"Mark, we're landing", he instructed. "so that we can 
examine from close up!" 
   "Okay!" 
   The pilot concentrated on his armatures, looked for a 
suitable place for a landing. 
   But he did not approach close enough to bring the 
telescopic legs of the Eagle to the Moon soil. 
   A shout glared through the cockpit - the shout of the 
female Doctor. Her trembling index finger pointed to 
the screen.
   "That. . . that's not possible!" she stammered in a 
barely understandable voice. 
   Macinlock and Koenig, who were not looking at the 
viewscreen at the moment, saw what they had missed. 
   The picture, which was offered to their eyes, was 
unbelievable. On the previously empty plateau, there 
now suddenly appearred three shapes. At first glance 
it was evident that they were humanoid shapes. But 
they were not Alphan. 
   They were alien! 
   The complete surprise of the emerging strangers was 
astonishing enough. What made John Koenig and his 
companions doubt their understanding however, was 
something completely different. 
   If humans exposed themselves to the vacuum of the 
Moon for just a few seconds, that would be sufficient to 
kill them immediately. Without a space suit no living 
being could exist on the Moon's surface. 
   The three shapes down below could do it however. 
They did not carry a space suit, nor helmet, nor any 
safety device against the deadly vacuum. They had 
draped their bodies in a pair of overalls, but were 
completely free about their heads. 
   The Alphan had still not recovered from their surprise, 
when they were met by a new shock.

10