| abstract | - A group of four explorers land on a planet that seems suitable for human habitation. Captain Vic Danton, the pilot and navigator, leads the group. Alice Chambers is the doctor and psychologist. Mikel North is the bacteriologist and bacteriologist. Anders Pavan is the linguist. Being pleased with their findings concerning the planet, the group is suddenly approached by a large group of flying white spheres that resemble basketball-size globes. Vic attempts a take off after Anders is attacked, but the spheres sucked the energy needed from the engines. The spheres damage the ship before eventually flying off. The three men hurry to repair the ship before the globes return. A rockslide destroys the ship leaving the pioneers marooned. The globes return and capture the explorers, taking them to a pair of Space Flowers. The globes obey the flowers, but the explorers cannot communicate with the plants. Mikel approaches the flowers with a tube. He breathes into the tube and puts it right up to the flower. As they fly off in their repaired ship later, Mikel explains that his breath had carbon monoxide necessary for the plants. He conjectures the plants will provide the oxygen needed for a successful symbiotic relationship with them and future settlers on the planet.
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