Astounding Stories of Super-Science, March 1930

ry's leading astronomical scientists vanished utterly; the buildings on the mountain top ransacked; papers an

but not happenings like these. And the papers of the United States

of those who had seen it were no longer laughed to scorn but went on the wires of the great press agencies to be given to the world. And with that the censorship imposed by the

easy wit. Why should we be attacked? What had that other world to gain? There was no answer ready, but the silent lips of

war-and with whom? What neighboring planet could

orld was beating at the doors of science and demand

physics came together. They were the last to admit the truth that would not be de

Mars, for that planet was far in the heavens. But Venus!-misnamed for the Goddess of Love. I

er to that. Would there be more?-could we meet them?-defeat them

t to Earth-twenty-six million miles in another few weeks. Then whirling away she would pass to the western elongation in a month and a half and drive out into sp

if the popular conception was correct and if we could pass through the following weeks without further assault, we could count on a year

ough. He was ordered to come to Washington, and, with Colonel Boyn

service were represented; there were men in the uniform of admirals and gene

scareheads, nor by popular clamor. They wanted facts, and they wanted them proved. But the gravity with which t

e of mind and my ability to observe correctly. But I must insist, gentlemen, that while I got a shot of their gas and my muscles and my nervous system were paral

but their insane shrieking in that queer unintelligible talk is significant. And

e can prepare to submit to that country and that people as the masters of this earth. For I must tell you, gentlemen, with all the earnestness at my command, that until you have seen that ship in action, see

he took his seat. That quiet man rose slowly from his c

ing from the whole world. If there is any one of you who can say that this mystery ship was built and manned by your

that held only uneasy rustlings as men g

must cease. Whatever there is or ever has been of discord between us fades into insignificance before

ilar bodies from all lands. I ask you, gentlemen, to make like representations to your governments, to the end that we m

world is quick to turn and rend with ridicule a false prophet. And despite the unanswerable facts, the scope and power of the menace was not entirely

eration in parliament. It might not be true: the thought, whether spoken or unexpressed, was clinging to the

What was their object? What had they to gain? ... Perhaps we were safe after all." The answer

truments great and small. It was past the half-moon phase now, and it became under magnification a gleaming crescent, a crescent that emitted from the dark

Atlantic. In the full blaze of day came a meteor that swept to the earth in an arc of fire to outshine the sun. There must have been th

nited with water to give volumes tremendous-that only could explain it. The ocean

r the frail bulwark of England in wave upon wave, and, retreating, the waters left smooth, shining rock where cities had been. The

t the shock of the explosion and was swept by tidal waves of huge

ing from Venus at regular intervals, just twenty hours and nineteen minutes apart. And w

ins of China; the Pacific was thrown into fearful convulsions; the wheat

hell, no man might say; that it surely would come was a deadly and nerve-

t it was fixed, and the planet itself aimed with an accuracy that was deadly; aimed once as

ng its aim as the planet approached; the gun must cease to bear upon the e

n minutes had passed-twenty minutes-thirty-another hour ... and the peoples of Earth dropped humbly to their knees in thankful prayer, or raised vengeful eyes and clenched fis

f its losses, and to wonder-wonder-what the planet's return would bring. A year and one h

imes voiced the feeling of the world.

Who can doubt that when the planet returns there will be a further bombardment; an invasion by armed forces in giant ships; bombs droppe

ach the heights at which these monster ships of space will lie,

ept. Craft of the air!-and we have to war against space ships which

omed; it is the end of humankind; slavery t

ants of this world and of that other. We are men. What they are God alone can

at him, and we must do it on his own ground. To destroy their fleet we must penetrate space; to silence their deadly bombardment we mus

best-it will be useless. But if there be one spark of God-given genius in the w

and a half we must succeed-or perish. And unless we conquer finally and decisively, the story of man in the history of th