DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Vulcan, whole no. 5, January 1944

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Vulcan, whole no. 5, January 1944

Page 16

and huge craters. It was completely empty of air and water -- [illegible] such as his home world would soon be.

Solyg pressed a button and looked again at the blue-green world. It had been growing swiftly before, the ship moving rapidly toward it; now it seemed to grow more slowly, for the space-ship was decelerating, its gravity propulsion drive working against the mass of the blue-green planet.

Solyg turned from the port as the door opened. One of his officers entered.

"We near our new world," said Solyg telepathically. "Order the [illegible] manned. We shall have to exterminate the savages now inhabiting  [the planet?]

The creature made a movement with his arms, the equivalent of a salute, gave what stood for "Yes sir," turned and left the room to carry out his orders. Solyg turned back to the port, looked out at the world. Then he saw the thing with the tail of fire.

It was streaking out of the planet's atmosphere at an incredible speed. Queer looking thing, thought Solyg. What could it be? Then suddenly Solyg knew the clutch of fear. For a moment he stared at it, fear freezing it to one spot. For he realized that swiftly moving object was going to strike the ship! Then he started to race for the control panel to throw the globe from its course. He was too late; at that instant the thing struck!

It was a glancing blow, but nonetheless, hard for all that. Solyg was hurled from his feet, struck the wall, and all went black for him. He had been standing near the control panel, and after striking the wall his body fell across it. His hand struck a lever, shoved it as far as it would go. Instantly the globe accelerated with a fearful speed, its gravity repulsion turned fully on and aimed at the mass of the moon! It struck the atmosphere of the blue-green world...

The field was aglow with lights. Great crowds were gathered about it, pushing and shoving against the restraining ropes stretched around it. Hundreds of guards stood about the field, to make sure none slipped in under the ropes. 

This field was located in the state of Arizona, the United States of America. The thousands of people crowded around the field were gathered here to witness the start of the first voyage into space. The destination of the voyage was to be the moon.

Beginning near one of the fields, where there were clustered several large sheds, a concrete runway, rising at a slight angle, ran the length of the field. On the runway were set greased rollers. This was the runway from which the ship would take off.

The muffled roar of the crowd suddenly died away. A line of automobiles carrying the captain and the crew of the ship was approaching. They roared across the field and came to a stop before one of the huge sheds. Television cameras were trained on the cars and on the men who got out of them. The crowd started to surge in the direction of the sheds, but the guards held them back. Then the captain and the crew entered the shed and the crowd was quiet.

Suddenly the great sliding doors of the shed opened and the monster of the skies slid into view. It was a great torpedo-shaped ship, with short wings sticking from the sides of the hull. Three great rocket tubes formed its propulsion mechanism. It was moved to the end of the runway.

The captain and the crew were already aboard the great ship. A man announced that it still liked five minutes of the starting time. The crowd waited, silent, expectant. Slowly the minutes ticked away. There was but half a minute left. Then twenty seconds. Ten. Five. Two. One!

There was a great thunderous roar, a great gush of flame from the triple rocket tubes, and the ship was streaking up the runway. It reached the end, and rose into the air. Like a comet it rose into the star-dust

Saving...

and huge craters. It was completely empty of air and water -- [illegible] such as his home world would soon be. Solyg pressed a button and looked again at the blue-green world. It had been growing swiftly before, the ship moving rapidly toward it; now it seemed to grow more slowly, for the space-ship was decelerating, its gravity propulsion drive working against the mass of the blue-green planet. Solyg turned from the port as the door opened. One of his officers entered. "We near our new world," said Solyg telepathically. "Order the [illegible] manned. We shall have to exterminate the savages now inhabiting [the planet?] The creature made a movement with his arms, the equivalent of a salute, gave what stood for "Yes sir," turned and left the room to carry out his orders. Solyg turned back to the port, looked out at the world. Then he saw the thing with the tail of fire. It was streaking out of the planet's atmosphere at an incredible speed. Queer looking thing, thought Solyg. What could it be? Then suddenly Solyg knew the clutch of fear. For a moment he stared at it, fear freezing it to one spot. For he realized that swiftly moving object was going to strike the ship! Then he started to race for the control panel to throw the globe from its course. He was too late; at that instant the thing struck! It was a glancing blow, but nonetheless, hard for all that. Solyg was hurled from his feet, struck the wall, and all went black for him. He had been standing near the control panel, and after striking the wall his body fell across it. His hand struck a lever, shoved it as far as it would go. Instantly the globe accelerated with a fearful speed, its gravity repulsion turned fully on and aimed at the mass of the moon! It struck the atmosphere of the blue-green world... The field was aglow with lights. Great crowds were gathered about it, pushing and shoving against the restraining ropes stretched around it. Hundreds of guards stood about the field, to make sure none slipped in under the ropes. This field was located in the state of Arizona, the United States of America. The thousands of people crowded around the field were gathered here to witness the start of the first voyage into space. The destination of the voyage was to be the moon. Beginning near one of the fields, where there were clustered several large sheds, a concrete runway, rising at a slight angle, ran the length of the field. On the runway were set greased rollers. This was the runway from which the ship would take off. The muffled roar of the crowd suddenly died away. A line of automobiles carrying the captain and the crew of the ship was approaching. They roared across the field and came to a stop before one of the huge sheds. Television cameras were trained on the cars and on the men who got out of them. The crowd started to surge in the direction of the sheds, but the guards held them back. Then the captain and the crew entered the shed and the crowd was quiet. Suddenly the great sliding doors of the shed opened and the monster of the skies slid into view. It was a great torpedo-shaped ship, with short wings sticking from the sides of the hull. Three great rocket tubes formed its propulsion mechanism. It was moved to the end of the runway. The captain and the crew were already aboard the great ship. A man announced that it still liked five minutes of the starting time. The crowd waited, silent, expectant. Slowly the minutes ticked away. There was but half a minute left. Then twenty seconds. Ten. Five. Two. One! There was a great thunderous roar, a great gush of flame from the triple rocket tubes, and the ship was streaking up the runway. It reached the end, and rose into the air. Like a comet it rose into the star-dust