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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/29389-8.txt b/29389-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fa8baa3 --- /dev/null +++ b/29389-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1337 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Raiders of the Universes, by Donald Wandrei + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Raiders of the Universes + +Author: Donald Wandrei + +Release Date: July 12, 2009 [EBook #29389] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RAIDERS OF THE UNIVERSES *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: _He somehow managed to close the tiny switch._] + + +Raiders of the Universes + +By Donald Wandrei + + + Childlike, the great astronomer + Phobar stands before the metallic + invaders of the ravished solar + system. + + +It was in the thirty-fourth century that the dark star began its famous +conquest, unparalleled in stellar annals. Phobar the astronomer +discovered it. He was sweeping the heavens with one of the newly +invented multi-powered Sussendorf comet-hunters when something caught +his eye--a new star of great brilliance in the foreground of the +constellation Hercules. + +For the rest of the night, he cast aside all his plans and concentrated +on the one star. He witnessed an unprecedented event. Mercia's +nullifier had just been invented, a curious and intricate device, based +on four-dimensional geometry, that made it possible to see occurrences +in the universe which had hitherto required the hundreds of years needed +for light to cross the intervening space before they were visible on +Earth. By a hasty calculation with the aid of this invention, Phobar +found that the new star was about three thousand light-years distant, +and that it was hurtling backward into space at the rate of twelve +hundred miles per second. The remarkable feature of his discovery was +this appearance of a fourth-magnitude star where none had been known to +exist. Perhaps it had come into existence this very night. + +On the succeeding night, he was given a greater surprise. In line with +the first star, but several hundred light-years nearer, was a second new +star of even more brightness. And it, too, was hurtling backward into +space at approximately twelve hundred miles per second. Phobar was +astonished. Two new stars discovered within twenty-four hours in the +same part of the heavens, both of the fourth magnitude! But his surprise +was as nothing when on the succeeding night, even while he watched, a +third new star appeared in line with these, but much closer. + +At midnight he first noticed a pin-point of faint light; by one o'clock +the star was of eighth magnitude. At two it was a brilliant sun of the +second magnitude blazing away from Earth like the others at a rate of +twelve hundred miles per second. And on the next evening, and the next, +and the next, other new stars appeared until there were seven in all, +every one on a line in the same constellation Hercules, every one with +the same radiance and the same proper motion, though of varying size! + + * * * * * + +Phobar had broadcast his discovery to incredulous astronomers; but as +star after star appeared nightly, all the telescopes on Earth were +turned toward one of the most spectacular cataclysms that history +recorded. Far out in the depths of space, with unheard-of regularity and +unheard-of precision, new worlds were flaming up overnight in a line +that began at Hercules and extended toward the solar system. + +Phobar's announcement was immediately flashed to Venus, Mars, Jupiter, +and Saturn, the other members of the Five World Federation. Saturn +reported no evidence of the phenomena, because of the interfering rings +and the lack of Mercia's nullifier. But Jupiter, with a similar device, +witnessed the phenomena and announced furthermore that many stars in the +neighborhood of the novæ had begun to deviate in singular and abrupt +fashion from their normal positions. + +There was not as yet much popular interest in the phenomena. Without +Mercia's nullifier, the stars were not visible to ordinary eyes, since +the light-rays would take years to reach the Earth. But every astronomer +who had access to Mercia's nullifier hastened to focus his telescope on +the region where extraordinary events were taking place out in the +unfathomable gulf of night. Some terrific force was at work, creating +worlds and disturbing the positions of stars within a radius already +known to extend billions and trillions of miles from the path of the +seven new stars. But of the nature of that force, astronomers could only +guess. + + * * * * * + +Phobar took up his duties early on the eighth night. The last star had +appeared about five hundred light-years distant. If an eighth new star +was found, it should be not more than a few light-years away. But +nothing happened. All night Phobar kept his telescope pointed at the +probable spot, but search as he might, the heavens showed nothing new. +In the morning he sought eagerly for news of any discovery made by +fellow-watchers, but they, too, had found nothing unusual. Could it be +that the mystery would now fade away, a new riddle of the skies? + +The next evening, he took up his position once more, training his +telescope on the seven bright stars, and then on the region where an +eighth, if there were one, should appear. For hours he searched the +abyss in vain. He could find none. Apparently the phenomena were ended. +At midnight he took a last glance before entering on some tedious +calculations. It was there! In the center of the telescope a faint, hazy +object steadily grew in brightness. All his problems were forgotten as +Phobar watched the eighth star increase hourly. Closer than any other, +closer even than Alpha Centauri, the new sun appeared, scarcely three +light-years away across the void surrounding the solar system. And all +the while he watched, he witnessed a thing no man had ever before +seen--the birth of a world! + + * * * * * + +By one o'clock, the new star was of fifth magnitude; by two it was of +the first. As the faint flush of dawn began to come toward the close of +that frosty, moonless November night, the new star was a great white-hot +object more brilliant than any other star in the heavens. Phobar knew +that when its light finally reached Earth so that ordinary eyes could +see, it would be the most beautiful object in the night sky. What was +the reason for these unparalleled births of worlds and the terrifying +mathematical precision that characterized them? + +Whatever the cosmic force behind, it was progressing toward the solar +system. Perhaps it would even disturb the balance of the planets. The +possible chance of such an event had already called the attention of +some astronomers, but the whole phenomenon was too inexplicable to +permit more than speculation. + +The next evening was cloudy. Jupiter reported nothing new except that +Neptune had deviated from its course and tended to pursue an erratic and +puzzling new orbit. + +Phobar pondered long over this last news item and turned his attention +to the outermost planet on the succeeding night. To his surprise, he had +great difficulty in locating it. The ephemeris was of absolutely no use. +When he did locate Neptune after a brief search, he discovered it more +than eighty million miles from its scheduled place! This was at +one-forty. At two-ten he was thunderstruck by a special announcement +sent from the Central Bureau to every observatory and astronomer of note +throughout the world, proclaiming the discovery of an ultra-Plutonian +planet. Phobar was incredulous. For centuries it had been proved that no +planet beyond Pluto could possibly exist. + + * * * * * + +With feverish haste, Phobar ran to the huge telescope and rapidly +focused it where the new planet should be. Five hundred million miles +beyond Neptune was a flaming path like the beam of a giant searchlight +that extended exactly to the eighth solar planet. Phobar gasped. He +could hardly credit the testimony of his eyes. He looked more closely. +The great stream of flame still crossed his line of vision. But this +time he saw something else: at the precise farther end of the flame-path +a round disk--dark! + +Beyond a doubt, a new planet of vast size now formed an addition to the +solar group. But that planet was almost impervious to the illuminating +rays of the sun and was barely discernible. Neptune itself shone +brighter than it ever had, and was falling away from the sun at a rate +of twelve hundred miles per second. + +All night Phobar watched the double mystery. By three o'clock, he was +convinced, as far as lightning calculations showed, that the invader was +hurtling toward the sun at a speed of more than ten million miles an +hour. At three-fifteen, he thought that vanishing Neptune seemed +brighter even than the band of fire running to the invader. At four, his +belief was certainty. With amazement and awe, Phobar sat through the +long, cold night, watching a spectacular and terrible catastrophe in the +sky. + +As dawn began to break and the stars grew paler, Phobar turned away from +his telescope, his brain awhirl, his heart filled with a great fear. He +had witnessed the devastation of a world, the ruin of a member of his +own planetary system by an invader from outer space. As dawn cut short +his observations, he knew at last the cause of Neptune's brightness, +knew that it was now a white-hot flaming sun that sped with increased +rapidity away from the solar system. Somehow, the terrible swathe of +fire that flowed from the dark star to Neptune had wrenched it out of +its orbit and made of it a molten inferno. + + * * * * * + +At dawn came another bulletin from the Central Bureau. Neptune had a +surface temperature of 3,000° C, was defying all laws of celestial +mechanics, and within three days would have left the solar system for +ever. The results of such a disaster were unpredictable. The entire +solar system was likely to break up. Already Uranus and Jupiter had +deviated from their orbits. Unless something speedily occurred to check +the onrush of the dark star, it was prophesied that the laws governing +the planetary system would run to a new balance, and that in the ensuing +chaos the whole group would spread apart and fall toward the gulfs +beyond the great surrounding void. + +What was the nature of the great path of fire? What force did it +represent? And was the dark star controlled by intelligence, or was it a +blind wanderer from space that had come by accident? The flame-path +alone implied that the dark star was guided by an intelligence that +possessed the secret of inconceivable power. Menace hung in the sky now +where all eyes could see in a great arc of fire! + +The world was on the brink of eternity, and vast forces at whose nature +men could only guess were sweeping planets and suns out of its path. + +The following night was again cold and clear. High in the heavens, where +Neptune should have been, hung a disk of enormously greater size. +Neptune itself was almost invisible, hundreds of millions of miles +beyond its scheduled position. As nearly as Phobar could estimate, not +one hundredth of the sun's rays were reflected from the surface of the +dark star, a proportion far below those for the other planets. Phobar +had a better view of the flame-path, and it was with growing awe that he +watched that strange swathe in the sky during the dead of night. It shot +out from the dark star like a colossal beam or huge pillar of fire +seeking a food of worlds. + +With a shiver of cold fear he saw that there were now three of the +bands: one toward Neptune, one toward Saturn, and one toward the sun. +The first was fading, a milky, misty white; the second shone almost as +bright as the first one previously had; and the third, toward the sun, +was a dazzling stream of orange radiance, burning with a steady, +terrible, unbelievable intensity across two and a half billions of miles +of space! That gigantic flare was the most brilliant sight in the whole +night sky, an awful and abysmally prophetic flame that made city streets +black with staring people, a radiance whose grandeur and terrific +implication of cosmic power brought beauty and the fear of doom into the +heavens! + + * * * * * + +Those paths could not be explained by all the physicists and all the +astronomers in the Five World Federation. They possessed the properties +of light, but they were rigid bands like a tube or a solid pillar from +which only the faintest of rays escaped; and they completely shut off +the heavens behind them. They had, moreover, singular properties which +could not be described, as if a new force were embodied in them. + +Hour after hour humanity watched the spectacular progress of the dark +star, watched those mysterious and threatening paths of light that +flowed from the invader. When dawn came, it brought only a great fear +and the oppression of impending disaster. + +In the early morning, Phobar slept. When he awoke, he felt refreshed and +decided to take a short walk in the familiar and peaceful light of day. +He never took that walk. He opened the door on a kind of dim and reddish +twilight. Not a cloud hung in the sky, but the sun shone feebly with a +dull red glow, and the skies were dull and somber, as if the sun were +dying as scientists had predicted it eventually would. + +Phobar stared at the dull heavens in a daze, at the foreboding +atmosphere and the livid sun that burned faintly as through a smoke +curtain. Then the truth flashed on him--it was the terrible path of fire +from the dark star! By what means he could not guess, by what appalling +control of immense and inconceivable forces he could not even imagine, +the dark star was sucking light and perhaps more than light from the +sun! + + * * * * * + +Phobar turned and shut the door. The world had seen its last dawn. If +the purpose of the dark star was destruction, none of the planets could +offer much opposition, for no weapon of theirs was effective beyond a +few thousand miles range at most--and the dark star could span millions. +If the invader passed on, its havoc would be only a trifle smaller, for +it had already destroyed two members of the solar system and was now +striking at its most vital part. Without the sun, life would die, but +even with the sun the planets must rearrange themselves because of the +destruction of balance. + +Even he could hardly grasp the vast and abysmal catastrophe that without +warning had swept from space. How could the dark star have traversed +three thousand light-years of space in a week's time? It was +unthinkable! So stupendous a control of power, so gigantic a +manipulation of cosmic forces, so annihilating a possession of the +greatest secrets of the universe, was an unheard-of concentration of +energy and knowledge of stellar mechanics. But the evidence of his own +eyes and the path of the dark star with flaming suns to mark its +progress, told him in language which could not be refuted that the dark +star possessed all that immeasurable, titanic knowledge. It was the lord +of the universe. There was nothing which the dark star could not crush +or conquer or change. The thought of that immense, supreme power numbed +his mind. It opened vistas of a civilization, and a progress, and an +unparalleled mastery of all knowledge which was almost beyond +conception. + + * * * * * + +Already the news had raced across the world. On Phobar's television +screen flashed scenes of nightmare; the radio spewed a gibberish of +terror. In one day panic had swept the Earth; on the remaining members +of the Five World Federation the same story was repeated. Rioting mobs +drowned out the chant of religious fanatics who hailed Judgment Day. +Great fires turned the air murky and flame-shot. Machine guns spat +regularly in city streets; looting, murder, and fear-crazed crimes were +universal. Civilization had completely vanished overnight. + +The tides roared higher than they ever had before; for every thousand +people drowned on the American seaboards, a hundred thousand perished in +China and India. Dead volcanoes boomed into the worst eruptions known. +Half of Japan sank during the most violent earthquake in history. Land +rocked, the seas boiled, cyclones howled out of the skies. A billion +eyes focused on Mecca, the mad beating of tom-toms rolled across all +Africa, women and children were trampled to death by the crowds that +jammed into churches. + +"Has man lived in vain?" asked the philosopher. + +"The world is doomed. There is no escape," said the scientist. + +"The day of reckoning has come! The wrath of God is upon us!" shouted +the street preachers. + +In a daze, Phobar switched off the bedlam and, walking like a man +asleep, strode out, he did not care where, if only to get away. + +The ground and the sky were like a dying fire. The sun seemed a +half-dead cinder. Only the great swathe of radiance between the sun and +the dark star had any brilliance. Sinister, menacing, now larger even +than the sun, the invader from beyond hung in the heavens. + +As Phobar watched it, the air around him prickled strangely. A sixth +sense gave warning. He turned to race back into his house. His legs +failed. A fantastic orange light bathed him, countless needles of pain +shot through his whole body, the world darkened. + + * * * * * + +Earth had somehow been blotted out. There was a brief blackness, the +nausea of space and of a great fall that compressed eternity into a +moment. Then a swimming confusion, and outlines which gradually came to +rest. + +Phobar was too utterly amazed to cry out or run. He stood inside the +most titanic edifice he could have imagined, a single gigantic structure +vaster than all New York City. Far overhead swept a black roof fading +into the horizon, beneath his feet was the same metal substance. In the +midst of this giant work soared the base of a tower that pierced the +roof thousands of feet above. + +Everywhere loomed machines, enormous dynamos, cathode tubes a hundred +feet long, masses and mountains of such fantastic apparatus as he had +never encountered. The air was bluish, electric. From the black +substance came a phosphorescent radiance. The triumphant drone of motors +and a terrific crackle of electricity were everywhere. Off