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diff --git a/31597.txt b/31597.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0375399 --- /dev/null +++ b/31597.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1170 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Out of the Earth, by George Edrich + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Out of the Earth + +Author: George Edrich + +Release Date: March 11, 2010 [EBook #31597] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OUT OF THE EARTH *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + _This is not a story about the Dero! This _is_ a story about a lost + people--a persuasive and haunting story about a people, in a not too + distant future, who have been forgotten by history. And it is the + story of a little group of courageous people, determined to prove + that Death was a Myth!_ + + + out + of + the + earth + + _by GEORGE EDRICH_ + + + Offences against the State meant elimination in the + Black Passage. Death. And these people were to die! + + +First Awake, 2 Juli, 2207 + +We have walked much this awake and have stopped now for sleep. Last City +is far behind us. Except for the two lamps we keep lighted to frighten +away the Groles, there is nothing but blackness in the passage. The +others are sleeping, and close beside me, Nina sleeps also. The sound of +her breathing is all I have in the darkness. + +Thoughts are not clear when the body is so tired, and the things that +have happened seem unreal, like something dreamed. The arrest--the State +Guards in their black uniforms--coming to our cubicle in the middle of +the sleep hours--frightening Nina. + +Ten awakes and sleeps of not knowing why. Then the trial--"Jon Farmer +8267, we show you a copy of _The Mushroom Farmers' Journal_ of 21 +January 2204. We call your attention to the article _Experiments With +Red Lake Mushrooms in Rock Soil_. This article discusses with favor some +policies of the Dictatorium of President Charles 27, an Enemy of the +State. Do you admit to writing this treason?" + +You are not permitted to answer the Judges in a State trial because they +know the answers to everything they ask you. But while they were talking +together, I thought how different things became with time. I remembered +the fine letter from the Secretary of Agriculture of the Dictatorium, +and the two extra free days they had given me. But there was a new +Dictatorium now. President Charles and General William had been lowered +into Copper Pit and metallized. Now they were mounted in the Historical +Museum in Central City. The others of the Dictatorium had been +eliminated in Black Passage. + +"--Jon Farmer 8267. You have written with favor about Enemies of the +State. You are therefore yourself declared an Enemy of the State. By +order of the Supreme Council of the Dictatorium of President Joseph 28, +you are hereby sentenced to elimination in Black Passage." + +Then Nina--"Nina Farmerswife 8267, you have mated with an Enemy of the +State. By condescension of the Supreme Council of the Dictatorium of +President Joseph 28, you are to be permitted to take an oath of +renunciation and separation." + +It is not too difficult for the heart to be strong when there is no +decision for the mind to make. But what strength of heart Nina must have +had then. I was terribly proud and terribly frightened when she walked +over and stood with me. + +"Please, Nina--" I said, but she shook her head, and her eyes told me I +could say nothing more. + +The Judges were angry. "Nina Farmerswife 8267, you are hereby declared +an Enemy of the State. By order of ..." + + * * * * * + +There was no one else in the guard cubicle when they locked us in. When +the May trials were over, five awakes later, there were seven of us. +Doctor Dorn 394 was brought in the awake after we were. He had read the +forbidden books in the Chambers of the Dead at the Historical Museum. He +was almost thirty-five years old, and had been third assistant physician +to the Supreme Council. This was a very strong office and only something +as terrible as reading the forbidden books could have made him an Enemy +of the State. + +Ralf Fishcatcher and his wife, Mari, came from Red Lake. They were +Enemies of the State because they had not reported all of the fish they +had caught. + +Except for Nina, the youngest one of us was Theodor Cook 3044. He was +very frightened. He told how he had stolen mushroom bread from the +Central City Ration Station where he worked, and how his wife had +reported him so she wouldn't become an Enemy of the State also. + +The