Hunters Out of Space Read online

  CHAPTER 7

  Wolden and Ato, acting as pilot and co-pilot, set The Nebula down with asmuch ease as a housewife putting a fine piece of china upon the drainboard.

  There was no fuss and no noise. Jack Odin had seen B-47's come in with agreat deal more hubbub and dithers than the Nebula had caused.

  The screens were still on. Out there all was dark, and a wealth of starswas in the purple-black sky. They seemed larger and brighter. Woldentouched a knob and the stars on the screen before them slowly grew largerand larger. "An astronomer's paradise," he said to Odin. "Look closely andyou can see Centauri's binary suns. Here, with no refraction, a smalltelescope can do as well as the best that your people have made. There isno telling what your large ones could do. Ah, the riddles that could beanswered."

  Odin shrugged. Like almost everyone else, he had often fancied how it wouldbe to land on the moon. Now he was here, and the surface of the moon wasblacker than the blackest night he had ever seen. Moreover, there had beenno change in gravity. The Nebula had been built to take care of that.

  As though sensing his thoughts, Wolden began to explain. "We are less thanfifty miles from a spot where the earth could be seen. Not over a degreebelow the curvature. In fact, if the moon were full, there would be a bitof light here, for a strong light playing upon any globe always lights upover half of it. We are not far from the Heroynian Mountains and the Bay ofDew. Just a few miles within that other side of the moon which none of yourpeople have ever seen before."

  Odin remembered Jules Verne's account of a volcano spouting its last breathof life in that zone, but out there was nothing but the dark and the starsthat smoldered like sapphires, rubies, and diamonds upon a black velvetsky. There were no shadows. The darkness was solid, as though it had frozenthere since old and no spark had ever invaded it.

  "Be patient, my friend," Wolden had sensed his thoughts again. "Beforelong, you will see more of the moon than men have ever known. We sent asmaller ship into space. Remember! Our scientists are here. In a placebeyond your dreams. Look. They are coming now."

  Wolden was adjusting the screen again. Far off, something like a longjointed bug with a single glaring light in its head was crawling towardthem.

  It drew nearer. Jack Odin saw that it was no more than a huge caterpillartractor with several cars attached, armored and sheathed with sort of abellows-type connection at each joint. As it neared the Nebula, it playedits light around so that Odin got his first glimpse of the moon. Barren,worn, cindered. An ash-heap turned to stone. Puddles and splashes shapedlike great crowns, as though liquid rock had congealed at the very heightof its torment. Needles of rock, toadstools of rock, bubbles of rock, andglassy sheets of rock--this was the surface of the moon.

  Then the crawling tractor with its cars lumbering along behind it on theirendless tracks was below them and playing its single light upward.

  * * * * *

  An air-lock in the Nebula opened and a huge hose came slowly down. Odinwatched it on the screen. It seemed to have been pleated and shovedtogether like an accordion. Now it opened out in little jerking movements,extending itself about two feet at each writhing twitch. As it grew longerit expanded and was nearly three feet across when it reached the top of thefirst car. A round door opened. Unseen hands reached the end of the bighose and fastened it securely.

  Odin had often dreamed of landing on the moon. There, in the traditionalspace-suit, with a plastic bubble about his head, he would leap twenty feetinto the air, and maybe even turn a somersault as a gesture of man's escapefrom the tiring tyranny of gravity. Compared to this dream, his arrivalupon the moon was just a bit ridiculous. He and over a score of otherssimply slid down the inside of the long, slanting hose like a group ofthird-graders practicing on the fire-escape at the school house.

  * * * * *

  Larger than the others, Odin landed awkwardly upon the floor of the car.Before he could jump aside, another passenger piled upon him. It was agirl, and the perfume in her hair was the same that Maya had always used.He helped her to her feet and drew her aside just as another voyager camesliding down. The girl was Nea. Somehow, he had an odd feeling that Mayawas here. He was just a bit annoyed at Nea, and wished to himself that shewasn't making the trip. She shook her black curls and thanked him softly.