to his right +purple-blue flames the size of Sequoia trees flickered around a group of +what looked like condensers as huge as Gibraltar. At the base of the +central tower half a mile distant Phobar could see something that +resembled a great switchboard studded with silver controls. Near it was +a series of mechanisms at whose purpose he could not even guess. + + * * * * * + +All this his astounded eyes took in at one confused glance. The thing +that gave him unreasoning terror was the hundred-foot-high metal monster +before him. It defied description. It was unlike any color known on +Earth, a blinding color sinister with power and evil. Its shape was +equally ambiguous--it rippled like quicksilver, now compact, now spread +out in a thousand limbs. But what appalled Phobar was its definite +possession of rational life. More, its very thoughts were transmitted to +him as clearly as though written in his own English: + +"Follow me!" + +Phobar's mind did not function--but his legs moved regularly. In the +grasp of this mental, metal monster he was a mere automaton. Phobar +noticed idly that he had to step down from a flat disk a dozen yards +across. By some power, some tremendous discovery that he could not +understand, he had been transported across millions of miles of +space--undoubtedly to the dark star itself! + +The colossal thing, indescribable, a blinding, nameless color, rippled +down the hall and stooped before a disk of silvery black. In the center +of the disk was a metal seat with a control board near-by. + +"Be seated!" + +Phobar sat down, the titan flicked the controls--and nothing happened. + +Phobar sensed that something was radically wrong. He felt the surprise +of his gigantic companion. He did not know it then, but the fate of the +solar system hung on that incident. + +"Come!" + + * * * * * + +Abruptly the giant stooped, and Phobar shrank back, but a flowing mass +of cold, insensate metal swept around him, lifted him fifty feet in the +air. Dizzy, sick, horrified, he was hardly conscious of the whirlwind +motion into which the giant suddenly shot. He had a dim impression of +machines racing by, of countless other giants, of a sudden opening in +the walls of the immense building, and then a rush across the surface of +metal land. Even in his vertigo he had enough curiosity to marvel that +there was no vegetation, no water, only the dull black metal everywhere. +Yet there was air. + +And then a city loomed before them. To Phobar it seemed a city of gods +or giants. Fully five miles it soared toward space, its fantastic angles +and arcs and cubes and pyramids mazing in the dimensions of a totally +alien geometry. Tier by tier the stupendous city, hundreds of miles +wide, mounted toward a central tower like the one in the building he had +left. + +Phobar never knew how they got there, but his numbed mind was at +last forced into clarity by a greater will. He stared about him. His +captor had gone. He stood in a huge chamber circling to a dome far +overhead. Before him, on a dais a full thousand feet in diameter, +stood--sat--rested, whatever it might be called--another monster, far +larger than any he had yet seen, like a mountain of pliant thinking, +living metal. And Phobar knew he stood in the presence of the ruler. + + * * * * * + +The metal Cyclops surveyed him as Phobar might have surveyed an ant. +Cold, deadly, dispassionate scrutiny came from something that might have +been eyes, or a seeing intelligence locked in a metal body. + +There was no sound, but inwardly to Phobar's consciousness from the +peak of the titan far above him came a command: + +"What are you called?" + +Phobar opened his lips--but even before he spoke, he knew that the thing +had understood his thought: "Phobar." + +"I am Garboreggg, ruler of Xlarbti, the Lord of the Universes." + +"Lord of the _Universes_?" + +"I and my world come from one of the universes beyond the reach of your +telescopes." Phobar somehow felt that the thing was talking to him as he +would to a new-born babe. + +"What do you want of me?" + +"Tell your Earth that I want the entire supply of your radium ores mined +and placed above ground according to the instructions I give, by seven +of your days hence." + +A dozen questions sprang to Phobar's lips. He felt again that he was +being treated like a child. + +"Why do you want our radium ores?" + +"Because they are the rarest of the elements on your scale, are absent +on ours, and supply us with some of the tremendous energy we need." + +"Why don't you obtain the ores from other worlds?" + +"We do. We are taking them from all worlds where they exist. But we need +yours also." + +Raiders of the universe! Looting young worlds of the precious radium +ores! Piracy on a cosmic scale! + +"And if Earth refuses your demand?" + + * * * * * + +For answer, Garboreggg rippled to a wall of the room and pressed a +button. The wall dissolved, weirdly, mysteriously. A series of vast +silver plates was revealed, and a battery of control levers. + +"This will happen to all of your Earth unless the ores are given us." + +The titan closed a switch. On the first screen flashed the picture of a +huge tower such as Phobar had seen in the metal city. + +Garboreggg adjusted a second control that was something like a +range-finder. He pressed a third lever--and from the tower leaped a +surge of terrific energy, like a bolt of lightning a quarter of a mile +broad. The giant closed another switch--and on the second plate flashed +a picture of New York City. + +Then--waiting. Seconds, minutes drifted by. The atmosphere became tense, +nerve-cracking. Phobar's eyes ached with the intensity of his stare. +What would happen? + +Abruptly it came. + +A monstrous bolt of energy streaked from the skies, purple-blue death in +a pillar a fourth of a mile broad crashed into the heart of New York +City, swept up and down Manhattan, across and back, and suddenly +vanished. + +In fifteen seconds, only a molten hell of fused structures and +incinerated millions of human beings remained of the world's first city. + +Phobar was crushed, appalled, then utter loathing for this soulless +thing poured through him. If only-- + +"It is useless. You can do nothing," answered the ruler as though it had +grasped his thought. + +"But why, if you could pick me off the Earth, do you not draw the radium +ores in the same way?" Phobar demanded. + +"The orange-ray picks up only loose, portable objects. We can and will +transport the radium ores here by means of the ray after they have been +mined and placed on platforms or disks." + +"Why did you select me from all the millions of people on Earth?" + +"Solely because you were the first apparent scientist whom our cosmotel +chanced upon. It will be up to you to notify your Earth governments of +our demand." + +"But afterwards!" Phobar burst out aloud. "What then?" + +"We will depart." + +"It will mean death to us! The solar system will be wrecked with Neptune +gone and Saturn following it!" + + * * * * * + +Garboreggg made no answer. To that impassive, cold, inhuman thing, it +did not matter if a nation or a whole world perished. Phobar had already +seen with what deliberate calm it destroyed a city, merely to show him +what power the lords of Xlarbti controlled. Besides, what guarantee was +there that the invaders would not loot the Earth of everything they +wanted and then annihilate all life upon it before they departed? Yet +Phobar knew he was helpless, knew that the men of Earth would be forced +to do whatever was asked of them, and trust that the raiders would +fulfill their promise. + +"Two hours remain for your stay here," came the ruler's dictum to +interrupt his line of thought. "For the first half of that period you +will tell me of your world and answer whatever questions I may ask. +During the rest of the interval, I will explain some of the things you +wish to learn about us." + +Again Phobar felt Garboreggg's disdain, knew that the metal giant +regarded him as a kind of childish plaything for an hour or two's +amusement. But he had no choice, and so he told Garboreggg of the life +on Earth, how it arose and along what lines it had developed; he +narrated in brief the extent of man's knowledge, his scientific +achievements, his mastery of weapons and forces and machines, his social +organization. + +When he had finished, he felt as a Stone Age man might feel in the +presence of a brilliant scientist of the thirty-fourth century. If any +sign of interest had shown on the peak of the metallic lord, Phobar +failed to see it. But he sensed an intolerant sneer of ridicule in +Garboreggg, as though the ruler considered these statements to be only +the most elementary of facts. + +Then, for three quarters of an hour, in the manner of one lecturing an +ignorant pupil, the giant crowded its thought-pictures into Phobar's +mind so that finally he understood a little of the raiders and of the +sudden terror that had flamed from the abysses into the solar system. + + * * * * * + +"The universe of matter that you know is only one of the countless +universes which comprise the cosmos," began Garboreggg. "In your +universe, you have a scale of ninety-two elements, you have your +color-spectrum, your rays and waves of many kinds. You are subject to +definite laws controlling matter and energy as you know them. + +"But we are of a different universe, on a different scale from yours, a +trillion light-years away in space, eons distant in time. The natural +laws which govern us differ from those controlling you. In our universe, +you would be hopelessly lost, completely helpless, unless you possessed +the knowledge that your people will not attain even in millions of +years. But we, who are so much older and greater than you, have for so +long studied the nature of the other universes that we can enter and +leave them at will, taking what we wish, doing as we wish, creating or +destroying worlds whenever the need arises, coming and hurtling away +when we choose. + +"There is no vegetable life in our universe. There is only the scale of +elements ranging from 842 to 966 on the extension of your own scale. At +this high range, metals of complex kinds exist. There is none of what +you call water, no vegetable world, no animal kingdom. Instead, there +are energies, forces, rays, and waves, which are food to us and which +nourish our life-stream just as pigs, potatoes, and bread are food to +you. + + * * * * * + +"Trillions of years ago in your time-calculation, but only a few dozen +centuries ago in ours, life arose on the giant world Kygpton in our +universe. It was life, our life, the life of my people and myself, +intelligence animating bodies of pliant metal, existing almost endlessly +on an almost inexhaustible source of energy. + +"But all matter wears down. On Kygpton there was a variety of useful +metals, others that were valueless. There was comparatively little of +the first, much of the second. Kygpton itself was a world as large as +your entire solar system, with a diameter roughly of four billion miles. +Our ancestors knew that Kygpton was dying, that the store of our most +precious element Sthalreh was dwindling. But already our ancestors had +mastered the forces of our universe, had made inventions that are beyond +your understanding, had explored the limits of our universe in +space-cars that were propelled by the free energies in space and by the +attracting-repelling influences of stars. + +"The metal inhabitants of Kygpton employed every invention they knew to +accomplish an engineering miracle that makes your bridges and mines seem +but the puny efforts of a gnat. They blasted all the remaining ores of +Sthalreh from the surface and interior of Kygpton and refined them. Then +they created a gigantic vacuum, a dead-field in space a hundred million +miles away from their world. The dead-field was controlled from Kygpton +by atomic-projectors, energy-absorbers, gravitation-nullifiers and +cosmotels, range-regulators, and a host of other inventions. + +"As fast as it was mined and extracted, the Sthalreh metal was +vaporized, shot into the dead-field by interstellar rays, and solidified +there along an invisible framework which we projected. In a decade of +our time, we had pillaged Kygpton of every particle of Sthalreh. And +then in our skies hung an artificial world, a manufactured sphere, a +giant new planet, the world you yourself are now on--Xlarbti! + + * * * * * + +"We did not create a solid globe. We left chambers, tunnels, +passageways, storerooms throughout it or piercing it from surface to +surface. Thus, even as Xlarbti was being created, we provided for +everything that we needed or could need--experimental laboratories, +sub-surface vaults, chambers for the innumerable huge ray dynamos, +energy storage batteries, and other apparatus which we required. + +"And when all was ready, we transferred by space-cars and by atomic +individuation all our necessities from Kygpton to the artificial world +Xlarbti. And when everything was prepared, we destroyed the dead-field +by duplicate control from Xlarbti, turned our repulsion-power on full +against the now useless and dying giant world Kygpton, and swung upon +our path. + +"But our whole universe is incredibly old. It was mature before ever +your young suns flamed out of the gaseous nebulæ, it was decaying when +your molten planets were flung from the central sun, it was dying before +the boiling seas had given birth to land upon your sphere. And while we +had enough of our own particular electrical food to last us for a +million of your years, and enough power to guide Xlarbti to other +universes, we had exhausted all the remaining energy of our entire +universe. And when we finally left it to dwindle behind us in the black +abysses of space, we left it, a dead cinder, devoid of life, vitiated of +activity, and utterly lacking in cosmic forces, a universe finally run +down. + +"The universes, as you may know, are set off from each other by totally +black and empty abysms, expanses so vast that light-rays have not yet +crossed many of them. How did we accomplish the feat of traversing such +a gulf? By the simplest of means: acceleration. Why? Because to remain +in our universe meant inevitable death. We gambled on the greatest +adventure in all the cosmos. + + * * * * * + +"To begin with, we circled our universe to the remotest point opposite +where we wanted to leave it. We then turned our attraction powers on +part way so that the millions of stars before us drew us ahead, then we +gradually stepped up the power to its full strength, thus ever +increasing our speed. At the same time, as stars passed to our rear in +our flight, we turned our repulsion-rays against them, stepping that +power up also. + +"Our initial speed was twenty-four miles per second. Midway in our +universe we had reached the speed of your light--186,000 miles per +second. By the time we left our universe, we were hurtling at a speed +which we estimated to be 1,600,000,000 miles per second. Yet even at +that tremendous speed, it took us years to cross from our universe to +yours. If we had encountered even a planetoid at that enormous rate, we +would probably have been annihilated in white-hot death. But we had +planned well, and there are no superiors to our stellar mechanics, our +astronomers, our scientists. + +"When we finally hurtled from the black void into your universe, we +found what we had only dared hope for: a young universe, with many +planets and cooling worlds rich in radium ores, the only element in your +scale that can help to replenish our vanishing energy. Half your +universe we have already deprived of its ores. Your Earth has more that +we want. Then we shall continue on our way, to loot the rest of the +worlds, before passing on to another universe. We are a planet without a +universe. We will wander and pillage until we find a universe like the +one we come from, or until Xlarbti itself disintegrates and we perish. + + * * * * * + +"We could easily wipe out all the dwellers on Earth and mine the ores +ourselves. But that would be a needless waste of our powers, for since +you can not defy us, and since the desire for life burns as high in you +as in us and as it does in all sensate things in all universes, your +people will save themselves from death and save us from wasting energy +by mining the ores for us. What happens afterwards, we do not care. + +"The seven new suns that you saw were dead worlds that we used as +buffers to slow down Xlarbti. The full strength of our repulsion-force +directed against any single world necessarily turns it into a liquid or +gaseous state depending on various factors. Your planet Neptune was +pulled out of the solar system by the attraction of Xlarbti's mass. The +flame-paths, as you call them, are directed streams of energy for +different purposes: the one to the sun supplies us, for instance, with +heat, light, and electricity, which in turn are stored up for eventual +use. + +"The orange-ray that you felt is one of our achievements. It is similar +to the double-action pumps used in some of your sulphur mines, whereby a +pipe is inclosed in a larger pipe, and hot water forced down through +the larger tubing returns sulphur-laden through the central pipe. The +orange-ray instantaneously dissolves any portable object up to a certain +size, propels it back to Xlarbti through its center which is the reverse +ray, and here reforms the object, just as you were recreated on the disk +that you stood on when you regained consciousness. + +"But I have not enough time to explain everything on Xlarbti to you; nor +would you comprehend it all if I did. Your stay is almost up. + +"In that one control-panel lies all the power that we have mastered," +boasted Garboreggg with supreme egotism. "It connects with the +individual controls throughout Xlarbti." + +"What is the purpose of some of the levers?" asked Phobar, with a +desperate hope in his thoughts. + + * * * * * + +A filament of metal whipped to the panel from the lord of Xlarbti. "This +first section duplicates the control-panel that you saw in the +laboratory where you opened your eyes. Do not think that you can make +use of this information--in ten minutes you will be back on your Earth +to deliver our command. Between now and that moment you will be so +closely watched that you can do nothing and will