Pulp - Wonder Stories.34.01.Moon Plague - Raymond Z. Gallun (pdf)

by Monte Herridge

  of crater-brims. Only the brightening light of circles.

  the half-earth was left to soften the blackness His time was nearly up. Already the oxygen

  of the deeper valleys,

  escape-valve had ceased to hiss.

  Then Steve saw a series of red and

  CHAPTER VI The Mystery of the Plant-Men

  green light flashes, flickering eerily through the dusk beneath. In a moment they were

  gone. An idea came to him. Why not follow a

  FOR OVER twenty minutes, Steve had plant-man? They would be hurrying to a place searched without success. He sat in the pilot’s of cover, now that the lunar night, with its

  chair, hunched over the control levers. His

  awful cold, was coming on. Fool! Why hadn’t

  eyes continually scanned the tortured terrain he thought of that before? It might be too late, that spread vague and unreal beneath him in

  now that he could no longer see the plant-

  the feeble light. He knew what his chances

  man.

  were, yet, doggedly, he kept at his task.

  Eagerly, he waited for the creature to

  A broad, squat mountain peak reared

  signal again, so that he could tell where it

  under him. At first glance it did not seem any was; but the flickering lights did not re-different from the hundreds of other isolated appear.

  peaks, which are common on the moon. Then,

  Steve was desperate. He picked up

  as he continued to gaze at it, he saw numerous Garth’s notebook, a half-formed plan

  shifting points of frosty light on its slopes.

  throbbing in his mind. Feverishly, his

  The phenomenon was doubtless caused by

  gauntleted fingers scrambled through the

  earth rays, shining on, and being reflected

  leaves. He glanced down the columns of

  from, vast deposits of rock crystal with which symbols, scanning each explanation of

  the peak was loaded.

  meaning, RGRGR—Greetings. It might serve

  Was this Garth’s Crystal Mountain?

  the purpose! At least it was worth a trial.

  Taken by the idea. Steve sent the space-boat

  On the calculation desk at his side lay

  rocketing downward, so that he could get a

  what appeared to be an ordinary flashlight, but closer look at his find. His small searchlight a brief examination revealed that several

  played on the rounded slopes. The beam sent

  things had been done to it. Instead of having back diamond-like reflections. Yes, the only one cold-light globe, it was fitted with mountain seemed to be composed almost two, each of which was equipped with a entirely of crystals that looked like worn and separate button-switch. One of the globes was dusty glass, A flash of hope came to old

  smeared with a green pigment, and the other

  Steve. This might easily be-called the Crystal with red.

  Mountain!

  Steve took up the flashlight, and

  His craft swooped around sharply as

  holding it close to the window, flashed out the he continued to examine the peculiar natural

  signal—red, green, red, green, red.

  formation. But no, his searchlight revealed

  Eagerly he watched for an answer.

  nothing that might indicate that this mountain There it was, far down in the darkened valley.

  was more suited to support life than any other Red, green, red, green, red—flickering eerily.

  portion of the moon. If possible, it was more He sent the space-boat skimming

  desolate and barren.

  toward it. Approaching close to where the

  Disappointed, Steve continued with his

  plant-man had been, he checked his speed to a

  Wonder Stories

  16

  crawl. It would not do to frighten the creature, side-passages came into view. The barometer

  who of course thought that Garth was guiding

  indicated a steadily rising air pressure in the the vessel.

  tunnel. Evidently, there was still a trace of Again he signaled, and was answered,

  volcanic action here, giving rise to a copious this time from a greater distance along the

  outward flow of carbonic acid gas from the

  valley. And so the plant-man led him on, over heart of the moon.

  the rough ground, reaching at last a small

  Where would the passage lead him?

  crater, over the walls of which the lunarian

  Would he find the place that he sought; the

  disappeared.

  Crystal Mountain? Certainly there could be no Crystal Mountain way down here!

  HOVERING, Steve played his searchlight into

  Abruptly, the volcanic corridor turned

  the crater. In its floor yawned an immense

  upward. As Steve guided the space-boat in the chasm, sweeping down into misty darkness.

  long ascent, he detected a faint glow far

  The bright beam stabbed into a thin, whitish

  above.

  vapor that steamed up out of the pit. In it,

  Puzzled and wondering, Steve

  white particles that looked like snowflakes

  emerged into a vast place where prevailed a

  were forming and swirling. Was the steamy

  faint, half-revealing luminescence, like eldrich stuff really water vapor, or was it carbon-moonlight. He glanced through a window and

  dioxide gas brought to the congealing point by saw, or fancied he saw, the dim shapes of

  the chill of the lunar night? Steve had no

  fantastically formed trees. He played his

  means of knowing; yet the presence of either

  searchlight groundward, seeking a landing

  might indicate that he was on the right track.

  place.

