I, Franz Jaeger, am Resident Guardsman at Station Fourteen, Planet
3-G3-9/4871.
I have been assigned to my station for eight planetary years for survey
and observation duty. During the past five years, I have employed Elwar
Forell, the son of a local peasant, to keep the living quarters clean
and to do general work about the station. I have never discussed the
possibilities of extra-planetary civilization with him, and I have been
careful to exclude him from knowledge of my technical equipment, which I
have kept in a secure room in accordance with regulations. I have
presented myself to him, as well as to all the villagers in my area, as
a scholar, tired of city life, and desirous of a quiet existence.
There has been a drought in part of my area for the entire season. We
have suffered from one forest fire and there is a strong possibility of
others. Crops are doing very badly, and the peasants have been
complaining bitterly. This is not an unheard-of situation, but it has
caused considerable discomfort and worry, since there is a very definite
threat of famine. There have been numerous attempts to obtain rain by
occult means, and I have been personally approached on the matter. For
some time, the villagers in the immediate area of the station have
regarded me as a sorcerer, and I have been asked to cast a spell to
cause rain.
I had considered a request for light condensation, but had hesitated to
make such a request, since I felt that rain closely following the
villagers' petition to me would confirm their supernatural beliefs,
which I have attempted to discourage.
At 261.0223, I was on a routine tour of my area. I received a call from
the cruiser _Myloren_, Captain Klorantel commanding, asking for further
information on a request for emergency condensation. I informed him that
I had made no such request, adding that a light rain would be desirable
if he were in position and prepared to radiate.
During the conversation with Captain Klorantel, I noted that the sky was
darkening. There were several flashes of lightning, and I felt the signs
of imminent, heavy rain. I promptly started back to my station.
Upon my arrival, I discovered that Elwar had managed to open the
communications room and had been using the equipment. He was extremely
frightened, and made incoherent remarks about talking to a demon. When I
attempted to question him as to how he had opened the room, and where he
had learned the operation of the communications equipment, he became
hysterical and I could find out precisely nothing.
By this time, it was raining violently. There was a high wind. Several
trees had been blown down and lightning was frequent. A flood was
starting down the mountainside toward the village, threatening severe
damage. It was quite apparent that crops, such as they were, would be
almost completely destroyed.
At the time, I could do little to remedy the situation. I re-established
contact with the cruiser, informed Captain Klorantel of the situation,
and requested that he stand by. I then turned on my viewsphere to keep
watch on the village from the communications room. Since Elwar had been
in the room on several previous occasions, I saw no reason for excluding
him. On the contrary, I thought it would be advisable to keep him with
me, since I felt that he would be seriously injured if he were turned
loose in the village. I do not believe he would have survived the fury
of the villagers, who had taken shelter, and were watching the
destruction of their crops.
The flood had become a torrent, which overflowed the banks of the
village brook, tore at the bridge, and swept through the lanes. In the
fields, grain was beaten into the ground and it was clear that the
villagers would have little or no harvest to celebrate during the
approaching festival. The wind grew in force, lashing at the tall
festival pole, which bent, crashed down in the village square, and
partially demolished the front of the inn.
During this period, there was no human activity, since everyone had
taken what shelter he could find.
At 0448, the rain slackened, the wind died down, and people started
gathering in the square. For a time, they milled about, wading through
the ebbing flood. They examined the damage, then they gathered in
groups, talking earnestly.
The dry wind came up at 0510, and by 0550, the entire village was on the
march toward my station. Their intentions were quite easy to determine.
They were armed with pitchforks, scythes, axes, and other tools which
could be converted to offensive use. I established a protective screen,
but realized that to set up a permanent defense would be impractical and
even harmful. I therefore called the cruiser, requesting evacuation for
myself and for young Forell. Prior to evacuation, I demolished all my
fixed equipment, so that the only things left for the villagers to find
when they entered the station were damaged remains of those things
normal for a recluse scholar of their era.
Franz Jaeger
Observer 2/c