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"Every scientist worth his salt that I know of has read science fiction."
- Greg Bear
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| Heavy-Metal Detector | ||
| Handy for a quick survey of a new planet. |
| The readings were uninteresting. They showed a planet smaller than Earth, uncharted, and with no commercial value other than oxygen atmosphere.
 (Heavy-metal detector from 'Hands Off' (1954) by Robert Sheckley) As they swung past, their heavy-metals detector came to life. "There's stuff down there!" Agee said, quickly interpreting the multiple readings. "Pure. Very pure — and on the surface!" He looked at Barnett, who nodded. The ship swung toward the planet. |
| Technovelgy from Hands Off,
by Robert Sheckley. Published by Galaxy in 1954 Additional resources -
|
It wasn't what they expected:
"Now this is interesting," Barnett said.
He stared over Barnett's shoulder as Agee brought the ship down in a tight spiral. Within half a mile of the surface, they saw their deposit of heavy metal.
It was a spaceship, resting on its tail in a natural clearing.
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'...a hemispherical force field enclosing his head.'
'Then he became aware of a gentle pressure pushing him away from the ship.'
'And now they wre busily transforming all their companions, and so on, and so on...'
'Why, a clockwork dancer, or, better still, one that would go by electricity and never run down...'
'Maybe the individual intelligence of each Cubic pools into a group intelligence...'
'Looks like she has bought the Avatar Construction Set and put together her own...'
'Across the ground something small and metallic came, flashing in the dull sunlight of midday.'