  The chasm yawned black and

  Having brought the vessel to rest, he

  forbidding. Steve hesitated. Might he not be

  opened a small aircock, which led through the following a false lead that would bring him

  double walls of the craft. A faint stream of

  and his companions to destruction? There was

  vapor came through the valve. Tentatively, he no evidence of a Crystal Mountain here. tested it with his nose. It was real air, warm Moving the directing levers of the searchlight, and humid.

  he sent the misty beam groping for the plant-

  Unprotected by his space-suit, he

  man. After a moment, he found him. The

  hurried eagerly through the airlock. His feet creature was hurrying along a trail that felt moist earth; about him were bushes. A spiraled down around the walls of the pit. His soft inviting breeze fanned his cheek. Still

  fantastic figure was swaying, loping along at puzzled, he looked upward toward the source

  topmost speed, as though he were frightened.

  of the illumination. It took almost a minute of Steve drew a deep breath, then eased

  scrutiny before the explanation of the glow

  the control stick forward. Under the guidance was clear in his mind. Yes, this was Crystal

  of his cautious fingers, the vessel dropped into Mountain all right; doubtless the same

  the black orifice. It continued to descend mountain he had examined before he had vertically for a distance of almost two miles; followed the plant-man. But now he was

  then the rocky tunnel curved outward, inside it! The vast dome above, which becoming horizontal. Sweeping the evidently had been formed by volcanic action searchlight here and there over the jagged

  in some remote age, was made up of

  walls, Steve continued to advance into the

  translucent rock-crystal. The light shining

  dense shadows. The dark openings of many


  through it was the light of the earth; the same

  Moon Plague

  17

  light that fell on the desolate lunar plains

  Garth had brought it there.

  outside.

  Doubtlessly in the same

  Some hours had passed. Steve

  manner, during the lunar day, the much Jubiston, Claire Melconne, and the professor brighter rays of the sun reached this buried

  were standing in the control room of the

  valley.

  moon-ship. The professor was speaking: “We

  Old Steve was gasping in sheer shall return to earth as soon as we can collect amazement. It was a great, natural hothouse

  some of the interesting objects around us,” he that he had found, the one place on the moon

  was saying. “They should cause quite a

  where conditions were favorable for the sensation. Then we’ll bring a new and larger development of even the most delicate of life-expedition back with us.”

  forms.

  “How about Garth?” Claire demanded.

  He directed the misty path of his

  flashlight against the riotous jungle of PROFESSOR Melconne’s voice became vegetation. Sweeping it onward, he saw a quieter. “We know about Garth and what small, marshy lake, the inky surface of which happened to him,” he said. “The same thing

  was unruffled by the tiniest ripple. Standing in might have happened to any one of us,

  the water were hundreds of grotesque shapes,

  allowing perhaps for differences in

  statuesquely motionless. Plant-men! Doubtless temperament. Everything unsavory

  they were hibernating during the lunar night, concerning him goes out of our log, and he

  absorbing moisture and mineral foods.

  shall receive full credit for everything he has Old Steve was exultant. Impulsively,

  accomplished here.”

  he drew his pistol, pointed its muzzle high

  A fleeting, pained look crossed old

  over the lake. Garth had ruled those people by Steve’s rugged face, as he gazed out of a

  awing them. Why couldn’t he do the same?

  window at the eldrich-lighted landscape

  Smiling, he returned the weapon to his holster.

  beyond. Jumbled things flitted through his

  Such things could wait.

  mind. There was a brain-picture of a small,

  Beside the lake he saw a group of tall,

  studious schoolboy, mounting butterflies in a cactiform plants, the pulpy stems of which

  picture-frame. That had been the Garth of long were bright purple. The sight of them brought ago. Walker? Frank Walker was dead:

  back to his mind the needs of his two murdered. Old Steve’s heart was heavy. But companions. What had Garth written in that

  he knew that the heaviness would not last

  last page of his notebook? “The raw juice of

  long. The many interesting things he had to

  the purple plants applied to the affected parts, occupy his mind would soon make him forget.

  and if possible, injected in very minute People were like that. Nature had made them quantities into the blood stream. The plant-that way. Nature was kind.

  men contract this same disease, and treat it in

  “Thanks a lot, Mr. Melconne,” Steve

  just this way, always successfully, if in time. I said. “And now I think I’ll take the flier and learned of the treatment too late....”

  go up through the tunnel to the real outdoors.

