VISITORS FROM BEYOND THE STARS
by Bob & Wanda Duncan
The Time Travellers fall into the hands of Aliens ruthlessly scouring
the Universe for food.
Doug and Tony materialize on the floor of an Alien spaceship. While
the Tunnel works to learn where they are, the two are taken in charge
by a pair of Aliens, Taureg and Centaur. The Travellers learn the Aliens
propose a raid on earth that will devastate it of all its foodstuffs because
their own planet was exhausted of its protein substance centuries ago.
The aliens want their help and demonstrate why they will get cooperation
-- they have a machine which can immobilize a man or can kill him. The
period, the helpless Tirade Travellers learn, is 1805 and the Aliens' landing
site is Mullins, Arizona. They land at the farm of a truculent farmer,
Crawford, and Tony is dispatched to the nearby town to round up all available
food. Doug then conspires with Crawford to try to blast the machine, the
source of the Aliens' power. But they miss, and Crawford is struck dead while
Doug is converted into the Aliens' slave. In town, the Sheriff scoffs at the
nonsense about visitors with supernatural powers end Tony's warning that the
aliens will destroy part of the town if he doesn't comply with them. When
some of the buildings burst into flames, he is jailed as a mischief-maker.
He manages to escape and capture the Sheriff to march him g Crawford's at
gunpoint, but Apaches are at hand and the sheriff simply walks away, knowing
Tony won't dare shoot lest he attract their attention. He then returns to the
Aliens who make him accompany them into town to assist in the takeover.
Meanwhile, he sees that Doug's mindless cooperation means he's in their
power and plans, as soon as he's in town, another attack on the Aliens' machine,
reasoning as Doug did that it's the source of their power. While Doug and the
Aliens organize the gathering of foodstuffs to be picked up, Tony seeks the
now-willing Sheriff's assistance. They also get the cooperation of Williams, a
fear shaken bartender, and plan for him to shoot the machine while they
arrange a diversion. But he quails in fear at the last moment, and warns the
fearsome visitors of their plan. Despite this, Tony manages to get his hands
on the machine and smash it. With the smashing of the box, Doug is himself
once more, while the two Aliens march off to be picked up by their people.
Those at the Tunnel see the Sheriff and others preparing to leave this place of
horror. As the Alien spaceship takes off into the skies, Doug and Tony are
whirled into the Vortex of Time.
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