Weird Science #19

In the distant year 4152, where eternal youth is enforced by injections, a weary 550-year-old man named Martin meets Jean, another immortal soul worn thin by endless time. Drawn together by shared exhaustion, their unexpected connection reignites something long buried—hope. Sent to a remote colony planet without the means to prolong life, they face the unknown with a fragile, newfound spark.

In the silent red dust of Mars, a stranded crew of Earthlings confronts a mysterious "Soul Well" that pulses with an ancient, formless presence. As the entity begins to claim them one by one, each man—Captain Sessions, William Spaulding, Forrest Cole, and the others—faces a desperate choice: surrender to possession or end their lives to break the hold. When the last of the crew falls, the well seems still… until a new ship approaches, carrying the next wave of travelers.

In a twist that turns intimacy into espionage, Della finds herself questioning everything when an alien invasion disguises itself as the native Martians—except for one telltale sign: Earthlings are born with navels, while the invaders hatch from eggs. When she realizes her husband Lon is not who he seems, she must make a heart-wrenching choice that tests loyalty, love, and survival.

In "Keyed Up!" from Weird Science #19 (1953), a tense space voyage takes a deadly turn when a crewmate’s drunken mistake dooms them all—now, with a meteor strike leaving the ship vulnerable, the survivor is trapped by his own guilt. Guernsey, left to die outside the ship, becomes a haunting presence, his rotting form just beyond the viewport, forcing Benson to confront the consequences of his actions in a chilling game of survival.