have no opportunity to +try. + +"This first lever controls the attraction rays, the second the repulsion +force. The third dial regulates the orange-ray by which you will be +returned to Earth. The fourth switch directs the electrical bolt that +destroyed New York City. Next it is a device that we have never had +occasion to use. It releases the Krangor-wave throughout Xlarbti. Its +effect is to make each atom of Xlarbti, the Sthalreh metal and +everything on it, become compact, to do away with the empty spaces that +exist in every atom. Theoretically, it would reduce Xlarbti to a +fraction of its present size, diminish its mass while its weight and +gravity remained as before. + +"The next lever controls matter to be transported between here and the +first laboratory. Somewhat like the orange-ray, it disintegrates the +object and reassembles it here." + + * * * * * + +So that was what Phobar's captor had been trying to do with him back +there in the laboratory! "Why was I not brought here by that means?" +burst out Phobar. + +"Because you belong to a different universe," answered Garboreggg. +"Without experimentation, we cannot tell what natural laws of ours you +would not be subject to, but this is one of them." A gesture of +irritation seemed to come from him. "Some laws hold good in all the +universes we have thus far investigated. The orange-ray, for instance, +picked you up as it would have plucked one of us from the surface of +Kygpton. But on Xlarbti, which is composed entirely of Sthalreh, your +atomic nature and physical constitution are so different from ours that +they were unaffected by the energy that ordinarily transports objects +here." + +Thus the metal nightmare went rapidly over the control-panel. At length +Phobar's captor, or another thing like him, reentered when Garboreggg +flicked a strange-looking protuberance on the panel. + +"You will now be returned to your world," came the thought of +Garboreggg. "We shall watch you through our cosmotel to see that you +deliver our instructions. Unless the nations of Earth obey us, they will +be obliterated at the end of seven days." + +A wild impulse to smash that impassive, metallic monster passed from +Phobar as quickly as it came. He was helpless. Sick and despairing, he +felt the cold, baffling-colored metal close around him again; once more +he was borne aloft for the journey to the laboratory, from there to be +propelled back to Earth. + + * * * * * + +Seven days of grace! But Phobar knew that less than ten minutes remained +to him. Only here could he possibly accomplish anything. Once off the +surface of Xlarbti, there was not the remotest chance that all the +nations of Earth could reach the invaders or even attempt to defy them. +Yet what could he alone do in a week, to say nothing of ten minutes? + +He sensed the amused, supercilious contempt of his captor. That was +really the greatest obstacle, this ability of theirs to read +thought-pictures. And already he had given them enough word-pictures of +English so that they could understand.... + +In the back of Phobar's mind the ghost of a desperate thought suddenly +came. What was it he had learned years ago in college? Homer--"The +Odyssey"--Plutarch.... From rusty, disused corners of memory crept forth +the half-forgotten words. He bent all his efforts to the task, not +daring to think ahead or plan ahead or visualize anything but the Greek +words. + +He felt the bewilderment of his captor. To throw it off the track, +Phobar suddenly let an ancient English nursery rime slip into his +thoughts. The disgust that emanated from his captor was laughable; +Phobar could have shouted aloud. But the Greek words.... + + * * * * * + +Already the pair had left the mountain-high titan city far behind; they +rippled across the smooth, black surface of Xlarbti, and bore like rifle +bullets down on the swiftly looming laboratory. In a few minutes it +would be too late forever. Now the lost Greek words burst into Phobar's +mind, and, hoping against hope, he thought in Greek word-pictures which +his captor could not understand. He weighed chances, long shots. Into +his brain flashed an idea.... But they were upon the laboratory; a +stupendous door dissolved weirdly into shimmering haze; they sped +through. + +Phobar's hand clutched a bulge in his pocket. Would it work? How could +it? + +They were beyond the door now and racing across the great expanse of the +floor, past the central tower, past the control-panel which he had first +seen.... + +And as if by magic there leaped into Phobar's mind a clear-cut, vivid +picture of violet oceans of energy crackling and streaking from the +heavens to crash through the laboratory roof and barely miss striking +his captor behind. Even as Phobar created the image of that terrific +death, his captor whirled around in a lightning movement, a long arm of +metal flicking outward at the same instant to drop Phobar to the ground. + +Like a flash Phobar was on his feet; his hand whipped from his pocket, +and with all his strength he flung a gleaming object straight toward the +fifth lever on the control-panel a dozen yards away. As a clumsy arrow +would, his oversize bunch of keys twisted to their mark, clanked, and +spread against the fifth control, which was the size regulator. + +As rapidly as Phobar's captor had spun around, it reversed again, having +guessed the trick. A tentacle of pliant metal snaked toward Phobar like +a streak of flame. + +But in those few seconds a terrific holocaust had taken place. As +Phobar's keys spattered against the fifth lever, there came an +immediate, growing, strange, high whine, and a sickening collapse of +the very surface beneath them. Everywhere outlines of objects wavered, +changed melted, shrank with a steady and nauseatingly swift motion. The +roof of the laboratory high overhead plunged downward; the far-distant +walls swept inward, contracted. And the metal monsters themselves +dwindled as though they were vast rubber figures from which the air was +hissing. + + * * * * * + +Phobar sprang back as the tentacle whipped after him. Only that jump and +the suddenly dwarfing dimensions of the giant saved him. And even in +that instant of wild action, Phobar shouted aloud--for this whole world +was collapsing, together with everything on it, except he himself who +came of a different universe and remained unaffected! It was the long +shot he had gambled on, the one chance he had to strike a blow. + +All over the shrinking laboratory the monsters were rushing toward him. +His dwindling captor flung another tentacle toward the control-panel to +replace the size-regulating lever. But Phobar had anticipated that +possibility and had already leaped to the switchboard, sweeping a heavy +bar from its place and crashing it down on the lever so that it could +not be replaced without being repaired. Almost in the same move he had +bounded away again, the former hundred-foot giant now scarcely more than +his own height. But throughout the laboratory, the other metal things +had halted in their tasks and were racing onward. + +Phobar always remembered that battle in the laboratory as a scene from +some horrible nightmare. The catastrophe came so rapidly that he could +hardly follow the whirlwind events. The half dozen great leaps he made +from the lashing tentacles of his pursuer sufficed to give him a few +seconds' respite, and then the weird, howling sound of the tortured +world swelled to a piercing wail. His lungs were laboring from the +violence of his exertions; again and again he barely escaped from the +curling whips of metal tentacles. And now the monster was hardly a foot +high; the huge condensers and tubes and colossal machinery were like +those of a pygmy laboratory. And overhead the roof plunged ever +downward. + +But Phobar was cornered at last. He stood in the center of a circle of +the foot-high things. His captor suddenly shot forth a dozen rope-like +arms toward him as the others closed in. He had not even a weapon, for +he had dropped the bar in his first mad bound away from the +control-panel. He saw himself trapped in his own trick, for in minutes +at most the laboratory would be crushing him with fearful force. + + * * * * * + +Blindly Phobar reverted to a primitive defense in this moment of +infinite danger and kicked with all his strength at the squat monster +before him. The thing tried to whirl aside, but Phobar's shoe squashed +thickly through, and in a disorder of quivering pieces the metal +creature fell, and subsided. Knowing at last that the invaders were +vulnerable and how they could be killed, Phobar went leaping and +stamping on those nearest him. Under foot, they disintegrated into +little pulpy lumps of inert metal. + +In a trice he broke beyond the circle and darted to the control-panel. +One quick glance showed him that the roof was now scarcely a half dozen +yards above. With fingers that fumbled in haste at tiny levers and +dials, he spun several of them--the repulsion-ray full--the +attraction-ray full. And when they were set, he picked up the bar he +had dropped and smashed the controls so that they were helplessly +jammed. He could almost feel the planet catapult through the heavens. + +The laboratory roof was only a foot over his head. He whirled around, +squashed a dozen tiny creeping things, leaped to a disk that was now not +more than a few inches broad. Stooping low, balancing himself +precariously, he somehow managed to close the tiny switch. A haze of +orange light enveloped him, there came a great vertigo and dizziness and +pain, he felt himself falling through bottomless spaces.... + + * * * * * + +So exhausted that he could scarcely move, Phobar blinked his eyes open +to brilliant daylight in the chill of a November Indian summer noon. The +sun shone radiant in the heavens; off in the distance he heard a +pandemonium of bells and whistles. Wearily he noticed that there were no +flame-paths in the sky. + +Staggering weakly, he made his way to the observatory, mounted the steps +with tired limbs, and wobbled to the eyepiece of his telescope which he +had left focused on the dark star two hours before. Almost trembling, he +peered through it. + +The dark star was gone. Somewhere far out in the abysses of the +universe, a runaway world plunged headlong at ever-mounting speed to +uncharted regions under its double acceleration of attraction and +repulsion. + +A sigh of contentment came from his lips as he sank into a heavy and +profound sleep. Later he would learn of the readjustments in the solar +system, and of the colder climate that came to Earth, and of the vast +changes permanently made by the invading planet, and of a blazing new +star discovered in Orion that might signify the birth of a sun or the +death of a metallic dark world. + +But these were events to be, and he demanded his immediate reward of a +day's dreamless slumber. + + + + +Transcriber's Note: + + This etext was produced from _Astounding Stories_ September 1932. + Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. + copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and + typographical errors have been corrected without note. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Raiders of the Universes, by Donald Wandrei + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RAIDERS OF THE UNIVERSES *** + +***** This file should be named 29389-8.txt or 29389-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/3/8/29389/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Raiders of the Universes + +Author: Donald Wandrei + +Release Date: July 12, 2009 [EBook #29389] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RAIDERS OF THE UNIVERSES *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figleft"><img src="images/001.png" width="386" height="400" alt="" title="" /> +<b><i><small>He somehow managed to close the tiny switch.</small></i></b> + +<div class="bk1"><small>Childlike, the great astronomer +Phobar stands before the metallic +invaders of the ravished solar +system.</small></div></div> + +<h1><big>Raiders of the Universes</big></h1> + +<h2>By Donald Wandrei</h2> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">It</span> was in the thirty-fourth +century that the dark star +began its famous conquest, +unparalleled in stellar annals. +Phobar the astronomer discovered +it. He was sweeping +the heavens +with one of the +newly invented +multi-powered +Sussendorf comet-hunters +when something caught +his eye—a new star of great brilliance +in the foreground of the +constellation Hercules.</p> + +<p>For the rest of the night, he cast +aside all his plans +and concentrated +on the one star. +He witnessed an +unprecedented +event. Mercia's +nullifier had just been invented, a curious +and intricate device, based on +four-dimensional geometry, that +made it possible to see occurrences +in the universe which had hitherto +required the hundreds of years +needed for light to cross the intervening +space before they were visible +on Earth. By a hasty calculation +with the aid of this invention, +Phobar found that the new star was +about three thousand light-years +distant, and that it was hurtling +backward into space at the rate of +twelve hundred miles per second. +The remarkable feature of his discovery +was this appearance of a +fourth-magnitude star where none +had been known to exist. Perhaps +it had come into existence this +very night.</p> + +<p>On the succeeding night, he was +given a greater surprise. In line +with the first star, but several +hundred light-years nearer, was a +second new star of even more +brightness. And it, too, was hurtling +backward into space at approximately +twelve hundred miles +per second. Phobar was astonished. +Two new stars discovered within +twenty-four hours in the same part +of the heavens, both of the fourth +magnitude! But his surprise was as +nothing when on the succeeding +night, even while he watched, a +third new star appeared in line +with these, but much closer.</p> + +<p>At midnight he first noticed a +pin-point of faint light; by one +o'clock the star was of eighth magnitude. +At two it was a brilliant +sun of the second magnitude blazing +away from Earth like the others +at a rate of twelve hundred miles +per second. And on the next evening, +and the next, and the next, +other new stars appeared until +there were seven in all, every one +on a line in the same constellation +Hercules, every one with the same +radiance and the same proper motion, +though of varying size!</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">Phobar</span> had broadcast his discovery +to incredulous astronomers; +but as star after star appeared +nightly, all the telescopes +on Earth were turned toward one +of the most spectacular cataclysms +that history recorded. Far out in +the depths of space, with unheard-of +regularity and unheard-of precision, +new worlds were flaming up +overnight in a line that began at +Hercules and extended toward the +solar system.</p> + +<p>Phobar's announcement was immediately +flashed to Venus, Mars, +Jupiter, and Saturn, the other members +of the Five World Federation. +Saturn reported no evidence of the +phenomena, because of the interfering +rings and the lack of Mercia's +nullifier. But Jupiter, with a +similar device, witnessed the phenomena +and announced furthermore +that many stars in the neighborhood +of the novæ had begun to +deviate in singular and abrupt +fashion from their normal positions.</p> + +<p>There was not as yet much popular +interest in the phenomena. +Without Mercia's nullifier, the stars +were not visible to ordinary eyes, +since the light-rays would take +years to reach the Earth. But every +astronomer who had access to Mercia's +nullifier hastened to focus his +telescope on the region where extraordinary +events were taking +place out in the unfathomable gulf +of night. Some terrific force was at +work, creating worlds and disturbing +the positions of stars within a +radius already known to extend +billions and trillions of miles from +the path of the seven new stars. +But of the nature of that force, +astronomers could only guess.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">Phobar</span> took up his duties +early on the eighth night. The +last star had appeared about five +hundred light-years distant. If an +eighth new star was found, it +should be not more than a few +light-years away. But nothing happened. +All night Phobar kept his +telescope pointed at the probable +spot, but search as he might, the +heavens showed nothing new. In +the morning he sought eagerly for +news of any discovery made by +fellow-watchers, but they, too, had +found nothing unusual. Could it be +that the mystery would now fade +away, a new riddle of the skies?</p> + +<p>The next evening, he took up his +position once more, training his +telescope on the seven bright stars, +and then on the region where an +eighth, if there were one, should +appear. For hours he searched the +abyss in vain. He could find none. +Apparently the phenomena were +ended. At midnight he took a last +glance before entering on some +tedious calculations. It was there! +In the center of the telescope a +faint, hazy object steadily grew in +brightness. All his problems were +forgotten as Phobar watched the +eighth star increase hourly. Closer +than any other, closer even than +Alpha Centauri, the new sun appeared, +scarcely three light-years +away across the void surrounding +the solar system. And all the while +he watched, he witnessed a thing +no man had ever before seen—the +birth of a world!</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">By</span> one o'clock, the new star +was of fifth magnitude; by +two it was of the first. As the faint +flush of dawn began to come toward +the close of that frosty, +moonless November night, the new +star was a great white-hot object +more brilliant than any other star +in the heavens. Phobar knew that +when its light finally reached Earth +so that ordinary eyes could see, it +would be the most beautiful object +in the night sky. What was the +reason for these unparalleled births +of worlds and the terrifying mathematical +precision that characterized +them?</p> + +<p>Whatever the cosmic force behind, +it was progressing toward the +solar system. Perhaps it would even +disturb the balance of the planets. +The possible chance of such an +event had already called the attention +of some astronomers, but the +whole phenomenon was too inexplicable +to permit more than speculation.