What a pity!' He had just levelled his telescope when the object sped across the sky like a shooting star, diminishing at incredible speed before disappearing.
The Professor turned to the others. His eyes were aglow. 'You realize what this means?
We are not alone in space. Isn't that a wonderful thought? It implies that there is at least one civilization ahead of ours. Was he afraid of us, I wonder? Was that why he made off in such haste? Or has he dashed off to report our presence to his friends? If only we knew where he came from we'd call on him some day. I caught a mere glimpse of him through my glass, but it was enough to give me an idea of the construction of his ship. This exceeds anything I could have hoped for. What a magnificent age this is to live in, to be sure!'
'It is indeed, sir,' put in Judkins, speaking for the first time.
I think I saw something else,' said Tiger. It was a small black spot which appeared to me to be stationary. Without knowing its distance from us it could of course have been of any size; but I got the impression that it was a small body. I had just decided that it might be a tiny asteroid, and I was about to ask for the telescope, when the saucer appeared. I can no longer see it.'
'How very interesting,' said the Professor. 'There's no reason why there shouldn't be small satellites in our vicinity, bodies too small to be observed from Earth. Remember, we are a long way out in space. If our supposition is correct these bodies will have to be charted, for they represent to a space-. traveller the same danger as would an uncharted rock or reef to a mariner. The hamd is worse, in fact, because while rocks in the oceans are stationary, bodies in the air, being in an orbit, must always be on the move. The orbits will have to be traced. Well —
well. Our first trip has certainly given us something to think about.
Observe the shadow creeping over the Earth. Night is approaching so I think we will make our way home. A reduction of speed is all that is necessary to put us into a free fall. From this altitude we should reach a falling speed of seven miles a second.
Sounds alarming, doesn't it? But it isn't really. I shall check the speed when we reach the atmosphere, of course.'
The cosmic jets came into action and the Spacemaster began to change its position relative to the Earth, which disappeared from Rex's view so that all he could see through his porthole was the eternal expanse of star-studded cosmos. He tried to work out what was happening, but having lost all sense of direction, and his own position in the cabin, he found it beyond him. The nearest he could get was, the jets were now operating against velocity and so acting as brakes. Presently, by leaning forward, he found he could again see a section of the Earth, stretching away on both sides for as far as his eyes could reach. It was dim and vague with twilight.
A few minutes later the Professor announced: We are now entering the atmosphere. A wonderful view of sunset over the Atlantic.'
Presently he spoke again. I've switched on the homing beacon — the red cross. You can see it plainly.'
Overhead the rotor blades began to drone and Rex became aware of a sinking feeling in the stomach like going down in a fast elevator.
Looking below he saw the ground as from an ordinary aircraft. Lights were springing up all over the landscape. The red cross was conspicuous. They sank towards it, ever more slowly. The gap narrowed. Movement stopped.
'Back to Earth,' announced the Professor. 'We shall have to halt here before we actually touch the ground, to release any static electricity we may have generated.' Reaching out he allowed a length of weighted copper wire to run down off its spool. From below came a constellation of blue sparks. They did not last long. When there were no more the Spacemaster sank gently, and with a barely perceptible bump, touched down. The rotors stopped.
The Professor's voice came strangely through the silence. 'Gentlemen,' he said, with a hint of emotion in his voice, 'whether it matters to us or not our names will go down in history as the first Earthly voyagers in space. We shall not be the last. From today, a new era begins for those who dwell on this planet. What the end of it will be I would not dare to prophesy. I only know that it will transcend the limits of our imaginations. Now let us go in and celebrate, in the sober manner demanded by an occasion which calls at least for solemn contemplation.
And let us not forget those brave men who, years ago, by risking martyrdom for daring to say that the World was round, led the way to the stars.' 6
Interval for reflection
The two days following the Spacemaster's voyage beyond the atmosphere were spent on the ground, for several reasons. The Professor in particular was fully occupied, writing up his notes in detail while they were fresh in his mind, checking calculations and overhauling the Spacemaster, a matter in which Tiger was able to help him. Judkins, aside from his household duties, was given the photographs to develop and enlarge, and here Rex, who was an amateur photographer of some experience, offered to make himself useful — an offer that was accepted and, incidentally, put him on closer terms with the imperturbable butler.
Apart from all this the Professor thought it would be advisable to wait a little while before attempting another voyage, to make sure that none of them developed after-effects from having their bodies and organs exposed to conditions never before encountered. He was afraid they might suffer from earache as a result of conditions in the cabin; he thought, too, that the heavily oxygenated air might have some effect on their lungs. In the event, the only discomfort experienced was immediately after landing, when for a little while they were all conscious of a feeling of lassitude and a strange heaviness in their limbs. But this soon passed off.
The Professor was well satisfied with the way the Space-master had stood up to its first serious test. It revealed no sign of wear or damage apart from the dent made by the meteorite. From the mark, it had apparently vaporized on striking; so, as the Professor remarked, it was a comfort to know that they had nothing to fear from small meteors.
