Read "The Wailing Asteroid" by Murray Leinster online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
Burke found her, rooted to the spot. He had a small metal box in his hand. He didn't notice her pallor nor that she trembled.
"I may have something," he said with careful calm. "The case had this in it. There's a black cube in the box. The case seems to have been made to hold and call attention to this cube. I'll take it up to the instrument-room and use a reader on it."