Posts tagged ‘space aliens’
MARTIAN REBIRTH, CONTINUED
MARTIAN REBIRTH
Jeff Granger and Tom Nariba, mission specialists and the first men chosen to walk on the surface of Mars, waved to the cheering crowd as they approached the spacecraft that would take them on their journey. Behind them came Bill Griss, copilot, and Donald Summers, mission commander. They would remain in orbit around the red planet, mapping and performing scientific studies while relaying communications to and from Earth of the team on Mars’ surface. The astronauts craned their necks, taking in the massive rocket. The vehicle that would take them on a sojourn that would last eighteen months. The rocket was twice the size of the Saturn V used for the lunar missions. Composed of two stages, the first stage was used for the launch. The second stage would take them to the International Space Station where it would be refueled and the module containing the living quarters and the attached surface vehicle for exploration of the planet was already present. The fact that the booster could refuel at the International Space Station made the trip possible. Once refueled, the booster, along with the attached vehicles, would take them to Mars.
Jeff turned to Tom and said, “I still find it hard to believe we are going to Mars. We hope to answer major questions man has had about the red planet. Was there ever life on Mars? Does life, in some form, still exist?”
Jeff and Tom were in their thirties and entered the astronaut program ten years ago and had extensive training in space travel and more importantly were extremely capable scientists. They were excellent physical specimens, practically guaranteed to remain disease free for the length of the mission. Jeff, with his short-cropped blond hair, startling blue eyes, and athletic build, would not look out of place on a California beach. Tom topped Jeff’s six-foot frame by two inches. His unruly black hair and swarthy complexion hinted at his Arab roots. Both had loner personalities which would benefit them while working independently on the planet’s surface.
The psychological profiles of Bill Griss and Donald Summers were nearly opposite than that of the men going to the planet’s surface. These two were sociable and at ease with company in close places. Bill and Donald were test pilots – flyers. Their ability to make split-second decisions under adverse circumstances was why they were important to the crew. The little science they knew had been spoon-fed to them in preparation for this mission. This mix of personalities on the long journey to Mars and back to Earth was a healthy combination for the mission
The launch from Earth, on their epic voyage, was uneventful and surprisingly on time. Each man experienced a twinge of sadness knowing they would not set foot on Earth for eighteen months. But these feelings faded rapidly, replaced by the excitement of the adventure ahead. Donald Summers surveyed his crew as the bone-jarring launch made communication impossible and thought, We must prove that machines lack the flexibility that the human mind can provide when unforeseen situations occur. That man can digest data to answer questions that cannot be anticipated by robotic sensors. So much depends on the answers we provide.
Docking with the space station went smoothly. They would spend two days there before they made the final leap to Mars. The Mars module had to be thoroughly inspected one final time while their booster was being refueled. Jeff and Tom had practiced this procedure countless times, yet after all the training sessions, this time the procedure felt different. This time it was real.
With all the supplies loaded, they were released from the space station and the booster, along with its human cargo, slowly drifted away. With small positioning thrusts, the booster’s orbit decelerated. Before long the distance between it and the space station was more than one hundred miles. The booster fired signaling the beginning of the longest space journey man had yet to take. Griss was the first to speak as the Earth grew smaller and details blurred, “We’re leaving our comfortable planet to explore a distant world. I wonder what we will find and if we will answer the ultimate question, the possibility of life on Mars.”
The astronauts were kept busy on their trip by a host of experiments to accomplish and observations to make. Their spacecraft contained a refractor telescope for visual observations and an infrared telescope both taking advantage of being far from the Earth’s polluting light. The telescopes would be in constant use. Time flew by during the seven-month long journey to Mars.
Jeff and Tom had their own unique specialties and would spend four months exploring the red planet. Jeff was a biologist, looking for signs of life, including bacteria and viruses, and confirming the presence and the amount of water detected by unmanned probes orbiting the planet. Tom, the geologist, would study rock formations to trace the planet’s history. And with Jeff’s help, he would also drill into the surface for evidence which the presence of fossils might harbor.
One day, when they were halfway to the red planet, Jeff said, “Since I was a kid, I’ve heard about little green men. My favorite movie was ‘War of the Worlds’. Now I’m going there, and I still can’t believe it. The closer we get, the more anxious I am to know if some form of life could be waiting there for us.”
