“One,” said Owens.
“Into the temple,” ordered Dale.
“We’ve got to see if there are any more.”
Inside, a group of priests came rushing at the entering men. Isaacs swept his paralyzer across them. Silently, the entire group slid to the pavement. Their weapons clattered on the stones, causing echoes to ring about the huge room.
“No score,” grunted the security sergeant. “They must be holed up.”
As Isaacs started forward once more, his. shield glowed fiercely. Almost instantly, he flashed into motion, sweeping up and to the right. Tire glow faded as instantaneously as it had come.
“Knew that null would pay off,” he exulted.
Beams from the rest of the team quickly snapped about the temple, picking out a number of shield flares at the back of the altar. There was a dark mass of equipment, lighted only by the flares of the shields of the varied beings grouped about it. One many-armed creature was training the projector.
“Keep moving!” ordered Dale. “That thing’s too hot for our shields. Shift to dis, and concentrate your fire to blind the pointer.”
A rumble of falling masonry spoke of Isaacs’ passage through the temples His blaster at full disintegration power, lie was searching for the power unit. The rest of the team dispersed, dashing from side to side in the great temple, their fire concentrated on the degrader shield. Falling columns and portions of the decoration within the huge inclosure spoke of the blinded pointer’s efforts to locate them with his blaster beam.
The rumble of Isaacs’ passage died down. Suddenly, the shield flare about the heavy blaster died, to be replaced by a blinding flare of released energy. The degrader group scattered, blown about like thistledown. As the concussion wave expanded, the walls of the temple seemed to expand, then, slowly, the whole structure started to collapse.
Isaacs’ voice blasted over the communicators. “Out!” he shouted. “She’s going to blow.”
The team was already on its way. At the shout, the members speeded up their drives, scooping up the paralyzed form of Senemanos as they went. At a command from Dale, Lanko broke off his harangue and joined the group in its flight to high altitude. A terrific concussion wave bounced them about, as an immense column of flame shot up toward the heavens. It rose to tremendous heights, then mushroomed out. A rain of flaming debris showered the stricken city. Terrified crowds struggled in the streets, their only thought being flight. Fires were blossoming out on all sides, blocking avenues of escape, and threatening the panic-stricken mob with total destruction. Even at the altitude the guardsmen had sought, the shouts and screams were plain to be heard.
“Three to Group,” Dale called. “Can you give us condensation?”
“This is Group,” came a quick answer. “Return to ship. We are condensing moisture up to atmospheric limit. What happened?”
“Old-fashioned power pile,” Isaacs broke in. “When I tampered with its shield, it started running wild. The backlash, when the projector blew, set it off good. No time to quench or readjust, so I got out of there.”
“Roger.” Group responded. “Here’s your storm.”
The rain started with a furious rush. A cold wind driving, it came in sheets, driving at the flames of the city, and smothering them with solid masses of water. Quickly, the flames blacked out, and the smoking ruins of the city bowed to the fury of the flash storm. The rain ceased—to be followed by a dry wind, which blew the smoke of the ruins aside. Slowly, order began to replace panic, as the city populace waded through the flooded streets, each seeking its own.
Team Three, still towing the unconscious form of the degrader, Senemanos, swept into the entry lock of the cruiser. As he entered the ship, Dale stopped, snapping a salute aft in the traditional gesture, then saluted the Duty Officer.
“Request permission to come aboard, sir.”
“Permission granted, Mr. Dale.” The D.O. returned the salute. “Report to Major Jamieson in Control.”
Slowly shaking his head, Dale walked to the control blister. This mission had been wound up the hard way. One whole city practically scratched. People killed and injured by the hundreds. A disturbance that would remain in the history of the planet for thousands of years. Definitely sloppy, he told himself.
He walked into control, reported, then stood at attention.
At his desk, Major Jamieson fingered some reports for a moment.
Oh, oh, thought Dale. Close the door softly as you leave—Private Dale.
The group commander came forward, hand-outstretched. “At ease, Mr. Dale, and congratulations. You got the big prize.”
