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Alchemist, v. 2, issue 1, Autumn 1946
Page 21
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Sach Nessnah glanced at the message and the dimness hid his sudden pallor. But he nerved himself to speak. "Gentlemen", he said, "I fear the worst has happened. Our analyst has reported an ominous shift in the spectrum of Kappa Cassiopeiae. We now have a dark line spectrum with a shift toward the violet." The image on the screen began suddenly a change, slight but quite noticeable. The pinpoint of light that was Kappa Cassiopeia trembled, and as they watched became a slowly spreading blur of dazzling light. With hideous deliberation it transformed itself into a blinding smudge of flame pulsing against the darkness. Sahc Nesnah left his post and faced his audience. His hands passed before his eyes in a nervous gesture, as if he hoped to wipe away the monstrous vision of light upon the datkness which had burned into his very soul. On his face was an expression of mingled reverence and horror. His voice trembled with cosmic sadness. and the weight of cosmic despair opressed his mind. He spoke for the last time. "Gentlemen, it is as we feared. Our stellar neighbors, who dared defy the diffeculties of interstellar communication, who faced and conquered the uttermost-scientific problems of the universe, have failed at last. They were equal to every problem save the final one of man's weakness, his follies, and his inevitable limitations. Yet even in t heir failure, they were great. We must respect and
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Sach Nessnah glanced at the message and the dimness hid his sudden pallor. But he nerved himself to speak. "Gentlemen", he said, "I fear the worst has happened. Our analyst has reported an ominous shift in the spectrum of Kappa Cassiopeiae. We now have a dark line spectrum with a shift toward the violet." The image on the screen began suddenly a change, slight but quite noticeable. The pinpoint of light that was Kappa Cassiopeia trembled, and as they watched became a slowly spreading blur of dazzling light. With hideous deliberation it transformed itself into a blinding smudge of flame pulsing against the darkness. Sahc Nesnah left his post and faced his audience. His hands passed before his eyes in a nervous gesture, as if he hoped to wipe away the monstrous vision of light upon the datkness which had burned into his very soul. On his face was an expression of mingled reverence and horror. His voice trembled with cosmic sadness. and the weight of cosmic despair opressed his mind. He spoke for the last time. "Gentlemen, it is as we feared. Our stellar neighbors, who dared defy the diffeculties of interstellar communication, who faced and conquered the uttermost-scientific problems of the universe, have failed at last. They were equal to every problem save the final one of man's weakness, his follies, and his inevitable limitations. Yet even in t heir failure, they were great. We must respect and
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