The Feminine Future: Early Science Fiction by Women Writers (Dover Thrift Editions)

by Mike Ashley

  “You mean you will save my father?” I cried joyfully and to everyone’s astonishment I threw my arms around Mavia.

  “Just a second,” she cried. “I do not promise positively that we will be able to save him, but we will endeavor, for your sake, to do so.”

  “Thank you all,” I said quietly. “I feel as if Father were saved already.”

  “Well, now that that is settled, we will have to get busy and prepare for our midnight attack. You, Calissia, I appoint as guide and instructor to our visitor. Show her over the city. You are both to return here to my apartment and I will assign you your place in tonight’s raid.”

  One of the women rose and saluted and together we left the apartment.

  CHAPTER V

  Exploring

  Calissia I found to be a very pleasant companion and with her I explored the city, descending from floor to floor, or as I should call it, tier to tier.

  The first three tiers I had already seen and as the next six were the same as the third, that is, women’s apartments, we dropped down an express shaft from the third tier to the eleventh. There the scientists worked. The whole floor was a huge laboratory and I met many women who had heard of my presence and were anxious to meet me. Many of them tried to explain to me the wonders of the various experiments they were conducting, but I am afraid that most was beyond me. But how Dad would have enjoyed it!

  On the twelfth floor were the quarters for reproducing men. I will admit I was anxious to see them. We went straight to the recreation section where we found hundreds of men walking around or reclining in comfortable chairs reading. They were not as tall as the women and were dressed almost similarly. I expected to see effeminate creatures simpering about, but instead, I found a group of men, who except for their peculiar shoulder-length hair might have been men of my own world.

  On the next floor, however, my expectations were more than justified. Curled and perfumed and elaborately dressed, these unfortunate creatures gazed coyly at us and I urged Calissia to take me away at once. We went on to the fourteenth tier and saw the community shops, where one could get anything from a new tunic to an airplane.

  The fifteenth tier held the city nurseries where, cared for by the giant insects, were children of both sexes. Poor little mites! They simply walked gravely around or played sedately with educational toys. There did not seem to be that spontaneous joy of living, characteristic of the children of our own world. The older children were grouped into classrooms where they were being educated for the particular career in life for which they were desired.

  The sixteenth tier contained the hospital where feminine doctors and assistants bustled efficiently about. One particular case the doctors insisted on showing me. I protested that I did not know anything about surgery or medicine, but Calissia said: “Do come and see it. It is a perfectly wonderful piece of work and our doctors will be offended, as they are justly proud of themselves for having accomplished it.”

  Reluctantly I accompanied them to a private room where we found a woman seated at a table busily writing. As we entered she arose and came towards us, evidently pleased at our visit. I was introduced and the doctor in charge said, “We will now show you the triumph of science over the crudities of nature.”

  The patient took off her tunic and I saw that in her left side was a transparent square that looked like glass but was soft, like flesh, to the touch. Through this I could see her heart beating. Tiny wires connected to the heart came up under the breast and were connected to a small, flat, box-like object fastened under her left arm.

  “Very clever, but what is it all about?” I asked. I suppose they thought I was awfully dumb but very courteously they explained:

  “In the last raid upon the Thirds, the patient was wounded through the heart. When she was brought to us she was dead. Dead but still warm. As she was in perfect physical condition except for the wounded heart we decided to try out an experiment we had been working on. Her flesh and blood heart was removed and this artificial rubber heart inserted. It worked. Pumping blood through the system it brought back life and now she is just as well off as before the accident.”

  “Is it possible?” I exclaimed. “What keeps it going?”

  The doctor pointed to the flat object under her arm and explained that this tiny box contained stored up electrical energy which operated the rubber heart. The electrical apparatus had to be renewed about every thirty days.

  I thanked them for the interesting exhibition and we went on down through the next fourteen floors where factories and centers of manufacture were located.

  Tier thirty-one I explored extensively. Food in huge quantities was being prepared and I thought of what a boon such a system would be to many tired housewives. Huge automatic refrigerating systems helped keep the food pure.

  We next visited the agriculture tiers. From tier thirty-two to tier fifty inclusive, were acre upon acre of growing crops. Overhead were immense lights that supplied the sunlight needed by all growing things while cleverly arranged sprinklers watered the crops. All about were the giant insects industrially farming.

  Tier fifty-one, Calissia informed me, was set aside for the exclusive use of the huge ants, where they had their living, breeding and training quarters. When I declined to visit them, Calissia suggested that we return to Mavia’s apartment.

  “Are there no more tiers? Have we reached ground level?” I asked.

  “Oh, no,” Calissia replied, “we haven’t reached ground level. There are many more tiers, some even below ground, but they are used mostly as granaries, store houses and burial vaults for the ashes of our dead. And below them are the old, unused prisons.”

  “What do you do with your prisoners if you do not use the prisons?”

  “We do not have any prisoners. If anyone shows criminal tendencies, he is scientifically treated to eradicate such impulses. If the treatments are successful, he is restored to society but, if they are not, then he is painlessly put out of the way.”