Tom answered, “I’ve been thinking about the prospect of finding life too. It will be a great discovery if we do. But it will also signal the end of our civilization’s conviction that it holds a unique place in a sterile universe. I hope we find some sign of Martian life. But at the same time, I sometimes fear the consequences such a discovery may involve. Would society have difficulty facing the fact that we are not alone.”
The four men were surprised how fast time passed on their journey. While they were conducting their assigned experiments, Mars went from a distant point of light to a discernable disc to a moon-sized sphere, and finally to a new world.
* * *
With the help of the onboard computer, the booster inserted itself into orbit around the red planet, an orbit that would take the craft over a previously discovered ice field. Jeff and Tom prepared to make their momentous journey to the surface. They separated their module from the booster and headed toward Mars. Their module resembled the lunar craft used long ago, but on a much larger scale for this was going to be their living quarters not for days, but for months. The module also contained a lab with many of the instruments normally found in a biology lab but miniaturized. When time came for them to return to the booster, the lower part of the module would remain behind with instrumentation that would continue to monitor the planet’s surface. Their living quarters would rejoin the booster and reattach for the voyage back to Earth.
The touchdown on the Martian surface set both their hearts racing. Each had wondered about the feelings this moment would produce. In the end, pure awe was the product. They viewed the pale red landscape out their window, contrasted against an ebony sky speckled with stars.. Jeff said to Tom, “I know it’s against regulations, but I think we should both take the first steps on to the surface together.” Tom happily agreed.
An hour later, they were suited up and ready to leave the module. As they stepped onto the Martian surface, they said the lines that were practiced for the audience back on Earth. “We bring the presence of mankind to our sister planet Mars. Fiction has dealt with the prospect that this red planet harbors life. We have journeyed to seek the truth behind the fiction.” Once the excitement of their first steps wore off, both men settled down to complete their assigned tasks.
The module had landed on the intended ice field. Tom took core samples and conducted seismic tests to determine the depth of the ice. He found the depth to vary between thirty and fifty feet. He already knew the dimensions of the field from orbiting observations to be hundreds of square miles in area. This would supply an abundant amount of water for future explorations and make possible the establishment of colonies that would serve as a stepping-stone for future space exploration.
Tom examined the Martian ice for signs of life by gently melting a quantity of water, then passing the solution through two filter sizes. The first filter would trap any bacteria present and would be incubated with growth media to see if any colonies would form. He used a microscope to check for the presence of bacteria, but none were present.
The second filter would be used to detect viruses and, if present, would be encouraged to proliferate. During these studies Tom wore a disposable bio suit to protect him from any life form present and worked in a miniature laminar flow hood. He ran test after test yielding no positive results for the presence of bacteria or viruses. He would also harvest water to be returned to Earth.
Jeff spent days roaming the Martian landscape while Tom remained close to the spacecraft. Jeff drove the exploration vehicle to distant geologic formations, taking samples and making measurements. He had never felt such deep peace knowing he was alone exploring the surface of Mars studying, charting and sampling the alien landscape. He found hints of the fossilized existence of life in the past, but detailed analysis back on Earth would be needed for confirmation.
The time to journey back to Earth rapidly approached. The astronauts had spent over three months working extremely hard in their quest to discover life and study the planet. Tom and Jeff were disappointed with their research results. They did not find firm evidence of any present life past or present. Perhaps the samples they were returning with would supply more hopeful results.
Days before their voyage home the crew orbiting Mars ran into their first major problem. The fuel cells’ mechanism used to manufacture water on the orbiter broke down. They would still be able to process their urine into potable water, but their bodies used more water than the processed urine could provide. They would never be able to survive the seven-month journey home on the dwindling water their urine yielded.
Mission control was notified. Jeff and Tom had fuel cells on their module to manufacture water while they were on the planet’s surface. But the part of the craft that contained the fuel cells would remain behind. The solution was obvious, a solution the astronauts had already decided upon but waited to be confirmed. The response from mission control said, “You are sitting on a vast amount of water. Fill the storage tanks on the surface module with filtered water filtered twice, to insure its sterility. That, along with your processed urine should provide enough water for you to return home.”
The Martian water’s pH was tested and found to be basically neutral; water on Earth was slightly acid due to dissolved carbon dioxide. Atomic absorption analysis was also run to discover if there were any dissolved minerals present. The water contained fewer trace minerals than water found on Earth. Later, as a mission control scientist studied the analysis he commented, “The Martian water is purer than what comes out of my faucet. Probably tastes better too.” Tom spent the last days melting and filtering water, then filling all the storage tanks to the brim.
