These continued, however, at irregular intervals for the best part of two hours, and as if they were provoked by the explosions the sound of the Martians vehicle sirens doubled and redoubled as one after another hurtled through the streets.
So the night passed, with neither of us sleeping. My attention was divided, partly between the unseen events outside and the precious closeness of Amelia beside me. I so loved her, and even such a temporary intimacy was without parallel to me.
At long last dawn came, and the sound of the sirens faded. The sun had been up for an hour before the last one was heard, but after that all was silent, and Amelia and I climbed from the hammock and dressed.
I walked to the window, and stared towards the east…but there was no sign of the source of the explosions, beyond a faint smudge of smoke drifting across the horizon. I was about to turn back and report this to Amelia when I noticed that the watch-tower outside our building had vanished during the night. Looking further along the street I saw that all the others, which were now such a familiar part of the city, had also gone.
ii
After the bedlam of the night the city was unnaturally quiet, and so it was with quite understandable misgivings that we left the dormitory to investigate. If the atmosphere in the city had been in the past one of dreadful anticipation, then this stillness was like the approach of expected death. Desolation City was never a noisy place, but now it was empty and silent. We saw evidence of the night’s activity in the streets, in the form of heavy marks in the road-surface where one of the vehicles had taken a corner too fast, and outside one of the dormitory halls was a pile of spilled and abandoned vegetables.
Rendered uneasy by what we saw, I said to Amelia: “Do you think we should be out? Would we not be safer inside?”
“But we must discover what is going on.”
“Not at risk to ourselves.”
“My dear, we have nowhere to hide on this world,” she said.
We came at last to the building where we had once ascended to see the extent of the city. We agreed to climb to the roof, and survey the situation from there.
From the top the view told us little more than we already knew, for there was no sign of movement anywhere in the city. Then Amelia pointed to the east.
“So that is where the watch-towers have been taken!” she said.
Beyond the city’s protective dome we could just make out a cluster of the tall objects. If those were the towers then that would certainly account for their disappearance from the city. It was impossible to see how many were out there, but at a reasonable estimate it was certainly a hundred or more. They had been lined up in a defensive formation, placed between the city and where we had seen the explosions in the night.
“Edward, do you suppose there is a war going on here?”
“I think there must be. Certainly there has not been a happy atmosphere in the city.”
“But we have seen no soldiers.”
“Maybe we are to see some for the first time.”
I was in the lowest of spirits, sensing that at last we were going to be forced into accepting our plight. I saw at that moment no alternative to the prospect of becoming embroiled forever in Martian life. If a war it was for this city, then two aliens such as ourselves would soon be discovered. If we stayed in hiding we would doubtless be found, and, if so, would be taken for spies or infiltrators. We must, very soon, declare ourselves to those in authority and become as one with the inhabitants here.
Seeing no better vantage point available to us, we agreed to stay where we were until the situation became clearer. Neither of us had any wish to explore further; death and destruction were in the winds.
We did not have long to wait…for even as we first saw the line of watch-towers defending the city the invasion, unbeknown to us, had already begun. What happened out there beyond the city’s dome must be a matter of conjecture, but having seen the aftermath I can say with some certainty that the first line of defence was a troop of Martians armed only with hand-weapons. These wretched men were soon overwhelmed, and those not killed fled to the temporary safety of the city. This much was happening even as we walked through the streets to our present vantage point.
The next development was twofold.
In the first place, we at last saw signs of movement; these were the fleeing defenders, returning to the city. Secondly, the watch-towers were attacked. This was over in a matter of minutes. The antagonists were armed with some kind of heat thrower which, when turned on the towers, almost immediately rendered them molten. We saw the destruction as bursts of flame, as one tower after another was struck with this heat, and exploded violently.
If by this description I seem to imply that the towers were defenceless, then I must add that this was not so. When, somewhat later, I saw the wreckage of the battle, I realized that a spirited, if ultimately ineffectual, defence had been put up, for several of the attackers’ vehicles had been destroyed.
Amelia’s hand crept into mine, and I squeezed it reassuringly. I was placing secret faith in the city’s dome, hoping that the marauders would have no way of penetrating it.
We heard screams. There were more of the people about the streets now, both city-Martians and slaves, running with the strange, loping gait, looking frantically about, intent on finding safety in the maze of city streets.
Suddenly, flame exploded about one of the buildings by the perimeter of the city, and screams could distantly be heard. Another building burst into, flames, and then another.
We heard a new sound: a deep-throated siren, rising and falling, quite unlike the noises we had grown accustomed to in the city.
I said: “They have penetrated the dome.”
“What shall we do?” Amelia’s voice was calm, but I felt that she was forcing herself not to panic. I could feel her hand trembling in mine, and our palms were damp with perspiration.
“We must stay here,” I said. “We are as safe here as anywhere.”
