by Earl
As soon as the Blue Beam came and the different worlds saw it in their night skies, a general feeling of unrest overwhelmed the solar system. Its very sight struck a nameless terror in the minds of everyone from Pluto to little Mercury. Its uncanny visibility, its persistent duration, and its mysterious origin sounded a note of dire calamity throughout the Solarian Empire. And it stuck to Pluto like glue, bathing it in a ghastly blue glow.
The Solar Council’s first move was to send a delegation of renowned scientists to Pluto to investigate the terrifying phenomenon. These men, astronomers and physicists, traced the beam back into space and found it coming from a star in the regions near alpha-Centauri, but much farther away. This brought a sigh of relief to the citizens of the Solarian Empire, for it absolved the Centaurians from the blame; which was well, in view of the fact that these people had attacked the solar system only a hundred Sikka before. They had been repulsed and the two empires had made a peace treaty. Everyone felt glad that after all the Centaurians had not broken their promise.
The star from which the beam originated, the delegation found, was 188 light years away (Earth measurements). It was a small sun as suns go, being but twice the volume of Sol. It was known to astronomers as CX-88.
In two more Earth days the public news-broadcasts blared forth a paralyzing tale of woe that centered on luckless Pluto. Half the Plutonians had died miserably and wantonly from the Blue Beam. A storm of rage swept over the Solarian Empire. Each of the worlds sent in a pointed message to the Solar Council that that body must act, and act soon and decisively. Accordingly, the Council, somewhat slothful after many Sikkas of quiet and peaceful times, shook itself free from lethargy, and drafted a group of the most eminent scientists from every world. These savants were sent to join the initial body of investigators. Their purpose was to save the rest of the Plutonians and to solve the mystery of the Blue Beam.
They fell to with a will and found out certain things about the Blue Beam, but they were powerless to save the Plutonians. The inhabitants of Pluto died, billions upon billions of them. Only those who had been on other planets at the time, or had left their homes the first day the beam appeared, lived to carry on the race. Strangely, none of the other peoples, whether Martians, Tellurians, Venerians, or any others, were affected by the Blue Beam. They who were left on Pluto, what few there were on the planet at the time, were to bury the masses of dead.
Then, as if the senders of the ray knew exactly what had happened, the beam flicked lightly away from grieving Pluto and darted accurately on Neptune, like a striking snake. At first the Neptunians were panic stricken. Then they were reminded that the Blue. Beam could affect only Plutonians and thereupon they breathed in relief. But a short-lived respite that was!
IN two more Earth days the Neptunians began to die off with the same symptoms that had marked the perishing Plutonians. Then it was that the Blue Beam was seen to be a little darker, to have a little more color to it. It now was fatal only to Neptunians, leaving untouched all other races, even the few surviving Plutonians that had migrated to Neptune to escape the beam, when it had bathed their world in its baleful glow.
All through the Solarian Empire echoed the terrifying naked truth about the Blue Beam. Its purpose was no longer a mystery. Some alien intelligence on CX-88 was systematically wiping out all life in the solar system, starting from the outermost planet, Pluto, and working inward. It staggered the mind to understand how a beam of energy of some sort, traversing 188 light years of space, could unfalteringly light on a tiny mote in fathomless space and destroy its rational life in some six or eight Earth days.
Rapidly the dormant fighting instincts of the peaceful Solarian Empire were aroused. Then it was war of a sort! A remote control invasion sure to be followed by actual invasion once the Empire had been almost completely depopulated!
The war-cry rang through the ether, spreading from planet to planet like a fire-brand, until a great and united system of planets shouted in one stentorian voice: “Retaliation! Vengeance! Death to CX-88!”
The Solar Council heeded the call and met on Earth eighteen days after the appearance of the devastating Blue Beam, for a war program.
