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_ONE MAN DISCOVERED THE TRUTH_
--The Fall of Rome, the Wars that racked the world, mass murder and
horror....
Men thought they were historical accidents, "human nature."
But each one was a move in a Universe-wide battle--and the men who
suffered and died were the big chessmen.
Finally, one man discovered the truth--and faced his strange destiny
in the ultimate struggle for control of the Universe.
_First of the Famous Lensman Series_
NOVELS OF SCIENCE FICTION by "DOC" SMITH
_The Lensman series_
TRIPLANETARY
FIRST LENSMAN
GALACTIC PATROL
GRAY LENSMAN
SECOND STAGE LENSMAN
CHILDREN OF THE LENS
MASTERS OF THE VORTEX
_The Skylark series_
THE SKYLARK OF SPACE
SKYLARK THREE
SKYLARK OF VALERON
SKYLARK DU QUESNE
TRIPLANETARY
E.E. "DOC" SMITH
_PYRAMID BOOKS_ _NEW YORK_
TRIPLANETARY
A PYRAMID BOOK
Published by arrangement with the Author
Fantasy Press edition published 1948
Pyramid edition published August 1965
Eighth printing, January 1973
Copyright 1948 by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D.
No part of this book may be reprinted without
written permission of the publishers.
All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 0-515-02890-8
Printed in the United States of America
PYRAMID BOOKS are published by Pyramid Communications, Inc.
Its trademarks consisting of the word "Pyramid" and the portrayal
of a pyramid are registered in the United States Patent Office.
Pyramid Communications, Inc.
919 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10022
CONDITIONS OF SALE
"Any sale, lease, transfer or circulation of this book by way of trade or
in quantities of more than one copy, without the original cover bound
thereon, will be construed by the Publisher as evidence that the parties
to such transaction have illegal possession of the book, and will subject
them to claim by the Publisher and prosecution under law."
* * * * *
Transcibers Note
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on
this publication was renewed.
* * * * *
_TO ROD_
CONTENTS
Chapter Page
BOOK ONE: DAWN
I. Arisia and Eddore 11
II. The Fall of Atlantis 18
III. The Fall of Rome 36
BOOK TWO: THE WORLD WAR
IV. 1918 53
V. 1941 63
VI. 19--? 80
BOOK THREE: TRIPLANETARY
VII. Pirates of Space 93
VIII. In Roger's Planetoid 107
IX. Fleet Against Planetoid 121
X. Within the Red Veil 130
XI. Nevian Strife 145
XII. Worm, Submarine, and Freedom 159
XIII. The Hill 165
XIV. The Super-Ship Is Launched 175
XV. Specimens 183
XVI. Super-Ship in Action 187
XVII. Roger Carries On 199
XVIII. The Specimens Escape 215
XIX. Giants Meet 229
BOOK ONE
DAWN
CHAPTER 1
ARISIA AND EDDORE
Two thousand million or so years ago two galaxies were colliding; or,
rather, were passing through each other. A couple of hundreds of
millions of years either way do not matter, since at least that much
time was required for the inter-passage. At about that same time--within
the same plus-or-minus ten percent margin of error, it is
believed--practically all of the suns of both those galaxies became
possessed of planets.
There is much evidence to support the belief that it was not merely a
coincidence that so many planets came into being at about the same time
as the galactic inter-passage. Another school of thought holds that it
was pure coincidence; that all suns have planets as naturally and as
inevitably as cats have kittens.
Be that as it may, Arisian records are clear upon the point that before
the two galaxies began to coalesce, there were never more than three
solar systems present in either; and usually only one. Thus, when the
sun of the planet upon which their race originated grew old and cool,
the Arisians were hard put to it to preserve their culture, since they
had to work against time in solving the engineering problems associated
with moving a planet from an older to a younger sun.
Since nothing material was destroyed when the Eddorians were forced into
the next plane of existence, their historical records also have become
available. Those records--folios and tapes and playable discs of
platinum alloy, resistant indefinitely even to Eddore's noxious
atmosphere--agree with those of the Arisians upon this point.
Immediately before the Coalescence began there was one, and only one,
planetary solar system in the Second Galaxy; and, until the advent of
Eddore, the Second Galaxy was entirely devoid of intelligent life.
