The Project Gutenberg EBook of Warning from the Stars, by Ron Cocking

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Warning from the Stars

Author: Ron Cocking

Illustrator: Summers

Release Date: September 9, 2007 [EBook #22545]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WARNING FROM THE STARS ***

Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

_Don't believe in flying saucers? Neither
do we, but that doesn't necessarily mean
that there can be no other way for Earth
to get its last...._

WARNING
FROM THE STARS

By RON COCKING

ILLUSTRATOR SUMMERS

It was a beautifully machined container, shaped like a two pound
chocolate candy box, the color and texture of lead. The cover fitted so
accurately that it was difficult to see where it met the lip on the
base.

Yet when Forster lifted the container from the desk in the security
guards' office, he almost hit himself in the face with it, so light was
it.

He read the words clumsily etched by hand into the top surface with some
sharp instrument:

TO BE OPENED ONLY BY:
Dr. Richard Forster,
Assistant Director,
Air Force Special Research Center,
Petersport, Md.

CAUTION: Open not later than
24 hours after receipt.

DO NOT OPEN in atmosphere less
than equivalent of 65,000 feet
above M.S.L.

He turned the container over and over. It bore no other markings--no
express label or stamps, no file or reference number, no return address.

It was superbly machined, he saw.

Tentatively he pulled at the container cover, it was as firm as if it
had been welded on. But then, if the cover had been closed in the thin
atmosphere of 65,000 feet, it would be held on by the terrific pressure
of a column of air twelve miles high.

Forster looked up at the burly guard.

"Who left this here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, sir." The man's voice was as close to
insolence as the difference in status would allow, and Forster
bristled.

"I just clocked in an hour ago. There was a thick fog came on all of a
sudd