Coming of the Gods

A Martian explorer returns home to find his world transformed by the arrival of strangers from Earth. After rescuing a companion from a ratlike Oan attacker, he learns that the visitors communicated by thought and wielded strange, devastating weapons. The Oan captured the newcomers and used those arms to slaughter villagers and force survivors to flee. The story follows the immediate aftermath of contact, the shock and grief of the native community, and one man's resolve to respond as technology and violence reshape familiar landscapes and relationships.