atter. The findings of this tiny
investigating machine were very important.

Finally they succeeded in locating the investigator, and one of the
Outsiders appeared armed with a peculiar projector. A bluish beam
snapped out, and the tiny machine went blank.

The fleet was surrounded by thousands of the tiny machines by this time,
and the Outsiders were badly confused by their presence, as it became
difficult to locate them in the confusion of signal impulses. However,
they started at once for Earth.

The science-investigators had been present toward the last, and I am
there now, in memory with my two friends, long since departed. They were
the greatest human science-investigators--Roal, 25374 and Trest, 35429.
Roal had quickly assured us that these Outsiders had come for invasion.
There had been no wars on the planets before that time in the direct
memory of the machines, and it was difficult that these who were
conceived and built for cooperation, helpfulness utterly dependent on
cooperation, unable to exist independently as were humans, that these
life-forms should care to destroy, merely that they might possess. It
would have been easier to divide the works and the products. But--life
alone can understand life, so Roal was believed.

From investigations, machines were prepared that were capable of
producing considerable destruction. Torpedoes, being our principal
weapon, were equipped with such atomic explosives as had been developed
for blasting, a highly effective induction-heat ray developed for
furnaces being installed in some small machines made for the purpose in
the few hours we had before the enemy reached Earth.

In common with all life-forms, they were able to withstand only very
meager earth-acceleration. A range of perhaps four units was their
limit, and it took several hours to reach the planet.

I still believe the reception was a warm one. Our machines met them
beyond the orbit of Luna, and the directed torpedoes sailed at the
hundred great ships. They were thrown aside by a magnetic field
surrounding the ship, but were redirected instantly, and continued to
approach. However, some beams reached out, and destroyed them by instant
volatilization. But, they attacked at such numbers that fully half the
fleet was destroyed by their explosions before the induction beam fleet
arrived. These beams were, to our amazement, quite useless, being
instantly absorbed by a force-screen, and the remaining ships s