  The Trial

  On the way to the upgoing shaft, Calissia showed me ultra-violet artificial sunlight containers that diffused an even health-giving light over the whole city. Nearby were the machines for manufacturing the artificial air which they breathed.

  We had by then reached an express shaft going straight up to the third tier. Curious, I asked as we were drawn swiftly upward by an unseen force, how this shaft was operated. Calissia explained that when we stepped into the bottom of the upward going shaft, we kept our proper weight but huge magnetic beams from above drew us irresistibly upward. But for all the reassurance of her explanations I drew a great breath of relief as we stepped out of the shaft onto the solid ground of the third tier.

  When we reported to Mavia, she requested Calissia to preside over the trial of an insubordinate reproducing male. When it was suggested that perhaps I would find it interesting to attend, I agreed willingly, and accompanied Calissia back to the twelfth tier.

  We found a group of five women, seated comfortably, while before them stood the defendant, his head thrown back and a light of rebellion flashing from his handsome dark eyes.

  Calissia took her place and motioned me to a seat beside her. She then requested them all, the man included, to put on the thought-wave caps so that I could follow the trial.

  While one of the women procured and distributed the caps, I studied the defendant.

  Slightly built but straight as a sapling, he stood before us. He was very good-looking. I suppose, being a woman, it was natural that I should notice his good looks first of all.

  Back home I had had no time for the usual run of men, though I was by no means a man hater. Some day, if I ever met the right man, I knew I would marry. But somehow or other the men with whom I came into contact either left me cold or, if they did appeal to me, they usually aroused my antagonism by their airs of superiority. We women knew we were the equal of the men, but it was taking a long time and much hard work to convince men of our equality. I intended to mar
ry no man who did not look upon me as his equal, mentally and physically.

  But back to the trial. Calissia was speaking.

  “What is the charge against the defendant?”

  One of the women arose and said: “He is charged with talking sedition to the other men and of trying to arouse them to a revolt against the present system of government. We have a witness.”

  Calissia called for the witness and another man was ushered in. His air of cringing subservience disgusted me and I noticed that even the other women looked at him with good-natured contempt.

  “Your name and position?” asked Calissia.

  “I am Soonta, Section Head, Number Six,” the new-comer answered with a sly glance of malice at the defendant. “That man has been a source of trouble ever since he was sent up to us from the training rooms. He always talks of the terrible way we men are treated—those are his words,” he hastily explained. The women nodded indulgently and Soonta continued:

  “Finally he got so bad that he declared he would die rather than submit to such a life. He refused to meet the women when they came to visit us and sulked in his room. I tried all the known ways of making him conform to custom but it was useless. Nothing was left but to report him as insubordinate.”

  “Very well, Soonta, I will make a note of your zeal. You may go now. Defendant, what is your name and what have you to say in your defense?”

  The defendant spoke and a thrill of sympathy went through me as I listened to his proud reply.

  “My name is Joburza and the charges against me are perfectly true. I abhor the present system of government and I hate you women. You are tyrants of the worst sort. I refused to submit to this reproduction. When you condemn me, I will gladly go to the Lethal Chamber. In fact, I prefer annihilation.”

  “No doubt you do,” Calissia sneered. “But I think that with a few treatments in the electro-coma room to reduce your present mentality, and a passage through the bonite-ray sterilizer you will be ready to take your place with the thirteenth tier men.”

  Joburza visibly wilted. Fear and loathing lent a desperate note to his voice: “I beg you. Grant me the boon of death. Anything, anything, rather than the thirteenth tier!”

  The women laughed cruelly and one of them said:

  “Once you pass through the mentality-reducing room you won’t care very much. We will see that special attention is given to eradicating your pride.”

  “Won’t you have any pity?” Joburza pleaded, gazing at us all as if we were monsters.

  A Joke on Someone

  I could not stand the cruelty any longer, so presuming on my status as a welcome visitor, I asked permission to speak.

  “I have a request to make. I am a woman like yourselves. If it is not offending your customs, I would like you to let me have the prisoner, to do with as I wish.”

  An astonished silence greeted my request and Joburza gazed at me suspiciously, wondering, I suppose, what particular form of cruel punishment I desired for him.

  “Would you mind telling us what you wish to do?” Calissia asked.

  “I want to take him back to my dimension with me.”

  “Why?” The question was asked simultaneously by all the women.

  “For—for—” I thought desperately—“For scientific experiments!”

  “Well, it is a peculiar request,” Calissia stated. “But then, having you here is a peculiar situation. What do you say, comrades-in-rule? Personally, I am in favor of it. At least it is a novel form of punishment.”

  The other five women agreed, and carefully hiding my elation, I asked to speak to the prisoner alone.

  When the others had gone I asked him if he were glad that he was saved from his punishment.

  “I do not know,” he replied stiffly. “Perhaps the experiments you have in store for me will be more degrading.”

  “Poor Joburza!” I said. “Cheer up! I have no wish to experiment with you. I only said that because I wanted to have you turned over to me. I want to help you.”