The time came to depart Mars. As the two men watched the red surface recede to a red disc, they felt a twinge of regret. Their capsule successfully coupled with the orbiter that would take them home. As they departed Mars’ orbit Donald Summers said to his crew, “We did not discover any life forms currently present, but our rock samples may uncover the evidence of life in the past. After we return to Earth analysis of the sample we are bringing back may yield evidence of past life.” But each crewmember secretly harbored the fear that Mars was a sterile world. Perhaps mankind was a unique product of fortunate circumstances in an otherwise sterile infinity.
Four months into their return flight they found it necessary to begin consumption of Martian water. Tom was first to taste the water. “Bottoms up,” he said. He took a long drink then said, “This water does have a slight aftertaste, probably due to some dissolved minerals, but I’m sure it’s safe.. Bill responded, “You’re right. But I can tolerate the aftertaste for three months if the alternative is dying of thirst. The four men learned to ignore the strange taste, knowing the water was pure, and looked forward to returning home.
Jeff was the first to notice the beginning of the change. His thick blond hair had begun to thin, in fact, all the hair on his body began to disappear. He took to wearing a baseball cap to hide his change in appearance. One day Tom saw him without his cap and asked, “What the hell is happening to you?” His questions ceased when he found clumps of his own hair in the sink. Soon all four of the astronauts suffered the same malady, complete loss of all hair.
Bill and Donald both had families, which lead them to experience more anxiety than the two single astronauts. Bill said to Donald, “I have no idea what is happening to us. I sometimes try to think of my family but I’m beginning to have trouble.” With a weary look Donald responded, “I am too. I don’t know what’s going on.”
In addition, they experienced a decrease in the musculature of their arms and legs. Their arms and legs lengthened and became exceedingly thin while the little fingers of their hands withered and were lost. Fear of all the changes they had undergone was short lived for their brains were changing as well.
Two months into their journey home all communications with mission control ceased. The minds of the astronauts became confused, unable to focus. They found the words communicated to them from Earth alien but were able to understand the thoughts behind the words. Their thoughts remained bewildered until they crossed some strange boundary in their brains. They were now at peace knowing the mission they were sent to fulfill would be accomplished, but not the mission as planned. The four beings sat perfectly still and studied one another with their huge black eyes. They felt no alarm as their skin turned a grayish hue, and their skulls enlarged to become huge cranial domes.
Back on Earth, Emma Griss and Rhonda Summers, wives of the two astronauts, talked often. During one call, Rhonda told Emma, “It’s been so long since we’ve had any word from mission control. I’m sure there must be some kind of telemetry being received from the spacecraft. I wish they would give us more information.” The two women continued to call each other on a regular basis but their mutual hope was rapidly replaced by fear.
* * *
The space capsule separated from its booster and began its fiery descent to the Pacific Ocean. A fleet of naval ships was on hand for retrieval. Parachutes deployed and the craft landed precisely where intended. The computers had functioned flawlessly. Divers from a hovering helicopter jumped into the water to attach a cable to the capsule which delivered it to a nearby aircraft carrier. A specially trained technician opened the capsule’s hatch. With no word from the crew for so long he feared all he would discover upon opening the capsule would be four corpses. The sight that greeted him shocked and repulsed him. He immediately shouted for aid to remove the four.
* * *
A week after the four astronauts returned to Earth, after the most important space voyage ever accomplished by mankind, the world was still deprived of greeting their heroes. The press clamored for information. Questions ran rampant about the outcome of the expedition.
To alleviate all speculation George Fredrick, head of NASA, arranged a meeting in the building housing the astronauts with members of the media to end all conjecture.
The small auditorium was packed with international press. A remote feed to a larger room in another building held the overflow. The tension was palpable as the NASA head approached the podium.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I have called this meeting to end all speculation as to the outcome of our Martian expedition and to introduce you to our gallant astronauts.
“But before I present them, I would like to say something about the conclusions formed from the samples Jeff and Tom obtained from their exploration of the surface of Mars. After extensive analysis of the samples, it is speculated that there is an extremely strong possibility that a primitive civilization had existed there in the past and was suddenly altered by a factor of unknown origin.”
George Fredrick waited for the uproar of the audience to die down.
