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Horizons, v. 1, issue 3, April 1940
Page 10
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10 HORIZONS THE TIME SPIRAL their lives. Then as they drew near, he saw that a change had taken place. The major planets had gone, somewhere; they must have left the sun, and gone after another. Perhaps they had all clashed together to make that new bright luminary now visible in the vicinity of the virgin. But they were gone. Still, that would not matter if the earth was still there. There was the sun, brighter than ever. But it only had one planet left, the gallant earth, still whirling in its endless spiral, the only home for man in the whole system. But how had such changes taken place in fifty years? It didn't matter. He was very tired. Elsie had got out the glue satin dress, and had put it on, in readiness for their landing. She had the purse with the money, that might even yet be of use. She would need the velvet coat, too, although it would be frightfully out of style. They were going slowly now, and under them was the earth, getting larger every moment. Then, they were close enough to see the outline of the continents. They would come down right at the place where they had started. And perhaps find something that would be as they had left it. His house, with the workshop in the basement -- Them Rem stared in amazement and in terrified consternation at what he saw. There was no city, no people, nothing but trees. Tall trees, tropical plants under a misty sky that veiled the sun, which was dimly seen like street lamps in a fog. This earth -- good heavens! -- was real! But it was like the dream world they had seen on the edge of space. They got out of their ship, for they were glad to rest a while. It was good to walk about in the warm air, to eat the fresh food, to drink from the limpid streams, in this happy carefree place. They could begin a new life. But Rem knew now, though he could not bring himself to tell Elsie. They had been in space a million years, and had returned to a changed world, beginning again the inevitable cycle of evolution after a cataclysm. The ship's clock had adjusted itself to the changed conditions of space, and had registered fifty years. But according to his figures, the time had been close to a million years of earth time. He knew it was the same world, because, deep under a hill, he had found the ruins of his workshop. THE END -------------------------- THE SPACE-MAN STRIKES BACK --a sequel to "Strangest is Space"-- by VOL MOLESWORTH Swift and silent, like a wandering meteor, the screw-shaped craft of the Space-man hurtled through the void, its gyro-gravic engines throbbing as more and more power was harnessed, amplified, and transmitted into them. Rotating slowly, it ploughed its way through parsecs of space, its very reflection in the cosmos rendered invisible by its faster than light velocity. Far behind, nine planets chased one another around fiery Sol, whist comparatively nearer, though also at a great distance, lonely Terusa circled Sirius with a certain gloomy satisfaction in its isolation. And ahead was Vega, like a golden ball hanging in the heavens, eclipsed occasionally by one of the four planets that formed its system. There were few people in the Solar System who had not at some time heard of the Space-man. To the Directors of the Bureau for Spatial Exploration, he was a mysterious scientist who regularly supplied them with the latest data and scientific research; to the general public of Earth and the other colonized planets, he was an immortal member of a race that had long ago habitated the ancient ruins of Mars; but to Allan Mann, he was merely an uncle. Sitting motionless at the controls of the ship, he presented a splendid spectacle. His metal body constructed by the finest artisans Terusa had ever produced and built of ionium, a blue, semi-transparent metal that was unharmed by
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10 HORIZONS THE TIME SPIRAL their lives. Then as they drew near, he saw that a change had taken place. The major planets had gone, somewhere; they must have left the sun, and gone after another. Perhaps they had all clashed together to make that new bright luminary now visible in the vicinity of the virgin. But they were gone. Still, that would not matter if the earth was still there. There was the sun, brighter than ever. But it only had one planet left, the gallant earth, still whirling in its endless spiral, the only home for man in the whole system. But how had such changes taken place in fifty years? It didn't matter. He was very tired. Elsie had got out the glue satin dress, and had put it on, in readiness for their landing. She had the purse with the money, that might even yet be of use. She would need the velvet coat, too, although it would be frightfully out of style. They were going slowly now, and under them was the earth, getting larger every moment. Then, they were close enough to see the outline of the continents. They would come down right at the place where they had started. And perhaps find something that would be as they had left it. His house, with the workshop in the basement -- Them Rem stared in amazement and in terrified consternation at what he saw. There was no city, no people, nothing but trees. Tall trees, tropical plants under a misty sky that veiled the sun, which was dimly seen like street lamps in a fog. This earth -- good heavens! -- was real! But it was like the dream world they had seen on the edge of space. They got out of their ship, for they were glad to rest a while. It was good to walk about in the warm air, to eat the fresh food, to drink from the limpid streams, in this happy carefree place. They could begin a new life. But Rem knew now, though he could not bring himself to tell Elsie. They had been in space a million years, and had returned to a changed world, beginning again the inevitable cycle of evolution after a cataclysm. The ship's clock had adjusted itself to the changed conditions of space, and had registered fifty years. But according to his figures, the time had been close to a million years of earth time. He knew it was the same world, because, deep under a hill, he had found the ruins of his workshop. THE END -------------------------- THE SPACE-MAN STRIKES BACK --a sequel to "Strangest is Space"-- by VOL MOLESWORTH Swift and silent, like a wandering meteor, the screw-shaped craft of the Space-man hurtled through the void, its gyro-gravic engines throbbing as more and more power was harnessed, amplified, and transmitted into them. Rotating slowly, it ploughed its way through parsecs of space, its very reflection in the cosmos rendered invisible by its faster than light velocity. Far behind, nine planets chased one another around fiery Sol, whist comparatively nearer, though also at a great distance, lonely Terusa circled Sirius with a certain gloomy satisfaction in its isolation. And ahead was Vega, like a golden ball hanging in the heavens, eclipsed occasionally by one of the four planets that formed its system. There were few people in the Solar System who had not at some time heard of the Space-man. To the Directors of the Bureau for Spatial Exploration, he was a mysterious scientist who regularly supplied them with the latest data and scientific research; to the general public of Earth and the other colonized planets, he was an immortal member of a race that had long ago habitated the ancient ruins of Mars; but to Allan Mann, he was merely an uncle. Sitting motionless at the controls of the ship, he presented a splendid spectacle. His metal body constructed by the finest artisans Terusa had ever produced and built of ionium, a blue, semi-transparent metal that was unharmed by
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