Down in the streets more Martians had appeared, some running out from the buildings where they had been hiding. I saw that some of the people fleeing from the battle had been wounded, and one man was being carried by two of his fellows, his legs dragging.
One of the policing-vehicles appeared, moving quickly through the streets towards the battle. It slowed as it passed some of the Martians, and I heard the driver’s voice, apparently ordering them to return to the fight. The people took no notice and continued their confused retreat, and the vehicle drove away. More sirens could be heard, and soon several more legged vehicles hurried past our building towards the fray. In the meantime, more buildings on the edge of the city had been fired.
I heard an explosion to the south of us, and I looked that way. I saw that flames and smoke were rising there, and realized that another force of invaders had broken through!
The plight of the city seemed desperate, for nowhere could I see a concerted defence, and there was certainly no resistance on, the new front.
There came a grinding, roaring sound from the east, and another blast of that alien siren, immediately followed by a second. The Martians in the street near our building screamed terribly, their voices more high-pitched than ever.
Then at last we saw one of the marauders.
It was a large, ironclad vehicle, the rows of articulate legs concealed by metal plating at each side. Mounted high on its rear was a grey metal gun-barrel, some six or eight feet in length, which by the pivotal device on which it was mounted was able to point in any direction the driver of the vehicle chose. As soon as we saw the invading vehicle, this cannon rotated and a building to one side burst abruptly into flame. There was a terrible noise, like sheets of metal torn asunder.
The marauding vehicle was quite close to us, not more than two hundred yards away and in clear view. It showed no sign of halting, and as it passed a road junction it released another bolt of infernal energy, and one of the dining halls where we had often eaten exploded into flame.
&nbs
p; “Edward! There!”
Amelia pointed down the intersecting street, along which we now saw five of the city’s policing-vehicles approaching. I saw that they had been equipped with smaller versions of the invaders’ heat-cannons, and as soon as they had a dear line of sight the two leading vehicles fired.
The effect was instantaneous: with a deafening explosion the invading vehicle blew apart, showering debris in all directions. I just had time to see that one of the attacking city-vehicles was blown backwards by the blast before the shock-wave hit the building we were on. Fortunately, Amelia and I were already crouching low, otherwise we should certainly have been knocked off our feet. Part of the parapet was blown inwards, narrowly missing me, and part of the roof behind us collapsed. For a few seconds the only sound we could hear was the crash of metal debris as it fell across the streets and buildings.
The four undamaged policing-vehicles continued on without hesitation, skirted around their damaged colleague and drove over the shattered remains of the enemy. A few seconds later they were lost to sight as they headed rapidly towards the scene of the main invasion.
We had only a few moments’ respite.
With the sinister combination of clanking metal legs and ear-piercing sirens, four more of the marauders were coming into the centre of the city from the southern penetration. They moved with frightening speed, blasting occasionally at previously undamaged buildings. The smoke pouring out of the fired buildings was now swirling about our heads, and it was often difficult either to see or breathe.
We looked round desperately to see if any defenders were in the vicinity, but there was none. Scores of Martians still ran wildly in the streets.
Three of the marauders roared past our building, and disappeared into the smoke-filled streets to the north. The last, though, slowed as it came to the wreckage of its ally, and halted before the tangled metal. It waited there for a minute, then came slowly down the street towards us.
In a moment it stopped directly beneath our vantage point Amelia and I stared down tremulously.
I said suddenly: “Oh my God, Amelia! Don’t look!!”
It was too late. She too had seen the incredible sight that had caught my attention. For a few seconds it was as if all the confusion of this invasion had stilled, while we stared numbly at the enemy machine.
It had clearly been specially designed and built for operations such as this. As I have said, there was mounted on its rear the destruction-dealing heat projector, and stowed just in front of this was a much larger version of the metallic spider-machine we had seen repairing the watch-tower, crouching with its uncanny mechanical life momentarily stilled.
At the front of the vehicle was the position where the driver of the craft was situated; this was shielded in front, behind and to each side with iron armour. The top, though, was open, and Amelia and I were looking straight down into it.
What we saw inside the vehicle was not a man, let that be abundantly dear from the outset. That it was organic and not mechanical was equally apparent, for it pulsed and rippled with repellent life. Its colour was a dull grey-green, and its glistening main body was bloated and roughly globular, some five feet in diameter. From our position we could see few details, bar a light-coloured patch on the back of the body, roughly comparable to the blow-hole on the head of a whale. But we could also see its tentacles…These lay in a grotesque formation at the front of the body, writhing and slithering in a most revolting fashion. Later I was to see that there numbered sixteen of these evil extensions, but in that first moment of appalled fascination it seemed that the whole cab was filled with these creeping, winding abominations.
I turned away from the sight, and glanced at Amelia.
She had gone deathly pale, and her eyes were closing. I placed my arm about her shoulders, and she shuddered instinctively, as if it had been that disgusting monster-creature, and not I, that had touched her.
“In the name of all that is good,” she said. “What have we come to?”
