The Brain manipulated the radium detecting instrument to sweep the molten little world over which the Comet hovered.
“The radium’s here, all right,” reported the Brain. “We’re so close to it that it’s almost blown out the compass. It’s located about a quarter of the way around the equator.”
Instantly Curt Newton started the Comet screaming around the equator of the Sun-scorched satellite.
All Vulcan’s surface was molten rock. There was no sign of anything solid.
“The whole surface must be like this,” muttered Otho gloomily.
They reached the point on the equator that Simon had indicated. All strained their eyes against the terrific glare, to peer downward.
“Nothing but burning rock!” exclaimed Bork King. “And if we die here, Mars dies and Ru Ghur escapes vengeance!”
“Wait a minute!” Curt exclaimed sharply. “There’s something down there — a crater or hole of some kind.”
He sent the ship swooping down in a long slant until they were hanging above what looked like a big circular natural crater a mile in diameter. Captain Future, peering intently down through the lookout-lens, glimpsed a vast space into which the crater debouched. He felt a staggering shock of enlightenment.
“Outlaw World!” he cried. “Why didn’t we guess it from the low specific gravity of Vulcan?”
The Brain was first to understand. “Then Vulcan is hollow?”
Curt nodded excitedly. “This crater through the crust is a way down into it. And inside, protected from the solar heat, Ru Ghur’s raiders have their base!” His eyes flashed. “We’re going down! Grag, you and Otho stand ready at the proton-cannon.”
“Oughtn’t we to notify the Planet Patrol headquarters of this, first?” protested Ezra.
“You couldn’t get a telaudio message through the inferno of static caused by this raging solar radiation,” Captain Future retorted.
He dropped the Comet into the crater. The ship sank downward, as into a great rock well. It was not dark. The solar brilliance struck straight down into the pit and the unguessable spaces within it.
The walls of the pit were solid rock. Only the surface layer was molten. Then as the ship dropped lower, they glimpsed the end of the shaft.
“Look at those big tubes set in the walls!” Bork King exclaimed. “That’s no natural formation.”
The hollow tubes, ten feet in diameter, ran obliquely into the rock. They appeared to have been heavily lined with a gray refractory metal.
“They look just like giant rocket-tubes,” commented Otho. “If Ru Ghur’s band did that, what’s their idea?”
That detonated a flash of terrible enlightenment in Captain Future’s mind. He suddenly understood the purpose of those tubes. More, he fathomed now the titanic nature of Ru Ghur’s plans, and the awful consequences it would have on the System’s peoples.
“So that’s what Ru Ghur plans to do with the stolen radium!” he said hoarsely. “But if he properly understood celestial mechanics, he’d know that it means a ghastly disaster!”
“What do you mean?” cried Bork King. “What are those tubes for?”
But the Brain already had grasped Captain Future’s meaning.
“If Ru Ghur tries that,” he cried, “he’ll wreck the whole Solar System!”
AGHAST as Curt Newton was at the appalling revelation of Ru Ghur’s titanic plan and its terrible implications, he had no time for reflection upon it. For their ship had entered the hollow world inside Vulcan, and they stared in startled silence as the Comet dropped lower.
“A hidden world that the System has never dreamed existed!” cried Otho, thunderstruck.
The inner world of Vulcan was like the interior of a hollow ball, hundreds of miles across. It was illuminated to greenish daylight by the dazzling brilliance of the great Beam that struck straight across it.
The whole concave inner surface was blanketed by dense, pale-green jungles. At one point glimmered the waters of a large yellow lake, into which ran several small, glittering rivers. Wispy clouds floating in the inner vault, and the whistle of air outside the falling Comet, told them that this hollow world had an atmosphere.
“A habitable world inside the solar satellite,” Ezra Gurney whispered: “Protected from the heat, havin’ air an’ water —”
“What’s that black belt across the opposite face?” Grag demanded. The robot was pointing at a wide, seared black band that ran straight through the jungles opposite the pit side.