  Old Steve knew what to do. He would

  It’s night there now. I want to land there some get the medicine kit ....

  place and just walk for a few minutes. I want It was not until he turned that he to feel the cold and see the craters under the noticed the dark bulk of the Artemis, the earth shine. All by myself. I want—oh hell—

  vessel that had brought the expedition to the such talk!”

  moon, resting against the slope of a low hill.

  Wonder Stories

  18

  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  moon, a dark band, parallel to the lunar

  Footnote 1

  surface, was projected across the planet. This Terrestrial lichens are peculiar composite also indicated refraction by an atmosphere.

  growths, part fungus and part green algae.

  When a planet was occulted by the dark edge

  These two separate and distinct plants exist

  of the moon, no such phenomenon took place.

  together in a state of symbiosis. (A It is concluded from this that during the long combination in which two forms of life are

  lunar night, the air disappears, perhaps

  mutually benefited by each other.) The fibrous freezing, and deposits itself on the ground in skeleton of any lichen is a fungus which binds the form of hoar-frost, which does not melt

  the green algae together, and doubtless serves again until after sunrise.

  as a means of retaining moisture, which is

  There are several reasons why I have

  necessary for both plants. Since the fungus

  assumed that the air of the moon is mostly

  contains no chlorophyll, it cannot manufacture carbon-dioxide. According to a well-its own food, and for that reason is dependent established theory, just before life appeared on upon the green algae.

  the earth, its atmosphere was made up chiefly Since terrestrial lichens are very hardy,

  of nitrogen and carbon-dioxide, with very

  and seem capable of thriving under the most

  little, if any, free oxygen. It was not until rigorous of earthly conditions, I have assumed green plants started to decompose this carbon-that the simpler forms of lunar vegetation are dioxide, which was supposed to have come

  similar to them.

  principally from volcanic vents, that there was

  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  any considerable quantity of oxygen. Oxygen

  is too active a gas, chemically, to exist in a Footnote 2

  free state for any length of time, when there According to a theory accepted until recent

  are so many other elements with which it can

  years, the moon was totally without combine. The oxygen content of our atmosphere. The sharp shadows and the atmosphere is maintained only by the action complete absence of any atmospheric of green plants.

  distortion of the details of the lunar terrain Assuming that the evolution of the

  seemed to bear this out. Even stars, when

  moon was somewhat similar to that of our

  occulted, or eclipsed, by the dark edge of the earth, we can conclude that, today at least, a moon, showed no change in aspect, nor any

  large portion of the lunar atmosphere is

  irregularity in their apparent position, up to carbon-dioxide, since the moon has no

  the very instant that they disappeared behind extensive, if any, green vegetation.

  the lunar disc. There was no evidence of any

  In addition, the ability of a planet to

  atmospheric refraction.

  retain an atmosphere seems to be in

  However, during a solar eclipse in proportion to its gravitational force. It is November, 1919, W. H. Pickering noted a

  believed that the atmospheres of all planets

  prolongation of the cusps, or horns, of the

  are slowly leaking away into space. With a

  crescent of the disappearing sun—a gravity only one-sixth as great as that of earth, phenomenon which he believed was due to the

  it is obvious that the lunar air would not only refraction and diffusion of light by a lunar

  be more highly expanded, but would escape

  atmosphere. It was also noted that when a

  much more rapidly, because of the weaker

  bright planet, Jupit
er, for instance, was force holding it to the lunar surface. Because occulted by the lighted edge, or limb of the

  carbon-dioxide is a very heavy gas, it would

  Moon Plague

  19

  be retained much longer than the lighter compared to the seventy-seven centimeters nitrogen and water vapor.

  approximate normal sea-level pressure on

  According to Mr. Pickering, the earth. Mr. Pickering’s theory is not much maximum air pressure on the moon cannot

  more than a guess, but it is certain that the exceed five millimeters of mercury, which, of lunar atmosphere is very rare.

  course, is a very insignificant amount when