last one to be brought in was Bruno Oreminer 2139. He had killed his +foreman by hitting him in the head with a rock. He was a very big man, +and very strong. But he talked very little and there was a cold and +dangerous look in his eyes. + +Early on the sixth awake, the guards came for us. The march was long, +almost seven awakes. We passed through many cities--Big City, Power +City, and Red Lake; then Iron City, Deep Pit, and Last City. There was +only a ten-lamp-per-mile passage from Big Pit to Last City. We passed +few people. At Last City, we were taken to the State Guard Station and +given small shoulder packs with the food, water, and lamps the law says +we may have. + +Out of Last City the passage was narrow and poorly lighted, only five +lamps per mile. After a few miles the guards became silent, and then +just up ahead we saw what looked like a solid iron wall. We had come to +the gate to Black Passage. + +One of the guards took a paper from his pocket and read it very quickly +so that it was hard to understand most of the words. But every little +while we could hear "Enemies of the State." When he finished reading, +all three of the guards put their fingers in some notches in the gate +and pulled with all their strength, and the gate slid into the side of +the wall. + +Black Passage was before us! + +Mari Fishcatcherswife gave a little scream, and Nina pressed up against +me and held my arm tightly. Lying on the floor of the passage were many +dead bones. + +The guard who had read the paper said we must now go into Black Passage. +For a long time no one moved. It is hard to be the first into a darkness +where, no matter how far the eye searches, there is not the faintest +light. Then Doctor Dorn struck the flint on his oil lamp and walked +through the gate. With the light of his lamp ahead of us, the fear +became less and we turned on our own lamps and followed after him. + +The iron wall slid closed behind us. We could hear the steps of the +guards as they walked back toward Last City. After a while we couldn't +hear them any longer. + +Bruno Oreminer tried to move the gate, but the iron was smooth on this +side and nothing happened. Theodor Cook had put his face in his hands so +he would not have to look at the dead bones, but he stepped on one, and +when it cracked, he gave a little cry. + +Doctor Dorn started to walk down the passage. I took Nina's hand and we +followed after him. It would do no good to stay there by the gate which +would never again open for us. If we remained, we would just become dead +bones like the rest. The others came along a little way behind. + +After we had walked through the passage far enough away from the dead +bones so we could not see them, Doctor Dorn stopped. He said we should +rest awhile and eat a little of the food, and then we would talk. + +Theodor Cook was the first one to ask him the question we were all +thinking about. "When will we die?" he asked. + +Doctor Dorn said he didn't know. The food and water we had been given +was supposed to last for ten awakes and sleeps. If we were very, very +careful, it might last for much longer. The oil would probably become +used up first, and when there was no more light, then probably the +Groles would get us. + +Theodor asked whether the dead bones we had seen were people who had +been killed by the Groles. + +Doctor Dorn said he didn't know, but he didn't think so. When the Groles +found someone, there were not supposed to be even dead bones left. No +one had ever seen a Grole because they came only when there was no light +at all. + +Doctor Dorn said he was sorry he had to say such frightening things. But +he wanted us to know and understand the worst before he told us things +that might give us hope. + +There was the smallest chance, Doctor Dorn said, that Black Passage +might go to some other State where there was life, the way Copper +Passage from Deep City went to the State of the Savages. Our hope was +terribly small though, because even if the passage did go to such a +place, it would probably be many more awakes and sleeps away than we had +oil for; and also, the life there might be wild the way it was in the +State of the Savages. + +It is strange though how even a hope so small as to be almost nothing +can give new strength to the heart. + +Doctor Dorn talked more, telling us how we would have to learn to live +with less and less light so that the oil would last as long as possible. +In the beginning we would burn four lamps. Because the passage was not +wide enough for more than two people to walk together, one of us would +have to