The Hitch Hikers

"The Hitch Hikers" by Vernon L. McCain is a science fiction tale where the Rell, an old Martian race facing their planet's ruin, confront Captain Leonard Brown, a human astronaut. Driven by the thirst for survival, the Rell observe Brown's arrival, carefully studying the differences between them. The story follows both the collective consciousness of the Rell as they contemplate the human visitor and Brown's individual experiences as he discovers the barren landscape of Mars. Seeing the astronaut’s organic water and his ship as their planet's only chance of survival against complete desiccation, the Rell decide to engage with Brown and his ship, which ultimately results in the Rell entering the astronaut's body in seek of the water that will allow them to survive, creating a strange union as he returns to Earth lauded as a hero.