“It’s the path of the Beam,” Curt said quickly. “As Vulcan rotates on its axis, the Beam of solar radiance must angle across that path. When the pit side of Vulcan is turned away from the Sun, it would be night in here.”
“Where’s Ru Ghur’s base?” demanded Bork King, with single-minded purpose.
“I don’t know, but he’s sure to spot us if we keep cruising around in here,” Captain Future said. “We’ve got to land, then reconnoiter on foot.”
“Why don’t we cruise around till we find the base, then blast it and all Ru Ghur’s band with our heavy guns?” Bork King demanded.
“Joan is still in Ru Ghur’s hands,” Curt reminded him tightly.
He swung the Comet out of the Beam, whose blinding brilliance he hoped had so far protected them from discovery. Grag cut off their anti-heaters to save fuel.
“There must be copper here that we can refuel with,” muttered the robot. “The raiders would have to have it.”
The little ship whistled down toward the dense green jungle. Curt found a small opening and landed there.
The air-test dials showed that the atmosphere outside was hot, but breathable. Carrying their atom-pistols, they emerged.
“What a place,” exclaimed Ezra. “It’s as if we were on some far-off star.”
They were standing on pale grass amid tall, grotesque ferns that towered high above their heads. Spiky shrubs bearing great golden flowers grew in the greenish gloom beneath the ferns. Big, bright-winged insects buzzed past. The oppressively hot air had a rank jungle smell.
Captain Future looked tensely upward. The horizon seemed to curve vaguely right up into the sky as his eye followed the curve of the inner world. The Beam clove the sky like a sword of fiery radiance.
“The radium compass will tell us where Ru Ghur’s radium lies, and that’s where his base will be,” Curt said swiftly.
When he and Simon Wright operated the instrument it pointed to a spot near the pit opening. That was not many miles from where they stood.
“I thought Ru Ghur’s base would be near the pit, after I saw those giant rocket-tubes there!” Captain Future exclaimed.
“Chief, are those rocket-tubes?” Otho asked puzzled. “Why in the world did he install them?”
“They’re designed to fire a tremendous combined blast that would propel Vulcan into space like a huge ship,” Curt said.
“You mean Ru Ghur’s great scheme is to propel Vulcan out of its orbit?” cried Ezra, aghast. “But he hasn’t enough power for that!
“He’s got his stolen radium to furnish super-atomic power,” Curt Newton reminded somberly. “What he doesn’t realize is that if he moves Vulcan, there’ll be awful consequences to —”
He was suddenly interrupted by a weird sound that floated through the brooding green gloom of the jungle — a thin screaming as of scores of voices, with something shrill and unhuman about them. Then the hideous clamor died away.
“I never heard any beasts make sounds like that,” said Grag uneasily.
“Life must have developed into some strange forms in this isolated world,” muttered the Brain.
“We must start for Ru Ghur’s base without further delay,” — Curt, said urgently. “But Simon. I want you to stay here in the Comet with Ezra. If anything happens to us, you must take word out to the System of what Ru Ghur is doing to do!”
The Brain gravely agreed. “That danger is too terrible to take chances with. While we’re waiting for you, I’ll search for a copper supp
ly.”
CAPTAIN FUTURE and his three comrades started through the dense thickets of towering ferns, toward the pit. It was easy to check their direction, since they had merely to look up the “sky” at the great Beam that entered through the pit.
The Beam, they soon noticed, was slowly shifting as the rotation of Vulcan slowly turned the pit opening away from the Sun.
“It will soon be night here,” muttered Curt. “That should easier for some of us to enter Ru Ghur’s stronghold.”
“All I ask is to get that Uranian’s fat face over the sights of my atom-pistol,” grated Bork King.
Captain Future’s own mind was in a turmoil of apprehension. Added to his anxiety for Joan was the new and terrible fear that had chilled him ever since he had realized Ru Ghur’s daring plan. To move Vulcan out of its orbit was to bring catastrophe to the whole System!
Grag had brought Eek along. The little moon pup rode his shoulder, his bright, beady eyes peering inquisitively at everything, while Oog trotted along at Otho’s heels. Once Eek went into such a frenzy of fright that they knew he had sensed danger by means of his queer telepathic faculty.
