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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e925229 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #64266 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/64266) diff --git a/old/64266-0.txt b/old/64266-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9bbac7b..0000000 --- a/old/64266-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,709 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Escape From Pluto, by William Oberfield - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Escape From Pluto - -Author: William Oberfield - -Release Date: January 11, 2021 [eBook #64266] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ESCAPE FROM PLUTO *** - - - - - Escape From Pluto - - By WILLIAM OBERFIELD - - Exiled to Pluto's harsh wastes, Marcius Kemble - listened eagerly to the evil voices planning his - triumphant return. But even the Plutonians - underestimated the flaming glory to which they sent him. - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Planet Stories Fall 1947. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -Marcius Kemble stood upon the frozen surface of Pluto and swore aloud. -He knew there were none to hear him but, just the same, he shouted into -his plastic space helmet until his ears were ringing, cursing all the -planets and their diverse inhabitants in order, most of all Earth. - -You see, Marcius Kemble was an example. He was an example to any -others, in the year of twenty-two hundred A.D., who would strive to -rule the solar system. The planets were independent states and they -were to remain that way. For trying to change this, Kemble had been -exiled to unexplored Pluto. - -Marcius raised his mailed fist toward the mighty stars and ground out -curses against Earth and all those upon it, wishing that he could call -upon it the wrath of Heaven and Hell, for it had been the men of Earth -who had brought about his ultimate downfall. - -It had been the age-old story of a power-mad tyrant finding out the -secret grudges of his subjects and working on them to inspire a frenzy -of hate, to maneuver them into a war against unsuspecting neighboring -nations. He had gained control of the whole of Mars in this way and had -been reaching out for the moon-system of Saturn, when the full force of -the Planetary Combine had come against him, scattering his forces. - -The counter offensive had been led by Earth, and it had been an Earth -ship which, after his short-lived escape, had parachuted him to the -cold surface of Pluto. Is it any wonder that he should hate them? - -Marcius Kemble looked fearfully around at the bleak, frozen landscape -of Pluto, a cold Hell, hardly reached by the light of the sun. Then he -began to laugh. - -Marcius laughed into the little plastic world of his helmet and the -sound roared back into his own ears, and he laughed louder. Tears -streamed down over the contact lenses in his eyes and caused the white -mountains to gesticulate and beckon to him. - -He was beginning to see it all very clearly now. It wasn't his own -laughter in his helmet. The white mountains were laughing at him, the -stars and sun were laughing, and all the people of all the planets. It -was all concentrated into his ears by the curve of his helmet. - -They were spying on him to see what he would do, laughing because he -could do nothing, their voices filling his head, asking who he was, -what he was going to do now, mocking him. He would show them! Run to -the laughing white mountains, cast them into an ocean, crush them -beneath his feet! That would put them in their places! Do it now! - -Marcius pulled himself to his feet. He knew that he had been running -and had fallen, striking his helmet upon something hard, and that -he had been laughing, crying and cursing at the same time. The -reverberating blow had shocked him into silence. And he was remembering -the words of the doctor who had cared for him, back on Mars. - -The doctor had said, "You have a great mind, Sire, and a very strong -will, but there are some flaws, as in all men. If you should know -defeat, your only hope will be death. Living, your mind would refuse to -give up, beating itself into insanity against a blank wall." - -Now, Marcius knew what the doctor had meant. There were still the -voices in his mind repeating over and over, "Who are you?