Nebula Science Fiction, August 1957

Lethe Lend by H. Philip Stratford

A science fiction novella about the crash-landing of the Survey Ship Molto Bene on the planet Kweiyang. The vessel sustains serious damage to its main engines but retains functional Stardrive capability. The crew discovers evidence of advanced native civilization—roads, cities, harbors. Captain Dray dispatches a reconnaissance team to explore a nearby white-walled metropolis, but they find the entire city mysteriously deserted. The team establishes a defensive position in an eighty-story building to await the next morning, puzzled by the absence of inhabitants despite evidence of high-level culture comparable to Earth's colonial centers. The narrative emphasizes the crew's anxiety and the strange emptiness encountered, with the spring cleaning festival and the aliens' preparation mentioned obliquely, suggesting mysterious significance to be revealed.