Ultimatum

"Ultimatum" by Roger D. Aycock is a science fiction tale from the 1950s, a story of Earth facing a dire warning about its own destructive potential. Winant, an ordinary Earthman, is thrust into an extraordinary situation when he meets Yardana, a supposed Martian envoy. Yardana claims humanity's atomic advancements and alien influences pose a grave threat not only to Earth but also to Mars. Set in a simple Indiana hotel room, high-stakes negotiations unfold as Yardana argues for Earth's annihilation to preserve the Martian civilization. Winant grapples with disbelief until a shocking twist reveals his hidden agenda and a weapon from Venus, leading to a gripping climax that challenges the very nature of survival and the motives of alien races.