--Who are -you?" almost as if they were mocking the beating of his heart. - -There was something strange about the voices, Marcius thought. It was -as if there were some alien intelligence behind them. There were two -of them, and they seemed to require an answer from him. It was with no -great hope that he answered the voices by concentrating upon his name -and present predicament. - - * * * * * - -The thoughts of Marcius Kemble did not go unheard. Unknown to the -rest of the solar system, Pluto had its inhabitants. To Earth men, -these would be very strange beings, not alone in appearance but in -composition. Their heads were roughly triangular, widening upward from -a pointed chin and resting on thin, yet strong, necks above equally -strong and spindly man-like bodies. They were mainly composed of -elements which became solid only at very low temperatures. - -Thus it was that one of these beings sat before a radio-like device and -perspired in the extreme cold of the room. His long pointed ears were -depressed by the weight of a shiny metal cap and his too-large eyes -held a look of worried consternation. The reason for his consternation -was the thoughts of the ex-dictator of Mars. - -The wearer of the cap shot a series of rapid sounds at the other -occupant of the room. - -He said, in effect, "I have received thought emanations from the -direction of the great plain, rather garbled. The being is probably -a giant from some other world, for his thoughts are alien and he -evidently considers it within his power to crush the mountains which -house us!" - -The other made a negative gesture with a slender hand. "Don't you think -it is more likely that it is a trick of the enemy to frighten us, Gor? -They have tried such things before, you know." - -Gor was quiet while he peered into the eyepiece of an instrument; then -he replied, "We will soon know. Tower Three has made contact, giving us -the exact location, and the inquisitors have now gone to work on him." - -For a while, the two Plutonians busied themselves with their various -machines, then Gor spoke again. "You are radiating sorrow, Bakar. What -troubles you?" - -Bakar sighed. "I was thinking of the ancient pictures of Ahndee in the -days when its orbit was much nearer the sun, and we, the inhabitants -of Ahndee, were happy in our beautiful cities. - -"Now, the two remaining great nations hide, one from the other, beneath -the mountains, and neither can break the defenses of the other, but -still we try. What is the use of it?" - -"Careful, Bakar," Gor looked sternly at the other. "The Four may have -you in the thought beam. You know that The Four lead us along this path -because it is the only choice, the path shown in the future machine. - -"In the time you speak of," Gor went on, "the people were no better off -than we of today. Because they did not have the future machine, they -had failures. They wandered from the way and their failures turned them -back to the course provided by the natural law. Now we know for what we -are bound and, if we work toward that end, can know no failures." - -A strange light came into Bakar's eyes, but he said nothing. - -Shortly thereafter, a voice drifted into the room. It was a mild voice, -but it was also old and wise. - -The voice said, "This is Nel, one of The Four. The being on the plain -has been probed and analyzed and has been found to be a creature of the -carbon class from the inner worlds. He has sought to deceive us in the -manner in which he has deceived his own, but we have seen all. - -"The being is of a race called man and is named Mah Shuss Kem Bil. He -is clothed in a type of space armour which embodies an air purifier, -good for a period of time long enough to transport him to the fourth -planet at half the speed of light, and is protected against cold by -electric and tonic stimulants which do not produce heat, but only -suspend the sensation of cold. Therefore we may come in contact with -him without fear of burns. - -"Since the future machine indicates that he must be sent back into -space, and since there is no place for him in our world, he will be -disposed of at once. Tower Two will dispatch two ships. The man will be -instructed in the operation of one of the ships and sent on his way. -The pilots will return in the other ship. That is all." - -For a long moment, quiet filled the room. - -Gor was uneasy as he said, "Well, Bakar, have you not heard? It is your -duty to dispatch the ships. Why do you hesitate?" - -Bakar sprung to his feet, a small weapon clutched in his claw-like -hand. "No!" he hissed, "I will not obey the machine. I am going to -prove to you, and to all, that it can be wrong. You know of the soft -places in the plain, Gor. It is a wonder that the man did not land -in one of these, considering that there are more of these than solid -ground. But he will weary of waiting for the ships, which he has -been informed of, and begin to wander. He cannot go far before he is -swallowed up, sinking deeper and deeper. Then we shall see if the -future machine is always right!" - -Gor said nothing, but a slight smile came to his lips, a rather ironic -one. - -It was much later when Gor again spoke. He turned from his position -at the thought receiver and said, "News for you, Bakar. I have just -received thought that the man is on his way." - -Bakar visibly started, and Gor continued, "How many times have you -complied with an order from The Four and pressed the button that -informs second in command that you had done so? Force of habit caused -you to perform it this time, Bakar. The order went on, through second -in command." - -He added softly, "The future machine never lies!" - - * * * * * - -Marcius