Siglo Albermarle, Supreme Head of the Solar Council, an Earthman, called the meeting to order. He swung his keen blue eyes about the array of television screens, in each of which was framed the face of one of the Solar Council members. Beside him sat Toom V-3-X-44 of Jupiter and Uaaii-23 of Venus, who had chosen to attend the War Council in person.
The progress of the War Council would be carried to every nook and corner of the Solarian System by super-radio and television[2] so that every citizen of each world would know exactly what was to be done in this crucial matter.
“Fellow Councilors and citizens of the great Solarian Empire of Sikka One to 444!” began Albermarle. “We are threatened with utter and absolute extinction by the Blue Beam from CX-88. Thrice before have we been attacked from outer space and thrice have we been victorious. But those other attackers came in space vehicles, so that we had something tangible to battle. Here we have but a Blue Beam! That will call for new methods, new ways to protect our glorious Empire. We will hear first the report of the scientists who have been to stricken Pluto and Neptune.”
The spokesman of the scientists, a pudgy, kangeroo-Iike creature of Mars, reported as follows:
“The Blue Beam, to leave out all technical terms, is a new type of ether vibration travelling, according to our measurements, instantaneously. We have attempted to shield it off, but it penetrates all materials of any reasonable thickness. Only diamond will stop it, but that does not help us a bit, as no planet could be entirely shielded with that material, which is rare in nature and not very easy to manufacture in large quantities.
“The effect of the Blue Beam is to coagulate the colloids of the brain so that the victim first loses sanity and then is brought by paralysis to complete incapacity. Death follows rapidly. As the colloids of the brain-structures of each planetary people are markedly different chemically, the Blue Beam can affect only one race at a time.
“In behalf of my collaborators, I state here and now that we can do nothing more than we have done already to circumvent the diabolical Blue Beam. We have busied ourselves in the last week of Earth-time in promoting the migrations of the Uranians to other planets in an attempt to save them from annihilation, for they will be the next in the path of the Blue Beam. That is all.”
There was a hushed stillness. The report of the scientists had suddenly revealed the complete helplessness of the Solarian Empire. Science had as good as admitted defeat. What could the People do?
“You have heard the report of the scientists,” said Albermarle slowly. “It is obvious then that we are doomed to virtual extinction if that Blue Beam continues to stab from the dark void as it has for eighteen Earth days already. Pluto and Neptune are practically lifeless worlds. Uranus will next succumb.
“But we will forestall the Blue Beam. Already half the Uranians have moved to other worlds and been replaced by other races. When the beam strikes Saturn in the near future, we hope to have all the Saturnians safely away from their native world. We will continue to do this shuffling of people, despite the hardships and inconveniences entailed, till further plans can be made.”
BUT even as Albermarle finished a new voice burst into the air. It was the Planet Radio Station of Mercury.
“Councilors of the Solarian Empire and Peoples of the Nine Planets! But a short time ago the Blue Beam swung away from Neptune, but instead of lighting on Uranus as we all thought, it has engulfed our world, Mercury! Already my people are screaming in fear and insanity. We are unprepared, thinking we would be the last to be attacked by the Blue Beam. My people will die almost en masse!”
A series of television images looked at each other in horror. Audible gasps arose from several throats. The Mercurian Councilor fainted dead away, and his screen became blank.
“Master Albermarle!” rang out a deep, resonant
voice. Eyes one and all turned to Toom V-3-X-44, Councilor from Jupiter. Twelve feet high he towered, a thin, stalk-like creature with three legs arranged like a tripod, and four long blade-like arms.
“Master Albermarle and Fellow Councilors!” he boomed like a cannon. “It is useless for us to attempt to circumvent the Blue Beam by shiftings of populations. That the instigators of the beam know our every move is evidenced by this last news we heard—that Mercury and not Uranus, became the next victim. Even if we shuffle our populations a thousand times, and mix them up on every planet, the senders of the Blue Beam will flash their lethal ray on each planet in turn, attuning it to the different races alternately, thus accomplishing their original aim.”
