F. L. Wallace

“ The little saucer was a robot. I was sure of that the instant I saw it, mostly because it had wheels. There is nothing to indicate that a life form can't have wheels, but it does pose a nice problem of what a living creature will use for bearings. It was a robot then, and it came out and headed for our ship, which was still holding together splendidly, needle nose aimed at the sky. ”

“ The robot was monkeying around with the farmer, but it was hardly the time to interfere. Needles stabbed the farmer in several places. Withdrawing the blood and storing it, probably inside the robot.
The first needles were jerked out, and replaced by others. Again this was logical: pumping a fluid into the farmer's veins with the intent of suspending the life force until they reached the home planet.
The whole procedure made sense. When the robot couldn't find the spaceship it had taken someone in the vicinity for questioning. They'd be surprised what they'd learn from the farmer though. ”

“ Deserts are hot, dry and bright, and there are few humans there. In our own way we're fond of men, though they may not think so.
Illinois it was, and if there was a note of incongruity in it, so much the better. A spaceship looked strange in the middle of the flat cornfields? Very well, it did. Let the robot investigator find out why it was there.
The creation was not difficult. There was a haze in the air and the fields were green, and the spaceship pointed a sleek nose toward the sky. It was impalpable from below. A farmer plowed right through the stern tubes without knowing they were there. ”

“ Another fellow I didn't recognize interposed. "Suppose everything works the way you say it will. The saucer lands, and you succeed in getting inside. What makes you think it will go back to the home planet?"
"Don't overlook our fake spaceship," I said. "If the robot investigator from the saucer found a real spaceship, that would be important information. It would be important enough to warrant a quick trip back to the local base, wherever that may be situated.
"But when the robot can't locate anything, in spite of the evidence on the instruments, it will be dealing with top priority stuff. ”

“ However, when the saucer lands you'll have to maintain the illusion. Logistics are involved too."
"That's easy," he said. "But what if it isn't manned by robots as you've assumed? You can get inside all right, but a living creature will discover you."
I looked at the blank spot where I thought he might be. "Really now. It has to be a robot. No living creature, except us, can stand the accelerations we've observed." ”

“ The ship wouldn't be real of course. It would merely seem real from the air. We could accomplish that.
As for the drive, we could manage that too. In a little investigated part of the spectrum we could create a low and steady output, suggesting that the drive was idling, ready for instant takeoff.
None of this was impossible for us.
We? Have I said that we're not human? We've existed for a long time on earth beside Homo Sapiens, and he has only dimly guessed that we are here. The ordinary limitations of men don't apply to us. ”

“ I'm not superhuman, not in the strict sense, though I suppose I could give a good account of myself against Wells's Invisible Man, Homo Superior, or the new crop of mutants that will spring up some day soon. ”

“ Logically it will have to report back to the prime evaluation center, on the home planet. I think I'm safe in anticipating a short journey."
"I hope so." He shook his head dubiously. "But what about us? We don't have to worry about humans, and probably those things out there haven't come close enough to learn about us. But they're pretty advanced. What if they should?" ”

“ The others hadn't thought of it, and neither had I, from that angle. I ad-libbed. "It's not been good here lately. There's too many factors against us, agencies that I don't have to mention.
"Feast or famine, mostly the last. And what are we going to do after an atomic war, when mutants come along? Are you sure we can compete with them? As bad as it is now, it can get worse." ”