  “Help me?” he questioned. “You—you—mean—?”

  “I mean, Joburza, that I will take you through to my world, where everyone, men and women alike, have a chance to live and work. You will be free, absolutely free, to live your life as you see fit. Do you understand now?”

  “Is it possible?” he murmured, gazing earnestly at me. “I can—I—Oh! It seems too good to be true. How can I thank you?”

  “You needn’t even try. Just show me by your conduct when we reach my world that I have not made a mistake.”

  “I will! I will!” he promised, tears of gladness coming into his eyes.

  Just then Calissia came in and said Mavia wished to see me in her office. “I think she has some good news for you.”

  Requesting her to see that my prisoner was taken care of, I fairly raced up to Mavia. “Ho!” she jested, “I hear you have a prisoner. I think turning him over to the third dimensioners is a very good joke,” she laughed heartily.

  “Yes, indeed!” I replied brightly, but I failed to explain whom the joke was on.

  “Come over here, please, I have something I want to show you.” On one side of her office was an affair that I had taken to be a radio. Mavia twirled a few dials and the wall above it lit up. I looked and saw waving scarlet trees with the setting sun, now a great lavender ball, sinking slowly behind them. “Oh!” I exclaimed, “It is a window!”

  Mavia smiled. “No indeed; even if it were a window we would not see out of doors as my office is centrally located.”

  “Then it is television. We have that, too, but our screen only records black and white. How beautiful. This seems just like looking out of doors.”

  “Wait just a second.” Mavia set the lower dial and plugged in a short wire. I suddenly had the sensation of traveling at a terrible speed. The scenery flashed by. Huge mountain after mountain was passed in a second.

  “Those are our other cities. The bi-focal wave is picking them up, and recording them on the screen as it passes on its way to its focus. Watch closely, I think you will be interested.”

  The last mountain passed. We came to the end of the scarlet vegetation. Great barren wastes flashed by. In the distance, but rapidly looming large as we seemingly came closer, was a dense purple mist. For a few seconds the screen was clouded. Then it cleared and we were over what looked like a great bee farm.

  Down we dropped. Hive after hive passed us. I call them hives as that is exactly what they looked like, but in reality they were houses. We swerved and a hive larger by far than the others completely filled the screen.

  CHAPTER VI

  Dad Again!

  Suddenly the screen changed. We seemed to have penetrated the wall and were traversing an immense corridor. A great metal door barred our path. Through that we went and seemed to stop on the inner side of it, for a complete room was before us.

  In the grotesque-looking creatures in the room I recognized, from Mavia’s previous description, the beings of the Third Evolution. And in the center of the room, talking earnestly was—

  “Dad!” I cried, jumping up, completely forgetting that what I saw was only a photographic reproduction of a scene, actually taking place thousands of miles away.

  “Is that ‘Father’?” Mavia inquired. “I thought so! We located him about an hour ago and fifty of our best women scouts have gone to rescue him. We would have seen them through the screen, only they are traveling at a higher altitude than our line of vision. Do not worry about ‘Father’ now. He will be here with you shortly. Do you wish to watch the battle?—No, I believe it would be too harrowing to you,” and she switched off the screen.

  “You see,” she continued, “by sending these scouts to get ‘Father’ the Thirds will not be looking for another attack tonight and consequently they will be off their guard.”

  I could see that she was talking to give me time to compose myself and I did my best to appear calm but that one glimpse of Dad among those horrible inhuman looking creatu
res had almost unnerved me. I asked Mavia to tune in again and see what was happening, but she was firm in her refusal. Instead she began to question me about the Hewitt Ray. I told her all I understood about it and she suggested that while we were waiting we should try to locate the cave in which I had left the second model, so that she could send some one for it.

  While she was directing the unseen eye over the countryside I said, “I suppose you are anxious to get rid of us. My father and I are causing you a lot of trouble.”

  “Not at all,” she answered. “We enjoyed having you here. But only as visitors. When your visit is completed you must go back. We are much too busy living our own lives and working out our destinies. We do not care to take on the responsibility of trying to fit in our lives with those of an odd dimension nor to take the time and trouble to fit the odd dimensioners into our life.”

  “Will you explain something that has been puzzling me, Mavia?” I asked. “I always understood that if a being of one dimension passed through into another dimension, he would find everything appearing to him at odd angles or in cross sections. How is it that everything seems the same to me? I mean that you seem to have the same number of dimensions as I?”

  “I know what you mean,” Mavia answered. “But here is something that the theorists have not taken into consideration. When the object or person passes from one dimension into another, it, or they, immediately takes on the dimensional proportions of the new plane of existence. For example, you, a three-dimensional being, in passing into the fourth dimension, took on an extra dimension, which you will lose as you pass back into your own plane. That is why we look normal to you and you look normal to me.

  “Whereas, if this Hewitt Ray of yours permitted you to remain in the third dimension and gaze through into the fourth, then you would have seen us in what would appear to you as a cross section or, as you say, in peculiar angles.”