One as large even as a marble would obviously be a more serious matter, but the chances against such a collision were such that they need have no anxiety on that score.
Tiger went over the welding of the metal sections without finding anything affected by the one-sided pressure.
The photographs could only be described as sensational. The Professor showed no surprise at this. Once clear of the last vestiges of the Earth's atmosphere, he said, he fully expected some startling results.
Hitherto, all such photographs, no matter how clear the sky, had been taken through a screen of humid air. There was enough work in the new photographs, he asserted, to occupy astronomers for a long time. Nothing would please him more than to spend the next twelve months working on them; but all except the Moon, which was the next objective, would have to wait. As far as that particular body was concerned they would soon have some even better ones; but those now before them would be useful in planning the next operation. He hastened to say that this did not mean the proposed landing on the Moon. There would inevitably be risks attached to such a venture. So before taking any chances he thought it advisable to get a series of close-up photographs for the benefit of the next explorers in case their own attempt to land ended in disaster. For the same reason he was anxious to survey the unknown side of the Moon.
Later, the Professor returned to the subject, with the Moon photographs spread over the study table.
'I would like you, if only for your own interest, to make yourselves familiar with these pictures. At least, learn to recognize the salient features so that when you see them in reality you won't find it necessary to refer constantly to the map for their names. The Leibnitz Mountains, for example, which are higher than anything we have on Earth.
Lonely Mount Picot. The Great Wall, as it is called, a seventy-fivemile-long mountain ridge, quite straight. The crater Aristarchus, thirty miles wide and white inside. I have already told you something about the rays and rills.'
Picking up a ruler and using it as a pointer, in the manner of a schoolm
aster, the Professor went on. 'Always bear in mind that in the Moon we are dealing with a body much smaller than our own. It is, as it were, a child of the Earth. Its diameter, in round figures, is only two thousand miles against our eight thousand miles. The force of gravity, consequently, is much less — roughly one-sixth. The affect of this on the human body, supposing one landed, would be considerable, even alarming.
One could jump long distances and lift apparently heavy weights. But we can leave the purely physical aspect until we test it in practice.' The Professor popped a caramel into his mouth and pushed the bag forward.
'Your first sight of the Earth from the Moon may surprise you. From Earth the Moon appears to be the same size as the Sun, but that is simply the result of distance. From the Moon, the Earth will appear to be four times the size of the Sun, and four times as large as the Moon looks to us. I mention this so that you will be prepared for it, and not jump to the conclusion that we have blundered into another planet by mistake. As to the actual surface of the Moon you can see for yourselves from these pictures what it is like. It appears to be a dreadful place, and you may be quite sure that it is. Landing may be difficult. It has been said on good authority that the Moon has no air. I accept that with reservations.
There must be a little air, or gas of some sort. It is said there is no water.
That, too, may be true; but, again, there may be some. The supposition is built chiefly on the fact that there are no clouds. For which reason the Moon has been described as a dead world, without weather, where nothing ever happens. The literal truth of that depends on what is meant by weather. Of course, if there is no air, there can be no wind; but if we include hot weather, or cold weather, as we say, there is likely to be too much weather on the Moon. The side facing the Sun — I mean midday on the Moon — might be unpleasantly hot, for there is no air blanket such as we have here to cool the rays to a reasonable temperature. On the other hand, the long night might be unbearably cold. These are the reasons why it has often been said that there can be no life of any sort on the Moon. One would be inclined to agree were it not for the fact that scientific predictions have so often been wrong in the past. We shall see. Life has an incredible adaptability. What would an observer from another planet have thought of our Polar regions? He would have said, here is nothing but ice and snow, a frozen sterility unable to support life. But he would be wrong.
Eskimos live there quite happily. Of the Sahara Desert, an observer would say that life there was impossible. A reasonable but incorrect supposition. Men and animals do live there, and, moreover, they live there from choice. They would be uncomfortable anywhere else. So let us not jump to conclusions. Even on the Moon something may have survived.
Look at those mighty mountains and awful chasms. Who is to say that there is nothing inside them? But here comes Judkins to say that dinner is ready.'
It transpired that Judkins had come to announce more than dinner. 'Here are yesterday's newspapers, sir,' he said. 'The pony boy brought them up with the stores. I took the liberty of glancing at the headlines before bringing them in. There is an item that will be of interest to you.'
'What is it?' asked the Professor, reaching for the papers. 'It would seem, sir, that in spite of your precautions, the flight of the Spacemaster did not pass unnoticed.'
'Dear, dear. How very annoying,' muttered the Professor, adjusting his glasses and unfolding a paper. 'Yes indeed, you are right,' he went on.
'Here it is.' He read aloud: '
New mystery in sky. Observers report strange object. Who is watching us?
The flying saucers were busy again yesterday. From several sources reports have come in describing what have become known from their disc-like appearance as flying saucers. It seems that there were at least two, for they were seen simultaneously over Europe and America.