Kemble stood upon the frozen plain and waited. A satanic smile -lighted his face and the cry for revenge was in his heart. He somehow -felt that the thoughts had not lied, that they would send the promised -ship. Then he would be free again, blasting back to quench his thirst -for revenge against the Combine. His face became flushed and the -temperature within his suit became perceptibly greater, as he formed -his fanatical plans. While he waited, the leaders of the Combine, in -his mind, suffered and died a thousand times. - -The coming of the ships was swift. One moment there was nothing; the -next, they rested upon the plain before him. Marcius was surprised to -note that they were very small, as compared to others he had seen. So -much the better, he thought, to elude the space patrol. - -He also marveled at the fact that the creatures coming toward him from -the ships were lightly clothed, and that they could speak to him -through his mind. - -"Do not fear us," came the thought. "You must come with us into one of -the craft, to learn of the controls." - -Inside the ship, Marcius found that "learning of the controls" was much -simpler than he had thought it would be. - -He sat in the pilot's seat, hands on the controls and eyes closed. A -thousand times more effective than words, thoughts came to him, and he -flew the Plutonian ship through every condition and position that could -ever be encountered, even though he never left the place at which the -ship had come to rest on the plain. Mental instruction. - -It all ended with Marcius Kemble, condemned dictator of Mars, soaring -away from Pluto forever, still enclosed in his space suit because the -air within the ship was never meant for the lungs of men, and heading -toward earth, toward the fulfillment of his evil plans. - -As the atmosphere of Pluto fell away behind him, Marcius wondered that -he felt no acceleration. Then he remembered a faint something which -he had detected in the thoughts of his instructor, something about -increased momentum being induced into each individual atom, so that -each retained its normal position to that of every other. - -But Marcius was not the kind to spend much time on thinking of such -complicated matters. Instead, he lapsed into an ecstasy of evil dreams, -dreams in which he was again the mighty monarch, this time of Earth. - - * * * * * - -As the little ship drove on through space, Marcius pictured himself -walking in on the members of the Council--he would have gained his -rightful place as ruler by then, of course--and chuckled at the -expressions he imagined on their faces, mouths hanging open, eyes many -times too large, and their heads hanging nearly to their belts. - -Someone was kneeling before him. It was the Martian member and his eyes -were tightly closed against the stinging tears while his thin hands -were clasped before him, praying to Marcius to have mercy. - -Marcius was about to order them strung end to end and dangled, for the -rest of their lives from an over-hanging cliff, when he became aware -of his present surroundings with a start. Time to start decelerating. - -Sighing, he reached for the proper lever and pulled it back. - -For a moment, nothing happened. Then the ship seemed to shake itself -and Marcius was half lifted from his seat. It couldn't be! The -decelerating force should act equally on his body and the ship. How, -then, could he be thrown forward? - -Something bumped lightly against his helmet and drifted on by. Only -for a moment did he stare blankly at the little silvery sphere, then -the nose of the ship came away with a weird plopping hiss, and he was -jerked through the opening by the force of the escaping air. - -In confusion, he tried to swing his body around so that he could see -what had happened. He twisted his shoulders around, but his hips turned -equally in an opposite direction. To halt one meant to halt the other. -He tried kicking his legs back hard, but only succeeded in arching -his body and wrenching his back. Desperately, he began kicking and -squirming like a mad dancer. Each motion depended upon an equal and -opposite motion of his body. - -[Illustration: _He began kicking and squirming like a mad dancer._] - -In the midst of his struggles, his heel struck on something and started -him spinning, head over heels. It was the ship. The combined gravities -of the ship and his own body had brought them together again, and he -was revolving about the heavier object in a close orbit, and he was -turning end for end, now. - -Marcius could not feel the motion. It seemed as if the universe were -turning about his stationary body, rising at his head and setting at -his feet. - -He saw the ship then, but it was no longer a ship. It dawned on him why -the Plutonians had never ventured much nearer the sun, and why, after -they had known all about him, they had let him go. - -Receding from him, was a perfect sphere of liquid mercury, once the -hard hull of a space ship, covered with a thin layer of water that had -once been windows, with small pieces of solid material floating on the -surface. It was only a natural law that it should revert to this form -when deprived of the sub-temperatures of Pluto. - -Yes, Marcius Kemble saw it all now, but too late. He remembered a -demonstration he had seen when a child. A man had poured mercury into -a mold and cooled it to near absolute zero. When withdrawn from the -mold, it had been a little bell that gave a clear tone. - -Why hadn't he thought of it before? The cold bodies of the Plutonians -enabled them to handle such metals as he would handle steel! They made -their ships and machines of such things as mercury and ice, and perhaps -a few materials unknown to man, but all of a low melting point. Why -should they do otherwise, when the extreme cold of Pluto made those -things as hard as steel? It was even doubtful if they could produce -enough heat to melt steel or even glass, or if they could produce a -substance able to retain such fires. - -A hot rage began to boil within him. The Plutonians had known it all -along! With their science they could have kept him alive until they had -learned how to build a ship that would not melt from the heat of the -sun. - -Now, Marcius Kemble's unretarded speed carried him through the orbit of -the earth while it was still many thousands of miles distant. He began -to feel the boiling heat of the sun and realized what it would be like -when the insulation of his space suit gave way to that awful heat, but -he decided that he would never live to suffer it. Better to let the -vacuum of space draw his life from him quickly and painlessly. - -Slowly, he reached up to unscrew his helmet. He gave it a slight tug, -then twisted with all his might. The helmet did not budge. For a moment -he could not think clearly. Then it came to him. The air pressure -within the suit was so great, in relation to the vacuum of space, that -it bound the threads together with a friction that he could never hope -to overcome! - -With fear-filled eyes, he watched the hot disk of the sun expand around -him as he fell toward it. - -The system would soon be rid of Marcius Kemble. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ESCAPE FROM PLUTO *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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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 <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Escape From Pluto</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: William Oberfield</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: January 11, 2021 [eBook #64266]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ESCAPE FROM PLUTO ***</div> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>Escape From Pluto</h1> - -<h2>By WILLIAM OBERFIELD</h2> - -<p>Exiled to Pluto's harsh wastes, Marcius Kemble<br /> -listened eagerly to the evil voices planning his<br /> -triumphant return. But even the Plutonians<br /> -underestimated the flaming glory to which they sent him.</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Planet Stories Fall 1947.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Marcius Kemble stood upon the frozen surface of Pluto and swore aloud. -He knew there were none to hear him but, just the same, he shouted into -his plastic space helmet until his ears were ringing, cursing all the -planets and their diverse inhabitants in order, most of all Earth.</p> - -<p>You see, Marcius Kemble was an example. He was an example to any -others, in the year of twenty-two hundred A.D., who would strive to -rule the solar system. The planets were independent states and they -were to remain that way. For trying to change this, Kemble had been -exiled to unexplored Pluto.</p> - -<p>Marcius raised his mailed fist toward the mighty stars and ground out -curses against Earth and all those upon it, wishing that he could call -upon it the wrath of Heaven and Hell, for it had been the men of Earth -who had brought about his ultimate downfall.</p> - -<p>It had been the age-old story of a power-mad tyrant finding out the -secret grudges of his subjects and working on them to inspire a frenzy -of hate, to maneuver them into a war against unsuspecting neighboring -nations. He had gained control of the whole of Mars in this way and had -been reaching out for the moon-system of Saturn, when the full force of -the Planetary Combine had come against him, scattering his forces.</p> - -<p>The counter offensive had been led by Earth, and it had been an Earth -ship which, after his short-lived escape, had parachuted him to the -cold surface of Pluto. Is it any wonder that he should hate them?</p> - -<p>Marcius Kemble looked fearfully around at the bleak, frozen landscape -of Pluto, a cold Hell, hardly reached by the light of the sun. Then he -began to laugh.</p> - -<p>Marcius laughed into the little plastic world of his helmet and the -sound roared back into his own ears, and he laughed louder. Tears -streamed down over the contact lenses in his eyes and caused the white -mountains to gesticulate and beckon to him.