“Con . . . gratulations, sir?” Dale almost stuttered.
“Definitely. You just brought in one of the big ones. We have a flash from Center, giving us a psycho report on some of those babies we captured. This Senemanos of yours was running one of the largest gangs on record, right from that temple you just wrecked. The place was so well protected that he could have slugged it out with a squadron if you hadn’t sneaked inside his main screen and caught him off balance. Center thinks that breaking this gang will just about clean up our sector.”
“But wrecking that temple was an error, sir. If I had done a more thorough job of scouting—”
“You’d have been chewed up and spit out,” interrupted Jamieson. “You just keep on making errors like that one.” He hesitated. “Oh, yes,” he added, “you’ll have to remain here on detached for a while, captain.”
“Yes, sir. I father expected . . . CAPTAIN!” Dale almost shouted the last word.
“Captain.” repeated the group commander firmly. “Here are your orders. You can study them over, and report back in the morning. Dismissed.”
An interruption to the rule of the sea kings of Konassa took place during the tenth Century, when the mysterious and short-lived Atakaran Empire was suddenly founded. Located near the northern boundary of the plains of Galankar, the city of Atakar was the capitol of a thriving but minor agricultural nation, under the overlordship of the Konassan king. A dispute over tribute led to a short war, which ended unexpectedly with the death of Manato II, of Konassa and the plunder and burning of his city. Following the sack of Konassa, Atakar systematically brought the entire Galanian Empire under its sway, crushing all opposition with apparent ease. No explanation of the sudden and apparently overwhelming military power of this hitherto unwarlike nation has ever been found.
This strange and unexplained hiatus in the history of the Konassan sea kings was brought to an abrupt end with the cataclysmic destruction of the city of Atakar. No satisfactory explanation of the catastrophe has ever been proposed, but the Atakaran Empire ceased to be as suddenly and mysteriously as it had begun.
Freed of its serfdom to Atakar, Konassa came once again into its own. Its favorable location on the Gulf of Manapor, as well as its easy access to the fertile plains, led naturally—
Pages 491-492,
Katakon’s Sketches of Antiquity
THE END
Exploratory Cruiser Calimunda, No. 4735
107-463-578
From: Commanding Officer
To: Office of the Chief Explorer
Subject: Preliminary Report, Planet No. 5, Sun G3-4/572 GSC
1. The subject planet is one of fourteen in a system with a rather large G3 sun. Reports will be submitted at a later date on two other inhabited planets in this system.
2. Enclosures include Chemical, Geophysical, Biological and Ethnic reports in accordance with SGR 45-938.
A brief summary follows:
a. Chemical: Subject planet has an oxygen-nitrogen envelope, with traces of other gases. Water vapor varies in its partial pressure over a medium range, with local exceptions. Presence in varying quantity of all natural elements was noted in the planetary crust and in the seas. No trace was found of artificial elements, their resultants or products.
b. Geophysical: Two major land masses were noted. These form large polar caps, extending well toward the equator,
but are so broken up by seas as to form several subdivisions. Some islands exist in the equatorial seas, but none of these can be considered as important land masses. The planet has both rotation and revolution, with a slight axial perturbation. No satellite exists. The seas are tideless. The land temperatures range from approximately 230° to 395° absolute. Atmospheric pressure is 0.9 bars, mean, at sea level and gravitation is 960. Atmospheric turbulence is moderate. Precipitation is light over most of the planet. Some comparatively large areas ashore appear to have virtually none.
c. Biological: All life forms noted were on the carbon-hydrogen-oxygen cycle.
Vegetable life was found to be reasonably prolific, stationary in type, and relatively uncomplicated in structure, though taking numerous forms. Life cycles were variable, being virtually ephemeral in some cases and of medium duration in some of the larger vegetation observed.
