The Sharkey, Jack 1931-1992 creator text utu 2019 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "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.) Release date is 2019-12-15 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Original publication data not identified Science fiction Short stories Mars (Planet) -- Fiction Human-alien encounters -- Fiction Outer space -- Exploration -- Fiction PS Original publication data not identified https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60928 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60928 UtSlPG 260607 20260610134414.0 60928