</p> + +<p>The next evening was cloudy. +Jupiter reported nothing new except +that Neptune had deviated from +its course and tended to pursue an +erratic and puzzling new orbit.</p> + +<p>Phobar pondered long over this +last news item and turned his attention +to the outermost planet on +the succeeding night. To his surprise, +he had great difficulty in locating +it. The ephemeris was of +absolutely no use. When he did +locate Neptune after a brief search, +he discovered it more than eighty +million miles from its scheduled +place! This was at one-forty. At +two-ten he was thunderstruck by a +special announcement sent from the +Central Bureau to every observatory +and astronomer of note throughout +the world, proclaiming the discovery +of an ultra-Plutonian planet. +Phobar was incredulous. For centuries +it had been proved that no +planet beyond Pluto could possibly +exist.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">With</span> feverish haste, Phobar +ran to the huge telescope +and rapidly focused it where the +new planet should be. Five hundred +million miles beyond Neptune was +a flaming path like the beam of a +giant searchlight that extended exactly +to the eighth solar planet. +Phobar gasped. He could hardly +credit the testimony of his eyes. +He looked more closely. The great +stream of flame still crossed his +line of vision. But this time he +saw something else: at the precise +farther end of the flame-path +a round disk—dark!</p> + +<p>Beyond a doubt, a new planet of +vast size now formed an addition +to the solar group. But that planet +was almost impervious to the illuminating +rays of the sun and was +barely discernible. Neptune itself +shone brighter than it ever had, +and was falling away from the sun +at a rate of twelve hundred miles +per second.</p> + +<p>All night Phobar watched the +double mystery. By three o'clock, +he was convinced, as far as lightning +calculations showed, that the +invader was hurtling toward the +sun at a speed of more than ten +million miles an hour. At three-fifteen, +he thought that vanishing +Neptune seemed brighter even than +the band of fire running to the invader. +At four, his belief was certainty. +With amazement and awe, +Phobar sat through the long, cold +night, watching a spectacular and +terrible catastrophe in the sky.</p> + +<p>As dawn began to break and the +stars grew paler, Phobar turned +away from his telescope, his brain +awhirl, his heart filled with a great +fear. He had witnessed the devastation +of a world, the ruin of a member +of his own planetary system +by an invader from outer space. +As dawn cut short his observations, +he knew at last the cause of Neptune's +brightness, knew that it was +now a white-hot flaming sun that +sped with increased rapidity away +from the solar system. Somehow, +the terrible swathe of fire that +flowed from the dark star to Neptune +had wrenched it out of its +orbit and made of it a molten inferno.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">At</span> dawn came another bulletin +from the Central Bureau. Neptune +had a surface temperature of +3,000° C, was defying all laws of +celestial mechanics, and within three +days would have left the solar system +for ever. The results of such +a disaster were unpredictable. The +entire solar system was likely to +break up. Already Uranus and +Jupiter had deviated from their +orbits. Unless something speedily +occurred to check the onrush of the +dark star, it was prophesied that +the laws governing the planetary +system would run to a new balance, +and that in the ensuing chaos the +whole group would spread apart +and fall toward the gulfs beyond +the great surrounding void.</p> + +<p>What was the nature of the great +path of fire? What force did it +represent? And was the dark star +controlled by intelligence, or was +it a blind wanderer from space that +had come by accident? The flame-path +alone implied that the dark +star was guided by an intelligence +that possessed the secret of inconceivable +power. Menace hung in the +sky now where all eyes could see +in a great arc of fire!</p> + +<p>The world was on the brink of +eternity, and vast forces at whose +nature men could only guess were +sweeping planets and suns out of +its path.</p> + +<p>The following night was again +cold and clear. High in the heavens, +where Neptune should have been, +hung a disk of enormously greater +size. Neptune itself was almost invisible, +hundreds of millions of +miles beyond its scheduled position. +As nearly as Phobar could estimate, +not one hundredth of the sun's rays +were reflected from the surface of +the dark star, a proportion far below +those for the other planets. +Phobar had a better view of the +flame-path, and it was with growing +awe that he watched that +strange swathe in the sky during +the dead of night. It shot out from +the dark star like a colossal beam +or huge pillar of fire seeking a +food of worlds.</p> + +<p>With a shiver of cold fear he +saw that there were now three of +the bands: one toward Neptune, one +toward Saturn, and one toward the +sun. The first was fading, a milky, +misty white; the second shone almost +as bright as the first one previously +had; and the third, toward +the sun, was a dazzling stream of +orange radiance, burning with a +steady, terrible, unbelievable intensity +across two and a half billions +of miles of space! That gigantic +flare was the most brilliant +sight in the whole night sky, an +awful and abysmally prophetic flame +that made city streets black with +staring people, a radiance whose +grandeur and terrific implication of +cosmic power brought beauty and +the fear of doom into the heavens!</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">Those</span> paths could not be explained +by all the physicists +and all the astronomers in the +Five World Federation. They possessed +the properties of light, but +they were rigid bands like a tube +or a solid pillar from which only +the faintest of rays escaped; and +they completely shut off the heavens +behind them. They had, moreover, +singular properties which could not +be described, as if a new force +were embodied in them.</p> + +<p>Hour after hour humanity watched +the spectacular progress of the +dark star, watched those mysterious +and threatening paths of light that +flowed from the invader. When +dawn came, it brought only a great +fear and the oppression of impending +disaster.</p> + +<p>In the early morning, Phobar +slept. When he awoke, he felt refreshed +and decided to take a short +walk in the familiar and peaceful +light of day. He never took that +walk. He opened the door on a +kind of dim and reddish twilight. +Not a cloud hung in the sky, but +the sun shone feebly with a dull +red glow, and the skies were dull +and somber, as if the sun were +dying as scientists had predicted +it eventually would.</p> + +<p>Phobar stared at the dull heavens +in a daze, at the foreboding atmosphere +and the livid sun that +burned faintly as through a smoke +curtain. Then the truth flashed on +him—it was the terrible path of +fire from the dark star! By what +means he could not guess, by what +appalling control of immense and +inconceivable forces he could not +even imagine, the dark star was +sucking light and perhaps more +than light from the sun!</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">Phobar</span> turned and shut the +door. The world had seen its +last dawn. If the purpose of the +dark star was destruction, none of +the planets could offer much opposition, +for no weapon of theirs was +effective beyond a few thousand +miles range at most—and the dark +star could span millions. If the invader +passed on, its havoc would +be only a trifle smaller, for it had +already destroyed two members of +the solar system and was now striking +at its most vital part. Without +the sun, life would die, but even +with the sun the planets must rearrange +themselves because of the +destruction of balance.</p> + +<p>Even he could hardly grasp the +vast and abysmal catastrophe that +without warning had swept from +space. How could the dark star +have traversed three thousand light-years +of space in a week's time? +It was unthinkable! So stupendous +a control of power, so gigantic a +manipulation of cosmic forces, so +annihilating a possession of the +greatest secrets of the universe, was +an unheard-of concentration of +energy and knowledge of stellar +mechanics. But the evidence of his +own eyes and the path of the dark +star with flaming suns to mark its +progress, told him in language +which could not be refuted that the +dark star possessed all that immeasurable, +titanic knowledge. It +was the lord of the universe. There +was nothing which the dark star +could not crush or conquer or +change. The thought of that immense, +supreme power numbed his +mind. It opened vistas of a civilization, +and a progress, and an unparalleled +mastery of all knowledge +which was almost beyond conception.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">Already</span> the news had raced +across the world. On Phobar's +television screen flashed scenes of +nightmare; the radio spewed a +gibberish of terror. In one day +panic had swept the Earth; on the +remaining members of the Five +World Federation the same story +was repeated. Rioting mobs drowned +out the chant of religious fanatics +who hailed Judgment Day. Great +fires turned the air murky and +flame-shot. Machine guns spat regularly +in city streets; looting, murder, +and fear-crazed crimes were +universal. Civilization had completely +vanished overnight.</p> + +<p>The tides roared higher than they +ever had before; for every thousand +people drowned on the American +seaboards, a hundred thousand +perished in China and India. Dead +volcanoes boomed into the worst +eruptions known. Half of Japan +sank during the most violent earthquake +in history. Land rocked, the +seas boiled, cyclones howled out +of the skies. A billion eyes focused +on Mecca, the mad beating of tom-toms +rolled across all Africa, women +and children were trampled to death +by the crowds that jammed into +churches.</p> + +<p>"Has man lived in vain?" asked +the philosopher.</p> + +<p>"The world is doomed. There is +no escape," said the scientist.</p> + +<p>"The day of reckoning has come! +The wrath of God is upon us!" +shouted the street preachers.</p> + +<p>In a daze, Phobar switched off +the bedlam and, walking like a man +asleep, strode out, he did not care +where, if only to get away.</p> + +<p>The ground and the sky were +like a dying fire. The sun seemed +a half-dead cinder. Only the great +swathe of radiance between the sun +and the dark star had any brilliance. +Sinister, menacing, now +larger even than the sun, the invader +from beyond hung in the +heavens.</p> + +<p>As Phobar watched it, the air +around him prickled strangely. A +sixth sense gave warning. He turned +to race back into his house. His +legs failed. A fantastic orange light +bathed him, countless needles of +pain shot through his whole body, +the world darkened.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">Earth</span> had somehow been +blotted out. There was a brief +blackness, the nausea of space and +of a great fall that compressed eternity +into a moment. Then a swimming +confusion, and outlines which +gradually came to rest.</p> + +<p>Phobar was too utterly amazed +to cry out or run. He stood inside +the most titanic edifice he could +have imagined, a single gigantic +structure vaster than all New York +City. Far overhead swept a black +roof fading into the horizon, beneath +his feet was the same metal +substance. In the midst of this +giant work soared the base of a +tower that pierced the roof thousands +of feet above.</p> + +<p>Everywhere loomed machines, +enormous dynamos, cathode tubes +a hundred feet long, masses and +mountains of such fantastic apparatus +as he had never encountered. +The air was bluish, electric. From +the black substance came a phosphorescent +radiance. The triumphant +drone of motors and a terrific +crackle of electricity were everywhere. +Off to his right purple-blue +flames the size of Sequoia trees +flickered around a group of what +looked like condensers as huge as +Gibraltar. At the base of the central +tower half a mile distant Phobar +could see something that resembled +a great switchboard studded with +silver controls. Near it was a series +of mechanisms at whose purpose +he could not even guess.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">All</span> this his astounded eyes +took in at one confused glance. +The thing that gave him unreasoning +terror was the hundred-foot-high +metal monster before him. It +defied description. It was unlike +any color known on Earth, a blinding +color sinister with power and +evil. Its shape was equally ambiguous—it +rippled like quicksilver, +now compact, now spread out in a +thousand limbs. But what appalled +Phobar was its definite possession +of rational life. More, its very +thoughts were transmitted to him +as clearly as though written in his +own English:</p> + +<p>"Follow me!"</p> + +<p>Phobar's mind did not function—but +his legs moved regularly. In +the grasp of this mental, metal +monster he was a mere automaton. +Phobar noticed idly that he had to +step down from a flat disk a dozen +yards across. By some power, some +tremendous discovery that he could +not understand, he had been transported +across millions of miles of +space—undoubtedly to the dark star +itself!</p> + +<p>The colossal thing, indescribable, +a blinding, nameless color, rippled +down the hall and stooped before +a disk of silvery black. In the +center of the disk was a metal seat +with a control board near-by.</p> + +<p>"Be seated!"</p> + +<p>Phobar sat down, the titan flicked +the controls—and nothing happened.</p> + +<p>Phobar sensed that something +was radically wrong. He felt the +surprise of his gigantic companion. +He did not know it then, but the +fate of the solar system hung on +that incident.</p> + +<p>"Come!"</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">Abruptly</span> the giant stooped, +and Phobar shrank back, but +a flowing mass of cold, insensate +metal swept around him, lifted him +fifty feet in the air. Dizzy, sick, +horrified, he was hardly conscious +of the whirlwind motion into which +the giant suddenly shot. He had a +dim impression of machines racing +by, of countless other giants, +of a sudden opening in the walls of +the immense building, and then a +rush across the surface of metal +land. Even in his vertigo he had +enough curiosity to marvel that +there was no vegetation, no water, +only the dull black metal everywhere. +Yet there was air.</p> + +<p>And then a city loomed before +them. To Phobar it seemed a city +of gods or giants. Fully five miles +it soared toward space, its fantastic +angles and arcs and cubes and pyramids +mazing in the dimensions of +a totally alien geometry. Tier by +tier the stupendous city, hundreds +of miles wide, mounted toward a +central tower like the one in the +building he had left.</p> + +<p>Phobar never knew how they got +there, but his numbed mind was at +last forced into clarity by a greater +will. He stared about him. His +captor had gone. He stood in a +huge chamber circling to a dome +far overhead. Before him, on a dais +a full thousand feet in diameter, +stood—sat—rested, whatever it might +be called—another monster, far +larger than any he had yet seen, +like a mountain of pliant thinking, +living metal. And Phobar knew he +stood in the presence of the ruler.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">The</span> metal Cyclops surveyed +him as Phobar might have surveyed +an ant. Cold, deadly, dispassionate +scrutiny came from +something that might have been +eyes, or a seeing intelligence locked +in a metal body.</p> + +<p>There was no sound, but inwardly +to Phobar's consciousness +from the peak of the titan far +above him came a command:</p> + +<p>"What are you called?"</p> + +<p>Phobar opened his lips—but even +before he spoke, he knew that the +thing had understood his thought: +"Phobar."</p> + +<p>"I am Garboreggg, ruler of Xlarbti, +the Lord of the Universes."</p> + +<p>"Lord of the <i>Universes</i>?"</p> + +<p>"I and my world come from one +of the universes beyond the reach +of your telescopes." Phobar somehow +felt that the thing was talking +to him as he would to a new-born +babe.</p> + +<p>"What do you want of me?"</p> + +<p>"Tell your Earth that I want the +entire supply of your radium ores +mined and placed above ground +according to the instructions I +give, by seven of your days hence."</p> + +<p>A dozen questions sprang to +Phobar's lips. He felt again that +he was being treated like a child.</p> + +<p>"Why do you want our radium +ores?"</p> + +<p>"Because they are the rarest of +the elements on your scale, are absent +on ours, and supply us with +some of the tremendous energy we +need."</p> + +<p>"Why don't you obtain the ores +from other worlds?"</p> + +<p>"We do. We are taking them +from all worlds where they exist. +But we need yours also."</p> + +<p>Raiders of the universe! Looting +young worlds of the precious radium +ores! Piracy on a cosmic +scale!</p> + +<p>"And if Earth refuses your demand?"</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">For</span> answer, Garboreggg rippled +to a wall of the room and +pressed a button. The wall dissolved, +weirdly, mysteriously. A +series of vast silver plates was revealed, +and a battery of control +levers.</p> + +<p>"This will happen to all of your +Earth unless the ores are given us."</p> + +<p>The titan closed a switch. On the +first screen flashed the picture of a +huge tower such as Phobar had seen +in the metal city.</p> + +<p>Garboreggg adjusted a second +control that was something like a +range-finder. He pressed a third +lever—and from the tower leaped a +surge of terrific energy, like a bolt +of lightning a quarter of a mile +broad. The giant closed another +switch—and on the second plate +flashed a picture of New York City.</p> + +<p>Then—waiting. Seconds, minutes +drifted by. The atmosphere became +tense, nerve-cracking. Phobar's eyes +ached with the intensity of his +stare. What would happen?</p> + +<p>Abruptly it came.