02532cam a22003613u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000330011324500150014626400510016130000470021233600260025933700260028533800360031149000700034750000310041750801030044852012420055153400720179365300200186565300180188565300430190370000280194683000700197485600830204485600430212777718UtSlPG20260610134812.0mcr n260607r20261955utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPS1 aMerwin, Sam, Jr.,d1910-199610aFinal exam 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2026  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier1 aProduced from Fantastic Universe, November 1955 (Vol. 4, No. 4.).  aRelease date is 2026-01-16  aTom Trussel (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)  aFinal exam by Jr. Sam Merwin is a science fiction short story written in the mid-20th century. It likely centers on first contact through UFO sightings as a catalyst for a moral and political test of humanity’s readiness to join a wider galactic community.

A national leader at a secret Midwestern retreat refuses to hide when a formation of mysterious lights—solid craft on radar—sweep in overhead. After witnessing one up close, he seeks counsel from his trusted friend Harlan, a serene astrophysicist who reveals he is part of a quiet, long-term alien mission: embedded advisors placed among Earth’s power centers to help humanity survive its volatile early atomic era. The arriving “flying saucers” are not invaders but transports to retrieve these mentors, leaving humans to face their “final exam” unaided. Returning home, the leader discovers his beloved wife has also departed—she, too, was one of them. Shaken but resolute, he watches a ship lift off and then resolves to unite his counterparts worldwide to guide their people through the looming trial, trusting that love and shared purpose will be enough to prevent catastrophe and earn a place among the stars. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  pOriginally published:cNew York: King-Size Publications, Inc., 1955  aScience fiction  aShort stories  aUnidentified flying objects -- Fiction1 aHunter, Mel,d1927-2004 0aProduced from Fantastic Universe, November 1955 (Vol. 4, No. 4.).4 uhttps://archive.org/details/Fantastic_Universe_v04n04_1955-11/page/n3/mode/2up40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/77718