A powerful sublight interstellar space ship, a "class two cruiser" called Invincible, lands on the planet Regis III which seems uninhabited and bleak, to investigate the loss of sister ship, Condor. During the investigation, the crew finds evidence of a form of quasi-life, born through evolution of autonomous, self-replicating machines, apparently left behind by an alien civilization that visited the planet a very long time ago. The evolution was controlled by "robot wars", and the only form that survived were swarms of minuscule, insect-like micromachines. Individually, or in small groups, they are quite harmless to humans and capable of only very simple behavior. However, when bothered, they can assemble into huge swarms displaying complex behavior arising self-organization, and are able to defeat an intruder by a powerful surge of EMI.
- ISBN10 082640121X
- ISBN13 9780826401212
- Publish Date 1 June 1973
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 13 March 2021
- Imprint Continuum
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 192
- Language English