"Redemption Cairn" is a short story by Stanley G. Weinbaum, first published in 1936.
Pilot Jack Sands is left in disgrace after allegedly crashing the Hera, aboard which an expedition was returning from Europa. In truth, his co-pilot Kratska bears most of the blame but, since he was the less-injured one and no one besides them survives, he got to the reporters first and blackened Jack's name.
Later, Jack is offered to pilot another ship to Europa with another expedition. Aboard the ship, there will also be Captain Henshaw, his good old friend, Stefan Coretti, a physical chemist, Ivor Gogrol, a biologist, and Claire Avery, a young celebrity pilot taken along for publicity.
However, it turns out that this expedition is just a cover for finding a priceless formula left by the previous one on Europa.
Tropes featured in the story:
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Both Coretti and Jack are in love with Claire, but each of them is willing to stand aside if she loves the other.
- Idle Rich: At first Jack believes Claire is a Thrill Seeker who is simply bored with her wealthy life and seeks adventure in piloting without knowing much about the latter. It turns out she is anything but.
- In-Series Nickname: Claire is nicknamed the Golden Flash — for her racing rocket on which she became the first woman to win the Apogee race.
- Kick the Dog: Gogrol/Kratska sadistically kills a bladder bird just because he can. Jack lampshades it by pointing out the pointless cruelty of it.
- Malicious Slander: After surviving the Hera crash, Kratska puts all the blame for it on Jack, even though it was Kratska that caused it.
- Mistaken for Romance: When Jack sees Coretti and Claire in an embrace, he thinks they are an item. Actually, Claire is at that moment rejecting Coretti's proposal.
- Mock Millionaire: Claire keeps up the image of wealth while really being incredibly poor.
- Only in It for the Money: Claire only takes up piloting to earn money for her mother.
- Rejected Marriage Proposal: On Europa, Coretti asks Claire to marry him. She likes him as nothing more than a friend, so she gently lets him down.
- Wealthy Ever After: Thanks to finding the formula, the three survivors of the expedition are left "in the clover field", as Coretti puts it.