Thus for millions upon untold millions of years the two races, each the
sole intelligent life of a galaxy, perhaps of an entire space-time
continuum, remained completely in ignorance of each other. Both were
already ancient at the time of the Coalescence. The only other respect
in which the two were similar, however, was in the possession of minds
of power.
Since Arisia was Earth-like in composition, atmosphere, and climate, the
Arisians were at that time distinctly humanoid. The Eddorians were not.
Eddore was and is large and dense; its liquid a poisonous, sludgy syrup;
its atmosphere a foul and corrosive fog. Eddore was and is unique; so
different from any other world of either galaxy that its very existence
was inexplicable until its own records revealed the fact that it did not
originate in normal space-time at all, but came to our universe from
some alien and horribly different other.
As differed the planets, so differed the peoples. The Arisians went
through the usual stages of savagery and barbarism on the way to
Civilization. The Age of Stone. The Ages of Bronze, of Iron, of Steel,
and of Electricity. Indeed, it is probable that it is because the
Arisians went through these various stages that all subsequent
Civilizations have done so, since the spores which burgeoned into life
upon the cooling surfaces of all the planets of the commingling galaxies
were Arisian, not Eddorian, in origin. Eddorian spores, while
undoubtedly present, must have been so alien that they could not develop
in any one of the environments, widely variant although they are,
existing naturally or coming naturally into being in normal space and
time.
The Arisians--especially after atomic energy freed them from physical
labor--devoted themselves more and ever more intensively to the
exploration of the limitless possibilities of the mind.
Even before the Coalescence, then, the Arisians had need neither of
space-ships nor of telescopes. By power of mind alone they watched the
lenticular aggregation of stars which was much later to be known to
Tellurian astronomers as Lundmark's Nebula approach their own galaxy.
They observed attentively and minutely and with high elation the
occurrence of mathematical impossibility; for the chance of two galaxies
ever meeting in direct, central, equatorial-plane impact and of passing
completely through each other is an infinitesimal of such a high order
as to be, even mathematically, practically indistinguishable from zero.
They observed the birth of numberless planets, recording minutely in
their perfect memories every detail of everything that happened; in the
hope that, as ages passed, either they or their descendants would be
able to develop a symbology and a methodology capable of explaining the
then inexplicable phenomenon. Carefree, busy, absorbedly intent, the
Arisian mentalities roamed throughout space--until one of them struck an
Eddorian mind.
* * * * *
While any Eddorian could, if it chose, assume the form of a man, they
were in no sense man-like. Nor, since the term implies a softness and a
lack of organization, can they be described as being amoeboid. They were
both versatile and variant. Each Eddorian changed, not only its shape,
but also its texture, in accordance with the requirements of the moment.
Each produced--extruded--members whenever and wherever it needed them;
members uniquely appropriate to the task then in work. If hardness was
indicated, the members were hard; if softness, they were soft. Small or
large, rigid or flexible; joined or tentacular--all one. Filaments or
cables; fingers or feet; needles or mauls--equally simple. One thought
and the body fitted the job.
They were asexual: sexless to a degree unapproached by any form of
Tellurian life higher than the yeasts. They were not merely
hermaphroditic, nor androgynous, nor parthenogenetic. They were
completely without sex. They were also, to all intents and purposes and
except for death by violence, immortal. For each Eddorian, as its mind
approached the stagnation of saturation after a lifetime of millions of
years, simply divided into two new-old beings. New in capacity and in
zest; old in ability and in power, since each of the two "children"
possessed in toto the knowledges and the memories of their one "parent."
And if it is difficult to describe in words the physical aspects of the
Eddorians, it is virtually impossible to write or to draw, in any
symbology of Civilization, a true picture of an Eddorian's--_any_
Eddorian's--mind. They were intolerant, domineering, rapacious,
insatiable, cold, callous, and brutal. They were keen, capable,
persevering, analytical, and efficient. They had no trace of any of the
softer emotions or sensibilities possessed by races adherent to
Civilization. No Eddorian ever had anything even remotely resembling a
sense of humor.
While not essentially bloodthirsty--that is, not loving bloodshed for
its own sweet sake--they were no more averse to blood-letting than they
were in favor of it. Any amount of killing which would or which might
advance an Eddorian toward his goal was commendable; useless slaughter
was frowned upon, not because it was slaughter, but because it was
useless--and hence inefficient.
And, instead of the multiplicity of goals sought by the various entities
of any race of Civilization, each and every Eddorian had only one. The
same one: power. _Power!_ P-O-W-E-R!!
