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Lieutenant Henig is sent alone to a supposedly primitive planet to sample its soil and judge whether its oil reserves are worth exploiting, armed only with a telecommunicator and his faith in cold scientific logic. But when three human-like locals recoil in terror at his approach, one opens fire, and Henig's certainty collapses into violence, fear, and doubt. After killing two of them and hiding the bodies, he faces a choice: abandon the mission or press on and save his career. Determined to finish, he discovers a usable vehicle and signs of recoverable fuel, only to realize the world is far more advanced than the scientists believed. Its radio music, internal combustion engines, and songs of love and devotion reveal a civilization both tender and sophisticated, yet still scarred by war and division. As Henig drives toward the oil field, he is forced to confront the possibility that exploitation may destroy something rare, human, and beautiful. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.