They stopped, looking alertly about. Suddenly the ground ahead seemed to upheave in a slimy, gelatinous mass that flopped toward them. A weird, monstrous protozoan creature had been lying there, camouflaged, and waiting for them to step into it. They hastily detoured.
Flocks of flying creatures like enormous dragon-flies whirred up out of the ferns. These were sometimes pursued by big bat-like flying squirrels that caught and crunched them in mid-air.
They soon discovered that the plant life of the inner world was as weird. The fern jungle gave way to a forest of bush trees with each thick green limb ending in an enormous flat leaf. These grotesque leaves hung limp, as though he trees were dead. But the instant that Captain Future and his party entered that glade, the trees came too life. The great leaves whipped wildly, vibrating rapidly to cause a shrill, screaming sound that was deafening.
“Get out of here!” yelled Captain Future.
“This noise will bring all Ru Ghur’s band down on us!”
They stumbled back out of the horrible glade, and the trees quieted.
“Those screaming trees are what we heard before!” gasped Otho. “That noise is enough to drive anyone mad.”
“It must happen often, when animals get into that forest,” Curt said. “The raiders may take no notice.”
But they went forward with more caution, giving the forest of screaming trees a wide berth. Curt Newton set a faster pace, since it would soon be night. Then he noticed that Eek was again showing evidences of extreme fright. The moon pup peered with frightened eyes into the jungle on either side.
We’re being trailed by creatures of some kind,” Captain Future muttered. “Eek senses them.”
“I can’t see or hear anything,” said Bork King, his eyes searching the jungle. “Do you suppose it’s Ru Ghur’s band?”
Captain Future had had no time to answer when out of the green gloom of the jungle whistled a shower of half-seen things like streaks of light. He yelled and the others ducked instantly.
Those streaks of light were flying spears, that grazed above their heads.
Chapter 18: Citadel of Evil
WITH a chorus of fierce yells, scores of men poured out of the jungle all around them. They were not the Uranian’s motley raiders. These men were pale-skinned and had pure white hair. They wore white leather tunics, and carried spears. White savages, natives of Vulcan’s inner world!
Before Curt and Otho and Bork King could use their atom-pistols, Grag went into action. He had been hit by a dozen of the flying spears. They had rattled harmlessly off the robot’s metal figure, but they had made him angry.
With a bellow of rage he strode into the midst of the attackers, ignoring the spears. He picked up two of them in his mighty arms and flung them violently back into the ferns. He was grabbing for a couple more when the barbaric attackers, with yells of terror, retreated in panic from this giant metal man their weapons could not harm.
“Otho, wait!” shouted Captain Future as the android leveled his atom-pistol. “Don’t fire! They’ve had enough.”
The white-skinned savage horde had ceased to hurl their spears. They were chattering in panic, their eyes fixed on Grag.
“They think Grag’s superhuman,” Curt said quickly. “Play up to them, Grag.”
Grag was not reluctant. Assuming a majestic posture, he raised his metal arm and struck himself on the chest. His photoelectric eyes glared at the shrinking savages.
“I’m Grag, the toughest guy on nine planets!” he boomed. “I tear apart moons with my bare hands, and eat meteors for breakfast.”
The savages, of course, could not understand. But the impressive voice of the giant robot completed their demoralization. One stalwart young white-haired man who seemed the leader, hastily raised his hand in the gesture of peace.
“We were mistaken in attacking you, Great One!” be yelped. “We thought you belonged to the evil ones.”
Captain Future could understand the man, for he spoke in a debased variant of that ancient Denebian language which is heard everywhere in the galaxy where the sons of Deneb ages ago planted colonies.
“These people are native Vulcanians,” Curt said.
“Then the pioneers of Deneb must have planted a colony in here long ago, just as they colonized the other worlds!” cried Otho.
Captain Future spoke to the Vulcanian leader, carefully choosing words of the ancient Denebian tongue.
“We have just landed upon this world of yours,” he said. “Who are you, and who are the evil ones of whom you speak?”