This, of course, has happened before. But now mystery is piled on mystery, for apart from the saucers,
which were like those that have often been described, there was apparently a third object of somewhat different shape. An Air Ministry spokesman states that the object was picked up by radar operators and followed as it climbed at fantastic speed into the sky.
When first seen it appeared to be well within the atmosphere, leaving a faint bluish trail.
This is nearer to the Earth than is usually the case with the so-called saucers. The fact that it travelled away from the Earth rules out any possibility of the object being a meteor. No experimental high altitude flying was in progress at the time. This vague statement will satisfy no one. If the government is testing a new weapon, such as a guided missile, the public should be informed, for there is a growing feeling of uneasiness about these sinister visitations.'
The Professor flung the paper on the table. 'Weapons!' he growled. 'All people can think about today is weapons. Anything they don't understand is a weapon.'
'Naturally,' put in Tiger. 'After all, people have good reason to be apprehensive of new weapons, knowing from bitter experience that one day they will probably be the target for them.'
The Professor sighed. 'I suppose you're right. Confound these interfering fellows with their radar screens.'
'Personally, I think it's nice to know that they were so well on the job.'
'How are we going to get off the Earth without being seen? That's the question. Day or night, wet or fine, we are vulnerable to radar. I was more afraid of local people seeing us at a low altitude.'
Tiger smiled. 'You'll have to see about making the machine invisible.'
The Professor took the suggestion seriously. 'I doubt if that's possible.I don't mind what the newspapers say or think. What I'm really afraid of is they may locate us here. Newspaper men are like bloodhounds.
Once they get their noses on a scent they follow it to the death.'
Tiger's smile broadened. They wouldn't keep their jobs long if they didn't.'
The Professor was silent for a minute. This is going to be a race,' he declared. I shall push on with my experiments as quickly as possible, for the best, by which I mean the investigation of our neighbouring planets, is yet to come.' Enthusiasm vibrated in his voice and a gleam came into his eyes. Think of gazing on Mars, the Red Planet, with its two baby moons, Phobos and Deimos, almost bumping against her. Think, too, of creeping under the veil that covers the face of Venus and seeing what no man has ever seen. If I can complete my programme without interference I shall have enough data to keep me busy for the rest of my life. Then, should I be discovered, I will destroy the Spacemaster.'
'Why?' Tiger looked horrified.
'Because then it could never be said that I invented a machine that destroyed the peace of mind of mankind for ever. In wrong hands the Spacemaster could be the supreme engine of destruction.'
'Who's talking about weapons now?'
The Professor made a gesture of resignation. 'I am. There are times when I am afraid of what I have done. No matter. It hasn't yet come to the worst. Tomorrow we will go and look closely at the face of the Moon.
Everything is ready. Would anybody like a caramel?'
Rex took a sweet and wandered away to think over what he had just heard.
7 Objective Moon
It was just six o'clock and still dark when the Spacemaster left its concrete base the following morning and droned into a clear sky studded with stars; stars which, for Rex, had taken on a new meaning. A week ago he would have described them as 'bright'; but now, knowing how they would appear from the airless dome above, they looked small and dull. Only Venus, hanging low over the horizon, shone like a beacon in the sea of space. The Moon, nearly full, presented a thin, pallid face, like a tarnished silver plate.
To Rex, the Man in the Moon that had provided a subject for poets and singers through the ages, was no longer an illusion now that he knew from the photographs what the features really were.
The sombre mass of the Earth, encrusted with a myriad lights, seemed to be falling away below as if it were something which
they themselves had dropped. The rim of the Sun appeared, and the white reflected light it cast spread in an ever-widening band across the continent of Europe.
Then, as the Professor accelerated through the fast-thinning atmosphere and the crushing strain began to make itself felt, Rex closed his eyes and resigned himself to the few minutes of discomfort that he knew would have to be endured.
The worst was soon over, and the spacecraft shot on to intercept its distant objective. It did not stand directly towards it, but towards the spot where it would be when they made contact with it. This, according to the Professor's calculations, should take place in eight or nine hours, according to how long he spent trying to find the neutralization point of the two gravities, Earth and Moon. By then they would be close enough to the Moon to make out many of its more imposing features with the naked eye.
Slowly the pressure eased, and except that they did not linger seeking orbits, the flight continued as on the previous occasion. It was surprising, he found, how much confidence the first flight had given him; and it occurred to him that once interplanetary travel was established, people would as quickly become accustomed to it as to normal Earthbound flying. There was certainly less sensation of speed. Indeed, had he not known from what the Professor had said, that they must now be travelling in the region of 30,000 miles an hour, he could have believed they were stationary in space. This, he imagined, was the effect of weightlessness.
As far as speed-consciousness was concerned, once the period of acceleration was over it seemed to make no difference whether they travelled at ten, twenty, or thirty thousand miles an hour.
Time passed. With the exception of the Professor, who was always busy doing something, everyone sat gazing into space with the bored expressions of railway travellers watching the passing landscape. The difference was, here there was no landscape to watch, and what could be seen changed so slowly as to be imperceptible. The sky remained black.
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