walk alone. But whoever walked alone would always carry one of +the lighted lamps, and would never be first or last. When we became used +to four lamps, we would turn one off and try walking with only three. +After a while another lamp would be turned off and only two lamps would +be kept lighted, one at the beginning and one at the end of the column. +During sleeps we would keep two lamps on. One would be enough to +frighten away the Groles, but there was always the danger it might go +out, so it was safer to use two. + +Theodor asked wouldn't we get the Black Fear, with so little light. + +Doctor Dorn said he didn't know. It was to prevent the Black Fear that +we would turn off the lamps gradually instead of all at once. But +anyway, it was better to get the Black Fear for a few hours than to use +up all of the oil and have the Groles come. + +When we started walking again, Doctor Dorn and Bruno went first, then +Ralf and Mari, then Theodor. Nina and I walked last. It is frightening +to be last with the blackness behind. Later, we will have a different +position, and others will take our place. + +We have walked for many hours. Now we have stopped for sleep and only +the two guard lamps are burning. The light they make is hardly enough to +write by. When I look up and see the terrible blackness in the passage +before and behind us, a strange and awful feeling seems to form inside. +This may be the beginning of Black Fear. I think it is better that I +stop writing now. I want to hold Nina in my arms and sleep with the +warmth of her life close to me. + + * * * * * + +Second Awake, 3 Juli 2207 + +Since last sleep, the hours have been slow and the walk long, but Black +Passage remains the same. Doctor Dorn thinks there may be no change for +many awakes and sleeps. + +To walk in silence except for the sound of our steps becomes a fearsome +thing, so we talk much. Doctor Dorn tells us interesting things that +have happened while he was Physician to the Supreme Council. When he +does this, we do not think so much of what may be ahead for us. + +There is something of a strangeness about Bruno, the ore-miner who +killed his foreman. Although he rests when we rest, and sleeps when we +sleep, the feeling comes that he is not with us. He walks always first +with Doctor Dorn, and says nothing. + +Sometimes Mari and Nina walk together and talk about woman things. Mari +is twenty-two, three years older than Nina, and even though she has been +married to Ralf for only five years, she has almost borne life once. +Nina said it must be wonderful to bear life, and Doctor Dorn heard her +and said she had the look of one who might bear life herself some day, +perhaps even before she was twenty-five. Nina was very thrilled. + +But it is strange to talk of a time so far ahead. The mind forgets +sometimes there may be only a few awakes and sleeps left to all our +lives. + +One feels a great sorrow for Theodor. He does not have someone who is a +part of him the way I have Nina and Ralf has Mari, and he does not have +the strength of heart of Doctor Dorn or Bruno. Fear seems to hold his +mind more than any of us. Many times Nina or Mari, or Ralf or I, walk +beside him so he will not have to walk alone always. But when we speak +to him he almost never answers. + + * * * * * + +Third Awake, 4 Juli 2207 + +Another sleep has come and our tiredness is greater. Doctor Dorn thinks +we are about twenty-five miles from Lost City. + +After an hour of the walk, we turned off one of the lamps, leaving only +three on, and the blackness of the passage seemed to jump in toward us. +It is like a live and evil thing, the blackness, running in fear from +the light before us, yet following so closely behind. Sometimes I cannot +help feeling that, like the Groles, it is just waiting for our last lamp +to go out so it can rush in and kill us. In one thing we have been +fortunate. Even with only three lamps lighted no one has had the Black +Fear. But after this sleep we will burn only two lamps and again the +blackness will move closer. It is not a pleasant thought to sleep with. + + * * * * * + +Fourth Awake, 5 Juli 2207 + +Except for the greater darkness because of only two lamps, all is the +same. It is strange not to have the City Signals to tell us when to +sleep and when to awake. Because we have only our tiredness to measure +awakes and sleeps, I am no longer sure the date I write above is the +right one. + +We do not talk as much now. All of our strength must be used for +walking. + + * * * * * + +Fifth Awake, 6 Juli 2207 + +One of the lamps went out while we were walking, this