</p> - -<p>He was beginning to see it all very clearly now. It wasn't his own -laughter in his helmet. The white mountains were laughing at him, the -stars and sun were laughing, and all the people of all the planets. It -was all concentrated into his ears by the curve of his helmet.</p> - -<p>They were spying on him to see what he would do, laughing because he -could do nothing, their voices filling his head, asking who he was, -what he was going to do now, mocking him. He would show them! Run to -the laughing white mountains, cast them into an ocean, crush them -beneath his feet! That would put them in their places! Do it now!</p> - -<p>Marcius pulled himself to his feet. He knew that he had been running -and had fallen, striking his helmet upon something hard, and that -he had been laughing, crying and cursing at the same time. The -reverberating blow had shocked him into silence. And he was remembering -the words of the doctor who had cared for him, back on Mars.</p> - -<p>The doctor had said, "You have a great mind, Sire, and a very strong -will, but there are some flaws, as in all men. If you should know -defeat, your only hope will be death. Living, your mind would refuse to -give up, beating itself into insanity against a blank wall."</p> - -<p>Now, Marcius knew what the doctor had meant. There were still the -voices in his mind repeating over and over, "Who are you?—Who are -you?" almost as if they were mocking the beating of his heart.</p> - -<p>There was something strange about the voices, Marcius thought. It was -as if there were some alien intelligence behind them. There were two -of them, and they seemed to require an answer from him. It was with no -great hope that he answered the voices by concentrating upon his name -and present predicament.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The thoughts of Marcius Kemble did not go unheard. Unknown to the -rest of the solar system, Pluto had its inhabitants. To Earth men, -these would be very strange beings, not alone in appearance but in -composition. Their heads were roughly triangular, widening upward from -a pointed chin and resting on thin, yet strong, necks above equally -strong and spindly man-like bodies. They were mainly composed of -elements which became solid only at very low temperatures.</p> - -<p>Thus it was that one of these beings sat before a radio-like device and -perspired in the extreme cold of the room. His long pointed ears were -depressed by the weight of a shiny metal cap and his too-large eyes -held a look of worried consternation. The reason for his consternation -was the thoughts of the ex-dictator of Mars.</p> - -<p>The wearer of the cap shot a series of rapid sounds at the other -occupant of the room.</p> - -<p>He said, in effect, "I have received thought emanations from the -direction of the great plain, rather garbled. The being is probably -a giant from some other world, for his thoughts are alien and he -evidently considers it within his power to crush the mountains which -house us!"</p> - -<p>The other made a negative gesture with a slender hand. "Don't you think -it is more likely that it is a trick of the enemy to frighten us, Gor? -They have tried such things before, you know."</p> - -<p>Gor was quiet while he peered into the eyepiece of an instrument; then -he replied, "We will soon know. Tower Three has made contact, giving us -the exact location, and the inquisitors have now gone to work on him."</p> - -<p>For a while, the two Plutonians busied themselves with their various -machines, then Gor spoke again. "You are radiating sorrow, Bakar. What -troubles you?"</p> - -<p>Bakar sighed. "I was thinking of the ancient pictures of Ahndee in the -days when its orbit was much nearer the sun, and we, the inhabitants -of Ahndee, were happy in our beautiful cities.</p> - -<p>"Now, the two remaining great nations hide, one from the other, beneath -the mountains, and neither can break the defenses of the other, but -still we try. What is the use of it?"</p> - -<p>"Careful, Bakar," Gor looked sternly at the other. "The Four may have -you in the thought beam. You know that The Four lead us along this path -because it is the only choice, the path shown in the future machine.</p> - -<p>"In the time you speak of," Gor went on, "the people were no better off -than we of today. Because they did not have the future machine, they -had failures. They wandered from the way and their failures turned them -back to the course provided by the natural law. Now we know for what we -are bound and, if we work toward that end, can know no failures."</p> - -<p>A strange light came into Bakar's eyes, but he said nothing.</p> - -<p>Shortly thereafter, a voice drifted into the room. It was a mild voice, -but it was also old and wise.</p> - -<p>The voice said, "This is Nel, one of The Four. The being on the plain -has been probed and analyzed and has been found to be a creature of the -carbon class from the inner worlds. He has sought to deceive us in the -manner in which he has deceived his own, but we have seen all.