m.

There was only one possible destination: Mars.

Rip's pulse quickened. He had always wanted to visit the red planet. Of
course he had seen all the films, audio-mags, and books on the planet, and
he had tried to see the weekly spacecast. He had a good idea of what the
planet was like, but reading or viewing was not like actually landing and
taking a look for himself.

Of course they would land at Marsport. It was the only landing area
equipped to handle nuclear drive cruisers.

The cruiser landed and deceleration cut to zero. At the same moment, the
water came on.

Rip hurriedly finished cleaning up, dressed, then took his radiation
instruments and carefully monitored his men as they came from the shower.
Private Dowst had to go back for another try at getting his hair clean,
but the rest were all right. Rip handed his instruments to Koa. "You
monitor Dowst when he finishes. I want to see what's happening."

He hurried from the chamber and made his way down the corridors toward the
engine control room. There was a good possibility he might get a call from
O'Brine, with instructions to take his men off the ship. He might finally
learn what he was assigned to do!

As he reached the engine control room, Commander O'Brine was giving
instructions to his spacemen on the stowage of equipment that evidently
was expected aboard. Rip felt a twinge of disappointment. If the
_Scorpius_ had landed to take on supplies of some kind, his assignment was
probably not on Mars.

He started to approach the commander with a question about his orders,
then thought better of it. He stood quietly near the control panel and
watched.

The air lock hissed, then slid open. A Martian stood in the entryway, a
case on his shoulder. Rip watched him with interest. He had seen Martians
before, on the space platform, but he had never gotten used to them. They
were human, still....

He tried to figure out, as he had before, what it was that made them
strange. It wasn't the blue-whiteness of their skins nor the very large,
expressionless eyes. It was something about their bodies. He studied the
Martian's figure carefully. He was slightly taller and more slender than
the average earthman, but his chest measurements would be about the same.
Nor were his legs very much longer.

Suddenly Rip thought he had it. The Martian's legs and arms joined his
torso at a slightly different angle, giving him an angular look. That was
what made him look like