awake. Although we +were able to light it again in a few seconds, we could not help thinking +how the Groles might have come if the other lamp hadn't been burning. + +Doctor Dorn says our tiredness is so great because we eat so little of +the food. It is very hard to be careful when one remains so hungry; yet +not knowing how many days are before us in Black Passage makes the mind +fearful and the will strong. + + * * * * * + +Seventh Awake, 8 Juli 2207 + +This awake, Theodor had the Black Fear. We had to hold one of the lamps +in front of his eyes for more than an hour before he was able to stop +trembling. Then it was almost another hour before he was able to go on. + + * * * * * + +Eleventh Awake, 12 Juli 2207 + +Sleep follows sleep and nothing changes. Sometimes I feel that we have +not moved at all, that we are still just outside Last City. Yet Doctor +Dorn says we have come almost one hundred miles. + + * * * * * + +Twelfth Awake, 13 Juli 2207 + +Just before this sleep we emptied our shoulder packs to see how much +food and water we have used. Most of us have used about one-fourth of +what we have been given. Doctor Dorn says this is not bad, but we must +learn to use even less. Theodor has much more food left than any of us. +This is not surprising, because during rests he eats almost nothing. + +It is the little oil we have left that worries Doctor Dorn. He does not +believe there will be enough for even ten more awakes and sleeps. We +would use less oil if we burned only one lamp, but it would be a +terrible chance. We remember how a lamp went out several awakes ago. + + * * * * * + +Fourteenth Awake, 15 Juli 2207 + +There was much trouble during our last sleep. Soon after sleep had come, +a terrible cry awoke us again. My mind first had the thought that the +lamps had gone out and the Groles had come. But both lamps were still +burning, and near one of them, we could see Bruno and Theodor struggling +together on the floor of the passage. Bruno's hands were around +Theodor's throat, and Theodor was no longer able to make any sounds. +Bruno is terribly strong, and Ralf and I and Doctor Dorn had to use all +of our own strength to force his hands away. Doctor Dorn asked Bruno why +he had done this, and Bruno pointed to where his shoulder pack was lying +open, and said, "He was stealing." These were the only words he had said +for a long time. When Theodor stopped choking and was able to speak +again, Doctor Dorn asked him if what Bruno had said was true. Theodor +said no, and Doctor Dorn said he should look directly into his eyes and +answer again. Theodor said he was sleepy and his throat hurt and he +didn't want to talk any more. Doctor Dorn gave a big sigh, and said he +understood. He said Theodor must promise never to steal again. If he +didn't promise, or if he broke his promise, then perhaps the next time +Bruno tried to kill him, we might not hear him in time. Theodor became +very frightened, and said all right, he promised. + +When we were going back to sleep, Nina told me she had wondered why +Theodor slept each time near someone else. He had probably thought by +taking a little from each one of us, his stealing would not be noticed. + + * * * * * + +Seventeenth Awake, 18 Juli 2207 + +The awakes and sleeps pass again and everything is as it was, except +that our food and oil becomes less, and our tiredness greater. Several +times during our walk we have found a little water in the passage. How +wonderful it would be if we could so easily find more food and oil. + +Although Bruno shows no sign that he wants to hurt Theodor again, +Theodor is still terribly frightened of him, and stays as far from him +as possible. Before each sleep, Doctor Dorn makes Theodor open his +shoulder pack and show him the food he has left. His food is being used +up as fast as ours is now. + + * * * * * + +Eighteenth Awake, 19 Juli 2207 + +Eighteen awakes and sleeps we have walked in Black Passage. To the mind, +it is forever. + +The passage has begun to climb a little. This is not a good thing. + + * * * * * + +Nineteenth Awake, 20 Juli 2207 + +I write this during rest. + +We have come to a Dead City. No lamps are lighted in the dark street +passages and all the cubicles are empty. We have found many other +passages going out of the City, and we must now decide which is the best +to try. I do not think this will be difficult. One of the passages seems +newer than any of the others, much newer and larger than Black Passage +through which we have walked for so long. There are lamps in this +passage, and even though they are not lighted, they would not have