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Fan-Atic, v. 1, issue 3, May 1941

Page 18

FAN-ATIC, Vol 1, No 3.     May 1941.      Page 18.

THE ULTIMATE
by Joe Gilbert

   Stanley Knight glanced curiously atthe machine, waved to the two other scientist in the room, shook hands with Van Lucre, and, with a wave at the contraption, asked, "What's that whamjigger?"
   Percy Sparks rumbled, "it's a ghost-phone; Vanny wants to talk to our astral friends".  Sparks had a deep bass voice that utterly belied his appearance.  He was a small, energetic man, about five feet four, with a mop of silver-white hair combed straight back, bushy white eyebrows, and eyes best described as "burning".  His associates--he had no friends worthy of the name, and wanted none--called him "fire-breather".  A disagreeable little bantam of a man, his only redeeming feature was his unquestionable fine scientific mind.
   Knight said "Ghost-phone?" and looked inquiringly at Van Lucre.
   Lucre flushed.  "Not exactly;you might call it a device for registering extra-sensory emanations.  Look, Stan, do you remember ever reading anything about Edison's experiments with a . . .uh. . ."  Embarassment crept into his voice again. ". . .spirit world?:
   John Van Lucre was a young man with a bit more money than it's good for any one person to have.  He had taken several science courses in college, and spent most of his spare time dabbling around where more mundane scientists had to leave off in order to earn their keep.  He would have looked far more at home in a jungle, dragging a club behind him and swinging through trees than inthe laboratory frock he wore habitually.  His forehead was quite low, jutting forward at the front, his face, while not unhandsome, had a decidedly ape-like cast, and his body was powerful and squat.  The pose he assumed of being a scientist was something of an escape mechanism with him, though he was rather good at it.  Naturally, scientists being very human people really with the average person's dislike for someone who did not earn his living, few of them would admit it.
   "No," said Knight, considering his question.  "no, not that I recall"
   "Edison,"said Van Lucre, "held that since matter is composed of electrical particles -- electrons and neutrons with a nucleus, all in various combinations for each element --then the rather logical conclusion is that everything is electrical.  Everything.f  Hence the immortal part of the body, the spirit so to speak, is also electrical.  Conceivably, therefore, this indestructable portion would register on sensitive electrical apparatus.  Edison constructed such apparatus and had a few select spiritualists exhort the spooks to come and get registered.  Nothing happened."
   "As any normal person might have expected." snapped Sparks.  "Is this straight stuff you're shooting us?"
   "In you've learned how to read yet, you'll find it in almost any good biography of Edison," said Van Lucre coldly.  He went on.
   "It struck me that assuming the existance of an immortal, everlasting part of the human being, and assuming that this spirit is able to project electrical emanations, then it follows that a somewhat more complicated ghost-communicator could be constructed which would eable the . . . uhm  . . . spook to spell out messages.  That -- "he waved at the machine, "is it."
   "Just," grunted Sparks sourly, "the sort of fool thing you'd expect from an aristocratic dabbler."     (Next page.)

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FAN-ATIC, Vol 1, No 3. May 1941. Page 18. THE ULTIMATE by Joe Gilbert Stanley Knight glanced curiously atthe machine, waved to the two other scientist in the room, shook hands with Van Lucre, and, with a wave at the contraption, asked, "What's that whamjigger?" Percy Sparks rumbled, "it's a ghost-phone; Vanny wants to talk to our astral friends". Sparks had a deep bass voice that utterly belied his appearance. He was a small, energetic man, about five feet four, with a mop of silver-white hair combed straight back, bushy white eyebrows, and eyes best described as "burning". His associates--he had no friends worthy of the name, and wanted none--called him "fire-breather". A disagreeable little bantam of a man, his only redeeming feature was his unquestionable fine scientific mind. Knight said "Ghost-phone?" and looked inquiringly at Van Lucre. Lucre flushed. "Not exactly;you might call it a device for registering extra-sensory emanations. Look, Stan, do you remember ever reading anything about Edison's experiments with a . . .uh. . ." Embarassment crept into his voice again. ". . .spirit world?: John Van Lucre was a young man with a bit more money than it's good for any one person to have. He had taken several science courses in college, and spent most of his spare time dabbling around where more mundane scientists had to leave off in order to earn their keep. He would have looked far more at home in a jungle, dragging a club behind him and swinging through trees than inthe laboratory frock he wore habitually. His forehead was quite low, jutting forward at the front, his face, while not unhandsome, had a decidedly ape-like cast, and his body was powerful and squat. The pose he assumed of being a scientist was something of an escape mechanism with him, though he was rather good at it. Naturally, scientists being very human people really with the average person's dislike for someone who did not earn his living, few of them would admit it. "No," said Knight, considering his question. "no, not that I recall" "Edison,"said Van Lucre, "held that since matter is composed of electrical particles -- electrons and neutrons with a nucleus, all in various combinations for each element --then the rather logical conclusion is that everything is electrical. Everything.f Hence the immortal part of the body, the spirit so to speak, is also electrical. Conceivably, therefore, this indestructable portion would register on sensitive electrical apparatus. Edison constructed such apparatus and had a few select spiritualists exhort the spooks to come and get registered. Nothing happened." "As any normal person might have expected." snapped Sparks. "Is this straight stuff you're shooting us?" "In you've learned how to read yet, you'll find it in almost any good biography of Edison," said Van Lucre coldly. He went on. "It struck me that assuming the existance of an immortal, everlasting part of the human being, and assuming that this spirit is able to project electrical emanations, then it follows that a somewhat more complicated ghost-communicator could be constructed which would eable the . . . uhm . . . spook to spell out messages. That -- "he waved at the machine, "is it." "Just," grunted Sparks sourly, "the sort of fool thing you'd expect from an aristocratic dabbler." (Next page.)