  "How awkward of me," she explained. "It wouldn't have happened if I had notbeen carrying this--"

  She held up a little round satchel. It was exactly like the cases thatpeople used in his country for carrying bowling balls. Odin was puzzled.And he assured himself that he would never understand women. Why wouldthe girl be carrying a bowling ball with her into outer space?

  Odin joined Wolden, Ato, and Gunnar in the "engine" of the bumpy littletrain. Here were real windows of quartz, and he could see more of themoon's surface as the tractor and its jointed cars wheeled about in agreat circle and headed off in the direction from whence it had come.

  Once there was a loud _Ping_ upon the roof above them. The tractor shook.

  "A meteorite," the driver explained. "They're thick tonight. Don't worry.There's a screen upon the roof that slows them down and melts 'em. Thelarger ones never reach us. Some of the tiny ones get through."

  They came to a sheer mountain which in the beams of the tractor looked likea silver pyramid painted across a jet-black canvas.

  As though answering an unheard vibration, a door opened and they lumberedin. The door closed behind them. For a moment they were in such darknessthat even the beam from the tractor seemed alien. Then another door startedto open before them and a widening shaft of light was there to greet them.

  Odin was thinking that each race must have some craft at which it excelsall others. If so, then the building of air-locks was certainly the Brons'highest art.

  Then they advanced into a cavern where five tiny atomic suns were strungout at equal distances upon the ceiling. The cavern was geometrical.Roughly, it was a mile long, half a mile wide, and half a mile high. Thefloor was smooth; the walls were sheer. "As though they had been shaped byhuman hand," Odin thought, but he soon learned that other hands hadsheered those walls.

  In the very middle of the cavern was a little lake, shaped in the sameproportion as the floor. It was surrounded by green grass, and at onecorner was a profusion of water-lilies and cat-tails. There were no trees,but flowers were everywhere. A few small bushes. Here and there were greatclumps of vines. Odin guessed them to be wild cucumber and trumpet vines,for they had grown riotously.

  It was beautiful indeed, but there were other things to catch the eye. Atleast a hundred hemispheres--little igloos of porcelain--were scatteredabout the floor of the cave. Each one was a different color. They shimmeredand glittered. Scarlet, mauve, mother-of-pearl, the blue Capri, and theblue of cobalt. Pinks, yellows, oranges. Every possible shade had gone intothose porcelain igloos. And the lighted walls of the cavern were coveredfrom floor to ceiling with numberless figures, marching, fighting, working,playing. At first, Odin thought it was a vast procession of armored knightswith huge chests and closed visors. But none of them stood completelyerect--and each of them had two sets of arms.

  Straining his eyes at the windows to look up, Odin learned that the vastceiling was completely covered by similar figures.

  In contrast to these was one huge tower of rough stone which Odin guessedto be new.

  So they came to the moon, and disembarked. And at last Odin felt thelightened pull of the moon's gravity. He felt so free that he laughed andleaped into the air and turned a somersault just as he had dreamed ofdoing. Then one of the Brons' scientists gave him a heavy pair of shoes--asif to remind him that no man can be altogether free.

  As he glumly strapped the heavy shoes to his feet, Jack thought ofsomething his father had told him: "No man was ever really free, unless itwas Robinson Crusoe. Then Friday showed up and became Crusoe's servant, andCrusoe's freedom flew away."

  * * * * *
r />   Forty-eight hours had passed since they came to the cavern. Odin andGunnar had gone with Wolden to visit the Scientist who had led the firstexpedition to the moon. The Scientist, whose name was Gor, was explaining:"--They were hardly out of the Iron Age. That was how we found this place.Our instruments detected a surplus of iron in this area. They must havedeveloped fast--for life did not last long. Insectival, beyond a doubt.Also, they had what we call The Moon Metal. Their houses, practicallyeverything they used, are made of that. It must have been an accident. Incooling, the moon spewed this new alloy out upon its surface. Yes, it lookslike porcelain--but it is as hard as steel. It has strange vibrations.They had musical instruments--although they may have produced tinglingvibrations instead of sound. When these people saw that all was lost, theyretreated here and closed the cave.