</p> + +<p>A monstrous bolt of energy +streaked from the skies, purple-blue +death in a pillar a fourth of +a mile broad crashed into the heart +of New York City, swept up and +down Manhattan, across and back, +and suddenly vanished.</p> + +<p>In fifteen seconds, only a molten +hell of fused structures and incinerated +millions of human beings +remained of the world's first city.</p> + +<p>Phobar was crushed, appalled, +then utter loathing for this soulless +thing poured through him. If only—</p> + +<p>"It is useless. You can do nothing," +answered the ruler as though +it had grasped his thought.</p> + +<p>"But why, if you could pick me +off the Earth, do you not draw the +radium ores in the same way?" +Phobar demanded.</p> + +<p>"The orange-ray picks up only +loose, portable objects. We can and +will transport the radium ores here +by means of the ray after they have +been mined and placed on platforms +or disks."</p> + +<p>"Why did you select me from all +the millions of people on Earth?"</p> + +<p>"Solely because you were the first +apparent scientist whom our cosmotel +chanced upon. It will be up +to you to notify your Earth governments +of our demand."</p> + +<p>"But afterwards!" Phobar burst +out aloud. "What then?"</p> + +<p>"We will depart."</p> + +<p>"It will mean death to us! The +solar system will be wrecked with +Neptune gone and Saturn following +it!"</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">Garboreggg</span> made no answer. +To that impassive, cold, inhuman +thing, it did not matter if a +nation or a whole world perished. +Phobar had already seen with what +deliberate calm it destroyed a city, +merely to show him what power +the lords of Xlarbti controlled. Besides, +what guarantee was there +that the invaders would not loot +the Earth of everything they +wanted and then annihilate all life +upon it before they departed? Yet +Phobar knew he was helpless, knew +that the men of Earth would be +forced to do whatever was asked of +them, and trust that the raiders +would fulfill their promise.</p> + +<p>"Two hours remain for your stay +here," came the ruler's dictum to +interrupt his line of thought. "For +the first half of that period you +will tell me of your world and +answer whatever questions I may +ask. During the rest of the interval, +I will explain some of the things +you wish to learn about us."</p> + +<p>Again Phobar felt Garboreggg's +disdain, knew that the metal giant +regarded him as a kind of childish +plaything for an hour or two's +amusement. But he had no choice, +and so he told Garboreggg of the +life on Earth, how it arose and +along what lines it had developed; +he narrated in brief the extent of +man's knowledge, his scientific +achievements, his mastery of weapons +and forces and machines, his +social organization.</p> + +<p>When he had finished, he felt as +a Stone Age man might feel in the +presence of a brilliant scientist of +the thirty-fourth century. If any +sign of interest had shown on the +peak of the metallic lord, Phobar +failed to see it. But he sensed an +intolerant sneer of ridicule in Garboreggg, +as though the ruler considered +these statements to be only +the most elementary of facts.</p> + +<p>Then, for three quarters of an +hour, in the manner of one lecturing +an ignorant pupil, the giant +crowded its thought-pictures into +Phobar's mind so that finally he +understood a little of the raiders +and of the sudden terror that had +flamed from the abysses into the +solar system.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">"The</span> universe of matter that +you know is only one of the +countless universes which comprise +the cosmos," began Garboreggg. "In +your universe, you have a scale of +ninety-two elements, you have your +color-spectrum, your rays and waves +of many kinds. You are subject to +definite laws controlling matter and +energy as you know them.</p> + +<p>"But we are of a different universe, +on a different scale from +yours, a trillion light-years away in +space, eons distant in time. The +natural laws which govern us differ +from those controlling you. In our +universe, you would be hopelessly +lost, completely helpless, unless you +possessed the knowledge that your +people will not attain even in millions +of years. But we, who are so +much older and greater than you, +have for so long studied the nature +of the other universes that we can +enter and leave them at will, taking +what we wish, doing as we wish, +creating or destroying worlds whenever +the need arises, coming and +hurtling away when we choose.</p> + +<p>"There is no vegetable life in +our universe. There is only the +scale of elements ranging from 842 +to 966 on the extension of your +own scale. At this high range, +metals of complex kinds exist. +There is none of what you call +water, no vegetable world, no animal +kingdom. Instead, there are +energies, forces, rays, and waves, +which are food to us and which +nourish our life-stream just as pigs, +potatoes, and bread are food to you.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">"Trillions</span> of years ago in +your time-calculation, but +only a few dozen centuries ago +in ours, life arose on the giant +world Kygpton in our universe. It +was life, our life, the life of my +people and myself, intelligence +animating bodies of pliant metal, +existing almost endlessly on an +almost inexhaustible source of +energy.</p> + +<p>"But all matter wears down. On +Kygpton there was a variety of +useful metals, others that were +valueless. There was comparatively +little of the first, much of the second. +Kygpton itself was a world +as large as your entire solar system, +with a diameter roughly of +four billion miles. Our ancestors +knew that Kygpton was dying, that +the store of our most precious element +Sthalreh was dwindling. But +already our ancestors had mastered +the forces of our universe, had +made inventions that are beyond +your understanding, had explored +the limits of our universe in space-cars +that were propelled by the +free energies in space and by the +attracting-repelling influences of +stars.</p> + +<p>"The metal inhabitants of Kygpton +employed every invention they +knew to accomplish an engineering +miracle that makes your bridges +and mines seem but the puny efforts +of a gnat. They blasted all +the remaining ores of Sthalreh from +the surface and interior of Kygpton +and refined them. Then they created +a gigantic vacuum, a dead-field in +space a hundred million miles away +from their world. The dead-field +was controlled from Kygpton by +atomic-projectors, energy-absorbers, +gravitation-nullifiers and cosmotels, +range-regulators, and a host of +other inventions.</p> + +<p>"As fast as it was mined and extracted, +the Sthalreh metal was +vaporized, shot into the dead-field +by interstellar rays, and solidified +there along an invisible framework +which we projected. In a decade of +our time, we had pillaged Kygpton +of every particle of Sthalreh. And +then in our skies hung an artificial +world, a manufactured sphere, a +giant new planet, the world you +yourself are now on—Xlarbti!</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">"We</span> did not create a solid +globe. We left chambers, +tunnels, passageways, storerooms +throughout it or piercing it from +surface to surface. Thus, even as +Xlarbti was being created, we provided +for everything that we needed +or could need—experimental laboratories, +sub-surface vaults, chambers +for the innumerable huge ray dynamos, +energy storage batteries, and +other apparatus which we required.</p> + +<p>"And when all was ready, we +transferred by space-cars and by +atomic individuation all our necessities +from Kygpton to the artificial +world Xlarbti. And when everything +was prepared, we destroyed the +dead-field by duplicate control from +Xlarbti, turned our repulsion-power +on full against the now useless +and dying giant world Kygpton, +and swung upon our path.</p> + +<p>"But our whole universe is incredibly +old. It was mature before +ever your young suns flamed out +of the gaseous nebulæ, it was decaying +when your molten planets +were flung from the central sun, it +was dying before the boiling seas +had given birth to land upon your +sphere. And while we had enough +of our own particular electrical +food to last us for a million of +your years, and enough power to +guide Xlarbti to other universes, +we had exhausted all the remaining +energy of our entire universe. And +when we finally left it to dwindle +behind us in the black abysses of +space, we left it, a dead cinder, +devoid of life, vitiated of activity, +and utterly lacking in cosmic forces, +a universe finally run down.</p> + +<p>"The universes, as you may know, +are set off from each other by +totally black and empty abysms, expanses +so vast that light-rays have +not yet crossed many of them. +How did we accomplish the feat of +traversing such a gulf? By the +simplest of means: acceleration. +Why? Because to remain in our +universe meant inevitable death. +We gambled on the greatest adventure +in all the cosmos.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">"To</span> begin with, we circled our +universe to the remotest point +opposite where we wanted to leave +it. We then turned our attraction +powers on part way so that the +millions of stars before us drew us +ahead, then we gradually stepped +up the power to its full strength, +thus ever increasing our speed. At +the same time, as stars passed to +our rear in our flight, we turned our +repulsion-rays against them, stepping +that power up also.</p> + +<p>"Our initial speed was twenty-four +miles per second. Midway in +our universe we had reached the +speed of your light—186,000 miles +per second. By the time we left +our universe, we were hurtling at +a speed which we estimated to be +1,600,000,000 miles per second. Yet +even at that tremendous speed, it +took us years to cross from our +universe to yours. If we had encountered +even a planetoid at that +enormous rate, we would probably +have been annihilated in white-hot +death. But we had planned well, and +there are no superiors to our stellar +mechanics, our astronomers, our +scientists.</p> + +<p>"When we finally hurtled from +the black void into your universe, +we found what we had only dared +hope for: a young universe, with +many planets and cooling worlds +rich in radium ores, the only element +in your scale that can help to +replenish our vanishing energy. +Half your universe we have already +deprived of its ores. Your Earth +has more that we want. Then we +shall continue on our way, to loot +the rest of the worlds, before +passing on to another universe. We +are a planet without a universe. +We will wander and pillage until +we find a universe like the one we +come from, or until Xlarbti itself +disintegrates and we perish.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">"We</span> could easily wipe out all +the dwellers on Earth and +mine the ores ourselves. But that +would be a needless waste of our +powers, for since you can not defy +us, and since the desire for life +burns as high in you as in us and +as it does in all sensate things in +all universes, your people will save +themselves from death and save us +from wasting energy by mining the +ores for us. What happens afterwards, +we do not care.</p> + +<p>"The seven new suns that you +saw were dead worlds that we used +as buffers to slow down Xlarbti. +The full strength of our repulsion-force +directed against any single +world necessarily turns it into a +liquid or gaseous state depending +on various factors. Your planet +Neptune was pulled out of the solar +system by the attraction of Xlarbti's +mass. The flame-paths, as you call +them, are directed streams of energy +for different purposes: the one to +the sun supplies us, for instance, +with heat, light, and electricity, +which in turn are stored up for +eventual use.</p> + +<p>"The orange-ray that you felt is +one of our achievements. It is +similar to the double-action pumps +used in some of your sulphur mines, +whereby a pipe is inclosed in a +larger pipe, and hot water forced +down through the larger tubing returns +sulphur-laden through the +central pipe. The orange-ray instantaneously +dissolves any portable +object up to a certain size, +propels it back to Xlarbti through +its center which is the reverse ray, +and here reforms the object, just +as you were recreated on the disk +that you stood on when you regained +consciousness.</p> + +<p>"But I have not enough time to +explain everything on Xlarbti to +you; nor would you comprehend it +all if I did. Your stay is almost up.</p> + +<p>"In that one control-panel lies all +the power that we have mastered," +boasted Garboreggg with supreme +egotism. "It connects with the individual +controls throughout +Xlarbti."</p> + +<p>"What is the purpose of some of +the levers?" asked Phobar, with a +desperate hope in his thoughts.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">A filament</span> of metal whipped +to the panel from the lord +of Xlarbti. "This first section duplicates +the control-panel that you +saw in the laboratory where you +opened your eyes. Do not think +that you can make use of this information—in +ten minutes you will +be back on your Earth to deliver +our command. Between now and +that moment you will be so closely +watched that you can do nothing +and will have no opportunity to +try.</p> + +<p>"This first lever controls the +attraction rays, the second the repulsion +force. The third dial regulates +the orange-ray by which you +will be returned to Earth. The +fourth switch directs the electrical +bolt that destroyed New York City. +Next it is a device that we have +never had occasion to use. It releases +the Krangor-wave throughout +Xlarbti. Its effect is to make +each atom of Xlarbti, the Sthalreh +metal and everything on it, become +compact, to do away with the empty +spaces that exist in every atom. +Theoretically, it would reduce +Xlarbti to a fraction of its present +size, diminish its mass while its +weight and gravity remained as before.</p> + +<p>"The next lever controls matter +to be transported between here and +the first laboratory. Somewhat like +the orange-ray, it disintegrates the +object and reassembles it here."</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">So</span> that was what Phobar's captor +had been trying to do with +him back there in the laboratory! +"Why was I not brought here by +that means?" burst out Phobar.</p> + +<p>"Because you belong to a different +universe," answered Garboreggg. +"Without experimentation, we cannot +tell what natural laws of ours +you would not be subject to, but +this is one of them." A gesture of +irritation seemed to come from him. +"Some laws hold good in all the +universes we have thus far investigated. +The orange-ray, for instance, +picked you up as it would +have plucked one of us from the +surface of Kygpton. But on Xlarbti, +which is composed entirely of +Sthalreh, your atomic nature and +physical constitution are so different +from ours that they were unaffected +by the energy that ordinarily +transports objects here."</p> + +<p>Thus the metal nightmare went +rapidly over the control-panel. At +length Phobar's captor, or another +thing like him, reentered when +Garboreggg flicked a strange-looking +protuberance on the panel.</p> + +<p>"You will now be returned to +your world," came the thought of +Garboreggg. "We shall watch you +through our cosmotel to see that +you deliver our instructions. Unless +the nations of Earth obey us, they +will be obliterated at the end of +seven days."</p> + +<p>A wild impulse to smash that +impassive, metallic monster passed +from Phobar as quickly as it came. +He was helpless. Sick and despairing, +he felt the cold, baffling-colored +metal close around him +again; once more he was borne +aloft for the journey to the laboratory, +from there to be propelled +back to Earth.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">Seven</span> days of grace! But +Phobar knew that less than +ten minutes remained to him. Only +here could he possibly accomplish +anything. Once off the surface of +Xlarbti, there was not the remotest +chance that all the nations of Earth +could reach the invaders or even +attempt to defy them. Yet what +could he alone do in a week, to +say nothing of ten minutes?</p> + +<p>He sensed the amused, supercilious +contempt of his captor. That +was really the greatest obstacle, +this ability of theirs to read +thought-pictures. And already he +had given them enough word-pictures +of English so that they could +understand....</p> + +<p>In the back of Phobar's mind the +ghost of a desperate thought suddenly +came. What was it he had +learned years ago in college? +Homer—"The Odyssey"—Plutarch.... +From rusty, disused corners +of memory crept forth the half-forgotten +words. He bent all his +efforts to the task, not daring to +think ahead or plan ahead or visualize +anything but the Greek words.</p> + +<p>He felt the bewilderment of his +captor. To throw it off the track, +Phobar suddenly let an ancient +English nursery rime slip into his +thoughts. The disgust that emanated +from his captor was laughable; +Phobar could have shouted +aloud. But the Greek words....</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">Already</span> the pair had left the +mountain-high titan city far +behind; they rippled across the +smooth, black surface of Xlarbti, +and bore like rifle bullets down on +the swiftly looming laboratory. In +a few minutes it would be too late +forever. Now the lost Greek words +burst into Phobar's mind, and, hoping +against hope, he thought in +Greek word-pictures which his captor +could not understand. He +weighed chances, long shots. Into +his brain flashed an idea.... But +they were upon the laboratory; a +stupendous door dissolved weirdly +into shimmering haze; they sped +through.</p> + +<p>Phobar's hand clutched a bulge +in his pocket. Would it work? +How could it?</p> + +<p>They were beyond the door now +and racing across the great expanse +of the floor, past the central tower, +past the control-panel which he had +first seen....</p> + +<p>And as if by magic there leaped +into Phobar's mind a clear-cut, +vivid picture of violet oceans of +energy crackling and streaking +from the heavens to crash through +the laboratory roof and barely miss +striking his captor behind. Even +as Phobar created the image of that +terrific death, his captor whirled +around in a lightning movement, a +long arm of metal flicking outward +at the same instant to drop Phobar +to the ground.