
Part 1
A crew of Earth’s finest explorers descends onto a cloud‑shrouded world that has swallowed every ship that dared to land. Commander Kellews and Dr. Boyette lead the Assault cruiser through a misty plateau littered with the silent hulls of vanished vessels, searching for any clue to the disappearances. The planet’s endless white veil and eerie, untouched wreckage create an atmosphere of both awe and unease, as the team wonders whether life—or something far more dangerous—lies beneath the surface.
While combing the desolate field, the crew encounters a puzzling sight: tiny, teddy‑bear‑shaped creatures that seem harmless at first glance. Their sudden appearance raises questions about the planet’s true inhabitants and the reason the ships were abandoned. As the scientists weigh curiosity against caution, the mystery deepens, hinting that the gentle façade may hide a perilous secret waiting to be uncovered.
Language
en
Duration
~25 minutes (24K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
New York, NY: King-Size Publications, Inc., 1953.
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Dec 24, 2023
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
A mid-century science fiction writer whose stories imagine minds outliving bodies, machines pushing back against their makers, and strange worlds hiding unsettling truths. His surviving work has found new life through public-domain editions and audiobook recordings.
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