been +put there unless the passage went to some other City. Although this +other city may be dead also, hope is now a little greater. Doctor Dorn +calls this passage Hope Passage. Another thing that adds to hope is the +way the passage goes down so steeply. + +Hope Passage was found many hours ago, sleep time has now come, and yet +a decision has not been made. Much of this is because of Nina. Although +she has spoken very little, the things she has said have made Doctor +Dorn behave very strangely. + +When he asked each of us if we thought Hope Passage would be the best +one to follow, everyone but Nina said yes right away. Even Bruno nodded. +But when he asked Nina, she did not answer so quickly. Then she said if +we all thought Hope Passage was the best, it was probably so. + +But Doctor Dorn was not satisfied. Did she not think so herself, he +asked. Was there something about Hope Passage she did not like? Was +there some other passage she thought might be better? + +I could feel Nina's fingers tighten on my arm the way they did whenever +she became very frightened or worried or disturbed. It was not something +her mind thought, she said. It was just a feeling she had which she +couldn't understand or explain. + +Doctor Dorn's voice became very gentle. He said Nina shouldn't try to +understand or explain her feeling. But would she try to describe what it +was like, even a little. + +Nina looked at me very troubled and I put my arm around her shoulders, +and said she didn't have to answer if she didn't want to. But then she +took a little breath and said in a very low voice that as far back as +she could remember, even when she was a tiny girl, she always had a good +feeling when she was going up and a bad feeling when she was going down. +It was a strange way to be, she knew, and she had never told anyone +before. But that was why she did not like Hope Passage, which went down +so fast. The passage she had liked best was the one near the old statue. +The way it went up gave her a good feeling. + +Doctor Dorn asked didn't she know the passage by the statue was the +oldest one we had found, and therefore it should have the smallest +chance of going to a live city. + +Nina said she knew, and her mind understood everything Doctor Dorn said. +But the things her mind knew and understood were not able to change the +way she felt. She said she was sorry she had made us all lose so much +time. She would not talk about it any more. + +Doctor Dorn asked Nina would she please answer just one more question. +Did she have this good feeling while we were walking up the little climb +near the end of Black Passage. + +Nina nodded her head yes, and Doctor Dorn said it was very interesting. +Then in a different voice, he said that Hope Passage was our best chance +of finding life, and after this sleep we would continue our walk there. + + * * * * * + +Twentieth Awake, 21 Juli 2207 + +A few hours ago we said goodbye to Ralf and Mari and Bruno, and watched +them start down Hope Passage. I think they may find life again soon. + +Even now, I do not understand clearly why we are not with them; why we +are climbing in this old rough passage which rises so steeply we must +stop every little while to rest. + +Many thoughts must have come to Doctor Dorn during our last sleep, +because when we awoke he was different from any way he had been before. +For a little while, he just walked up and back rubbing his chin as if he +were thinking very hard. Then all of a sudden he stopped and came over +to Nina. He asked Nina whether if we were not here, if she had to decide +only for herself, knowing all he had told her, would she still take the +old passage? + +Nina said yes, she would. Doctor Dorn sat down. He said he was going to +say strong words. He was going to tell us some of the things he had read +in the Forbidden Books. + +For thousands of years Man had first lived on Earth Surface, the books +said. But then great wars had come and Man had studied hard and learned +ways to kill each other millions at a time. But some of the men who did +not want to die had dug deep into the earth to live. Everyone in the +earth, the books said, came from these first men from Earth Surface. + +Doctor Dorn stopped to let us think about what he had told us. _Earth +Surface_--nothing above but nothing--and nothing beyond nothing--the +thought is more than the mind can hold. That men could have lived on +such a place is too much to be believed. + +There were some things written in the Forbidden Books that could not be +true, Doctor Dorn said, like the plants called trees that grew to