</p> + +<p>Like a flash Phobar was on his +feet; his hand whipped from his +pocket, and with all his strength +he flung a gleaming object straight +toward the fifth lever on the control-panel +a dozen yards away. As +a clumsy arrow would, his oversize +bunch of keys twisted to their +mark, clanked, and spread against +the fifth control, which was the +size regulator.</p> + +<p>As rapidly as Phobar's captor +had spun around, it reversed again, +having guessed the trick. A tentacle +of pliant metal snaked toward +Phobar like a streak of flame.</p> + +<p>But in those few seconds a terrific +holocaust had taken place. As +Phobar's keys spattered against the +fifth lever, there came an immediate, +growing, strange, high whine, +and a sickening collapse of the very +surface beneath them. Everywhere +outlines of objects wavered, changed +melted, shrank with a steady and +nauseatingly swift motion. The roof +of the laboratory high overhead +plunged downward; the far-distant +walls swept inward, contracted. +And the metal monsters themselves +dwindled as though they were vast +rubber figures from which the air +was hissing.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">Phobar</span> sprang back as the +tentacle whipped after him. +Only that jump and the suddenly +dwarfing dimensions of the giant +saved him. And even in that instant +of wild action, Phobar +shouted aloud—for this whole +world was collapsing, together with +everything on it, except he himself +who came of a different universe +and remained unaffected! It was +the long shot he had gambled on, +the one chance he had to strike +a blow.</p> + +<p>All over the shrinking laboratory +the monsters were rushing toward +him. His dwindling captor flung +another tentacle toward the control-panel +to replace the size-regulating +lever. But Phobar had anticipated +that possibility and had already +leaped to the switchboard, sweeping +a heavy bar from its place and +crashing it down on the lever so +that it could not be replaced without +being repaired. Almost in the +same move he had bounded away +again, the former hundred-foot +giant now scarcely more than his +own height. But throughout the +laboratory, the other metal things +had halted in their tasks and were +racing onward.</p> + +<p>Phobar always remembered that +battle in the laboratory as a scene +from some horrible nightmare. The +catastrophe came so rapidly that he +could hardly follow the whirlwind +events. The half dozen great leaps +he made from the lashing tentacles +of his pursuer sufficed to give him +a few seconds' respite, and then +the weird, howling sound of the +tortured world swelled to a piercing +wail. His lungs were laboring +from the violence of his exertions; +again and again he barely escaped +from the curling whips of metal +tentacles. And now the monster was +hardly a foot high; the huge condensers +and tubes and colossal +machinery were like those of a +pygmy laboratory. And overhead +the roof plunged ever downward.</p> + +<p>But Phobar was cornered at last. +He stood in the center of a circle +of the foot-high things. His captor +suddenly shot forth a dozen rope-like +arms toward him as the others +closed in. He had not even a +weapon, for he had dropped the +bar in his first mad bound away +from the control-panel. He saw +himself trapped in his own trick, +for in minutes at most the laboratory +would be crushing him with +fearful force.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">Blindly</span> Phobar reverted to a +primitive defense in this moment +of infinite danger and kicked +with all his strength at the squat +monster before him. The thing tried +to whirl aside, but Phobar's shoe +squashed thickly through, and in a +disorder of quivering pieces the +metal creature fell, and subsided. +Knowing at last that the invaders +were vulnerable and how they could +be killed, Phobar went leaping and +stamping on those nearest him. +Under foot, they disintegrated into +little pulpy lumps of inert metal.</p> + +<p>In a trice he broke beyond the +circle and darted to the control-panel. +One quick glance showed +him that the roof was now scarcely +a half dozen yards above. With +fingers that fumbled in haste at +tiny levers and dials, he spun several +of them—the repulsion-ray +full—the attraction-ray full. And +when they were set, he picked up +the bar he had dropped and smashed +the controls so that they were helplessly +jammed. He could almost +feel the planet catapult through +the heavens.</p> + +<p>The laboratory roof was only a +foot over his head. He whirled +around, squashed a dozen tiny +creeping things, leaped to a disk +that was now not more than a few +inches broad. Stooping low, balancing +himself precariously, he +somehow managed to close the tiny +switch. A haze of orange light +enveloped him, there came a great +vertigo and dizziness and pain, he +felt himself falling through bottomless +spaces....</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">So</span> exhausted that he could +scarcely move, Phobar blinked +his eyes open to brilliant daylight +in the chill of a November Indian +summer noon. The sun shone radiant +in the heavens; off in the distance +he heard a pandemonium of +bells and whistles. Wearily he noticed +that there were no flame-paths +in the sky.</p> + +<p>Staggering weakly, he made his +way to the observatory, mounted +the steps with tired limbs, and +wobbled to the eyepiece of his +telescope which he had left focused +on the dark star two hours before. +Almost trembling, he peered +through it.</p> + +<p>The dark star was gone. Somewhere +far out in the abysses of the +universe, a runaway world plunged +headlong at ever-mounting speed +to uncharted regions under its +double acceleration of attraction +and repulsion.</p> + +<p>A sigh of contentment came from +his lips as he sank into a heavy and +profound sleep. Later he would +learn of the readjustments in the +solar system, and of the colder +climate that came to Earth, and of +the vast changes permanently made +by the invading planet, and of a +blazing new star discovered in +Orion that might signify the birth +of a sun or the death of a metallic +dark world.</p> + +<p>But these were events to be, and +he demanded his immediate reward +of a day's dreamless slumber.</p> + +<div class="trn"><div class="figt"><a href="images/002-2.jpg"><img src="images/002-1.jpg" width="135" height="200" alt="" title="" /></a></div> + +<p><big><b>Transcriber's Note:</b></big></p> + +<p>This etext was produced from <i>Astounding Stories</i> September 1932. +Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. +copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and +typographical errors have been corrected without note.</p></div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Raiders of the Universes, by Donald Wandrei + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RAIDERS OF THE UNIVERSES *** + +***** This file should be named 29389-h.htm or 29389-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/3/8/29389/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Raiders of the Universes + +Author: Donald Wandrei + +Release Date: July 12, 2009 [EBook #29389] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RAIDERS OF THE UNIVERSES *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: _He somehow managed to close the tiny switch._] + + +Raiders of the Universes + +By Donald Wandrei + + + Childlike, the great astronomer + Phobar stands before the metallic + invaders of the ravished solar + system. + + +It was in the thirty-fourth century that the dark star began its famous +conquest, unparalleled in stellar annals. Phobar the astronomer +discovered it. He was sweeping the heavens with one of the newly +invented multi-powered Sussendorf comet-hunters when something caught +his eye--a new star of great brilliance in the foreground of the +constellation Hercules. + +For the rest of the night, he cast aside all his plans and concentrated +on the one star. He witnessed an unprecedented event. Mercia's +nullifier had just been invented, a curious and intricate device, based +on four-dimensional geometry, that made it possible to see occurrences +in the universe which had hitherto required the hundreds of years needed +for light to cross the intervening space before they were visible on +Earth. By a hasty calculation with the aid of this invention, Phobar +found that the new star was about three thousand light-years distant, +and that it was hurtling backward into space at the rate of twelve +hundred miles per second. The remarkable feature of his discovery was +this appearance of a fourth-magnitude star where none had been known to +exist. Perhaps it had come into existence this very night. + +On the succeeding night, he was given a greater surprise. In line with +the first star, but several hundred light-years nearer, was a second new +star of even more brightness. And it, too, was hurtling backward into +space at approximately twelve hundred miles per second. Phobar was +astonished. Two new stars discovered within twenty-four hours in the +same part of the heavens, both of the fourth magnitude! But his surprise +was as nothing when on the succeeding night, even while he watched, a +third new star appeared in line with these, but much closer. + +At midnight he first noticed a pin-point of faint light; by one o'clock +the star was of eighth magnitude. At two it was a brilliant sun of the +second magnitude blazing away from Earth like the others at a rate of +twelve hundred miles per second. And on the next evening, and the next, +and the next, other new stars appeared until there were seven in all, +every one on a line in the same constellation Hercules, every one with +the same radiance and the same proper motion, though of varying size! + + * * * * * + +Phobar had broadcast his discovery to incredulous astronomers; but as +star after star appeared nightly, all the telescopes on Earth were +turned toward one of the most spectacular cataclysms that history +recorded. Far out in the depths of space, with unheard-of regularity and +unheard-of precision, new worlds were flaming up overnight in a line +that began at Hercules and extended toward the solar system. + +Phobar's announcement was immediately flashed to Venus, Mars, Jupiter, +and Saturn, the other members of the Five World Federation. Saturn +reported no evidence of the phenomena, because of the interfering rings +and the lack of Mercia's nullifier. But Jupiter, with a similar device, +witnessed the phenomena and announced furthermore that many stars in the +neighborhood of the novae had begun to deviate in singular and abrupt +fashion from their normal positions. + +There was not as yet much popular interest in the phenomena. Without +Mercia's nullifier, the stars were not visible to ordinary eyes, since +the light-rays would take years to reach the Earth. But every astronomer +who had access to Mercia's nullifier hastened to focus his telescope on +the region where extraordinary events were taking place out in the +unfathomable gulf of night. Some terrific force was at work, creating +worlds and disturbing the positions of stars within a radius already +known to extend billions and trillions of miles from the path of the +seven new stars. But of the nature of that force, astronomers could only +guess. + + * * * * * + +Phobar took up his duties early on the eighth night. The last star had +appeared about five hundred light-years distant. If an eighth new star +was found, it should be not more than a few light-years away. But +nothing happened. All night Phobar kept his telescope pointed at the +probable spot, but search as he might, the heavens showed nothing new. +In the morning he sought eagerly for news of any discovery made by +fellow-watchers, but they, too, had found nothing unusual. Could it be +that the mystery would now fade away, a new riddle of the skies? + +The next evening, he took up his position once more, training his +telescope on the seven bright stars, and then on the region where an +eighth, if there were one, should appear. For hours he searched the +abyss in vain. He could find none. Apparently the phenomena were ended. +At midnight he took a last glance before entering on some tedious +calculations. It was there! In the center of the telescope a faint, hazy +object steadily grew in brightness. All his problems were forgotten as +Phobar watched the eighth star increase hourly. Closer than any other, +closer even than Alpha Centauri, the new sun appeared, scarcely three +light-years away across the void surrounding the solar system. And all +the while he watched, he witnessed a thing no man had ever before +seen--the birth of a world! + + * * * * * + +By one o'clock, the new star was of fifth magnitude; by two it was of +the first. As the faint flush of dawn began to come toward the close of +that frosty, moonless November night, the new star was a great white-hot +object more brilliant than any other star in the heavens. Phobar knew +that when its light finally reached Earth so that ordinary eyes could +see, it would be the most beautiful object in the night sky. What was +the reason for these unparalleled births of worlds and the terrifying +mathematical precision that characterized them? + +Whatever the cosmic force behind, it was progressing toward the solar +system. Perhaps it would even disturb the balance of the planets. The +possible chance of such an event had already called the attention of +some astronomers, but the whole phenomenon was too inexplicable to +permit more than speculation. + +The next evening was cloudy. Jupiter reported nothing new except that +Neptune had deviated from its course and tended to pursue an erratic and +puzzling new orbit. + +Phobar pondered long over this last news item and turned his attention +to the outermost planet on the succeeding night. To his surprise, he had +great difficulty in locating it. The ephemeris was of absolutely no use. +When he did locate Neptune after a brief search, he discovered it more +than eighty million miles from its scheduled place! This was at +one-forty. At two-ten he was thunderstruck by a special announcement +sent from the Central Bureau to every observatory and astronomer of note +throughout the world, proclaiming the discovery of an ultra-Plutonian +planet. Phobar was incredulous. For centuries it had been proved that no +planet beyond Pluto could possibly exist. + + * * * * * + +With feverish haste, Phobar ran to the huge telescope and rapidly +focused it where the new planet should be. Five hundred million miles +beyond Neptune was a flaming path like the beam of a giant searchlight +that extended exactly to the eighth solar planet. Phobar gasped. He +could hardly credit the testimony of his eyes. He looked more closely. +The great stream of flame still crossed his line of vision. But this +time he saw something else: at the precise farther end of the flame-path +a round disk--dark! + +Beyond a doubt, a new planet of vast size now formed an addition to the +solar group. But that planet was almost impervious to the illuminating +rays of the sun and was barely discernible. Neptune itself shone +brighter than it ever had, and was falling away from the sun at a rate +of twelve hundred miles per second. + +All night Phobar watched the double mystery. By three o'clock, he was +convinced, as far as lightning calculations showed, that the invader was +hurtling toward the sun at a speed of more than ten million miles an +hour. At three-fifteen, he thought that vanishing Neptune seemed +brighter even than the band of fire running to the invader. At four, his +belief was certainty. With amazement and awe, Phobar sat through the +long, cold night, watching a spectacular and terrible catastrophe in the +sky. + +As dawn began to break and the stars grew paler, Phobar turned away from +his telescope, his brain awhirl, his heart filled with a great fear. He +had witnessed the devastation of a world, the ruin of a member of his +own planetary system by an invader from outer space. As dawn cut short +his observations, he knew at last the cause of Neptune's brightness, +knew that it was now a white-hot flaming sun that sped with increased +rapidity away from the solar system. Somehow, the terrible swathe of +fire that flowed from the dark star to Neptune had wrenched it out of +its orbit and made of it a molten inferno. + + * * * * * + +At dawn came another bulletin from the Central Bureau. Neptune had a +surface temperature of 3,000 deg. C, was defying all laws of celestial +mechanics, and within three days would have left the solar system for +ever. The results of such a disaster were unpredictable. The entire +solar system was likely to break up. Already Uranus and Jupiter had +deviated from their orbits. Unless something speedily occurred to check +the onrush of the dark star, it was prophesied that the laws governing +the planetary system would run to a new balance, and that in the ensuing +chaos the whole group would spread apart and fall toward the gulfs +beyond the great surrounding void. + +What was the nature of the great path of fire? What force did it +represent? And was the dark star controlled by intelligence, or was it a +blind wanderer from space that had come by accident? The flame-path +alone implied that the dark star was guided by an intelligence that +possessed the secret of inconceivable power. Menace hung in the sky now +where all eyes could see in a great arc of fire! + +The world was on the brink of eternity, and vast forces at whose nature +men could only guess were sweeping planets and suns out of its path. + +The following night was again cold and clear. High in the heavens, where +Neptune should have been, hung a disk of enormously greater size. +Neptune itself was almost invisible, hundreds of millions of miles +beyond its scheduled position. As nearly as Phobar could estimate, not +one hundredth of the sun's rays were reflected from the surface of the +dark star, a proportion far below those for the other planets. Phobar +had a better view of the flame-path, and it was with growing awe that he +watched that strange swathe in the sky during the dead of night. It shot +out from the dark star like a