The Long Way

Don Channing can’t hide his enthusiasm for the alien device he’s just acquired—a massive power‑transmission tube recovered from the Martian desert. He spends the opening moments marveling at its sleek, otherworldly design, explaining to his colleague Arden how the tube could reshape the way electricity is delivered across continents, even cutting through solid iron with little loss. The conversation reveals a world where long‑distance power lines are a relic, and this single piece of extraterrestrial tech promises a revolution in energy infrastructure.

Yet the excitement is tempered by legal and corporate tension. Terran Electric, the company that holds the tube’s rights, is wary of letting anyone else tinker with the technology, fearing loss of control and profit. As Channing waits for the company’s engineers to arrive, the story sets up a clash between scientific curiosity and corporate ownership, hinting at the challenges that will accompany any attempt to harness this mysterious Martian breakthrough.