be +many times taller than a man; or lakes called oceans that were larger +than a thousand Red Lakes together. But even though these and some other +things the books said were not possible, there was something about the +story of men living on Earth Surface that made him wonder. All sleep he +had not slept, but had thought how the old passage we had found near the +statue might be one of the surface passages the books told about. He +could not imagine any City in the Earth building a passage so steep and +so rough. + +Doctor Dorn stopped talking for a moment, and he looked at me. He seemed +very excited. "Jon," he said, "my own feeling now is to take Surface +Passage. I cannot do this alone with one lamp. You know how Nina feels. +Will you and Nina come with me?" + +My thoughts must have been like those of the lost-mind men in the +hospital at Central City. Even now I do not know why I said we would. +Maybe it was because of the way Nina's eyes shone when Doctor Dorn +talked about Earth Surface. Nina is a wonderful girl and I love her +very much, but sometimes I think I do not understand her completely. + +Ralf and Mari talked together for a long time. Then Ralf told Doctor +Dorn he thought Hope Passage was the best chance for finding life. They +would not come with us. + +Doctor Dorn said he understood. He was sorry we had to separate now, but +each must do what was in his own thoughts and heart. Then he asked Bruno +if he was coming with us, and Bruno shook his head no, and did not say +anything. + +Theodor thought for even a longer time than Ralf and Mari. He kept +biting the nails on his fingers and every little while his eyes would +look at Bruno. I knew he was afraid to come with us; but also he was +afraid to be alone with Bruno with only Ralf to help him if anything +happened. Finally, in a very low voice, he said he would come with us. + +Doctor Dorn said fine, now there was one more thing we must do before we +started. We must take the oil from one of the lamps and put it in the +other six lamps so there would be the same amount in each one. Then each +group would take three lamps. + +Theodor said this was not fair. There were four of us so we should have +four lamps. Doctor Dorn said four people needed no more light than three +people. + +It was very sad when we had to separate. Mari and Nina cried a little. +For a long time after we found Surface Passage and were climbing in it, +no one said anything. Perhaps after next sleep, our sadness may be less. + + * * * * * + +Twenty-First Awake, 22 Juli 2207 + +The passage is still climbing and we rest often. I write a little during +some of our rests. + + * * * * * + +There is very little oil left. Doctor Dorn says we must take a dangerous +chance. No lamp has gone out for a long time. If we burn only one lamp, +we can have light for almost four more awakes and sleeps. If this is +really a Surface Passage, and if what is written in the forbidden books +is true, this time may be enough for us to reach Earth Surface. + +We have been burning only one lamp since our last rest. How bright does +the light from the two lamps seem now. Nina says she feels she can reach +out and touch the blackness. + +Theodor is very frightened. Over and over he says we must go back and +take the other passage, that if we go on we shall all be dead bones. I +think Doctor Dorn would become angry if he did not understand how +frightened Theodor is. + +During rest, Theodor spoke words that made Nina feel very sad. He said +it was because of her that we would all die. I became very angry, and +told him if he said anything like that again, I would finish what Bruno +had started. He knows I would not do this, but now he talks very little. + + * * * * * + +Twenty-Second Awake, 23 Juli 2207 + +We walk up Surface Passage still, but there is a difference. Before last +sleep there was much hope in our hearts. Now our hope is almost nothing. + +It was Nina who knew first. She brought me out of sleep, shaking my +shoulder and saying my name, until my mind was awake enough to +understand. + +Theodor was gone! + +He had left us the one lamp that was burning. The other two lamps he had +taken; and all of our food and water. But our hunger may never become +too great. With one lamp, there will be light until only a few hours +after next sleep. + +Doctor Dorn blames himself. He says he should have been able to tell +that Theodor might do something like this. But Doctor Dorn feels the +same tiredness that is in us all, making our thoughts like shadows. + +Sleep time has come, but we do not stop. We will walk on and rest when +we