Since Eddore was peopled originally by various races, perhaps as similar
to each other as are the various human races of Earth, it is
understandable that the early history of the planet--while it was still
in its own space, that is--was one of continuous and ages-long war. And,
since war always was and probably always will be linked solidly to
technological advancement, the race now known simply as "The Eddorians"
became technologists supreme. All other races disappeared. So did all
other forms of life, however lowly, which interfered in any way with the
Masters of the Planet.
Then, all racial opposition liquidated and overmastering lust as
unquenched as ever, the surviving Eddorians fought among themselves:
"push-button" wars employing engines of destruction against which the
only possible defense was a fantastic thickness of planetary bedrock.
Finally, unable either to kill or to enslave each other, the
comparatively few survivors made a peace of sorts. Since their own space
was practically barren of planetary systems, they would move their
planet from space to space until they found one which so teemed with
planets that each living Eddorian could become the sole Master of an
ever increasing number of worlds. This was a program very much
worthwhile, promising as it did an outlet for even the recognizedly
insatiable Eddorian craving for power. Therefore the Eddorians, for the
first time in their prodigiously long history of fanatical
non-cooperation, decided to pool their resources of mind and of material
and to work as a group.
Union of a sort was accomplished eventually; neither peaceably nor
without highly lethal friction. They knew that a democracy, by its very
nature, was inefficient; hence a democratic form of government was not
even considered. An efficient government must of necessity be
dictatorial. Nor were they all exactly alike or of exactly equal
ability; perfect identity of any two such complex structures was in fact
impossible, and any difference, however slight, was ample justification
for stratification in such a society as theirs.
Thus one of them, fractionally more powerful and more ruthless than the
rest, became the All-Highest--His Ultimate Supremacy--and a group of
about a dozen others, only infinitesimally weaker, became his Council; a
cabinet which was later to become known as the Innermost Circle. The
tally of this cabinet varied somewhat from age to age; increasing by one
when a member divided, decreasing by one when a jealous fellow or an
envious underling managed to perpetrate a successful assassination.
And thus, at long last, the Eddorians began really to work together.
There resulted, among other things, the hyper-spatial tube and the fully
inertialess drive--the drive which was, millions of years later, to be
given to Civilization by an Arisian operating under the name of
Bergenholm. Another result, which occured shortly after the galactic
inter-passage had begun, was the eruption into normal space of the
planet Eddore.
"I must now decide whether to make this space our permanent headquarters
or to search farther," the All-Highest radiated harshly to his Council.
"On the one hand, it will take some time for even those planets which
have already formed to cool. Still more will be required for life to
develop sufficiently to form a part of the empire which we have planned
or to occupy our abilities to any great degree. On the other, we have
already spent millions of years in surveying hundreds of millions of
continua, without having found anywhere such a profusion of planets as
will, in all probability, soon fill both of these galaxies. There may
also be certain advantages inherent in the fact that these planets are
not yet populated. As life develops, we can mold it as we please.
Krongenes, what are your findings in regard to the planetary
possibilities of other spaces?"
The term "Krongenes" was not, in the accepted sense, a name. Or, rather,
it was more than a name. It was a key-thought, in mental shorthand; a
condensation and abbreviation of the life-pattern or ego of that
particular Eddorian.
"Not at all promising, Your Supremacy," Krongenes replied promptly. "No
space within reach of my instruments has more than a small fraction of
the inhabitable worlds which will presently exist in this one."
"Very well. Have any of you others any valid objections to the
establishment of our empire here in this space? If so, give me your
thought now."
No objecting thoughts appeared, since none of the monsters then knew
anything of Arisia or of the Arisians. Indeed, even if they had known,
it is highly improbable that any objection would have been raised.
First, because no Eddorian, from the All-Highest down, could conceive or
would under any circumstances admit that any race, anywhere, had ever
approached or ever would approach the Eddorians in any quality
whatever; and second, because, as is routine in all dictatorships,
disagreement with the All-Highest did not operate to lengthen the span
of life.
"Very well. We will now confer as to ... but hold! That thought is not
one of ours! Who are you, stranger, to dare to intrude thus upon a
conference of the Innermost Circle?"
