"What?" the startled captain gasped. "Oh, d.a.m.n it, Ron Val, you're dreaming again."
It would be a wonderful dream come true, Hargraves knew, if it was true. The human race had kin folks in the universe! Man did not stand alone. There was something breath-taking in the very thought of it.
"Thulon says the tests he ran on Hal Sarkoff proved it. He says his people sent out exploring expeditions long ago, just like we are doing, only the groups they sent out were more colonists than explorers. He says one of these groups landed on earth and that we are the descendants of that group, sons of colonists come back to the mother world after uncounted centuries of absence--"
Ron Val was babbling, the words were tumbling over each other on his lips.
"Oh, h.e.l.l, Ron Val, it doesn't fit," Jed Hargraves said. "We can trace our evolutionary chain back to the fish in the seas--"
"Sure," Ron Val interrupted. "But we don't know that those fish came from the seas of earth!"
"Huh?" Hargraves gasped. "Well, I'll be d.a.m.ned! I never thought of that possibility." He looked at the lakes dancing in the Vegan suns.h.i.+ne. From these lakes, from these seas, had come the original fish-like creature that eventually became human in form! The thought was startling.
"The colonists landed on earth thousands of years ago," Ron Val said. "Maybe they smashed their s.h.i.+p in landing, had to learn to live off the country. Maybe they forgot who they were, in time. Jed, we have legends that we are the children of G.o.d. Maybe--Oh, Jed, Thulon says it's true."
Hargraves hesitated, torn between doubt and longing. He looked down. On the ground in front of him the ants were still swarming. Hundreds of them were coming from the ant hill and were flying off. There were thousands of them. Eventually, in the recesses of this vast grove, there would be new colonies, which would swarm in their turn. He watched them flying away. The air was bright with the glint of their wings.
He looked up. Thulon was coming toward them. Thulon was smiling. "Welcome home," his voice whispered in their minds. "Welcome home."
Hargraves began to smile.
THE G.o.d IN THE BOX.
By Sewell Peaslee Wright This is a story I never intended to tell. I would not even tell it now if it were not for the Zenians.
Understand that I do not dislike the Zenians. One of the best officers I ever had was a Zenian. His name was Eitel, and he served under me on the old Tamon, my first command. But lately the Zenians have made rather too much of the exploits of Ame Baove.
The history of the Universe gives him credit, and justly, for making the first successful exploration in s.p.a.ce. Baove's log of that trip is a cla.s.sic that every school-child knows.
But I have a number of friends who are natives of Zenia, and they fret me with their boastings.
"Well, Hanson," they say, "your Special Patrol Service has done wonderful work, largely under the officers.h.i.+p of Earth-men. But after all, you have to admit that it was a Zenian who first mastered s.p.a.ce!"
Perhaps it is just fractiousness of an old man, but countless repet.i.tions of such statements, in one form or another, have irritated me to the point of action--and before going further, let me say, for the benefit of my Zenian friends, that if they care to dig deeply enough into the archives, somewhere they will find a brief report of these adventures recorded in the log of one of my old s.h.i.+ps, the Ertak, now sc.r.a.pped and forgotten. Except, perhaps, by some few like myself, who knew and loved her when she was one of the newest and finest s.h.i.+ps of the Service.
I commanded the Ertak during practically her entire active life. Those were the days when John Hanson was not an old man, writing of brave deeds, but a youngster of half a century, or thereabouts, and full of spirit. Sometimes, when memory brings back those old days, it seems hard for me to believe that John Hanson, Commander of the Ertak, and old John Hanson, retired, and a spinner of ancient yarns, are one and the same--but I must get on to my story, for youth is impatient, and from "old man" to "old fool" is a short leap for a youthful mind.
The Special Patrol Service is not all high adventure. It was not so even in the days of the Ertak. There was much routine patrolling, and the Ertak drew her full share of this type of duty. We hated it, of course, but in that Service you do what you are told and say nothing.
