 Martin has developed some green spots on his skin from taking too many memory pills. He has to take them to aid in his quest to make it back to Mars, but not if it s going to continue making him conspicuous with the spots. An idea: Tim can take the pills instead as he has excess unused brain capacity. Tim reluctantly agrees to do so. Taking the pills makes Tim the smartest man on the face of the Earth. However, to allow him to lead a normal life in this state, Martin has provided him something akin to a post hypnotic suggestion, where the snap of a finger will bring him in and out of the brilliant state, in the normal state without recollection of brilliance. In the middle of helping Martin, Tim is called off to cover a story, that of DeWitt Merrick, an astronomical engineer. Just before meeting Merrick, Tim is in the presence of a flamenco dancer, who is snapping his fingers away leaving Tim in a state of brilliance, which ultimately wows Merrick as Tim was able to solve all Merrick s scientific problems. Tim is drafted to work for the US government on Project Galileo dealing with Mars. Martin has to get to Tim and reverse the effects of the pills before he spills the beans about Martin and Mars. Martin gets to Tim just in time, however exacts too much of Tim s brain power and turns him into the metal equivalent of a child. The scientists think that it is extreme burn-out of a brilliant mind.