must. When the end of life is so near, the will finds strength. + + * * * * * + +Twenty-Third Awake, 24 Juli 2207 + +We have walked through sleep and we have slept while we walked. The rise +is steeper. Our oil lamp is still burning and our shadows fall behind us +into the blackness. There will be light for perhaps ten more hours. + +There is a dampness now in the passage, like that of the passage to Red +Lake. Our tiredness is so great we become afraid sometimes that after +one of our rests we may not be able to go on. I am worried about Nina. +She says nothing, but I think for a long while now she has been walking +on heart strength alone. We have seven hours of light before us. + +The passage has ended. For a moment the thought came that we were on +Earth Surface. But Doctor Dorn says we are in a great cavern, larger +even than the Cavern of Red Lake. Our one light is as nothing in this +great blackness, and we walk close to the wall so we will not become +lost. In some places the walls are like glass as if from a very great +heat. There are more passages in the sides of this cavern than the mind +can imagine. But after this rest there is nothing else we can do but try +one of them. + +For five hours we have been lost in passages that curve and turn and +join with each other as madly as if they were made by lost-mind men. Now +we have found our way back to the Great Cavern. We shall stay here the +two hours longer our light and lives will last. + +It is easier now that our hope is nothing. + +We can rest and wait, and even our fear becomes less in our tiredness. + +The time has gone slowly, but the light from the lamp is becoming less +now. In a few seconds it will go out, and the Groles will come, and our +lives will be over. Perhaps for an instant before we die, we shall know +what the Groles are; or perhaps it happens so quickly we will never know +anything. This may be the better way. Nina trembles in my arms. + +We wait in the blackness. The lamp has been out for many minutes but the +Groles have not come. + +How can this be? Can the mind conceive that there are no such things as +Groles, that, like so many other things, they are only a lie of the +State? + +These last words I write now. + +The Groles are coming! We can hear their murmuring sounds through the +passages. We say goodbye to each other. + +They are very close now--very-- + + * * * * * + +ALVAREZ COUNTY DAILY RECORD + + _Inhabitants of Earth's Interior Come to Alvarez_ + by Franklin Williams, Staff Writer + +Alvarez, May 9, 2204.--An almost unbelievable event of the greatest +significance not only to Alvarez, or the United States of the Western +Hemisphere, but to the entire world, occurred in our Alvarez County +yesterday. Visitors on the early morning tour through Alvarez Caverns, +came upon an astonishing spectacle. Two men and a young girl of +indescribable strangeness of manner and dress were seated on the floor +of Atom Cave. All were in the last stages of exhaustion and exposure, +and even the little light from the electric hand lamps seemed to blind +them. Fortunately, in the tour was Dr. and Mrs. Ferguson of New +Washington, and Dr. Ferguson, appraising himself rapidly of the +situation, led the trio out of the Caverns and drove them to Alvarez +Hospital. Dr. Ferguson says they seemed completely dazed and unable to +speak. They came with him without resistance. + +After an examination by Dr. Stutfeldt of Alvarez Hospital which +completely confirmed Dr. Ferguson's earlier diagnosis, the strange +visitors were put in a darkened room, in which they surprisingly had no +difficulty seeing, and were given simple nourishment. + +Late in the evening, after they had slept and rested for many hours, +they were questioned. In the presence of a distinguished group which +included Mayor Whitehead, Professor Lorraine Johnson (a very charming +young lady) of the Alvarez University, J. W. Wilson, Chairman of the +Alvarez Chamber of Commerce, and your reporter, they told an amazing, +but according to Professor Johnson, entirely credible story. + +Speaking slowly with an accent strongly reminiscent of twenty-first +century North American, but with somewhat peculiar grammatical +formations, the oldest of the group told of their having walked for many +weeks from their State deep within the Earth. + +Undoubtedly, they will have much more of interest to tell, but Dr. +Stutfeldt refused to let them talk for more than a few minutes. He says +it will be many weeks before they will regain their strength, and much +longer before they will be able to adjust to the tremendous differences +between their old life and life on the surface of the earth. It is +entirely possible, Dr. Stutfeldt says, that they may never be able to +make this adjustment. + +An interesting sidelight of their within-the-earth civilization is that, +although they apparently have the same calendar system as ours, in some +way their time seems to have gotten out of step. According to their +reckoning it is now some three years and two months later than it is. + + * * * * * + +NEW WASHINGTON SUN + + What's New Under the Sun + by Dick Richard + +The (very) little furor that has been caused by the recent report from +Alvarez County of the arrival of visitors from inside the earth shows +signs of abating completely. Very likely it is just a case of poor +timing, (three reports of flying saucers and one of Saturnian birdmen in +less than a month has pretty well saturated the gullibility market). But +perhaps it is just as well. Not that we are skeptical by nature, but we +cannot help wondering at the somewhat amazing coincidence of the Alvarez +report being issued just two weeks before the start of the Alvarez +County Festival. + + * * * * * + +_UNITED STATES OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE DEPARTMENT OF STATE DIVISION OF +INVESTIGATION_ + +Report on Supernatural Phenomena: File No. B5138. + +Subject: Subterranean Inhabitants. + +Reference: Alvarez County Record, News Item of May 9, 2204, et al. (See +File). + +On January 3, 2206, in performance of the subject investigation, a visit +was made to the Alvarez Hospital at Alvarez, Alvarez County. Dr. Ernest +Stutfeldt was contacted, and upon being questioned, expressed surprise +and some annoyance that an investigation was being conducted, in his +words, "so damned long after everything was over." It was pointed out to +Dr. Stutfeldt that qualified investigative personnel was limited, that +these matters had to be taken in their proper turn, and that a year and +a half interval for an investigation of this nature was not considered +excessive. The information was then elicited from Dr. Stutfeldt that the +"earth visitors" were no longer patients at the hospital, that two of +them, a Mr. and Mrs. Jon Farmer, were living on their farm about ten +miles out of Alvarez, and that the third, a Dr. Dorn Smith, was studying +medicine at Alvarez University. + +Transportation to the university was thereupon obtained, and after +considerable time and difficulty, Dr. Dorn Smith was located. When asked +for some proof of his subterranean origin, the doctor was unable to +provide same. His descriptions of the life and government of his claimed +underground "State" could with a little imagination, have been derived +from any textbook on the absolute governments of the twenty-first +century. + +A certain measure of authenticity was temporarily ascribed to Dr. Dorn +Smith's statements, when these were termed as "entirely credible" by +Professor Lorraine Johnson of the university. However, the explanation +for Professor Johnson's corroboration became obvious when it was learned +that the professor and Dr. Dorn Smith were engaged to be married. + +Although it was apparent by this time that the claims made by the +subject investigatees had no information in fact, in order to insure a +completely comprehensive inquiry, a visit was made to the Farmers' +domicile. Obviously alerted by a phonovision from Dr. Dorn Smith, Mr. +and Mrs. Farmer were cordial, but no more informative than their +three-month-old baby daughter. The inquiry was then terminated. + +A verbatim account of all questions and answers pertaining to the above +investigation is affixed hereto. + +Therefore, and in consequence of this inquiry, it is recommended that +the subject supernatural phenomenon be classified as "Not Verified," and +that the file be closed. + + Respectfully submitted, + Clarence B. Pendergast, + Special Investigator of Supernatural Phenomena + DEPARTMENT OF STATE + January 5, 2206. + + + + +Transcriber's Note: + + This etext was produced from _Fantastic Universe_ August 1957. + Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. + copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and + typographical errors have been corrected without note. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Out of the Earth, by George Edrich + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OUT OF THE EARTH *** + +***** This file should be named 31597.txt or 31597.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/1/5/9/31597/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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