Stranger in a Strange Land

A QUARTER of an Earth century passed before Mars was again visited by humans. Six years after the Envoy went silent, the drone probe Zombie, sponsored by La Société Astronautique Internationale, bridged the void and took up an orbit for the waiting period, then returned. Photographs by the robot vehicle showed a land unattractive by human standards; her instruments confirmed the thinness and unsuitability of Arean atmosphere to human life.

But the Zombie's pictures showed that the «canals» were engineering works and other details were interpreted as ruins of cities. A manned expedition would have been mounted had not World War III intervened.

But war and delay resulted in a stronger expedition than that of the lost Envoy. Federation Ship Champion, with an all-male crew of eighteen spacemen and carrying twenty-three male pioneers, made the crossing under Lyle Drive in nineteen days. The Champion landed south of Lacus Soli, as Captain van Tromp intended to search for the Envoy. The second expedition reported daily; three despatches were of special interest. The first was:

«Rocket Ship Envoy located. No survivors.»

The second was: «Mars is inhabited.»

The third: «Correction to despatch 23-105: One survivor of Envoy located.»

III

CAPTAIN WILLEM VAN TROMP was a man of humanity. He radioed ahead: «My passenger must not be subjected to a public reception. Provide low-gee shuttle, stretcher and ambulance, and armed guard.»

He sent his ship's surgeon to make sure that Valentine Michael Smith was installed in a suite in Bethesda Medical Center, transferred into a hydraulic bed, and protected from outside contact. Van Tromp went to an extraordinary session of the Federation High Council.

As Smith was being lifted into bed, the High Minister for Science was saying testily, «Granted, Captain, that your authority as commander of what was nevertheless a scientific expedition gives you the right to order medical service to protect a person temporarily in your charge, I do not see why you now presume to interfere with my department. Why, Smith is a treasure trove of scientific information!»

«I suppose he is, sir.»

«Then why — » The science minister turned to the High Minister for Peace and Security. «David? Will you issue instructions to your people? After all, one can't keep Professor Tiergarten and Doctor Okajima, to mention just two, cooling their heels.»

The peace minister glanced at Captain van Tromp. The captain shook his head.

«Why?» demanded the science minister. «You admit that he isn't sick.»

«Give the Captain a chance, Pierre,» the peace minister advised. «Well, Captain?»

«Smith isn't sick, sir,» Captain van Tromp said, «but he isn't well. He has never before been in a one-gravity field. He weighs two and a half times what he is used to and his muscles aren't up to it. He's not used to Earth-normal pressure. He's not used to anything and the strain is too much. Hell's bells, gentleman, I'm dog-tired myself — and I was born on this planet.»

The science minister looked contemptuous. «If acceleration fatigue is worrying you, let me assure you, my dear Captain, that we anticipated that. After all, I've been out myself. I know how it feels. This man Smith must — »

Captain van Tromp decided that it was time to throw a tantrum. He could excuse it by his own very real fatigue, he felt as if he had just landed on Jupiter. So he interrupted.«Hnh! “This man Smith — ” This “man!” Can't you see that he is not?»

«Eh?»

«Smith … is … not … a …man.»

«Huh? Explain yourself, Captain.»

«Smith is an intelligent creature with the ancestry of a man, but he is more Martian than man. Until we came along he had never laid eyes on a man. He thinks like a Martian, feels like a Martian. He's been brought up by a race which has nothing in common with us — they don't even have sex. He's a man by ancestry, a Martian by environment. If you want to drive him crazy and waste that “treasure trove,” call in your fat-headed professors. Don't give him a chance to get used to this madhouse planet. It's no skin off me; I've done my job!»

The silence was broken by Secretary General Douglas. «And a good job, Captain. If this man, or man-Martian, needs a few days to get adjusted, I'm sure science can wait — so take it easy, Pete. Captain van Tromp is tired.»

«One thing won't wait,» said the Minister for Public Information.

«Eh, Jock?»

«If we don't show the Man from Mars in the stereo tanks pretty shortly, you'll have riots, Mr. Secretary.»

«Hmm — You exaggerate, Jock. Mars stuff in the news, of course. Me decorating the Captain and his crew — tomorrow, I think. Captain van Tromp telling his experiences — after a night's rest, Captain.»

The minister shook his head.

«No good, Jock?»

«The public expected them to bring back a real live Martian. Since they didn't, we need Smith and need him badly.»

«Live Martians?» Secretary General Douglas turned to Captain van Tromp. «You have movies of Martians?»

«Thousands of feet.»