I'm not sure. You might need to do some research or check literary databases to find out.
As I don't know the particular 'Apollo short story', if it's a traditional Greek myth - related one, Apollo himself would be a main character. And there could be other gods like Zeus (his father), Artemis (his sister), and perhaps mortals with whom he interacted, like Daphne who he chased.
The lesson might be about the importance of perseverance and never giving up on your dreams.
In the 'Apollo Story', the astronauts are the central characters. Neil Armstrong is a well - known figure. His 'one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' is iconic. Buzz Aldrin, who walked on the moon right after Armstrong, is also a main character. The other Apollo astronauts, such as Alan Shepard who was the first American in space and then also went on an Apollo mission, are part of this story. And don't forget the countless engineers and technicians who designed and built the Apollo spacecraft. They are like the unsung heroes in this story.
I'm sorry, but I have no information regarding the author of 'the compromise short story'. It could be self - published by an indie writer, or it could be part of a collection by a more established author. You could try searching for it in specialized short story anthologies or by asking in literary forums where people might be more familiar with it.
I don't know who the author of 'the cage short story' is. There are so many short stories out there with this title or a similar one.
I don't know who the author of 'the payoff short story' is. There are so many short stories out there, and without more information, it's hard to determine the author.
I don't know who the author of the 'sparrows short story' is. There are so many short stories out there, and without more context, it's hard to determine the author.
I'm not sure who the author of the 'alma short story' is. There are so many short stories out there and without more context it's difficult to determine the author.
Daphne du Maurier is the author of 'The Birds' short story.
I don't know who the author of 'finis short story' is as the name is rather general and not enough to identify a particular author.