Laumer, Keith 1925-1993 creator Ritter, Bob text utu 2016 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "Doorstep" by Keith Laumer is a science fiction short story written in the early 1960s. The narrative revolves around an unidentified massive object that has landed in a rural area, prompting military and scientific investigations. The story explores themes of misunderstanding and consequence in the face of the unknown. In "Doorstep," Brigadier General Straut is in charge of handling the mysterious object, which has provoked a mixture of fear and intrigue among his men. As he assesses the situation, an unexpected series of events leads to casualties, heightening the tension. A professor urges caution, believing that the creature within the object poses no threat, but Straut, eager for recognition and fearful for the surrounding civilians, opts for aggressive action. After a bombardment that seemingly invalidates the threat, a final communication reveals that the object is actually a plea from an extraterrestrial asking for care for its daughter, turning the perceived threat into a poignant moment of realization and regret. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2016-03-20 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 Extraterrestrial beings -- Fiction Human-alien encounters -- Fiction Generals -- Fiction PS Original publication data not identified https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51509 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51509 UtSlPG 260607 20260610134203.0 51509