I said nothing, a deep nausea stifling all words and thoughts. I simply looked down again at the loathsome sight, and registered that in those few seconds the monster-creature had levelled its heat-cannon into the heart of the building on which we crouched.
A second later there was a massive explosion, and smoke and flame leapt about us!
iii
In great terror, for in the impact more of the roof had fallen away behind us, we climbed unsteadily to our feet and headed blindly for the staircase by which we had ascended. Smoke was pouring, densely from the heart of the building, and the heat was intense.
Amelia clutched my arm as more of the fabric collapsed beneath us, and a curtain of flame and sparks flared fifty feet above our heads.
The stairs were built of the same rock as the walls of the building, and still seemed sound, even as gusts of heat were billowing up them.
I wrapped my arm over my nose and mouth, and closing my eyes to slits I plunged down, dragging Amelia behind me. Two-thirds of the way to the bottom, part of the staircase had fallen away and we had to slow our flight, reaching hesitantly for footholds on the jagged parts of the slabs remaining. Here it was that the conflagration did its worst: we could not breathe, could not see, could not feel anything but the searing heat of the inferno below us. Miraculously, we found the rest of the steps undamaged, and thrust ourselves down again…at last emerging into the street, choking and weeping.
Amelia sank to the ground, just as several Martians rushed past us, screaming and shouting in their shrill, soprano voices.
“We must run, Amelia!” I shouted over the roar and confusion around us.
Gamely, she staggered to her feet. Holding my arm with one hand, and still clutching her hand-bag with the other, she followed me as we set off in the direction taken by the Martians.
We had gone but a few yards before we came to the corner of the blazing building.
Amelia screamed, and snatched at my arm: the invading vehicle had driven up behind us, hitherto concealed by the smoke. Thought of the repulsive occupant was alone enough to spur us on, and we half-fell, half-ran around the corner…to find a second vehicle blocking our way! It seemed to loom over us, fifteen or twenty feet high.
The Martians who had run before us were there; some were cowering on the ground, others were milling frantically about, searching for an escape.
On the back of the monstrous vehicle the glittering, spider-like machine was rearing up on its metal legs, its long articulate arms already reaching out like slow-moving whip-cord.
“Run!” I shouted at Amelia. “For God’s sake, we must escape!”
Amelia made no response, but her clutch on my arm loosened, the hand-bag slipped from her fingers, and in a moment she fell to the ground in a dead faint I crouched over her, trying to revive her.
Just once I looked up, and saw the dreadful arachnoid lurching through the crowd of Martians, its legs clanking, its metal tentacles swinging wildly about. Many of the Martians had fallen to the ground beneath it, writhing in agony.
I leaned forward over Amelia’s crumpled figure, and bent over her protectively. She had rolled on to her back, and her face stared vacantly upwards. I placed my head beside hers, tried to cover her body with mine.
Then one of the metal tentacles lashed against me, wrapping itself around my throat, and the most hideous bolt of electrical energy coursed through me. My body contorted in agony, and I was hurled to one side away from Amelia!
As I fell to the ground I felt the tentacle snatching away from me, ripping open part of the flesh of my neck.
I lay supine, head lolling to one side, my limbs completely paralysed.
The machine advanced, stunning and crippling with its arms. I saw one wrap itself around Amelia’s waist, and the jolt of electricity broke through her faint and I saw her face convulsing. She screamed, horribly and pitiably.
I saw now that the foul machine had picked up many of those Martians it had stunned, and was carrying them i
n rolls of its glittering tentacles, some still conscious and struggling, others inert.
The machine was returning to its parent vehicle. I could just see the control-cab from where I was lying, and to my ultimate horror I suddenly saw the face of one of the abominable beings who had initiated this invasion, staring at us through an opening in the armour. It was a broad, wicked face, devoid of any sign of good. Two large pale eyes stared expressionlessly across the carnage it was wreaking. They were unblinking eyes, merciless eyes.
The spider-machine had remounted the vehicle, dragging in its tentacles behind it. The Martians it had seized were wrapped in folds of jointed, tubular metal, imprisoned in this heaving cage. Amelia was among them, pinned down by three of the tentacles, held without care so that her body was twisted painfully. She was still conscious, and staring at me.
I was totally unable to respond as I saw her mouth open, and then her voice echoed shrilly across the few yards of space that separated us. She screamed my name, again and again.
I lay still, the blood pumping from the wound in my throat, and in a moment I saw the invading vehicle move away, driving with its unnatural gait through the broken masonry and swirling smoke of the devastated city.
Chapter Eleven
A VOYAGE ACROSS THE SKY
i
I do not know for how long I was paralysed, although it must have been several hours. I cannot remember much of the experience, for it was one of immense physical agony and mental torment, compounded by an impotence of such grossness that to dwell for even a moment on Amelia’s likely fate was sufficient to send my thoughts into a maëlstrom of anger and futility.
The Space Machine Page 16