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diff --git a/59559-0.txt b/59559-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5c89165 --- /dev/null +++ b/59559-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,186 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 59559 *** + + + + + + + + + + + + + SHOCK TROOP + + BY RICHARD BOLTON + + _The invaders were going to + make galactic history. Fate + made it a comedy of errors._ + + [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from + Worlds of If Science Fiction, October 1956. + Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that + the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] + + +Zurg thwirmed, and admitted to himself that he was uneasy. Arching his +thorax, he unrolled his antennae slowly in a lazy gesture he hoped +would conceal the unseemly nervousness he felt now that the ship had +swung into an orbit around the strange planet. When a commander briefs +his officers, he must radiate confidence and calm. + +"Companions, an historic moment has arrived," he began pompously, his +antennae moving in the deliberate, stylized movements of the Court +language. "Below us lies the verdant expanse of the third planet, green +gem of the heavens." + +At this, several of his subordinates turned a rather puzzled yellow +around their head orifices, obviously unable to understand a gesture +of what he was saying. Only the second-in-command seemed unconcerned; +he knew from long experience that his commander would revert to common +vernacular when he had finished the usual ceremonial preamble. + +Zurg did so, noting the relieved hues of his officers as he continued: +"As you all know, our scouts have reconnoitered this world on several +occasions. But now the time has arrived to make an actual landing. In +fact, companions, we are the vanguard of an invasion." Pausing to let +this register, he was pleased to see that none of the officers seemed +to be suppressing thwirms. If anything, they were calmer than he was. + +"Not a great deal is known about the inhabitants of the planet, +but the dominant form of life, strangely enough, is mammalian, and +possesses some intelligence. Her Majesty desires conquest without undue +destruction. As the Queen wills, her servants shall act." + +All dipped their antennae at this formula, and watched in attentive +hues as the commander went on to explain that due to the high +percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere, special coverings would have +to be worn. They would filter the air before it reached the ventral +tracheae, and leaving the head exposed, would shield all the rest +of the body. A bit clumsy, the commander admitted, but absolutely +essential. + +"Now as to our behavior toward the natives--previous experience with +mammalian life-types shows that they are susceptible to panic and fear +when confronted with something totally strange, so we will use tactics +which basically are very simple. First, we will land near a native +settlement. When we march into the area, our alien appearance will stun +the natives. Our detachment of all-range telepathic sensitives will +notify us when the state of shock has set in, then our attack support +will open up with full-scale mental assault, and keep the creatures +paralyzed while we seize the area before a defense can be organized. +Then the Grand Fleet will proceed here at top speed." + +"Remember that in this, as in all operations where the powers of the +collective mind are used, we must first trigger the enemy's reaction by +physical means, therefore nothing can be done until we _know_ that they +are in the needed state of shock. Now are there any questions?" + +How strange actually, mused the commander as he returned to his +cubicle, that a race like his own, so gifted at pure mental contact +with other life-forms, should still use signals and colorations to +communicate among themselves. The chafed spot on his left antenna was +paining again after the exercise of the briefing. The report had said +that these mammalians were believed to converse through some kind +of atmospheric vibrations.... Odd too, that mental warfare, refined +and developed though it was, could still only be used against minds +agitated by a specific physical stimulus. And that physical stimulus +had to be provided by the invaders appearing on the scene, and if +necessary performing the Dra, a series of dances and contortions so +repulsive to most life-forms that all thinking would fade into panic. +Having once thwirmed himself at a performance of the Dra, he hoped it +wouldn't be necessary ... his musings were interrupted as the ship's +lights flickered to orange, signalling hands to stations for planetfall. + +Leaving the con of the ship to his second-in-command, he shut himself +in his cubicle and made preparations to be miserably sick, as he always +was during deceleration. Stroking the chafed spot on his antenna with +the smooth edge of his left forearm's prehensile claw, Zurg raised his +medicine kit in his secondary tentacles and snapped off the heavy lead +seal with his jagged incisor mandibles. I wonder, he speculated, why +alien races always find us so frightening.... + + * * * * * + +The brilliant orange sun was high in the sky, but only a few filtered +beams penetrated to the sheltered copse where the slate-colored ship +lay partially concealed by artfully placed vines and underbrush. Drawn +up in three ranks beside the ship, only their heads protruding from +the loose-fitting coveralls, stood the detail picked to make the entry +into the native settlement. Zurg led them out through the underbrush +barrier they had thrown up the night before, and they emerged onto +a little-traveled dirt road leading off across the fields toward a +cluster of buildings that marked the edge of town. + +No creatures appeared as the invading column lumbered along. As they +neared the edge of the settlement, Zurg, his antennae drooping slightly +from the unusual heat, turned to remind the others: "Remember, the +mental assault won't begin until we are well into the area and shock +reaction is effected, so _stay in formation_ until I order otherwise." + +There were still no natives in sight on the small side street by which +they entered town; but as they turned a corner and swung on to the +broad central thoroughfare, the commander saw that the street was +clogged with natives, a great milling mass of them moving up the +street in the same direction as his column, about a hundred yards ahead. + +For a moment they didn't appear to notice the newcomers, but soon a +growing number had turned and were gesturing excitedly to each other, +pointing at the approaching troop. Watching them anxiously, Zurg saw no +evidence of panic. + +The column kept moving, and the crowd began parting to let them pass +through. Some darted forward as though to get a closer look at the +strangers. The commander fought off a thwirm as he realized the crowd +was now all around them, pressing in more closely on every side. The +atmosphere itself seemed to vibrate strangely, and looking around, he +saw that the creatures were opening small head orifices and striking +the ends of their forward limbs together. Were they communicating--or +was it something else? It was surely not panic. + +Feeling increasingly dizzy from the heat and vibrations, he glanced +anxiously over his followers, and saw at once that they were more upset +than he. Colors were flushing their faces in meaningless successions. +One or two seemed to be staggering. The shock threshold of these beings +has been horribly underestimated, thought Zurg desperately. Only one +thing left to do--turning again, he signalled the detail to begin the +Dra. Perhaps that would overcome this incomprehensible counterattack.... + + * * * * * + +"I tell you Charlie, you've got to discipline that gang! They didn't +show up on time, they didn't complete the route, they put on a +public ritual that wasn't scheduled, apparently stealing the entire +show--stupid crowd yelled themselves hoarse. Then they all reeled off +into a side street. They must have been drunk to a man--I understand +about half of them had to be carried! _And_ when I confronted Andy +Sharpe, he swore up and down that they weren't out of their hotel that +morning. All sleeping off that spree they had the night before. He +actually had the nerve to say, 'I don't know who those boys were that +you claim were a block behind the end of the parade, but they weren't +our boys.'" + +Charlie Dils, new Commander of the Illinois chapter of the American +Legion, leaned back in his chair car seat and blew a cloud of cigar +smoke toward the ceiling. "Maybe they were men from Mars," he grinned. +Then, remembering his dignity, he sobered abruptly. "Anyway, one bunch +looks about the same as another, once they get their masks on--good +Lord, it was a hot day for masks--but it certainly made the parade +more impressive. People are still talking about it. We're even getting +credit for having a flying saucer. Some farmer out at the edge of town +claims he saw one take off after the parade last night. Says it was +going west like a bat out of hell. + +"If we can get that kind of publicity, Frank, I wouldn't worry +about Andy and the boys. I'll write him a letter. It was a great +convention--let's let it go at that." + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Shock Troop, by Richard Bolton + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 59559 *** |