Animal life proved to be varied, running from simple to complex in structure. Both warm and cold-blooded forms were observed in virtually all areas investigated, existing both at sea and shore. All, animal life cycles, including that of the dominant species, were of short or extremely short duration.
d. Ethnic: The dominant form of life is humanoid, type 6.4151. Skin pigmentation is variable. Some intermixing of pigmentation groups was noted, but in the main, each group has its own area.
Civilization groups were observed in four areas. Civilization level was quite primitive, being on the imperial threshold. Centers of civilization were in the planetary semitropical bands in both hemispheres, with territorial extensions well into the temperate areas.
In general, the civilizations observed are in the first stages of development. No mechanical means are used for power sources. Slave or animal labor is used in all phases of activity. Media of exchange are in existence, but no coordinated system of banking was discovered. Among the ruling classes, knowledge of mechanics or computational mathematics is unfashionable. Chief avocations appear to be literature, music, martial exercises and a sort of philosophy unsupported by research.
3. Recommendations:
It is believed that this planet is presently in a stasis, or approaching a stasis which may prevent further progress for several periods, and even cause lost ground unless assistance is given. Recommendation is therefore made that this planet be referred to the Philosophical Corps for further action.
Hel Guran
Comdr., ExpC
Commanding
3 Enclosures:
1. Chemical Survey, Form EC-107
2. Geophysical Survey, Form EC-232
3. Ethnic Survey,” Form EC-296
Informal Report
From: OIC, Team 6
To: Commanding Officer, 7342 Philosophical Group
Subject: Initial check, Planet 5, Sun G3-4/572 GSC
1. Team six has set up a base on an island at co-ordinates 220.4070-302.0050. Pursuant to orders, observers have been sent to the four civilizations noted. Transcripts of observer reports are enclosed herewith.
2. As can be seen from the observer reports, the civilization centered at 523.4060-220.0060 is the probable dominant. Of the rest, one is so completely in stasis as to require long attention; the other two are so thoroughly lacking in desirable factors and so tainted with inherent weakness as to be inconsiderable.
The dominant is presently subject to powerful stresses, both external and internal. Complete collapse is probable within a period or less, and it is believed that this collapse would be impractical to forestall, due to the large number of unassimilated savage and semisavage tribes in close proximity to the Imperial borders, as well as to the serious internal faults. In any event, desirability of complete preservation is open to question. Among the internal stresses will be noted a strong trend toward insensate cruelty, sufficient to destroy most cultures. A long history of corruption in government and trade is also noted. On the other hand, governmental and legal structure are excellent, cultural level is good, and the arts and sciences are satisfactorily advanced. These should not be lost.
3. It is recommended that operators be sent in with a view to isolation and retention of worthwhile institutions and knowledge during the period of extreme uncertainty which will follow the collapse of the Empire. Provision should be made for possible deposit of further knowledge useful to the planet’s future.
Jon Dall
Capt. PhC
OIC, Team 6
4 Enclosures
Observer Reports
7342 Philosophical Group
Office of the Commanding Officer
579.0352
From: Commanding Officer, 7342 Philosophical Group
To: OIC, Team 6
Subject: Operation No. 705
1. Informal report received and noted. The reports have been reviewed and forwarded. Recommendation is hereby approved and operation is designated as number seven hundred five.
2. Operation will be organized to conform with SGR 10-351 and Handbook PH-205. Control observers without recall will be sent in advance. These will act as foci in case modification of standard procedure is necessary, and may be used as operation assistants. Discretion is granted.
Coatl Myxlr
Col. PhC
Commanding
Gradually, the reddish tinge of the setting sun faded. A chill came into the air as the stars appeared and cast their feeble light over the village. A guard closed the gate, then returned to his game in the guardroom.
In town, a man walked by the houses, Unobtrusively, he opened a door and entered. Soon, another came to the same door. Another came, then others.
Inside, Master Operations Technician Marc D’lun glanced around at the group.
“Well, gentlemen,” he greeted them, “I see you have all arrived. Are your integrations complete?”
One of the men nodded.
