The Natives

"The Natives" by Katherine MacLean is a science fiction story that reveals the captivating encounter between aliens and a human spaceship. The story explores energy absorption, the link between different planets, and the ramifications of engaging with unknown forces. On one world, a young being and its grandfather watch a speedy, dark object that turns out to be a spaceship. The young being feels a jolt of energy as it tries to catch up to the ship. Elsewhere, inside a plane, a pilot hears alarms signaling a possible crash with small sparking beings. As the beings take energy from the ship and create different light patterns, a conflict arises between human technology and the strange creatures, questioning their connection and the limits of their worlds.