite network) have the ability to control all electrical systems on Earth. Looking for a solution, they consult "Stretch", an

IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...

2002 mainframe computer at Goddard, who directs them to find a safe place in a small, rural town. Once there, they get a telephone call from "Stretch", which has become part of OBO's intelligent network (and has been narrating the story). He tells them that OBO will be passing overhead, and would like them to go outside and see their "child." Jake and Florinda resignedly wave at OBO, wondering how long until OBO's orbit decays. 1973 short stories Short stories by Alfred Bester {{1970s-sf-story-stub