“Yes, they are,” he announced. “I am now the tentmaker, Kono Meru. The records indicate that I am thirty years old. I was born in a nomad camp out in the hills, and am now an orphan.” He pointed at another man. “Xler, there, is an itinerant woodcutter, named Kloru Mino. He’s twenty-six. Both parents were pretty old. They died a couple of years ago. The rest of the section are nomads, herders, artisans, and so on. Records are all straight. We all have a number of acquaintances, but no close friends or relatives.”
“Very good, sergeant. The team’s been setting us up in the meantime. Our operations center is in a cliff out in the hills.” D’lun looked around the group of men. “Of course, you all know of Marko Dalu, the healer. Otherwise you wouldn’t have found me. Records did an excellent job for all of us, but that’s normal. Now, let’s get to business.
“In the first place, the observers have given us a lot on this civilization. Zlet, you’re Intelligence. Suppose you give us a run down.”
Zlet, now renamed Kara Fero, nodded.
“The Empire has been in existence now for about fourteen centuries. It started with a rather small province, Daltur, which had a definitely democratic government and a definitely independent population. All inhabitants voted for every leader in their government. There was no such thing as an appointive or a hereditary job. In every decision of policy, majority ruled. They were surrounded by petty kingdoms, tyrannies, and the usual conglomeration of city states. The small seaport of Baratea became their capital, and as time went on, their trade excited the envy and very often the anger of their neighbors. Periodically, the Dalturans found themselves embroiled in wars, and they developed a system of military service. Many of their citizens devoted themselves to the study of tactics and military science, and it wasn’t long before they started annexing other areas and cities. Pretty soon, they were too bulky for their old democracy. For a while, they fumbled around in their efforts to find a workable government, and it looked as though the Dalturan Empire was going to fall apart from sheer unwieldiness.” Fero paused, glancing about. Someone held out a cup of wine. Fero nodded his thanks, and took a sip.
“Some of their leaders, ho
wever, were pretty sharp on civic theory,” he continued. “They worked out a rather good system and put it into effect. Actually, it’s a simple idea, but it has resulted in an imposing governmental structure. The basic idea was that of a governing panel of selected persons, the ‘Eligible Ones,’ from whom leaders were chosen. By means of competitive examinations and contests, they selected the best of their youth. These were placed in training as potential leaders, and when deemed ready, were proposed for official posts. Only members of this panel were eligible for such posts. When not in office, or when training, they lived in simple surroundings, supported by the state. Popular vote placed them in office, and a system of electors was worked out to simplify the gathering of that vote.
“Nominally, this system is still in effect,” added Fero. “The only trouble is that it’s showing signs of weathering. Here and there, along the line, certain electors took matters into their own hands. Some of the Eligibles played along, for value received, of course. Appointive officials started appearing. A priesthood sprang up among the ‘Eligible Ones.’ Next thing, sons of the ‘Eligible Ones’ started taking their places among the governing group without benefit of the traditional selection. A few centuries ago, a hereditary dynasty was set up, supported by the priesthood, and the inevitable happened. The Emperor became divine.”
Fero reached for the wine cup, took another sip, then continued.
“As it stands now,” he concluded, “we have a sick Empire. The divine ruler is totally unfit to make the decisions required of him. A group of advisors have taken over the reins of government, and are running things strictly for their own profit and that of their friends. The average citizen has no more choice in government or even in his own fate than his cattle. Of course, he can still vote, but the results of the ballot invariably swing into line with the wishes of the ruling group. Our common citizen is becoming aware of the situation and dissatisfaction is spreading throughout the Empire. The governors and priests know it, but they are incapable of quelling the feeling. They can’t return to the old uncomplicated days of the democracy and still hold their positions, so they depend more and more upon force and terrorism for their authority. Meanwhile, the outer fringes of the Empire are under pressure from a number of unassimilated tribes, who have no desire to deal with Daltur in any way. The Empire will probably stagger along under its own inertia for a few more centuries, but the final collapse is already on the tape.”
Complete Fiction (Jerry eBooks) Page 3