colossal beam or huge pillar of fire +seeking a food of worlds. + +With a shiver of cold fear he saw that there were now three of the +bands: one toward Neptune, one toward Saturn, and one toward the sun. +The first was fading, a milky, misty white; the second shone almost as +bright as the first one previously had; and the third, toward the sun, +was a dazzling stream of orange radiance, burning with a steady, +terrible, unbelievable intensity across two and a half billions of miles +of space! That gigantic flare was the most brilliant sight in the whole +night sky, an awful and abysmally prophetic flame that made city streets +black with staring people, a radiance whose grandeur and terrific +implication of cosmic power brought beauty and the fear of doom into the +heavens! + + * * * * * + +Those paths could not be explained by all the physicists and all the +astronomers in the Five World Federation. They possessed the properties +of light, but they were rigid bands like a tube or a solid pillar from +which only the faintest of rays escaped; and they completely shut off +the heavens behind them. They had, moreover, singular properties which +could not be described, as if a new force were embodied in them. + +Hour after hour humanity watched the spectacular progress of the dark +star, watched those mysterious and threatening paths of light that +flowed from the invader. When dawn came, it brought only a great fear +and the oppression of impending disaster. + +In the early morning, Phobar slept. When he awoke, he felt refreshed and +decided to take a short walk in the familiar and peaceful light of day. +He never took that walk. He opened the door on a kind of dim and reddish +twilight. Not a cloud hung in the sky, but the sun shone feebly with a +dull red glow, and the skies were dull and somber, as if the sun were +dying as scientists had predicted it eventually would. + +Phobar stared at the dull heavens in a daze, at the foreboding +atmosphere and the livid sun that burned faintly as through a smoke +curtain. Then the truth flashed on him--it was the terrible path of fire +from the dark star! By what means he could not guess, by what appalling +control of immense and inconceivable forces he could not even imagine, +the dark star was sucking light and perhaps more than light from the +sun! + + * * * * * + +Phobar turned and shut the door. The world had seen its last dawn. If +the purpose of the dark star was destruction, none of the planets could +offer much opposition, for no weapon of theirs was effective beyond a +few thousand miles range at most--and the dark star could span millions. +If the invader passed on, its havoc would be only a trifle smaller, for +it had already destroyed two members of the solar system and was now +striking at its most vital part. Without the sun, life would die, but +even with the sun the planets must rearrange themselves because of the +destruction of balance. + +Even he could hardly grasp the vast and abysmal catastrophe that without +warning had swept from space. How could the dark star have traversed +three thousand light-years of space in a week's time? It was +unthinkable! So stupendous a control of power, so gigantic a +manipulation of cosmic forces, so annihilating a possession of the +greatest secrets of the universe, was an unheard-of concentration of +energy and knowledge of stellar mechanics. But the evidence of his own +eyes and the path of the dark star with flaming suns to mark its +progress, told him in language which could not be refuted that the dark +star possessed all that immeasurable, titanic knowledge. It was the lord +of the universe. There was nothing which the dark star could not crush +or conquer or change. The thought of that immense, supreme power numbed +his mind. It opened vistas of a civilization, and a progress, and an +unparalleled mastery of all knowledge which was almost beyond +conception. + + * * * * * + +Already the news had raced across the world. On Phobar's television +screen flashed scenes of nightmare; the radio spewed a gibberish of +terror. In one day panic had swept the Earth; on the remaining members +of the Five World Federation the same story was repeated. Rioting mobs +drowned out the chant of religious fanatics who hailed Judgment Day. +Great fires turned the air murky and flame-shot. Machine guns spat +regularly in city streets; looting, murder, and fear-crazed crimes were +universal. Civilization had completely vanished overnight. + +The tides roared higher than they ever had before; for every thousand +people drowned on the American seaboards, a hundred thousand perished in +China and India. Dead volcanoes boomed into the worst eruptions known. +Half of Japan sank during the most violent earthquake in history. Land +rocked, the seas boiled, cyclones howled out of the skies. A billion +eyes focused on Mecca, the mad beating of tom-toms rolled across all +Africa, women and children were trampled to death by the crowds that +jammed into churches. + +"Has man lived in vain?" asked the philosopher. + +"The world is doomed. There is no escape," said the scientist. + +"The day of reckoning has come! The wrath of God is upon us!" shouted +the street preachers. + +In a daze, Phobar switched off the bedlam and, walking like a man +asleep, strode out, he did not care where, if only to get away. + +The ground and the sky were like a dying fire. The sun seemed a +half-dead cinder. Only the great swathe of radiance between the sun and +the dark star had any brilliance. Sinister, menacing, now larger even +than the sun, the invader from beyond hung in the heavens. + +As Phobar watched it, the air around him prickled strangely. A sixth +sense gave warning. He turned to race back into his house. His legs +failed. A fantastic orange light bathed him, countless needles of pain +shot through his whole body, the world darkened. + + * * * * * + +Earth had somehow been blotted out. There was a brief blackness, the +nausea of space and of a great fall that compressed eternity into a +moment. Then a swimming confusion, and outlines which gradually came to +rest. + +Phobar was too utterly amazed to cry out or run. He stood inside the +most titanic edifice he could have imagined, a single gigantic structure +vaster than all New York City. Far overhead swept a black roof fading +into the horizon, beneath his feet was the same metal substance. In the +midst of this giant work soared the base of a tower that pierced the +roof thousands of feet above. + +Everywhere loomed machines, enormous dynamos, cathode tubes a hundred +feet long, masses and mountains of such fantastic apparatus as he had +never encountered. The air was bluish, electric. From the black +substance came a phosphorescent radiance. The triumphant drone of motors +and a terrific crackle of electricity were everywhere. Off to his right +purple-blue flames the size of Sequoia trees flickered around a group of +what looked like condensers as huge as Gibraltar. At the base of the +central tower half a mile distant Phobar could see something that +resembled a great switchboard studded with silver controls. Near it was +a series of mechanisms at whose purpose he could not even guess. + + * * * * * + +All this his astounded eyes took in at one confused glance. The thing +that gave him unreasoning terror was the hundred-foot-high metal monster +before him. It defied description. It was unlike any color known on +Earth, a blinding color sinister with power and evil. Its shape was +equally ambiguous--it rippled like quicksilver, now compact, now spread +out in a thousand limbs. But what appalled Phobar was its definite +possession of rational life. More, its very thoughts were transmitted to +him as clearly as though written in his own English: + +"Follow me!" + +Phobar's mind did not function--but his legs moved regularly. In the +grasp of this mental, metal monster he was a mere automaton. Phobar +noticed idly that he had to step down from a flat disk a dozen yards +across. By some power, some tremendous discovery that he could not +understand, he had been transported across millions of miles of +space--undoubtedly to the dark star itself! + +The colossal thing, indescribable, a blinding, nameless color, rippled +down the hall and stooped before a disk of silvery black. In the center +of the disk was a metal seat with a control board near-by. + +"Be seated!" + +Phobar sat down, the titan flicked the controls--and nothing happened. + +Phobar sensed that something was radically wrong. He felt the surprise +of his gigantic companion. He did not know it then, but the fate of the +solar system hung on that incident. + +"Come!" + + * * * * * + +Abruptly the giant stooped, and Phobar shrank back, but a flowing mass +of cold, insensate metal swept around him, lifted him fifty feet in the +air. Dizzy, sick, horrified, he was hardly conscious of the whirlwind +motion into which the giant suddenly shot. He had a dim impression of +machines racing by, of countless other giants, of a sudden opening in +the walls of the immense building, and then a rush across the surface of +metal land. Even in his vertigo he had enough curiosity to marvel that +there was no vegetation, no water, only the dull black metal everywhere. +Yet there was air. + +And then a city loomed before them. To Phobar it seemed a city of gods +or giants. Fully five miles it soared toward space, its fantastic angles +and arcs and cubes and pyramids mazing in the dimensions of a totally +alien geometry. Tier by tier the stupendous city, hundreds of miles +wide, mounted toward a central tower like the one in the building he had +left. + +Phobar never knew how they got there, but his numbed mind was at +last forced into clarity by a greater will. He stared about him. His +captor had gone. He stood in a huge chamber circling to a dome far +overhead. Before him, on a dais a full thousand feet in diameter, +stood--sat--rested, whatever it might be called--another monster, far +larger than any he had yet seen, like a mountain of pliant thinking, +living metal. And Phobar knew he stood in the presence of the ruler. + + * * * * * + +The metal Cyclops surveyed him as Phobar might have surveyed an ant. +Cold, deadly, dispassionate scrutiny came from something that might have +been eyes, or a seeing intelligence locked in a metal body. + +There was no sound, but inwardly to Phobar's consciousness from the +peak of the titan far above him came a command: + +"What are you called?" + +Phobar opened his lips--but even before he spoke, he knew that the thing +had understood his thought: "Phobar." + +"I am Garboreggg, ruler of Xlarbti, the Lord of the Universes." + +"Lord of the _Universes_?" + +"I and my world come from one of the universes beyond the reach of your +telescopes." Phobar somehow felt that the thing was talking to him as he +would to a new-born babe. + +"What do you want of me?" + +"Tell your Earth that I want the entire supply of your radium ores mined +and placed above ground according to the instructions I give, by seven +of your days hence." + +A dozen questions sprang to Phobar's lips. He felt again that he was +being treated like a child. + +"Why do you want our radium ores?" + +"Because they are the rarest of the elements on your scale, are absent +on ours, and supply us with some of the tremendous energy we need." + +"Why don't you obtain the ores from other worlds?" + +"We do. We are taking them from all worlds where they exist. But we need +yours also." + +Raiders of the universe! Looting young worlds of the precious radium +ores! Piracy on a cosmic scale! + +"And if Earth refuses your demand?" + + * * * * * + +For answer, Garboreggg rippled to a wall of the room and pressed a +button. The wall dissolved, weirdly, mysteriously. A series of vast +silver plates was revealed, and a battery of control levers. + +"This will happen to all of your Earth unless the ores are given us." + +The titan closed a switch. On the first screen flashed the picture of a +huge tower such as Phobar had seen in the metal city. + +Garboreggg adjusted a second control that was something like a +range-finder. He pressed a third lever--and from the tower leaped a +surge of terrific energy, like a bolt of lightning a quarter of a mile +broad. The giant closed another switch--and on the second plate flashed +a picture of New York City. + +Then--waiting. Seconds, minutes drifted by. The atmosphere became tense, +nerve-cracking. Phobar's eyes ached with the intensity of his stare. +What would happen? + +Abruptly it came. + +A monstrous bolt of energy streaked from the skies, purple-blue death in +a pillar a fourth of a mile broad crashed into the heart of New York +City, swept up and down Manhattan, across and back, and suddenly +vanished. + +In fifteen seconds, only a molten hell of fused structures and +incinerated millions of human beings remained of the world's first city. + +Phobar was crushed, appalled, then utter loathing for this soulless +thing poured through him. If only-- + +"It is useless. You can do nothing," answered the ruler as though it had +grasped his thought. + +"But why, if you could pick me off the Earth, do you not draw the radium +ores in the same way?" Phobar demanded. + +"The orange-ray picks up only loose, portable objects. We can and will +transport the radium ores here by means of the ray after they have been +mined and placed on platforms or disks." + +"Why did you select me from all the millions of people on Earth?" + +"Solely because you were the first apparent scientist whom our cosmotel +chanced upon. It will be up to you to notify your Earth governments of +our demand." + +"But afterwards!" Phobar burst out aloud. "What then?" + +"We will depart." + +"It will mean death to us! The solar system will be wrecked with Neptune +gone and Saturn following it!" + + * * * * * + +Garboreggg made no answer. To that impassive, cold, inhuman thing, it +did not matter if a nation or a whole world perished. Phobar had already +seen with what deliberate calm it destroyed a city, merely to show him +what power the lords of Xlarbti controlled. Besides, what guarantee was +there that the invaders would not loot the Earth of everything they +wanted and then annihilate all life upon it before they departed? Yet +Phobar knew he was helpless, knew that the men of Earth would be forced +to do whatever was asked of them, and trust that the raiders would +fulfill their promise. + +"Two hours remain for your stay here," came the ruler's dictum to +interrupt his line of thought. "For the first half of that period you +will tell me of your world and answer whatever questions I may ask. +During the rest of the interval, I will explain some of the things you +wish to learn about us." + +Again Phobar felt Garboreggg's disdain, knew that the metal giant +regarded him as a kind of childish plaything for an hour or two's +amusement. But he had no choice, and so he told Garboreggg of the life +on Earth, how it arose and along what lines it had developed; he +narrated in brief the extent of man's knowledge, his scientific +achievements, his mastery of weapons and forces and machines, his social +organization. + +When he had finished, he felt as a Stone Age man might feel in the +presence of a brilliant scientist of the thirty-fourth century. If any +sign of interest had shown on the peak of the metallic lord, Phobar +failed to see it. But he sensed an intolerant sneer of ridicule in +Garboreggg, as though the ruler considered these statements to be only +the most elementary of facts. + +Then, for three quarters of an hour, in the manner of one lecturing an +ignorant pupil, the giant crowded its thought-pictures into Phobar's +mind so that finally he understood a little of the raiders and of the +sudden terror that had flamed from the abysses into the solar system. + + * * * * * + +"The universe of matter that you know is only one of the countless +universes which comprise the cosmos," began Garboreggg. "In your +universe, you have a scale of ninety-two elements, you have your +color-spectrum, your rays and waves of many kinds. You are subject to +definite laws controlling matter and energy as you know them. + +"But we are of a different universe, on a different scale from yours, a +trillion light-years away in space, eons distant in time. The natural +laws which govern us differ from those controlling you. In our universe, +you would be hopelessly lost, completely helpless, unless you possessed +the knowledge that your people will not attain even in millions of +years. But we, who are so much older and greater than you, have for so +long studied the nature of the other universes that we can enter and +leave them at will, taking what we wish, doing as we wish, creating or +destroying worlds whenever the need arises, coming and hurtling away +when we choose. + +"There is no vegetable life in our universe. There is only the scale of +elements ranging from 842 to 966 on the extension of your own scale. At +this high range, metals of complex kinds exist. There is none of what +you call water, no vegetable world, no animal kingdom. Instead, there +are energies, forces, rays, and waves, which are food to us and which +nourish our life-stream just as pigs, potatoes, and bread are food to +you. + + * * * * * + +"Trillions of years ago in your time-calculation, but only a few dozen +centuries ago in ours, life arose on the giant world Kygpton in our +universe. It was life, our life, the life of my people and myself, +intelligence animating bodies of pliant metal, existing almost endlessly +on an almost inexhaustible source of energy. + +"But all matter wears down. On Kygpton there was a variety of useful +metals, others that were valueless. There was comparatively little of +the first, much of the second. Kygpton itself was a world as large as +your entire solar system, with a diameter roughly of four billion miles. +Our ancestors knew that Kygpton was dying, that the store of our most +precious element Sthalreh was dwindling. But already our ancestors had +mastered the forces of our universe, had made inventions that are beyond +your understanding, had explored the limits of our universe in +space-cars that were propelled by the free energies in space and by the +attracting-repelling influences of stars. + +"The metal inhabitants of Kygpton employed every invention they knew to +accomplish an engineering miracle