Public-domain ebook
Language: en533 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Science-Fiction & Fantasy·Novels
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #74767.
The opening · free to read
A voice roared, "All clear! Lower away!" The great ship rocked and quivered as its jet rockets flared, forming a solid, cushioning pillar on which the Spica lowered itself to the land cradle on Long Island Spaceport.
"Tub!" muttered Flick Muldoon, and made a hasty grab for a case of equipment slithering across the deck.
Gary Lane snapped, "Careful, Flick!" ... which was not like Lane. It was not his nature to be brusque. But now his voice, like his manner, was strained and unnatural. His eyes were tense as he glanced at his wrist chronometer. He sighed relievedly as the wallowing motion of the space-cruiser ended in a final, weary, convulsive heave.
Blue uniformed attendants, luggage-laden, brushed by the pair of young scientists. Commands clacked with metallic authority from the brazen throats of deck audiophones. Locks wheezed asthmatically, and the warm, sweet fragrance of Earth air flooded through a nearby port.
Flick drew a deep, contented breath.
"Home again! Oh, boy! Linen suits instead of those damn bulgers ... sandals instead of lead boots ... breathable air instead of oxygen...."
"... and," reminded Gary grimly, "a job of work to be done. Let's get going."
His precious portfolio securely gripped in a bronzed fist, he strode to the gangway, stood there blinking momentarily in the pleasant sunlight of Earth. Then a warm hand was on his shoulder, and a friendly voice greeted him. The voice of his superior, Dr. Wade Bryant.
"Welcome home, Gary! Have a good trip? Got lots of good shots, I hope--?"
"I got," said Gary, "plenty! Dr. Bryant, we must go to the Observatory at once. If I'm not greatly mistaken, our expedition discovered something which will tear to bits every previous cosmological theory known to science. Wait till--" He stopped abruptly, silenced by the unexpected presence of a white-haired, cherubic little stranger beside his senior. "I--er--I don't believe I've had the pleasure--?"
"No," chuckled Bryant. "But we'll soon remedy that. Professor Anjers, permit me to introduce my brilliant and indispensable young aide, Dr. Gary Lane. Gary, you've heard of Dr. Anjers, of course?"
"Of course," replied Gary respectfully. "How do you do, sir?" But his mood had changed. His eagerness was gone; he seemed almost to wish to avoid further discussion. Bryant sensed this. He looked puzzled.
"Well, Gary? Go on. You were saying--?"
"Later," said Gary briefly. He stared absently over the older man's shoulder. "Your car here?"
Flick Muldoon snorted, "_Car?_ We need a truck! Hey, Doc--look at me! The human derrick. Gary's so doggone busy guarding that briefcase he won't give me a hand with"--His eyes rolled in mock horror of the pyramid of equipment heaped about him.
Dr. Bryant laughed. "You'll survive, Flick, I fear. Yes, the car's right over here. If you're ready now--" He led the way. They had moved but a few paces from the cradles when someone stepped beside Gary, murmured a polite, "Shall I take your portfolio, Dr. Lane?", and started to relieve young Lane of it.
Gary started violently, jerked his hand loose. "Let go, damn you!" he blazed ... then his eyes widened, and a flush surged upward to copper his already tanned cheeks. "Oh, I ... I beg your pardon, miss! I had no idea.... I mean ... I...."
For he was staring squarely into the most hurt, most baffled, yet withal most beautiful mist-blue eyes he had ever seen. And the eyes were but one facet of this girl's gemlike perfection. She was incredible, as all dreams sprung to life are incredible. For surely such smooth-gleaming copper hair, such lips and teeth and--well, everything about her!--could exist nowhere other than in a dream.
But if she were a vision she was not his alone. For Dr. Bryant spoke apologetically. "Gary, this is Miss Powell, a new addition to our staff. She's to be your personal aide. Nora ... Dr. Lane...."
"I'm sure," said the girl icily, "it will be a great pleasure to work with Dr. Lane." She turned to Muldoon. "If I can help you with your instruments--?"
Flick stared at her, goggle-eyed. "H-h-help, sugar! You just stand there and look at me; that's help enough! For you I could lift mountains!"
He proceeded to prove it, stumbling forward under a pack-mule load.
"And now, Gary, I think you have kept us in suspense long enough. I am bursting with curiosity, and I am sure Dr. Anjers must be, too. He stratoed all the way from Eurasia to hear your report on our first Luna Transit Expedition. Tell us the great surprise you hinted at."
Gary hesitated, eyeing the foreigner uncertainly.
"I--I'm not quite sure, sir--"
"Perhaps," suggested Dr. Anjers, "there is something the young man would prefer to tell you in private?"
Dr. Bryant shook his head impatiently.
"Of course not, Dr. Anjers. Come, Gary ... we aren't diplomats, that we should keep secrets from one another. We are all brother scientists. The Foundation has asked Doctor Anjers to help tabulate the results of your findings. He is an outstanding authority on cosmic radiation--"
"I know," said Gary. "Sorry, Doctor. Afraid I'm a bit jittery. No offense meant."
The cherubic Eurasian nodded. He spoke with a hint of an accent. "And none taken, my boy. And now--?"
Gary glanced around the room swiftly. To be frank, he himself could not explain his secretive impulse. He knew he bore a vital message, one so important that it must never lightly be revealed, but in this snug group all were friends and allies. And he could not face the dread facts alone.
He drew a deep breath, groped in his portfolio, and drew forth a packet of photographic prints.
"As you all know," he said, "our expedition went to Luna to take pictures of the recent Venusian transit.[1] It is unnecessary to point out to you the desirability of the moon as an observational site. Its lack of atmosphere, cloudless skies, absence of dust particles, offer ideal conditions for astronomical photography.
[Footnote 1: Periodically the planet Venus passes so exactly between our Earth and the sun that the planet is outlined against the sun's disc and may be seen crossing it slowly as a small, black dot. These events, known as transits, are quite infrequent, occurring in duos of eight years, separated by longer intervals alternating between 105 and 122 years.
Transits of Venus occurred in 1874 and 1882, in 2004 and 2012 A.D. That observed by Dr. Gary Lane and Flick Muldoon was apparently the transit of June 11, 2247 A.D.--_Ed._]
"We had hoped, on this expedition, to finally solve the mystery of the Sun's corona. Sir Arnold Gregg came near a solution when, in 2016, he determined identity between the solar corona and Earth's Heaviside layer. But his deduction needed verification--"
"And--" Dr. Anjers leaned forward intently--"were you successful? You learned he was right?"
Gary's voice deepened, assuming a tonal quality akin to awe. "I don't know. I have never studied the photographs to see. For my first glimpse of the developed films revealed something else. Something so great, so completely illogical yet so tremendously important that--"
He paused. "But, wait! I'm going too fast. Before I continue I should tell you that we attached to our telelens a cinematic spectroscope, the better to ascertain what change of elements was taking place within the corona.
"By this spectroscope may be determined the elements of sighted objects, also--"
The book keeps going
Reading is free forever. Sign up and watch scenes appear while you read.
Scenes Storieta drew for other classics.
New illustrated classics
Once or twice a month: the latest books to get full character casts, scene art, and free comic editions. No account needed.
