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diff --git a/77610-0.txt b/77610-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..85a623c --- /dev/null +++ b/77610-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,218 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 77610 *** +[Illustration: Henshaw approached the window, his incredulity +vanishing.] + + THE COLOR OF SPACE + By Charles R. Tanner + Illustrated by Frank R. Paul + + + FIRST PRIZE $150.00 Awarded to + THE COLOR OF SPACE + + In awarding Mr. Tanner the first prize of $150.00 in our very + interesting cover contest, we were impressed, in the first + place, with the excellent way in which he developed his story. + It is a pity that too few science fiction authors consider the + story or fiction element of their work to be important enough to + demand a great deal of careful thought and preparation. + + We want emphatically to encourage these writers, who have the + knack of developing an interesting story, one that carries you + breathlessly through its incidents and comes to a natural + climax. + + Mr. Tanner further was not content to take the cover at its face + value, but he tried to analyze its meaning and penetrate its + possible significance. This he does in a very convincing manner + and we think our readers will agree that the startling + conclusion to his story was foreshadowed by what went on before. + + Mr. Tanner is, we believe, a newcomer to science fiction; yet by + the exercise of his splendid powers of observation and facility + for developing incidents, he can become a writer of no mean + excellence. + + + THE COLOR OF SPACE + +Dr. Henshaw faced his captor wrathfully. + +“Have _you_ kept me here, doped for a week?” he began. The Russian +interrupted him with a quieting gesture. + +“Wait, Doctor,” he said, “there is much that must be explained before +you indict me. Have you no curiosity regarding your kidnapping or this +room in which you find yourself?” His eloquent gesture took in the +strange metal walls, the two doors and the immense, shuttered, circular +window that covered almost all of one wall. + +“I think I understand clearly why I was kidnapped,” growled Henshaw. +“It’s that secret process of mine. Russia and France have both been +making frantic efforts to persuade me to sell. But I won’t.” + +“Really, Doctor. After my explanation I do think you will agree to sell +it to Russia. Much has happened in the week that you have been +unconscious.” And seating himself in the room’s only chair, Godonoff +went on: + +“The day after I--er--kidnapped you, a series of events were started, +resulting in a war in which Russia faces the rest of Europe. Troops have +massed on the Polish border, and the Powers expected to invade Russia +immediately. Then suddenly news came from Paris that the Eiffel Tower +had disappeared! Was this the work of Russia? Hard upon this news came +the reports of the disappearance of the Nelson monument from Trafalgar +Square, in London, and of the Woolworth Building torn from its +foundations in New York. That turned the tide. Panic attacked the +Powers. I’m afraid the morale of your Western nations is crumbling now, +Dr. Henshaw.” + +“What’s the explanation?” asked Henshaw, dazedly. + +“Just this, Doctor,” the Russian answered: “Our scientists have +succeeded in overcoming gravitation! Eight years ago, two of our +scientists, while attempting to disprove the Langmuir theory of the +construction of the atom, managed, by the use of terrific pressure, to +combine helium and fluorine. As you know, helium has never before been +combined with any element. The result was a dark green solid that was +absolutely weightless. _And further investigation showed that an +electric current passed through it caused an absolute negation of +gravity._ + +“Armed with this great weapon, our government began the construction of +three great ships, designed to fly through the atmosphere or, if +necessary, beyond it. The first was one hundred meters in diameter, and +was such a success that the others were made four times as large! It is +these vast machines that have stolen those great buildings! What do you +think will be the effect, Doctor, when Russia tells the Powers tomorrow +to search for their lost buildings on Venus? Do you think they will feel +like going to war with a nation that can accomplish such miracles?” + +“Do you expect me to believe you?” asked Henshaw cynically. + +Godonoff rose and moved over to the huge circular window. He began to +turn a wheel that opened the window’s metal shutters. + +“Due to certain work which I had accomplished in America,” he said, “the +government honored me by placing me in command of the smallest of the +machines. In order to secure your secret, Doctor, I took the liberty of +bringing you along when the machines left for Venus. You are now 170,000 +miles from the earth, and traveling fast. I offer you your return in +exchange for the secret.” + +Still smiling, Godonoff released the wheel and turned to Henshaw. + +“And, Doctor, if you care for proof....” and he gestured toward the now +uncovered window. + +Henshaw approached the window, his incredulity seemingly vanishing as he +gazed at the stupendous scene without. Stars--millions of stars--covered +the