“In a sense, from what we can determine, the inhabitants of Mars were manipulated by biological material perhaps journeying from outer space transforming a primitive species into a highly intelligent form of life by infecting the Martian water which changed the Martians into creatures designed by an unknown lifeforce. Analysis of rock samples from Mars indicates that two species of intelligent creatures once existed on Mars. This is, of course, speculation but this theory is the result of bits of fossilized skull fragments. Both skulls indicate, through size and structure, intelligent creatures. However, one was possibly far superior to the other in mental acuity.
“What is fascinating is that, through carbon dating, that the two forms existed together for a very short interval. The transition from one creature to another appears to be remarkably instantaneous. Our astronauts confirm the rapidity of this process
“As you all know, the one major problem experienced on this mission was the breakdown of our water-making capabilities. Because of this, our astronauts were forced to drink filtered, sterilized Martian water. We now know that even though this water was sterile, it was not pure.
“After our astronauts returned, the water was further analyzed. One method used was western blot technology to determine if there were any foreign proteins present. It was found that indeed there were. What we discovered in the Martian water was the presence of prions. These bits of protein, although not alive, can alter living beings. On this planet, prions cause mad cow disease and the human counterpart Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.”
Fredrick next showed a slide of the Martian prion protein structure.
“Prions are virtually indestructible. Surgical instruments used where prions were present were found to still harbor the proteins even after being autoclaved. However, alcohol, which denatures protein, can eliminate them.
“These prions can apparently function as a carrier with transformation capabilities. By a manner not yet understood they can take over the biochemistry of whatever creature consumes them and converts that creature into what can only be called the Martain which existed at the end of intelligent life on the planet. This finding was truly unexpected. These prions were there for a sinister purpose. They harbor the unique property of creating alien creatures from any being that ingests them. They possess the ability to transform contaminated beings into those of the planet from which the prions originated. Our voyage to the red planet may have been the first time it had been visited by sentient life, but prions appeared first. The discovery of these prions demonstrates that there are forces at work in the universe that we can only begin to comprehend.
“One aspect of our astronauts’ return trip was puzzling. Why did they not contact mission control when they noticed the first physical changes? On Earth, prions affect only the brain. It is only conjecture, but we feel that long before any physical manifestations took hold, their brains were first affected. Once they had all ingested the prions, their brains were altered. We feel this protective mechanism prevented communication with any other beings except their fellow aliens. Now that the process is complete, we hope to find a way to communicate with our astronauts.
“Without further delay, I would like to introduce to you Jeff Granger, Tom Nariba, Bill Griss and Donald Summers – Martians.”
The door to the isolation chamber opened and there sat the four Martians with their huge black unblinking eyes. The reporters present reacted with horror and wonder.
With their mission in mind and knowledge provided by the prions, the four former astronauts consumed large amounts of Martian water knowing that their bodies would produce a copious supply of concentrated prions.
The four Martians quietly sat as they read the thoughts of the crowd. Each had in his possession a secreted vial of ‘concentrated Martian water thick with prions to transform the Earth into their home.
THE END
ELMO’S SOJOURN, CHAPTER 11
ELMO’S SOJOURN
CHAPTER 11
ELMO’S OFFER IS ACCEPTED
The argument went back and forth between Elmo and Valmid, but Valmid finally succumbed to Elmo’s persistence. “I accept your help my friend. We shall leave when the devices are ready.”
In a few days the six new Freon throwers were ready and tested. Valmid called the five other Rothians to his home. The seven warriors were ready to depart. Elmo noticed that each member of the team carried a pouch in addition to his Freon throwers on their backs. Elmo was also given a pouch.
“We are taking as many time-space machines as we can carry. We have no idea how many women we will be freeing and returning to Roth. I’m afraid there is little hope of rescuing any of the women abducted from Earth, for the abductions ceased there almost sixty years ago, when the Freon level reached intolerable levels for the Gylex monsters.
“Our plan is to journey to Gylex, hopefully arriving at a deserted area. Then we will try to follow the thoughts of the captive women.” All five of the Rothians and Elmo nodded and prepared to leave. Elmo joined Valmid in the center of his machine; the other five occupied two machines facing back-to-back in preparation for a hostile greeting.
In a flash the most dismal landscape imaginable surrounded them, along with four Gylexian monsters. Three were quickly dispatched, surprise being on the side of the Rothians. The fourth began flying away, thanks to the weaker gravity of the planet; Elmo was able to leap high enough to douse the creature and it abruptly fell to the ground.
