Uncanny Tales #17

Aristarchos, a young scholar on the island of Andros in 936 B.C., stumbles upon strange metal canisters left behind by visitors from the stars—only to find their mysterious arrival mirrored centuries later in the Marshall Islands, where modern-day explorers uncover the same alien relics.

In "A Million Light-Years Away," Ben Jarvis, haunted by the weight of Earth and the allure of the stars, finally journeys to Uranus—only to find a civilization where machines have replaced all labor, leaving its people adrift in quiet idleness. What begins as a quest for escape becomes a quiet revelation, as Ben returns home with a renewed appreciation for the messy, human rhythms of life on Earth.

In "Down, Down, Down!", Alphonse Orr, a meek inventor, finds his creations co-opted by the ruthless Edgar W. Simmons, who sees only profit in his genius. When Simmons takes the prototype submarine on a solo descent to claim glory, he ventures too far—into the crushing dark where ancient, unseen horrors stir.