</p> - -<p>"The being is of a race called man and is named Mah Shuss Kem Bil. He -is clothed in a type of space armour which embodies an air purifier, -good for a period of time long enough to transport him to the fourth -planet at half the speed of light, and is protected against cold by -electric and tonic stimulants which do not produce heat, but only -suspend the sensation of cold. Therefore we may come in contact with -him without fear of burns.</p> - -<p>"Since the future machine indicates that he must be sent back into -space, and since there is no place for him in our world, he will be -disposed of at once. Tower Two will dispatch two ships. The man will be -instructed in the operation of one of the ships and sent on his way. -The pilots will return in the other ship. That is all."</p> - -<p>For a long moment, quiet filled the room.</p> - -<p>Gor was uneasy as he said, "Well, Bakar, have you not heard? It is your -duty to dispatch the ships. Why do you hesitate?"</p> - -<p>Bakar sprung to his feet, a small weapon clutched in his claw-like -hand. "No!" he hissed, "I will not obey the machine. I am going to -prove to you, and to all, that it can be wrong. You know of the soft -places in the plain, Gor. It is a wonder that the man did not land -in one of these, considering that there are more of these than solid -ground. But he will weary of waiting for the ships, which he has -been informed of, and begin to wander. He cannot go far before he is -swallowed up, sinking deeper and deeper. Then we shall see if the -future machine is always right!"</p> - -<p>Gor said nothing, but a slight smile came to his lips, a rather ironic -one.</p> - -<p>It was much later when Gor again spoke. He turned from his position -at the thought receiver and said, "News for you, Bakar. I have just -received thought that the man is on his way."</p> - -<p>Bakar visibly started, and Gor continued, "How many times have you -complied with an order from The Four and pressed the button that -informs second in command that you had done so? Force of habit caused -you to perform it this time, Bakar. The order went on, through second -in command."</p> - -<p>He added softly, "The future machine never lies!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Marcius Kemble stood upon the frozen plain and waited. A satanic smile -lighted his face and the cry for revenge was in his heart. He somehow -felt that the thoughts had not lied, that they would send the promised -ship. Then he would be free again, blasting back to quench his thirst -for revenge against the Combine. His face became flushed and the -temperature within his suit became perceptibly greater, as he formed -his fanatical plans. While he waited, the leaders of the Combine, in -his mind, suffered and died a thousand times.</p> - -<p>The coming of the ships was swift. One moment there was nothing; the -next, they rested upon the plain before him. Marcius was surprised to -note that they were very small, as compared to others he had seen. So -much the better, he thought, to elude the space patrol.</p> - -<p>He also marveled at the fact that the creatures coming toward him from -the ships were lightly clothed, and that they could speak to him -through his mind.</p> - -<p>"Do not fear us," came the thought. "You must come with us into one of -the craft, to learn of the controls."</p> - -<p>Inside the ship, Marcius found that "learning of the controls" was much -simpler than he had thought it would be.</p> - -<p>He sat in the pilot's seat, hands on the controls and eyes closed. A -thousand times more effective than words, thoughts came to him, and he -flew the Plutonian ship through every condition and position that could -ever be encountered, even though he never left the place at which the -ship had come to rest on the plain. Mental instruction.</p> - -<p>It all ended with Marcius Kemble, condemned dictator of Mars, soaring -away from Pluto forever, still enclosed in his space suit because the -air within the ship was never meant for the lungs of men, and heading -toward earth, toward the fulfillment of his evil plans.</p> - -<p>As the atmosphere of Pluto fell away behind him, Marcius wondered that -he felt no acceleration. Then he remembered a faint something which -he had detected in the thoughts of his instructor, something about -increased momentum being induced into each individual atom, so that -each retained its normal position to that of every other.</p> - -<p>But Marcius was not the kind to spend much time on thinking of such -complicated matters. Instead, he lapsed into an ecstasy of evil dreams, -dreams in which he was again the mighty monarch, this time of Earth.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>As the little ship drove on through space, Marcius pictured himself -walking in on the members of the Council—he would have gained his -rightful place as ruler by then, of course—and chuckled at the -expressions he imagined on their faces, mouths hanging open, eyes many -times too large, and their heads hanging nearly to their belts.