
A lone wanderer stalks the barren Martian wastes, his massive yet emaciated frame silhouetted against twin moons. Exhausted after a desperate chase across crimson dunes, he seeks refuge behind a lone tor, hoping the jagged rocks will shield him from a squad of Earth Police officers armed with a deadly Banning shocker. The tension crackles as the pursuers assemble their equipment, their purpose unmistakable: capture the outlaw and deliver him to the grim catacombs of Luna.
The man, known only as Stark, is a hardened survivor of countless frontiers, his skin darkened by relentless suns and his eyes reflecting an uncanny, almost primal light. When the officers finally confront him, they speak in a harsh, alien tongue, offering a tenuous truce that masks a deeper, ominous agenda. The scene settles into a breath‑holding pause, leaving listeners to wonder whether Stark will outwit his captors or be forced into the darkness that awaits beneath the Martian surface.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (118K 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
2020-12-04
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1915–1978
A pioneering writer who moved easily between pulp science fiction and Hollywood, creating vivid adventure stories on the page and helping shape classic films on the screen. Best known for her planetary romances, noir work, and screenwriting, she built a career that still feels energetic and modern.
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