We were on a routine patrol, with only one possible source of interest in our orders. The wizened and sour-faced scientists the Universe acclaims so highly had figured out that a certain planet, thus far unvisited, would be pa.s.sing close to the line of our patrol, and our orders read, "if feasible," to inspect this body, and if inhabited, which was doubted, to make contact.
There was a separate report, if I remember correctly, with a lot of figures. This world was not large; smaller than Earth, as a matter of fact, and its...o...b..t brought it into conjunction with our system only once in some immemorable period of time. I suppose that record is stored away, too, if anybody is interested in it. It was largely composed of guesses, and most of them were wrong. These white-coated scientists do a lot of wild guessing, if the facts were known.
However, she did show up at about the place they had predicted. Kincaide, my second officer, was on duty when the television disk first picked her up, and he called me promptly.
"Strobus"--that was the name the scientists had given this planet we were to look over--"Strobus is in view, sir, if you'd like to look her over," he reported. "Not close enough yet to determine anything of interest, however, even with maximum power."
I considered for a moment, scowling at the microphone.
"Very well, Mr. Kincaide," I said at length. "Set a course for her. We'll give her a glance, anyway."
"Yes, sir," replied Kincaide promptly. One of the best officers in the Service, Kincaide. Level-headed, and a straight thinker. He was a man for any emergency. I remember--but I've already told that story.
I turned back to my reports, and forgot all about this wandering Strobus. Then I turned in, to catch up somewhat on my sleep, for we had had some close calls in a field of meteors, and the memory of a previous disaster was still fresh in my mind.[1] I had spent my "watch below" in the navigating room, and now I needed sleep rather badly. If the scientists really want to do something for humanity, why don't they show us how to do without food and sleep?
[1] See "The Ghost World" in the April issue of Amazing Stories.--Ed.
When, refreshed and ready for anything, I did report to the navigating room, Correy, my first officer, was on duty.
"Good morning, sir," he nodded. It was the custom, on s.h.i.+ps I commanded, for the officers to govern themselves by Earth standards of time; we created an artificial day and night, and disregarded entirely, except in our official records, the enar and other units of the Universal time system.
"Good morning, Mr. Correy. How are we bearing?"
"Straight for our objective, sir." He glanced down at the two glowing charts that pictured our surroundings in three dimensions, to rea.s.sure himself. "She's dead ahead, and looming up quite sizeably."
"Right!" I bent over the great hooded television disk--the ponderous type we used in those days--and picked up Strobus without difficulty. The body more than filled the disk and I reduced the magnification until I could get a full view of the entire exposed surface.
Strobus, it seemed, bore a slight resemblance to one view of my own Earth. There were two very apparent polar caps, and two continents, barely connected, the two of them resembling the numeral eight in the writing of Earth-men; a numeral consisting of two circles, one above the other, and just touching. One of the roughly circular continents was much larger than the other.
"Mr. Kincaide reported that the portions he inspected consisted entirely of fluid sir," commented Correy. "The two continents now visible have just come into view, so I presume that there are no others, unless they are concealed by the polar caps. Do you find any indications of habitation?"
"I haven't examined her closely under high magnification," I replied. "There are some signs...."
I increased power, and began slowly searching the terrain of the distant body. I had not far to search before I found what I sought.
"We're in luck, Mr. Correy!" I exclaimed. "Our friend is inhabited. There is at least one sizeable city on the larger continent and ... yes, there's another! Something to break the monotony, eh? Strobus is an 'unknown' on the charts."
"Suppose we'll have trouble, sir?" asked Correy hopefully. Correy was a prime hand for a fight of any kind. A bit too hot-headed perhaps, but a man who never knew when he was beaten.
"I hope not; you know how they rant at the Base when we have to protect ourselves," I replied, not without a certain amount of bitterness. "They'd like to pacify the Universe with never a sweep of a disintegrator beam. 'Of course, Commander Hanson' some silver-sleeve will say, 'if it was absolutely vital to protect your men and your s.h.i.+p'--ugh! They ought to turn out for a tour of duty once in a while, and see what conditions are." I was young then, and the att.i.tude of my conservative superiors at the Base was not at all in keeping with my own views, at times.
"You think, then, that we will have trouble, sir?"
