Madmen of Mars

The narrator, a member of an interplanetary crew, recalls how an enigmatic Martian influence prompted Cultural Emissaries to withdraw, abandon space travel, and adopt eccentric, duel-loving, wine-drinking manners. Back on Earth a spreading psychosomatic condition called the Malignant Inertia Complex produces lethargy and frozen behavior, and the small band who witnessed the original incident suspect the two phenomena are connected. While testing an early telepathic interplanetary communicator and watching diplomatic efforts to reopen relations, the group debates whether to reveal what they know and wrestles with responsibility for a contagion that alters moods and social customs across planets.