Mars was supposed to be an easy conquest.
The canals are dry, the cities are crumbling, and the few remaining natives seem passive and broken. The human expedition settles into the old Martian village of Kinkaaka with confidence, convinced they are bringing discipline and progress to a dying world. From the shaded windows of a restaurant overlooking the ancient canal, the conquerors watch their new territory and talk freely about the strange creatures they now rule.
Yet something about the situation never quite sits right. One man questions the way the expedition treats the natives and the way their culture is being picked apart piece by piece. Others brush off his concern, convinced the Martians are harmless and incapable of resistance. After all, what threat could a quiet, defeated people possibly pose?
But the village of Kinkaaka holds more watchers than the conquerors realize.
Behind the sandstone walls and beneath the tired routines of occupation, careful eyes measure every word and gesture. The invaders think they understand the world they have taken. They believe they are the only ones capable of planning the future.
Before long, someone will discover how badly they misjudged the colony.
Jerome Bixby wrote sharp, twist-driven science fiction that regularly appeared in the leading magazines of the 1950s. His stories were published in Galaxy Science Fiction, Planet Stories, and Amazing Stories, where he became known for clever reversals and biting social commentary. Bixby later moved into television and film writing, contributing to classic episodes of Star Trek and co-writing the screenplay for the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage. "The Crowded Colony" showcases the kind of carefully constructed narrative surprise that made his short fiction so memorable.