entire view. Above, below, everywhere, stars swung in a mighty sweep +around him from left to right as though the entire heaven were spinning +like a stupendous top. + +And as he gazed, earth and moon swept into view. The latter was almost +hidden behind one of two disc-like machines that hung between the earth +and Henshaw’s viewpoint. The doctor caught a glimpse of a great brassy +reflecting surface, a central apparatus resembling a solar engine, and +tremendous tentacles that held a huge building in their grasp. Then +machines, earth and moon had swept past the window and only the stars +appeared. + +When he turned, he found the Russian beside him, looking over his +shoulder. + +“Are we--rotating?” Henshaw asked, his disbelief turned to awe. + +“Yes,” Godonoff nodded, “the centrifugal force of our rotation is what +gives the effect of gravity in the car.” + +As Godonoff spoke, earth, moon and the great machines again swept into +view and this time, Henshaw was able to secure a better view of them. He +saw that the building in the grasp of the foremost machine was really +the Woolworth, and that the farther one held the Eiffel Tower in its +arms. + +The machines swept out of view, but in a few minutes appeared again. +Godonoff began proudly to explain them. + +“That brass surface reflects the greater part of the sun’s rays. +Although space is intensely cold, when the rays strike directly on +anything, they heat it up to a remarkable degree. As you see, we reflect +most of the heat from the machine’s surface; what we need is absorbed by +the solar engine in the center. Note the curved mirrors which reflect +the heat to the central cylindrical steam boiler. The steam generated +runs the turbines that generate electricity to heat and operate the +whole machine. + +“See that green globe in the middle of the machine?” he continued as the +machines swung past again, “that’s the helium fluoride. An electric +current is passed through it, when we first leave the earth, but, after +a good speed is secured, our inertia carries us on.” + +“What are those two searchlight beams?” asked Henshaw. + +“They are not light beams, Doctor. They are hollow cones of gas, lit up +by the sun. The helium fluoride is not a stable substance; it slowly +decomposes into its elements. The resulting gases are forced through +pipes and through the boiler of the solar engine, where the heat expands +them and drives them at high pressure through the nozzles you see. The +recoil of the resulting jets is used for steering the disc.” + +Henshaw turned back into the room, his eyes dazed by the view of the +rapidly revolving heavens. + +“That door,” he said, pointing, “it leads to outer space?” The Russian +eyed him narrowly and then nodded. + +“I suppose you’ve bolted it,” Henshaw went on smilingly, “so that I +can’t leap out into space and take my secret with me?” + +“Oh, no,” Godonoff answered. “It was locked when we left the earth, and +I’ve just left it that way. I’ll unlock it, but don’t think it can be +opened. With fifteen pounds of air pressure on this side and a vacuum on +the other, wild horses couldn’t open it.” + +As he spoke, he unbolted the door and stepped back, smiling. Like a +flash, Henshaw flung himself at the door, and jerking it open, fled +through. Darting down the long hall in which he found himself, he tore +open another door, and before Godonoff could gather his startled wits, +he hurled it open and was out! ... Finding himself in a well-lighted, +well-populated street, Dr. Henshaw walked calmly away. + +The next day, an admiring group of reporters listened in amazement to +Henshaw’s story of the kidnapping. + +“Godonoff’s story, the metal room, and all the rest were just staged to +put me in the proper mind to divulge my secret,” he said as he finished. +“The scene that I witnessed through the window was probably a cleverly +designed motion picture. You know how uncannily natural these +orthochromatic stereopictures are.” + +“But, Doctor,” interrupted one of the men: “It took nerve to open that +door. How did you know that you wouldn’t find yourself in interplanetary +space?” + +Henshaw’s eyes twinkled. + +“I was quite positive before I opened the door that I wasn’t in +interplanetary space. In the first place, as the Russian said, if we +were in free space, I couldn’t open it. Then, when the Russian designed +his little show, he made two rather inexcusable mistakes. In the first +place, the disc nearest me, when lighted by the sun, would have made a +reflection of such an intense brilliance that I would have been unable, +even, to look at it. Then again, he pictured the sky as it appears to us +on earth--deep blue, and sprinkled with stars. As we know, the bluish +tinge of our midnight sky is caused only by the diffusion of the faint +starlight by our atmosphere. In space, the sky would appear a black of +the deepest jet. Furthermore, there would be seen ten times as many +stars as were perceptible from the space ship. Therefore, with these +fundamental mistakes in the little drama, I was quite sure I would find +a city street beyond that door.” + + +Transcriber's note: This story appeared in the March 1930 issue of +_Science Wonder Stories_ magazine. + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 77610 *** |