Who Goes There? — Background and Themes

Opening Salvos: Space Battle and Alien Physiology

The story begins in medias res with a space chase. Davis describes the Alarian ship's damage in concrete terms: a "jagged gash near the base of the leading vessel" and "life-giving water spouted out through the torn side to freeze instantly." The detail that water freezes in the void is a small but telling touch, establishing the Alarians as aquatic beings. Inside the ship, the commander Ekrado and his deputy Ronaro are described as "squid-like" shapes moving through clear water. Their communication is telepathic: "his thought was sharp and urgent." This early passage establishes two key elements: the aliens are water-dwellers, and they rely on mind-to-mind contact. The battle itself is briskly paced, with a series of exchanges—force beams, torpedoes, explosions—that convey the desperation of the Alarian situation. By the time Ekrado orders the lifeboat prepared, the reader understands that the mission to find help on a planet of this sun is a last resort.

The Lifeboat Descent and an Ocean Monster

After abandoning ship, Ekrado and Ronaro descend toward Earth in their lifeboat. The journey is not smooth: they encounter a "monster" in the deep ocean, a creature that attacks with tentacles. Davis writes that the lifeboat's "turn dislodged the severed tentacles" after a struggle, and the two Alarians float in silence, unsure if they have outrun or outfought the beast. This episode serves as a reminder that Earth's oceans are not a safe haven. The monster is never named or explained; it is simply a threat that passes. The scene also highlights the aliens' vulnerability: they are refugees, not conquerors. Their technology—a heat ray cannon—is intact, but they are lost in an unfamiliar world. The silence between Ekrado and Ronaro after the attack, broken only by Ekrado's wry comment, "That idea did not turn out any too well," adds a touch of weary humor to their predicament.

Human Contact: The Destroyer and the Y-Gun

Above the surface, a U.S. Navy destroyer on convoy duty receives orders to blast a submerged object. The captain and executive officer are bored, trading jokes about the war and the Pacific. The exec yawns and says, "I'd give my last bottle for just one sight of a good old Nip periscope." This casual dialogue contrasts sharply with the aliens' life-or-death mission. When the Y-gun crew is called to stations, the exec yawns again—a prodigious yawn that "threatened to split his head." Meanwhile, the Alarians detect the metal hull of the ship with their "Konald detector" and realize they have found intelligent life. Ronaro attempts telepathic contact but is shocked to discover that the creatures are air breathers: "These creatures are air breathers!" he exclaims. The barrier between water and air becomes the central obstacle. Ekrado decides to surface the lifeboat, hoping that visual contact will lead to communication. The reader knows that the Navy is preparing to attack, not to welcome.

The Communication Barrier and What Follows

The excerpts break off before the climax, but the story's trajectory is clear: the Alarians must overcome the physical and perceptual divide between their aquatic world and the humans' air-breathing one. Davis emphasizes that the humans' minds "cannot receive our thought impulses," forcing the aliens to rely on visual signals. The title Who Goes There? becomes ironic: neither side knows who or what the other is. The Navy's orders to "blast it" suggest a violent resolution, but the story may offer a twist. The reader is left to wonder whether the Alarians will succeed in communicating their plea for help or whether the encounter will end in tragedy. The excerpts hint at a theme of missed connection: two intelligent species, each with urgent needs, separated by the very medium they inhabit. The story's brevity—under 7,000 words—suggests a tight, focused narrative that builds to a single, decisive moment.

As you read, pay attention to how Davis balances the aliens' perspective with the humans'. The story shifts between Ekrado's telepathic urgency and the destroyer crew's mundane banter, creating a tension that is both dramatic and ironic. Note also the role of the ocean itself: it is both a barrier and a bridge. The Alarians' aquatic nature is not just a gimmick but a central plot driver. Finally, consider the title's question—who goes there?—as a challenge to assumptions about identity and communication. The answer may not be what either side expects.

I keep thinking about how those stranded squid-beings just wanted to go home, their whole world riding on words that humans barely heard. It reminded me of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom — Background and Themes, where even in a future without scarcity, people still ache for something that feels lost. Both left me with that quiet, hollow feeling—like finishing a conversation I wasn’t ready to end.