
A lone Triomed scientist descends to an unfamiliar world, hidden in a tiny probe that slips into a sleeping human’s nostril. He is on a desperate quest for a suitable host, hoping to secure the future of his dwindling species by commandeering Earth’s warm‑blooded inhabitants. The alien’s mission is clinical, a meticulous study of physiology and behavior before he makes his move.
Stealthily navigating the dark forest outside a remote city, the alien coils into the human’s pineal gland, tasting the rush of alien senses as he takes control of the mind. He experiences the planet’s sounds, smells, and the bustling life of the nearby settlement through a body that is both foreign and familiar. As the host’s primitive consciousness fades, the Triomed records every detail, preparing to explore the world in a guise it can walk among.
Now equipped with a perfect disguise, the invader stands at the threshold of human civilization, poised to observe—and perhaps influence—life on Earth from within.
Language
en
Duration
~15 minutes (15K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2010-06-04
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1921–2004
A fast-moving storyteller of war, technology, and survival, he wrote science fiction and thrillers with the sharp pace of the pulp era. His work ranges from magazine adventures to novels that helped shape post-apocalyptic and military SF reading.
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by Alfred Coppel

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