The Councilors looked from one to the other in despair. The words of Toom were only too true!
The Jovian’s reverberating voice went on:
“No, fellow citizens of the great Solarian Empire. We cannot hope to survive by fleeing from one planet to another and hiding behind one another’s bodies. There is only one way to save the Empire. We must send our warships to CX-88 and fight the menace in his lair!”
There was a moment of awed silence. Then a unanimous shout arose from the Councilors. “Toom is right! We must go to the lair of the Blue Beam!”
Toom wrapped his arms around the post which stood before his television cell, in the typical Jovian way of “sitting down,” and nodded to Albermarle to resume the command.
“Then it is decided,” said the Earth Councilor, “that we will attack CX-88. With the armament developed in the last invasion, the War of the Binary Sun, we are well prepared to launch such an attack. One major problem arises immediately, however. CX-88 is 188 light years Earth-time away. With our present space warships, it will take so long to get there that perhaps the Blue Beam will finish its deadly work before we can demolish the projector!”
There was a deep, painful silence following these words.
Then Uaaii-23, Councilor of Venus, stirred from his immovable position and spoke. He was a semi-crystalline, creature built up in series of protoplasmic sinews and silicic hexahedrons, but three feet long in greater length—a transition product between the crystalline silicon people of Mercury and the amorphous carbon people of Earth. Having no vocal chords, he spoke by means of an intricate mechanical contrivance operated by his thoughts.
“Master Albermarle and Fellow Councilors. I wish to report that the scientists of Venus have perfected a new type of space-engine which can develop a top speed of ten thousand times the speed of light! It has not yet been presented to the Interworld Traffic Council because the inventors wished to experiment with it first. However, in this time of need, the new engine will be immediately placed at the disposal of this Council.”
A murmur of approval echoed from the television screens as the metallic voice of the Venerian ceased.
“Good,” said Albermarle. “With this new engine we will yet be able to save the peoples of the Solarian Empire. However, we must put through our plans and launch our war-fleet as quickly as possible, for every extra delay means many more millions of lives lost.
“Whom will we invest with the commandership of the expedition?” A piping, whistling voice came from one of the screens.
“Fellow Councilors, whom better can we find to lead us in war than the one who leads us in peace? I mean none other than Siglo Albermarle!”
“Siglo Albermarle!” rose the unanimous shout from the Councilors.
“And for second and third commands went on the piping voice, “the sagacious Toom of Jupiter and the magnanimous Uaaii of Venus!” Another unanimous shout signified assent. Invested with supreme command, Albermarle quickly outlined a program, helped at times by Toom and Uaaii. The Solar Council adjourned after a full Earth day of discussion with a complete war-program worked out.
CHAPTER II
THE ENEMY APPEARS
EIGHT Earth days after the meeting of the Solar Council to initiate a war-program against CX-88, the warships of the Solarian Empire were ready to leave. In that time the pestilential Blue Beam had destroyed the Mercurians in vast numbers, leaving only the pitiful few of the crystalline silicon people, who had managed to escape from their planet. The Venerians, fearful of being the next victims, left their planet in legions, swarming all over the Solar System. Surplus populations, guided by the hastily authorized Migration Commission, were transferred to stricken Pluto and Neptune.
“Citizens of the great Solarian Empire!” said Commander Albermarle in his farewell address. “Your burden is mighty, but in seven Earth days our ships will be within striking distance of the enemy. Be of good cheer and remember that the powers of the Empire will blast upon the senders of the Blue Beam, if your tribulations seem more than you can bear. We go, people of Sol—to avenge our murdered brethren!”
A mighty cheer rose from the trillions of throats, a cheer that Albermarle could not hear as he stepped into the near-by warship. But he knew without asking that on him and his followers depended the future continuance and welfare of the Empire.