"I am Enphilistor, a younger student, of the planet Arisia." This name,
too, was a symbol. Nor was the young Arisian yet a Watchman, as he and
so many of his fellows were so soon to become, for before Eddore's
arrival Arisia had had no need of Watchmen. "I am not intruding, as you
know. I have not touched any one of your minds; have not read any one of
your thoughts. I have been waiting for you to notice my presence, so
that we could become acquainted with each other. A surprising
development, truly--we have thought for many cycles of time that we were
the only highly advanced life in this universe...."
"Be silent, worm, in the presence of the Masters. Land your ship and
surrender, and your planet will be allowed to serve us. Refuse, or even
hesitate, and every individual of your race shall die."
"Worm? Masters? Land my ship?" The young Arisian's thought was pure
curiosity, with no tinge of fear, dismay, or awe. "Surrender? Serve you?
I seem to be receiving your thought without ambiguity, but your meaning
is entirely...."
"Address me as 'Your Supremacy'," the All-Highest directed, coldly.
"Land now or die now--this is your last warning."
"Your Supremacy? Certainly, if that is the customary form. But as to
landing--and warning--and dying--surely you do not think that I am
present in the flesh? And can it be possible that you are actually so
aberrant as to believe that you can kill me--or even the youngest
Arisian infant? What a peculiar--what an _extraordinary_--psychology!"
"Die, then, worm, if you must have it so!" the All-Highest snarled, and
launched a mental bolt whose energies were calculated to slay any living
thing.
Enphilistor, however, parried the vicious attack without apparent
effort. His manner did not change. He did not strike back.
The Eddorian then drove in with an analyzing probe, only to be surprised
again--the Arisian's thought could not be traced! And Enphilistor, while
warding off the raging Eddorian, directed a quiet thought as though he
were addressing someone close by his side:
"Come in, please, one or more of the Elders. There is a situation here
which I am not qualified to handle."
"We, the Elders of Arisia in fusion, are here." A grave, deeply resonant
pseudo-voice filled the Eddorians' minds; each perceived in
three-dimensional fidelity an aged, white-bearded human face. "You of
Eddore have been expected. The course of action which we must take has
been determined long since. You will forget this incident completely.
For cycles upon cycles of time to come no Eddorian shall know that we
Arisians exist."
Even before the thought was issued the fused Elders had gone quietly and
smoothly to work. The Eddorians forgot utterly the incident which had
just happened. Not one of them retained in his conscious mind any
inkling that Eddore did not possess the only intelligent life in space.
* * * * *
And upon distant Arisia a full meeting of minds was held.
"But why didn't you simply kill them?" Enphilistor asked. "Such action
would be distasteful in the extreme, of course--almost impossible--but
even I can perceive...." He paused, overcome by his thought.
"That which you perceive, youth, is but a very small fraction of the
whole. We did not attempt to slay them because we could not have done
so. Not because of squeamishness, as you intimate, but from sheer
inability. The Eddorian tenacity of life is a thing far beyond your
present understanding; to have attempted to kill them would have
rendered it impossible to make them forget us. We must have time ...
cycles and cycles of time." The fusion broke off, pondered for minutes,
then addressed the group as a whole:
"We, the Elder Thinkers, have not shared fully with you our
visualization of the Cosmic All, because until the Eddorians actually
appeared there was always the possibility that our findings might have
been in error. Now, however, there is no doubt. The Civilization which
has been pictured as developing peacefully upon all the teeming planets
of two galaxies will not now of itself come into being. We of Arisia
should be able to bring it eventually to full fruition, but the task
will be long and difficult.
"The Eddorians' minds are of tremendous latent power. Were they to know
of us now, it is practically certain that they would be able to develop
powers and mechanisms by the use of which they would negate our every
effort--they would hurl us out of this, our native space and time. We
must have time ... given time, we shall succeed. There shall be Lenses
... and entities of Civilization worthy in every respect to wear them.
But we of Arisia alone will never be able to conquer the Eddorians.
Indeed, while this is not yet certain, the probability is exceedingly
great that despite our utmost efforts at self-development our
descendants will have to breed, from some people to evolve upon a planet
not yet in existence, an entirely new race--a race tremendously more
capable than ours--to succeed us as Guardians of Civilization."
* * * * *
_Centuries passed. Millenia. Cosmic and geologic ages. Planets cooled to
solidity and stability. Life formed and grew and developed. And as life
evolved it was subjected to, and strongly if subtly affected by, the
diametrically opposed forces of Arisia and Eddore._