The Onslaught from Rigel

A radioactively charged comet and a following gas storm convert large numbers of people into partly mechanical bodies that function on electrical energy, leaving many dead and survivors disoriented. Small groups of researchers and improvised communities examine the physiological change, hunt for power sources, and attempt to repair and lubricate their new forms. Meanwhile, hostile visitors from a neighboring star system mount a technologically advanced invasion, forcing the altered humans to combine scientific investigation with sudden defensive improvisation. The narrative follows the shock of bodily transformation, the reorganization of society, and efforts to understand and resist the alien threat.