After the initial excitement, the travelers had a chance to inspect their surroundings. Elmo thought, “If there is a hell, it must look something like this.” The Rothians were unfamiliar with the concept of Elmo’s hell, but they all shuddered at the scene before them. Everything was colored shades of gray and black. The landscape was dotted with miniature volcanoes no more than a few hundred feet high, most in a constant state of eruption that spewed heavy columns of smoke and ash into the air and shed an eerie glow from the magma seeping down their sides. The atmosphere was thick and oppressive. The party had timed their arrival for daytime, but a faint twilight was all that greeted them. The only vegetation visible were huge trees, not unlike those found on Roth. Their trunks disappeared into the unbroken mantle of black clouds that filled the sky; their leaves seeking the life-giving light denied the planet’s surface.
The rescue party could see larger mountains in the distance; their sides honeycombed with openings. Occasionally a winged Gylexian would fly in or out of apertures; these must be their cities.
The six Rothians stood still and quietly concentrated, seeking the thoughts of the women they had come to rescue. It did not take long for them to sense Rothian thoughts and then locate their origin on a distant part of the planet. They set up their time-space machines, again standing back-to-back and ready for an attack. They were sure there must be guards at their destination, and to eliminate them by taking advantage of the element of surprise.
In a flash the seven were standing before a Gylexian hill, somewhat smaller than the hill they first had seen. Perhaps this was the prison where the women were being held. At the same time, they also found themselves standing before five guards armed with weapons resembling crossbows. Before the Rothians could react, one of their parties was shot in the neck and collapsed. Freon spray quickly took care of the guards, but not before they sounded an alarm that brought more guards flying out of the prison, also to fall to the ground as the air filled with Freon. Three of the party, along with Elmo, remained outside to guard against further attacks. Valmid and the remaining member of his group entered the prison to free the women. The sight inside sickened them. Corpses of ten to 15 Rothian women littered the floor of the forbidding structure. As they proceeded farther into the dark, dank hallways they came upon the cells they were seeking. Each cell held two or three women in various stages of pregnancy. As Valmid had anticipated, there were no women from Earth, only women from Roth. Valmid searched wildly from cell to cell looking for his daughter, calling her name, “Rolack, Rolack.” He stopped at the entrance of a cell holding two women, then choked back tears and cried, “Rolack!”
A woman inside stood and cried, “Father!”
Valmid had found his daughter. In short order, the keys to the cells were located and the women released. They made their way out of the prison, the women breathing free air for the first time since their capture. One of the women collapsed by the body of the fallen Rothian, crying for the husband she had not seen for years and who had died trying to rescue her. Valmid ordered everyone to unfurl the time-space machines and, in twos and threes, quickly occupy them. Two Rothians carried the body of their fallen companion to the last machine and gently laid him down. Then Valmid distributed the preset control boxes, and the group disappeared in a series of flashes, bound for Roth.
Once on Roth, the women cried, laughed and even collapsed when united with their families. Those who returned pregnant wanted most to immediately cleanse their bodies of the demon cargo they carried. Valmid, Elmo and Rolack entered their home to find Cal crying out at the sight of her daughter. The three family members hugged and cried while Elmo stood to the side and felt an emptiness he could no longer deny.
ELMO’S SOJOURN, CHAPTER 5
ELMO’S SOJOURN
CHAPTER 5
A LESSON IN SPACE AND TIME TRAVEL
Valmid and Cal led Elmo up the stairs to the guest bedroom. His bed for the night was enormous but welcoming. It had been a long, eventful day.
Cal found some pajamas and other clothes from their child’s younger days that fit Elmo perfectly. Elmo bid Cal and Valmid good night, slipped beneath the covers, and was soon asleep. His dreams were filled with screaming plants and foreign lands and Mildred. When he awoke, his first thought was of Mildred, and he was filled with sorrow and longing. It had been many years since he had awoken without her next to him.
Elmo was learning to cope with the oversized house and furniture. The weaker gravity of Roth enabled him to jump greater distances than he could on Earth. He found he could hop up and down the stairs and jump into bed with little effort. After dropping down from the bed, Elmo entered the bathroom, took a shower, then carefully made his way down the stairs. Valmid and Cal were already eating breakfast and invited Elmo to join them.
Valmid detected Elmo’s reluctance to eat their food, so he reassured him, “Elmo, although we’re very different on the outside, on the inside we are the same. Not only are our organs identical but the biochemistry that governs them is also similar. What is edible for us is also edible for you. The food may appear different, our plants and animals may not resemble the plants and animals you are fond of consuming, but our food will fulfill your requirements.” During breakfast, Elmo experienced new flavors and textures, both good and not so good, and hoped Valmid was right.