"Your guess is as good is mine," I shrugged. "The people of this Strobus know nothing of us. They will not know whether we come as friends or enemies. Naturally, they will be suspicious. It is hard to explain the use of the menore, to convey our thoughts to them."
I glanced up at the attraction meter, reflecting upon the estimated ma.s.s of the body we were approaching. By night we should be nearing her atmospheric envelope. By morning we should be setting down on her.
"We'll hope for the best, sir," said Correy innocently.
I bent more closely over the television disk, to hide my smile. I knew perfectly what the belligerent Correy meant by "the best."
The next morning, at atmospheric speed, we settled down swiftly over the larger of the two continents, Correy giving orders to the navigating room while I divided my attention between the television disk and the altimeter, with a glance every few seconds at the surface temperature gauge. In unknown atmospheres, it is not difficult to run up a considerable surface temperature, and that is always uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous.
"The largest city seems to be nearer the other continent. You should be able to take over visually before long. Has the report on the atmosphere come through yet?"
"Not yet. Just a moment, sir." Correy spoke for a moment into his microphone and turned to me with a smile.
"Suitable for breathing," he reported. "Slight excess of oxygen, and only a trace of moisture. Hendricks just completed the a.n.a.lysis." Hendricks, my third officer, was as clever as a laboratory man in many ways, and a red-blooded young officer as well. That's a combination you don't come across very often.
"Good! Breathing masks are a nuisance. I believe I'd reduce speed somewhat; she's warming up. The big city I mentioned is dead ahead. Set the Ertak down as close as possible."
"Yes, sir!" snapped Correy, and I leaned over the television disk to examine, at very close range, the great Strobian metropolis we were so swiftly approaching.
The buildings were all tall, and constructed of a s.h.i.+ning substance that I could not identify, even though I could now make out the details of their architecture, which was exceedingly simple, and devoid of ornament of any kind, save an occasional pilaster or flying b.u.t.tress. The streets were broad, and laid out to cut the city into lozenge-shaped sections, instead of the conventional squares. In the center of the city stood a great lozenge-shaped building with a smooth, arched roof. From every section of the city, great swarms of people were flocking in the direction of the spot toward which the Ertak was settling, on foot and in long, slim vehicles of some kind that apparently carried several people.
"Lots of excitement down there, Mr. Correy," I commented. "Better tell Mr. Kincaide to order up all hands, and station a double guard at the port. Have a landing force, armed with atomic pistols and bombs, and equipped with menores, as an escort."
"And the disintegrator-ray generators--you'll have them in operation, sir, just in case?"
"That might be well. But they are not to be used except in the greatest emergency, understand. Hendricks will accompany me, if it seems expeditious to leave the s.h.i.+p, leaving you in command here."
"Very well, sir!" I knew the arrangement didn't suit him, but he was too much the perfect officer to protest, even with a glance. And besides, at the moment, he was very busy with orders to the men in the control room, forward, as he conned the s.h.i.+p to the place he had selected to set her down.
But busy as he was, he did not forget the order to tune up the disintegrator-ray generators.
While the great circular door of the Ertak was backing out ponderously from its threaded seat, suspended by its ma.s.sive gimbals, I inspected the people of this new world.
My first impression was that they were a soldiery people, for there were no jostling crowds swarming around the s.h.i.+p, such as might have been expected. Instead, the citizenry stood at ease in a sort of military formation of numerous small companies, each apparently in charge of an officer. These companies were arranged to form a long wide avenue, leading to the city, and down this avenue a strange procession was coming toward the s.h.i.+p.
I should make it clear at this point that these Strobians were, in form, very similar to Earth-men, although somewhat shorter in stature, and certainly more delicately formed. Perhaps it would be better to say they resembled the Zenians, save for this marked difference: the Strobians were exceedingly light in color, their skins being nearly translucent, and their hair a light straw color. The darkest hair I saw at any time was a pale gold, and many had hair as colorless as silver--which I should explain is a metal of Earth somewhat resembling aluminum in appearance.
