# XXIII: Venone explained — Invaders from the Infinite

> Chapter companion for Invaders from the Infinite by John W. Campbell.

## What happens

Arcot and his crew visit the planet Venone, a massive world with extreme gravity and a dense atmosphere. They learn from the Venonians about their history with Thett, including how Thett was initially defeated but later returned with ray screens. Arcot constructs a small ship to scout ahead, and Morey returns with a favorable report. The crew lands on Venone, demonstrates their power by creating a spaceship from energy, and establishes a bond of friendship with the Venonians.

## Themes in this chapter

### Exploration and the Unknown

The crew explores the alien world of Venone, with its extreme gravity and unique environment, and learns about its history and inhabitants.

### The Nature of Power and Responsibility

Arcot demonstrates the power of the Thought by creating a spaceship from energy, and the Venonians show responsibility by offering help and expressing regret for past actions.

## Character check-ins

### Arcot

Leads the mission to Venone, constructs a new ship from energy, and demonstrates the power of the Thought to the Venonians.

### Morey

Scouts ahead to Venone in a small ship, returns with a favorable report, and assists in mental examinations of Venonian officers.

### Torlos

Expresses concern about the Venonians' potential mental powers and the risk of their ship being captured.

### Zezdon Afthen

Uses his mental science to examine the minds of Venonian officers without their awareness, and reports his findings to Arcot.

### Zezdon Inthel

Assists Zezdon Afthen in mentally examining the Venonian officers.

## Key lines

> instantly, their world was protected only by the ray screen, which the Thessians did not have, and by the fact that they could build more cruisers. In less than a year Thett was defeated, and beaten back to her world, though Venone could not overcome Thett, now, for around their planets they had so many forts projecting the deadly rays, that no ship could approach.

The Venonians initially defeated Thett using ray screens and superior cruiser production, but were unable to conquer Thett due to its planetary forts projecting deadly rays.

_Historical context of the Venonian-Thett conflict._

> Arcot made a new ship. It was made entirely, perforce, of cosmium, lux and relux, for those were the only forms of matter he could create in space permanently from energy.

Arcot constructed a new ship using cosmium, lux, and relux, which he created from energy in space.

_Demonstration of Arcot's advanced technological capabilities._

> The Thought weighs one billion, two hundred and six million, five hundred thousand tons, with tender, on Earth. Here it weighs approximately one hundred and twenty-one billion tons.

The Thought's weight increases dramatically on Venone due to the planet's extreme gravity, from about 1.2 billion tons on Earth to 121 billion tons.

_Illustrates the immense gravitational pull of Venone._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/invaders_from_the_infinite_se/chapters/xxiii-venone
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/invaders_from_the_infinite_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/invaders_from_the_infinite_se/chapters