  "For over a thousand years, theirs was an economy of death and rottenness.Mushrooms and toadstools were their food. Banks of rotting mushrooms madetheir light. Also, it appears they had some rocks which gave out a dimglow. Even their dead went to feed the mushrooms. And so they lived. Withtime on their hands they covered the walls with paintings. Also, we thinkthey must have developed their music to a high degree--though we may neverknow about that. Then their water and air gave out and they died."

  * * * * *

  Good heavens, Odin thought, what a cold-blooded obituary for any race!

  "And so, Wolden," the Scientist continued, "it has worked out well. We werelucky to find this spot. We fashioned the two doors first, for the cave wasopen when we reached it--I think a meteor must have crashed here long afterthese people died. After that, it was easy to build the lights and to drawmoisture and air from the rocks. We have struck a balance now. I said allalong that it could be done, if we could escape the constant interferencefrom those ruffians above us--uh, Odin, I beg your pardon."

  Odin always resented these cracks at his people so he ignored the requestby asking another question. "But how did you do all this in so short atime? Those vines look like they have been growing for years."

  "Just as they do in Alaska during the growing season. We kept our sunsburning all the time. Soon we may be able to afford both day and night, butnot yet.

  "And after that," the Scientist went on, "we were able to get back to yourwork on the Time-Space Continuum. We have made some wonderful advances. Iwould like to show you--but Gunnar and Odin, I am boring you."

  "Wouldn't you care to look at the new lake?" Wolden urged.

  "I can take a hint," Gunnar grumbled. "Nobody wants a fighting man aboutuntil the swords are flashing--"

  As Odin and Gunnar went down the front steps of the tower, they met thegirl Nea. She was swinging the bowling-ball-shaped satchel at her side.

  When they greeted her, Odin felt that he could hold back his curiosity nolonger. "Are you a bowler, Miss Nea?" he asked.

  "A bowler!" Then she laughed a silvery laugh. "Oh, no. This is an inventionof mine. My father and I were working on it. He died in the tunnel when itwas flooded." For a second her dark eyes appeared infinitely sad. Then shelaughed again. "But it is not perfected. It may not ever be perfected now.I thought that perhaps Wolden and Gor might help me with it."

  Gunnar muttered some words that might be roughly interpreted as "FatChance" and he and Odin left the girl on the steps.

  As they walked around the little lake which was as smooth as a mirror,Gunnar explained. "Her mother was a cousin to Maya's mother. You know howthe Brons number their kin to the seventh generation. Her father was one ofthe Scientists. A brilliant man--but a poor provider. However, he diednobly. Remember, Nors-King, Nea's branch of the family is a strange group.They have done brilliant things, but they have thought up some hare-brainedschemes, too. As I said before, she is also kin to Grim Hagen--"

  Another day had passed. The voyagers had been summoned to a council hallwithin the tower. A screen was set up for the convenience of those who hadbeen left upon the Nebula.

  Wolden arose to speak. "My friends, a troubled question has entered mymind. As you know, I am a man of peace. My entire life has been spent indeveloping theories upon what I call this subject before me. I had thoughtit to be something that could be developed within three generations--if wewere left at peace. But we were not left at peace. And I accepted yourdecision that we go forth into space and find Grim Hagen. But now I havelearned new things. This discovery of the Moon Metal has advanced my workby fifty years. Gor here has advanced it farther. We are upon the brink ofperfecting my life's work. Now, I ask that I be relieved of command. Look,you have my son Ato. A much better commander than I could ever be. Let mestay here with my work, I beg of you."

  So the votes were taken, following a century-old ritual. Wolden wasrelieved of command and Ato was given his place.

  Hours later Gunnar and Odin sat with Ato in his quarters, making somelast-minute decisions.

  There was a knock at the door. Wolden entered, carrying a strange-lookingslug-horn that glimmered like mother-of-pearl. "I want you to take thiswith you," he begged his son. "It is made of the Moon-Metal. I think I knowits secret now. A vibration that defies a vacuum. I hope to perfect mywork, but I may not. Here," he offered the tiny horn to his son. "Blow itif you need me. It is soundless, but it defies time and space just as mywork does. I carry a ring to match it. I may not succeed. But blow it whenyou need me, son, and if I can I'll be there--"

  Tears were in the eyes of both when Ato took the slug-horn from his father.