Two gleaming, sparkling warships arose from Earth and shot into the void. They composed the “fleet” of the Solarian Empire. Side by side, like two inseparable parts of one object, the gigantic spheres leaped away from the solar system. Their hulls were pure diamond as protection against the Blue Beam should it be directed against them. Evenly distributed over the surface of the sparkling hulls were alternate rows of short metal tubes, small copper globes, and steel-blue funnelled apertures. A highly-advanced, cooperative group of scientists had put forth every bit of knowledge at their command in the making of the two ships. They were storehouses of almost invincible power.
As the Venus engines, utilizing atomic energy, drove the warships into the void, Commander Albermarle contacted the sister ship, whose command had been entrusted to Toom and Uaaii jointly.
“I have here first hand information of the planetary system of CX-88, as compiled by the astronomers of Titan, sixth moon of Saturn. The star CX-88 has three separate groups of planets, each in a different plane in space. The planets total fifty-six. On one of them must be the projector of the Blue Beam. It shall be our task to determine which of the satellites of CX-88 carries that projector.”
Toom’s flower-like face swayed slightly in the television screen. “In other words, Commander Albermarle, no easy job.”
“I am afraid not,” agreed Albermarle. “However, we can do nothing as yet. We must await further developments.”
“We can await them in full confidence though,” came the mechanical voice of Uaaii from beside Toom. “For whatever betide, these two ships of ours will carry us through victors. There are only two types of energy that can affect us at all. It is doubtful if the enemy has either of them.”
“I am not sure of that point,” said Albermarle, shaking his head. “A race of intelligent creatures that can project a colloid coagulating beam 188 light-years in our Earth measurement through space might conceivably have one or both of those energies available.”
The two ships careened by Alpha-Centauri four hours after their departure from Earth. A message of cheer shot to them from that sun. The Alpha-Centaurians expressed regret that under the circumstances they could not offer any material help to their allies, but that should the enemy come out victor and continue their diabolical Blue Beam exploits in the Solarian Empire, they, the Alpha-Centaurians, would take steps to save the Empire from absolute extinction.
Albermarle sent back a message of thanks, but there was a curl of scorn on his lips. He knew that the Alpha-Centaurians would lift no finger to help the Solarian Empire, unless in the act they themselves would be benefited.
The trip through space settled down to monotonous routine. While Commander Albermarle slept, his second in command, one of the queer squat, creaking Mercurians, Xixxus by name, attended to the light duties of head man. Composed of interlocking silicic ligaments of crystalline texture, he was a slow-moving, tireless creature who required no sleep. His ten mir
rorlike eyes burned with a fierce fighting lust against the people of CX-88, for the memory of his fellows dying in the throes of insanity and paralysis had burned deep into his rock-like brain.
It was on the second Earth day out that the first test of strength with the enemy occurred. Commander Albermarle had been gazing moodily out at the vista of blazing stars set in a pool of soft purple-black, when his chest-phone buzzed and burst into words.
“Commander Albermarle. Pilot room speaking. The Blue Beam has left Mercury but instead of lighting upon some other planet, it is now centered upon our two ships out here in space!”
Almost immediately Toom’s face appeared in the television screen. There was the suggestion of a smile on his slit-like lips.
“The enemy thinks to bring insanity and death upon us, not knowing we are well protected behind diamond hulls.”
“I only hope,” answered Albermarle, “that they keep the Blue Beam centering on us whom it cannot harm, rather than on the worlds of the Empire.”
HOWEVER, after six long Earth hours of this strategy on the part of the enemy, during which time the ray changed from dark blue to purple blue and finally to sky blue, the Blue Beam left the warships and swung majestically, threateningly, back to the Solar System.
The message came from the Empire almost immediately that Jupiter was now being bathed in its eery, fatal glow.
Toom’s face appeared suddenly in the screen, contorted in a vast rage.
“Oh, that we could close the distance between us in a trice,” he boomed vehemently. “That we might sooner come to grips with that hellish race of CX-88! MY people—now they are to feel the poisoned effect of the insidious Blue Beam!”