that makes your bridges and mines seem +but the puny efforts of a gnat. They blasted all the remaining ores of +Sthalreh from the surface and interior of Kygpton and refined them. Then +they created a gigantic vacuum, a dead-field in space a hundred million +miles away from their world. The dead-field was controlled from Kygpton +by atomic-projectors, energy-absorbers, gravitation-nullifiers and +cosmotels, range-regulators, and a host of other inventions. + +"As fast as it was mined and extracted, the Sthalreh metal was +vaporized, shot into the dead-field by interstellar rays, and solidified +there along an invisible framework which we projected. In a decade of +our time, we had pillaged Kygpton of every particle of Sthalreh. And +then in our skies hung an artificial world, a manufactured sphere, a +giant new planet, the world you yourself are now on--Xlarbti! + + * * * * * + +"We did not create a solid globe. We left chambers, tunnels, +passageways, storerooms throughout it or piercing it from surface to +surface. Thus, even as Xlarbti was being created, we provided for +everything that we needed or could need--experimental laboratories, +sub-surface vaults, chambers for the innumerable huge ray dynamos, +energy storage batteries, and other apparatus which we required. + +"And when all was ready, we transferred by space-cars and by atomic +individuation all our necessities from Kygpton to the artificial world +Xlarbti. And when everything was prepared, we destroyed the dead-field +by duplicate control from Xlarbti, turned our repulsion-power on full +against the now useless and dying giant world Kygpton, and swung upon +our path. + +"But our whole universe is incredibly old. It was mature before ever +your young suns flamed out of the gaseous nebulae, it was decaying when +your molten planets were flung from the central sun, it was dying before +the boiling seas had given birth to land upon your sphere. And while we +had enough of our own particular electrical food to last us for a +million of your years, and enough power to guide Xlarbti to other +universes, we had exhausted all the remaining energy of our entire +universe. And when we finally left it to dwindle behind us in the black +abysses of space, we left it, a dead cinder, devoid of life, vitiated of +activity, and utterly lacking in cosmic forces, a universe finally run +down. + +"The universes, as you may know, are set off from each other by totally +black and empty abysms, expanses so vast that light-rays have not yet +crossed many of them. How did we accomplish the feat of traversing such +a gulf? By the simplest of means: acceleration. Why? Because to remain +in our universe meant inevitable death. We gambled on the greatest +adventure in all the cosmos. + + * * * * * + +"To begin with, we circled our universe to the remotest point opposite +where we wanted to leave it. We then turned our attraction powers on +part way so that the millions of stars before us drew us ahead, then we +gradually stepped up the power to its full strength, thus ever +increasing our speed. At the same time, as stars passed to our rear in +our flight, we turned our repulsion-rays against them, stepping that +power up also. + +"Our initial speed was twenty-four miles per second. Midway in our +universe we had reached the speed of your light--186,000 miles per +second. By the time we left our universe, we were hurtling at a speed +which we estimated to be 1,600,000,000 miles per second. Yet even at +that tremendous speed, it took us years to cross from our universe to +yours. If we had encountered even a planetoid at that enormous rate, we +would probably have been annihilated in white-hot death. But we had +planned well, and there are no superiors to our stellar mechanics, our +astronomers, our scientists. + +"When we finally hurtled from the black void into your universe, we +found what we had only dared hope for: a young universe, with many +planets and cooling worlds rich in radium ores, the only element in your +scale that can help to replenish our vanishing energy. Half your +universe we have already deprived of its ores. Your Earth has more that +we want. Then we shall continue on our way, to loot the rest of the +worlds, before passing on to another universe. We are a planet without a +universe. We will wander and pillage until we find a universe like the +one we come from, or until Xlarbti itself disintegrates and we perish. + + * * * * * + +"We could easily wipe out all the dwellers on Earth and mine the ores +ourselves. But that would be a needless waste of our powers, for since +you can not defy us, and since the desire for life burns as high in you +as in us and as it does in all sensate things in all universes, your +people will save themselves from death and save us from wasting energy +by mining the ores for us. What happens afterwards, we do not care. + +"The seven new suns that you saw were dead worlds that we used as +buffers to slow down Xlarbti. The full strength of our repulsion-force +directed against any single world necessarily turns it into a liquid or +gaseous state depending on various factors. Your planet Neptune was +pulled out of the solar system by the attraction of Xlarbti's mass. The +flame-paths, as you call them, are directed streams of energy for +different purposes: the one to the sun supplies us, for instance, with +heat, light, and electricity, which in turn are stored up for eventual +use. + +"The orange-ray that you felt is one of our achievements. It is similar +to the double-action pumps used in some of your sulphur mines, whereby a +pipe is inclosed in a larger pipe, and hot water forced down through +the larger tubing returns sulphur-laden through the central pipe. The +orange-ray instantaneously dissolves any portable object up to a certain +size, propels it back to Xlarbti through its center which is the reverse +ray, and here reforms the object, just as you were recreated on the disk +that you stood on when you regained consciousness. + +"But I have not enough time to explain everything on Xlarbti to you; nor +would you comprehend it all if I did. Your stay is almost up. + +"In that one control-panel lies all the power that we have mastered," +boasted Garboreggg with supreme egotism. "It connects with the +individual controls throughout Xlarbti." + +"What is the purpose of some of the levers?" asked Phobar, with a +desperate hope in his thoughts. + + * * * * * + +A filament of metal whipped to the panel from the lord of Xlarbti. "This +first section duplicates the control-panel that you saw in the +laboratory where you opened your eyes. Do not think that you can make +use of this information--in ten minutes you will be back on your Earth +to deliver our command. Between now and that moment you will be so +closely watched that you can do nothing and will have no opportunity to +try. + +"This first lever controls the attraction rays, the second the repulsion +force. The third dial regulates the orange-ray by which you will be +returned to Earth. The fourth switch directs the electrical bolt that +destroyed New York City. Next it is a device that we have never had +occasion to use. It releases the Krangor-wave throughout Xlarbti. Its +effect is to make each atom of Xlarbti, the Sthalreh metal and +everything on it, become compact, to do away with the empty spaces that +exist in every atom. Theoretically, it would reduce Xlarbti to a +fraction of its present size, diminish its mass while its weight and +gravity remained as before. + +"The next lever controls matter to be transported between here and the +first laboratory. Somewhat like the orange-ray, it disintegrates the +object and reassembles it here." + + * * * * * + +So that was what Phobar's captor had been trying to do with him back +there in the laboratory! "Why was I not brought here by that means?" +burst out Phobar. + +"Because you belong to a different universe," answered Garboreggg. +"Without experimentation, we cannot tell what natural laws of ours you +would not be subject to, but this is one of them." A gesture of +irritation seemed to come from him. "Some laws hold good in all the +universes we have thus far investigated. The orange-ray, for instance, +picked you up as it would have plucked one of us from the surface of +Kygpton. But on Xlarbti, which is composed entirely of Sthalreh, your +atomic nature and physical constitution are so different from ours that +they were unaffected by the energy that ordinarily transports objects +here." + +Thus the metal nightmare went rapidly over the control-panel. At length +Phobar's captor, or another thing like him, reentered when Garboreggg +flicked a strange-looking protuberance on the panel. + +"You will now be returned to your world," came the thought of +Garboreggg. "We shall watch you through our cosmotel to see that you +deliver our instructions. Unless the nations of Earth obey us, they will +be obliterated at the end of seven days." + +A wild impulse to smash that impassive, metallic monster passed from +Phobar as quickly as it came. He was helpless. Sick and despairing, he +felt the cold, baffling-colored metal close around him again; once more +he was borne aloft for the journey to the laboratory, from there to be +propelled back to Earth. + + * * * * * + +Seven days of grace! But Phobar knew that less than ten minutes remained +to him. Only here could he possibly accomplish anything. Once off the +surface of Xlarbti, there was not the remotest chance that all the +nations of Earth could reach the invaders or even attempt to defy them. +Yet what could he alone do in a week, to say nothing of ten minutes? + +He sensed the amused, supercilious contempt of his captor. That was +really the greatest obstacle, this ability of theirs to read +thought-pictures. And already he had given them enough word-pictures of +English so that they could understand.... + +In the back of Phobar's mind the ghost of a desperate thought suddenly +came. What was it he had learned years ago in college? Homer--"The +Odyssey"--Plutarch.... From rusty, disused corners of memory crept forth +the half-forgotten words. He bent all his efforts to the task, not +daring to think ahead or plan ahead or visualize anything but the Greek +words. + +He felt the bewilderment of his captor. To throw it off the track, +Phobar suddenly let an ancient English nursery rime slip into his +thoughts. The disgust that emanated from his captor was laughable; +Phobar could have shouted aloud. But the Greek words.... + + * * * * * + +Already the pair had left the mountain-high titan city far behind; they +rippled across the smooth, black surface of Xlarbti, and bore like rifle +bullets down on the swiftly looming laboratory. In a few minutes it +would be too late forever. Now the lost Greek words burst into Phobar's +mind, and, hoping against hope, he thought in Greek word-pictures which +his captor could not understand. He weighed chances, long shots. Into +his brain flashed an idea.... But they were upon the laboratory; a +stupendous door dissolved weirdly into shimmering haze; they sped +through. + +Phobar's hand clutched a bulge in his pocket. Would it work? How could +it? + +They were beyond the door now and racing across the great expanse of the +floor, past the central tower, past the control-panel which he had first +seen.... + +And as if by magic there leaped into Phobar's mind a clear-cut, vivid +picture of violet oceans of energy crackling and streaking from the +heavens to crash through the laboratory roof and barely miss striking +his captor behind. Even as Phobar created the image of that terrific +death, his captor whirled around in a lightning movement, a long arm of +metal flicking outward at the same instant to drop Phobar to the ground. + +Like a flash Phobar was on his feet; his hand whipped from his pocket, +and with all his strength he flung a gleaming object straight toward the +fifth lever on the control-panel a dozen yards away. As a clumsy arrow +would, his oversize bunch of keys twisted to their mark, clanked, and +spread against the fifth control, which was the size regulator. + +As rapidly as Phobar's captor had spun around, it reversed again, having +guessed the trick. A tentacle of pliant metal snaked toward Phobar like +a streak of flame. + +But in those few seconds a terrific holocaust had taken place. As +Phobar's keys spattered against the fifth lever, there came an +immediate, growing, strange, high whine, and a sickening collapse of +the very surface beneath them. Everywhere outlines of objects wavered, +changed melted, shrank with a steady and nauseatingly swift motion. The +roof of the laboratory high overhead plunged downward; the far-distant +walls swept inward, contracted. And the metal monsters themselves +dwindled as though they were vast rubber figures from which the air was +hissing. + + * * * * * + +Phobar sprang back as the tentacle whipped after him. Only that jump and +the suddenly dwarfing dimensions of the giant saved him. And even in +that instant of wild action, Phobar shouted aloud--for this whole world +was collapsing, together with everything on it, except he himself who +came of a different universe and remained unaffected! It was the long +shot he had gambled on, the one chance he had to strike a blow. + +All over the shrinking laboratory the monsters were rushing toward him. +His dwindling captor flung another tentacle toward the control-panel to +replace the size-regulating lever. But Phobar had anticipated that +possibility and had already leaped to the switchboard, sweeping a heavy +bar from its place and crashing it down on the lever so that it could +not be replaced without being repaired. Almost in the same move he had +bounded away again, the former hundred-foot giant now scarcely more than +his own height. But throughout the laboratory, the other metal things +had halted in their tasks and were racing onward. + +Phobar always remembered that battle in the laboratory as a scene from +some horrible nightmare. The catastrophe came so rapidly that he could +hardly follow the whirlwind events. The half dozen great leaps he made +from the lashing tentacles of his pursuer sufficed to give him a few +seconds' respite, and then the weird, howling sound of the tortured +world swelled to a piercing wail. His lungs were laboring from the +violence of his exertions; again and again he barely escaped from the +curling whips of metal tentacles. And now the monster was hardly a foot +high; the huge condensers and tubes and colossal machinery were like +those of a pygmy laboratory. And overhead the roof plunged ever +downward. + +But Phobar was cornered at last. He stood in the center of a circle of +the foot-high things. His captor suddenly shot forth a dozen rope-like +arms toward him as the others closed in. He had not even a weapon, for +he had dropped the bar in his first mad bound away from the +control-panel. He saw himself trapped in his own trick, for in minutes +at most the laboratory would be crushing him with fearful force. + + * * * * * + +Blindly Phobar reverted to a primitive defense in this moment of +infinite danger and kicked with all his strength at the squat monster +before him. The thing tried to whirl aside, but Phobar's shoe squashed +thickly through, and in a disorder of quivering pieces the metal +creature fell, and subsided. Knowing at last that the invaders were +vulnerable and how they could be killed, Phobar went leaping and +stamping on those nearest him. Under foot, they disintegrated into +little pulpy lumps of inert metal. + +In a trice he broke beyond the circle and darted to the control-panel. +One quick glance showed him that the roof was now scarcely a half dozen +yards above. With fingers that fumbled in haste at tiny levers and +dials, he spun several of them--the repulsion-ray full--the +attraction-ray full. And when they were set, he picked up the bar he +had dropped and smashed the controls so that they were helplessly +jammed. He could almost feel the planet catapult through the heavens. + +The laboratory roof was only a foot over his head. He whirled around, +squashed a dozen tiny creeping things, leaped to a disk that was now not +more than a few inches broad. Stooping low, balancing himself +precariously, he somehow managed to close the tiny switch. A haze of +orange light enveloped him, there came a great vertigo and dizziness and +pain, he felt himself falling through bottomless spaces.... + + * * * * * + +So exhausted that he could scarcely move, Phobar blinked his eyes open +to brilliant daylight in the chill of a November Indian summer noon. The +sun shone radiant in the heavens; off in the distance he heard a +pandemonium of bells and whistles. Wearily he noticed that there were no +flame-paths in the sky. + +Staggering weakly, he made his way to the observatory, mounted the steps +with tired limbs, and wobbled to the eyepiece of his telescope which he +had left focused on the dark star two hours before. Almost trembling, he +peered through it. + +The dark star was gone. Somewhere far out in the abysses of the +universe, a runaway world plunged headlong at ever-mounting speed to +uncharted regions under its double acceleration of attraction and +repulsion. + +A sigh of contentment came from his lips as he sank into a heavy and +profound sleep. Later he would learn of the readjustments in the solar +system, and of the colder climate that came to Earth, and of the vast +changes permanently made by the invading planet, and of a blazing new +star discovered in Orion that might signify the birth of a sun or the +death of a metallic dark world. + +But these were events to be, and he demanded his immediate reward of a +day's dreamless slumber. + + + + +Transcriber's Note: + + This etext was produced from _Astounding Stories_ September 1932. + Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. + copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and + typographical errors have been corrected without note. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Raiders of the Universes, by Donald Wandrei + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RAIDERS OF THE UNIVERSES *** + +***** This file should be named 29389.txt or 29389.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/3/8/29389/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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