“I am Kah, chieftain of my village,” the young Vulcanian chief answered. “The evil ones are men much like yourselves, except that their leader is fat and yellow of skin.”
“He means Ru Ghur and his band!” exclaimed Bork King in excitement.
“You Vulcanians then are enemies of the evil ones,” Curt asked.
Kah’s eyes flashed. “They have sorely oppressed us. Yet when the first of them came — the fat, yellow-skinned one-hundreds of days ago, we were friendly to him. He came into our world in a small ship, and we made him welcome, venerated him because of his magic powers. We showed him where were certain metals he desired. Then he left, but soon returned with other ships and many men. And they were all evil!
“They seized our ancient temple and made it their citadel. They forced many of us to become their slaves. So we turned against the evil ones and attacked their citadel. But they repelled our attacks, for they have weapons that blast fiery death and have also one great weapon with which they can stun our minds with strange dreams whenever we come near their stronghold.”
“You hear?” Curt Newton asked the others excitedly. “Ru Ghur and his raiders are at war with these Vulcanians, and have put up a powerful Lethe-ray projector to repel attacks.”
He swung back to Kah. “We too are enemies of the evil ones, and have tracked them here to destroy them.”
Kah and his tribesmen uttered eager cries.
“We’re on our way to find the stronghold of the evil ones now,” Captain Future said. “Will you guide us to it?”
Kah’s face fell. “It is death to go near it. The screaming trees around it give warning of anyone’s approach, and the evil ones use their terrible weapons.” Then the chieftain’s expression hardened. “But I will guide you. I may help you through the screaming trees, but I do not know how you will enter the citadel.”
“We’ll get in if we have to blast our way,” muttered Bork King.
KAH spoke to his tribesmen more rapidly than the Futuremen could follow. All but two of the Vulcanians vanished into the fern jungle.
“Where did you send them?” Curt demanded.
“To gather all our warriors,” Kah answered. “If you are able to force an entrance to the stronghold of the evil ones, we will follow you in and destroy them.”
“Lea
d the way,” Captain Future said urgently. “We have no time to lose.”
Kah looked up into the sky, where the Beam now was rapidly fading out. He and his two remaining tribesmen made a sign of religious reverence toward it.
“It will be night long before we reach the place,” said Kah. “The darkness may help us approach.”
With their guides, the Futuremen and the big Martian resumed their march through the darkening fern jungles, toward the great pit opening. The Beam died out completely. The surface of Vulcan in which the pit opened had rotated away from the Sun. But the darkness which quickly fell over the jungles was relieved somewhat by a pale, refracted afterglow.
The fern forest seemed to teem with life, rustling, whispering and stirring. Presently Captain Future made out that they were skirting a crumbled stone ruin, that loomed black and brooding in the dark.
“Did your people build that?” Curt asked Kah.
Kah shook his head. “We have not such magic powers. But our ancestors were like gods in their power. They reared great structures and cities, and had flying ships and fire blasting weapons like those of the evil ones. The greatest of those buildings of our ancestors was our most sacred temple, in which we worshipped the Beam. But the evil ones took our temple from us.”
“So these are the descendants of ancient Denebian colonists,” muttered Otho. “This is a lost, decayed outpost of that great galactic empire.”
Kah made a sign of warning a little later, and they halted.
“We are near the evil ones’ citadel,” he whispered. “But the screaming trees will instantly give warning unless we are careful.”
Captain Future saw ahead of them an extensive forest of the strange trees, their big leaves hanging limp.
“Walk as softly and slowly as you can,” Kah was warning. “Any sudden movement will set the trees in uproar.”
He led the way into the weird forest, moving on tiptoe. Captain Future followed, with Otho and Grag and big Bork King close behind him. Placing their feet with deliberate care each step, they entered the forest of the screaming trees.
Captain Future thought he understood now, that the weird trees were so highly sensitive to vibrations of the ground that such vibrations set off their hideous clamor.
Captain Future 19 - Outlaw World (Winter 1946) Page 12
