The year is 2675. Earth and Mars have been locked in generational warfare, and three young Terrestrial soldiers stationed on an isolated outpost are hungry for adventure. When they steal a military craft for a joyride, they stumble onto something far more serious than a thrill ride: a Martian scout, and the terrifying truth behind it. An artificial asteroid hides in the void between worlds, housing an invasion force ready to strike at Earth. The fate of humanity now rests on three unlikely heroes who never asked to be humanity's last chance. This is early pulp science fiction at its most propulsive, written when the solar system still felt vast and dangerous and full of possibility. Manly Wade Wellman, who would later become one of the genre's most beloved voices, delivers a story of quick thinking against impossible odds and unexpected mercy in the midst of interplanetary conflict. The climax brings a desperate battle where youth and ingenuity prove more valuable than experience, and an unlikely alliance forms between a Terrestrial soldier and a Martian named Yaxa, suggesting that even in total war, understanding between worlds might yet be possible. For readers who crave classic adventure, nostalgic pulp energy, and stories where the kids save the day.