The procession was coming toward the s.h.i.+p slowly, the marchers apparently chanting as they came, for I could see their lips moving. They were dressed in short kirtles of brilliant colors--scarlet, green, orange, purple--and wore brilliant belts suspended about their waists by straps which crossed over their b.r.e.a.s.t.s and pa.s.sed over each shoulder.
Each marcher bore a tall staff from which flew a tiny pennon of the same color as his chief garment. At the top of each staff was a metal ornament, which at first glance I took to be the representation of a fish. As they came closer, I saw that this was not a good guess, for the device was without a tail.
"The exit port is open, sir," reported Hendricks. "The people seem far from hostile, and the air is very good. What are your orders?"
"There will be no change, I think," I said as I hurried toward the now open door. "Mr. Kincaide will be in command of the guard at the port. You and I, with a small landing force, will advance to meet this procession. Make sure that there are a number of extra menores carried by the escort; we shall need them."
"Yes, sir!" Hendricks snapped a command and the landing force fell into place behind us as we pa.s.sed through the circular doorway, and out onto the rocky ground of Strobus.
The procession stopped instantly, and the chanting died to a murmur. The men forming the living wall on each side bowed their heads and made a quick sign; a peculiar gesture, as though they reached out to shake an invisible hand.
The leader of the procession, a fine-featured man with golden hair, walked forward with bowed head, chanting a single phrase over and over again in a voice as sweet as a woman's: "Toma annerson ... toma annerson ... toma annerson...."
"Sounds friendly enough," I whispered to Hendricks. "Hand me an extra menore; I'll see...."
The chanting stopped, and the Strobian lifted his head.
"Greetings!" he said. "You are welcome here."
I think nothing ever surprised me more, I stared at the man like a fool, my jaw dropping, and my eyes bulging. For the man spoke in a language of Earth; spoke it haltingly and poorly, but recognizably.
"You--you speak English?" I faltered. "Where--where did you learn to speak this language?"
The Strobian smiled, his face s.h.i.+ning as though he saw a vision.
"Toma annerson," he intoned gravely, and extended his right hand in a greeting which Earth-men have offered each other for untold centuries!
I shook hands with him gravely, wondering if I were dreaming.
"I thank you for your welcome," I said, gathering my wits at last. "We come as friends, from worlds not unlike your own. We are glad that you meet us as friends."
"It was so ordered. He ordered it so and Artur is His mouthpiece in this day." The Strobian weighed every word carefully before he uttered it speaking with a solemn gravity that was most impressive.
"Artur?" I questioned him. "That is your name?"
"That is my name," he said proudly. "It came from He Who Speaks who gave it to my father many times removed."
There were many questions in my mind, but I could not be outdone in courtesy by this kindly Strobian.
"I am John Hanson," I told him, "Commander of the Special Patrol Service s.h.i.+p Ertak. This is Avery Hendricks, my third officer."
"Much of that," said Artur slowly, "I do not understand. But I am greatly honored." He bowed again, first to me, and then to Hendricks, who was staring at me in utter amazement. "You will come with us now, to the Place?" Artur added.
I considered swiftly, and turned to Hendricks.
"This is too interesting to miss," I said in an undertone. "Send the escort back with word for Mr. Correy that these people are very friendly, and we are going on into the city. Let three men remain with us. We will keep in communication with the s.h.i.+p by menore."
Hendricks gave the necessary orders, and all our escort, save for three men, did a brisk about face and marched back to the s.h.i.+p. The five of us, conducted by Artur, started for the city, the rest of the procession falling in behind us. Behind the double file of the procession, the companies that had formed the living wall marched twenty abreast. Not all the companies, however, for perhaps a thousand men, in all, formed a great hollow square about the Ertak, a great motionless guard of honor, clad in kirtles like the pennon-bearers in the procession, save that their kirtles were longer, and pale green in color. The uniform of their officers was identical, save that it was somewhat darker in color, and set of with a narrow black belt, without shoulder straps.
We marched on and on, into the city, down the wide streets, walled with soaring buildings that shone with an iridescent l.u.s.tre, toward the great domed building I had seen from the Ertak.
