"But you can't stay here, wandering this hellish world forever!” Thorn cried. “You, one of the greatest of men in the system's history, you whom Earth would welcome with joy."
Clymer Nison's haunted, shining eyes looked past them, far away into tragic memory.
"To Earth I am dead, now,” he said slowly. “And the Earth I knew nine centuries ago, is dead, too. It must remain that way. But one thing you can do for us."
"Anything you mean!” Thorn exclaimed.
"You can give us poor damned souls upon this world, us radioactive men, the boon of real death,” Nison said.
"If scientists of Earth came here with the needed mechanisms, they could end the game of unhuman life within us by using forces to transmute the radioactive atoms of our bodies into pure energy, dissipating our atomic structure, our life and consciousness, forever. That is the greatest gift you could give us — the peace of death."
Thorn felt a hard lump in his throat. It was moments before he could answer,
"It shall be done,” he choked. “A party of scientists will be sent here to do what you ask."
He turned toward the awe-stricken group behind him who were staring in deep silence at the tragic, glowing men.
"We must start,” Thorn said unsteadily. ‘Into the ship!"