</p> - -<p>Someone was kneeling before him. It was the Martian member and his eyes -were tightly closed against the stinging tears while his thin hands -were clasped before him, praying to Marcius to have mercy.</p> - -<p>Marcius was about to order them strung end to end and dangled, for the -rest of their lives from an over-hanging cliff, when he became aware -of his present surroundings with a start. Time to start decelerating.</p> - -<p>Sighing, he reached for the proper lever and pulled it back.</p> - -<p>For a moment, nothing happened. Then the ship seemed to shake itself -and Marcius was half lifted from his seat. It couldn't be! The -decelerating force should act equally on his body and the ship. How, -then, could he be thrown forward?</p> - -<p>Something bumped lightly against his helmet and drifted on by. Only -for a moment did he stare blankly at the little silvery sphere, then -the nose of the ship came away with a weird plopping hiss, and he was -jerked through the opening by the force of the escaping air.</p> - -<p>In confusion, he tried to swing his body around so that he could see -what had happened. He twisted his shoulders around, but his hips turned -equally in an opposite direction. To halt one meant to halt the other. -He tried kicking his legs back hard, but only succeeded in arching -his body and wrenching his back. Desperately, he began kicking and -squirming like a mad dancer. Each motion depended upon an equal and -opposite motion of his body.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> - <div class="caption"> - <p><i>He began kicking and squirming like a mad dancer.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>In the midst of his struggles, his heel struck on something and started -him spinning, head over heels. It was the ship. The combined gravities -of the ship and his own body had brought them together again, and he -was revolving about the heavier object in a close orbit, and he was -turning end for end, now.</p> - -<p>Marcius could not feel the motion. It seemed as if the universe were -turning about his stationary body, rising at his head and setting at -his feet.</p> - -<p>He saw the ship then, but it was no longer a ship. It dawned on him why -the Plutonians had never ventured much nearer the sun, and why, after -they had known all about him, they had let him go.</p> - -<p>Receding from him, was a perfect sphere of liquid mercury, once the -hard hull of a space ship, covered with a thin layer of water that had -once been windows, with small pieces of solid material floating on the -surface. It was only a natural law that it should revert to this form -when deprived of the sub-temperatures of Pluto.</p> - -<p>Yes, Marcius Kemble saw it all now, but too late. He remembered a -demonstration he had seen when a child. A man had poured mercury into -a mold and cooled it to near absolute zero. When withdrawn from the -mold, it had been a little bell that gave a clear tone.</p> - -<p>Why hadn't he thought of it before? The cold bodies of the Plutonians -enabled them to handle such metals as he would handle steel! They made -their ships and machines of such things as mercury and ice, and perhaps -a few materials unknown to man, but all of a low melting point. Why -should they do otherwise, when the extreme cold of Pluto made those -things as hard as steel? It was even doubtful if they could produce -enough heat to melt steel or even glass, or if they could produce a -substance able to retain such fires.</p> - -<p>A hot rage began to boil within him. The Plutonians had known it all -along! With their science they could have kept him alive until they had -learned how to build a ship that would not melt from the heat of the -sun.</p> - -<p>Now, Marcius Kemble's unretarded speed carried him through the orbit of -the earth while it was still many thousands of miles distant. He began -to feel the boiling heat of the sun and realized what it would be like -when the insulation of his space suit gave way to that awful heat, but -he decided that he would never live to suffer it. Better to let the -vacuum of space draw his life from him quickly and painlessly.</p> - -<p>Slowly, he reached up to unscrew his helmet. He gave it a slight tug, -then twisted with all his might. The helmet did not budge. For a moment -he could not think clearly. Then it came to him. The air pressure -within the suit was so great, in relation to the vacuum of space, that -it bound the threads together with a friction that he could never hope -to overcome!</p> - -<p>With fear-filled eyes, he watched the hot disk of the sun expand around -him as he fell toward it.</p> - -<p>The system would soon be rid of Marcius Kemble.</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ESCAPE FROM PLUTO ***</div> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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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