02504cam a22003733u 4500 60928 UtSlPG 20260610134414.0 m cr n 260607r2019||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 PS Sharkey, Jack, 1931-1992 The Contact Point Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2019 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, January 1961 Release date is 2019-12-15 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "The Contact Point" by Jack Sharkey is a science fiction short story written in the early 1960s. The story revolves around an expedition to Mars, where Lieutenant Lloyd and his crew make first contact with an alien race that they initially believe to be Martians. However, the narrative unveils a twist as the crew discovers that the aliens are, in fact, Venusians, leading to a misunderstanding about their true identities and the ominous implication that actual Martians may still exist. In the story, Lloyd and his team arrive on Mars and explore a dilapidated Martian city, where they encounter Ulkay Blet, a friendly and intelligent alien. As they attempt to communicate and learn about the Martian civilization, they unwittingly engage with Ulkay and his fellow Venusians. While initial interactions are humorous and light-hearted, tension builds as Lloyd realizes the potential danger of not knowing who the true Martians are. In a frantic turn of events, the crew finds themselves unarmed and surrounded by an unknown alien force, leading to a gripping climax filled with uncertainty and suspense. Ultimately, the story explores themes of communication and misunderstanding in encounters with alien life. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Original publication data not identified Science fiction Short stories Mars (Planet) -- Fiction Human-alien encounters -- Fiction Outer space -- Exploration -- Fiction Produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, January 1961 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60928 101754 101754