Summary:
"White Spot" by Murray Leinster is a science fiction novelet written in the mid-20th century, specifically the 1950s. The story follows a small crew aboard the spaceship "Danaë" as they encounter a mysterious planet while stranded after a ship malfunction. The narrative explores themes of survival, the unknown, and the interactions between different forms of life, leading to the discovery of a powerful and sinister force residing on the planet. In the story, the crew must find a way to survive after being attacked by a heat ray emanating from a white spot on the planet's surface. As they investigate, they learn that the white spot is a manifestation of a deadly, intelligent entity that once wiped out a civilization. The crew's experience becomes a race against time, as they must activate their ingenuity to outmaneuver and ultimately eliminate this creature before it consumes them. Throughout their ordeal, they also confront the threat posed by a mutinous crew member, Sattell, who has his own motives. The tale culminates in a tense confrontation with the creature, where the crew utilizes cunning strategies to defeat the alien intelligence and secure their escape from the planet. (This is an automatically generated summary.)