With breakfast finished, Valmid commented, “Your species discovered the existence of worm holes, but only you, Elmo, uncovered the secret of time-space travel. I can only imagine how crude the device was that you contrived, being the first of its kind on your planet. I was playing with Zytex when he suddenly vanished, transported by your machine. You came very close to transporting me, instead of my faithful pet. Our two planets are not the only ones that have made the discovery. There are other civilizations on other planets that have developed this method of travel.”
Valmid sat back and began to explain the more intricate principles and mechanisms of time-space travel to Elmo. “Elmo, you’ve shown great insight in discovering the use of wormholes for travel, and you were lucky to survive your first attempt. First, let me explain the change in how old you were when you left Earth to your age now on Roth. You know that nothing can exceed the speed of light, and you know the whole universe is in motion. Whole galaxies are propelled with untold speed, some towards and some away from each other. Therefore, if you are on a planet hurtling toward another planet you wish to visit and their combined relative closing speed is greater than the speed of light, the differences in speed results in a change in your age. Luckily for you, Roth is moving toward Earth. If the planets had been moving apart at the same speeds, you would have arrived a very old man.”
Valmid continued, “You are lucky in another sense in relation to time-space travel. You see, my friend, space is crisscrossed with an infinite number of wormholes. There are, in fact, many that connect Earth and Roth, but they differ in the direction of their routes. You happened to select one whose path was not the most direct. If you had, the outcome would have been quite disastrous. You see your age would have decreased by more years than you have been alive. So somewhere along your journey, you would have ceased to exist.”
As Elmo listened to Valmid he realized just how lucky he had been in choosing Roth as a destination. At the same time, he was intrigued by the complexity of time-space travel. He thought a wormhole was a wormhole was a wormhole. He was also pleased with the fact that life exists on other planets which circle other stars under conditions similar to those of Earth and its sun, thereby verifying a theory he had considered for many years but was careful not to discuss with his colleagues at Los Alamos. Elmo was afraid he would have found himself conducting research at Roswell if his theories had been known.
“Another item I must discuss with you,” Valmid continued, “is our method of communication. You know that I can read all your thoughts, but you are only reading those thoughts of mine that I want you to know. We all need privacy, and when we have a visitor from another planet we like to give him the ability to think without being intruded upon. You remember when we first met how I could not communicate with you because your thoughts were coming fast and overlapped with one another. What I’m about to teach you may be difficult at first, but I’m sure you will be able to do it quite easily. Try humming in your mind.”
Elmo hummed a tune he particularly enjoyed.
“Now try to hum and have a thought simultaneously.”
Elmo did this with some difficulty.
“I have no idea what you just thought. You see Elmo; the humming sets up white noise through which your thoughts cannot be discerned. With a little practice, you will be able to have some privacy during your stay with us.”
With great sadness, Elmo wondered how long that stay would be. He missed Mildred a great deal and felt so alone on Roth. He had planned a brief visit – not an extended journey. At the same time, he found the whole experience fantastic.
Valmid sensed Elmo’s sadness but knew he would not let his friend return to Earth until he had helped solve a problem that was decimating Roth and profoundly altered Valmid’s life. Elmo would not be leaving until the dilemma was solved, no matter how long it took.
DETAILS OF THE MARTIAN INVASION FOUND IN THE NOVEL
The novel begins with the primary character, while using a telescope at an observatory, notices flashes occurring on the surface of Mars. I use the term primary character because his name is never revealed. Also mentioned are the makings having been observed on the surface of the planet.
Eventually, what are thought to be meteorites begin landing in England and only in England which is where the invasion takes place. These are cylinders from Mars. Upon landing the cylinders form deep craters. Activity from the result of flashes and the formation of clouds of mysterious gases are observed issuing from the crater for quite some time. This is because the Martins are using more rudimentary lifeforms and advanced machinery in the construction of their vehicles due to the trouble the Martians have functioning in the greater gravity of Earth as compared to the gravity of Mars
Once the nature of the activity in the crater is realized, the man ponders what is driving the purpose of the Martians in their journey. At one point he also wonders if the Martians have a god and compares the invasion to a European country invading a ‘savage’ culture.
It is revealed that the Martians, through necessity, have increased their intelligence, increased their powers and hardened their hearts.
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