THE STORY OF MARTIAN LIFE.
With a determination of finding a room from which I could command a
longer view of Mars, the next day I visited several studios which were
for rent, and finally succeeded in securing one formerly occupied by a
photographer, which was located on the top floor of a house in the
immediate vicinity of my old rooms.
The room was large, in fact it occupied the entire top floor of the
building, and this feature pleased me greatly. The only communication
with the house was by a door which had every appearance of an outside
door, so heavy were the hinges and lock. The landlord, in drawing my
attention to this, had smiled and remarked that the former tenant, who
lived in another section of the city, had been very careful always to
leave his studio securely locked. The ceiling of half the room was
entirely of glass, sloping down to the floor at the angle of the roof,
and this was the only means of obtaining air and light. It was
constructed in two sections, which would slide back and forth, for the
purpose of ventilation. This arrangement, I found, would give me an
unobstructed view of Mars for several hours each night. Nothing could be
better adapted to my requirements; I could not be observed by anyone
outside, and I need not fear being overheard while conversing with my
Martian friend.
I therefore determined to have my instrument moved at once, in order to
be installed in my new quarters that evening.
I next bought a crate, used for large oil paintings, and upon its
delivery at my old rooms, I immediately commenced packing my instrument
in it. Owing to its great weight this was no easy work, and it would
express the procedure better if I said that I placed the crate around
the instrument. Making sure that it was all covered carefully, I had it
moved to my new quarters and set in place, the impression of the
carriers being that it was a painting which I was very anxious that no
one should see until it was completed.
As it was now within an hour of the time when I expected Mars to appear,
I decided to leave my books and other belongings at my former rooms
until the next day. I uncovered the instrument, and got everything into
readiness, being careful to see that the batteries were all in place, so
that nothing might occur to interrupt the long talk with the Martian
which I was anticipating.
Having turned on the current, and opened the sliding section of the
glass roof, I now awaited the appearance of Mars. There occurred to me
question alter question that seemed of sufficient importance to prompt
immediate inquiry, only to be forgotten as others came into my mind;
until the presence of the increasing faint glow on my instrument found
me unprepared with any single question of actual importance.
Consequently I decided to allow my distant informant to continue with
the account of Martian observations of Earth, as being at once the most
instructive and surest way of suggesting important questions.
As my eyes got accustomed to the brilliancy I saw the Martian waiting
for me, with his instrument in readiness. We greeted each other with the
affection we both now sincerely felt, and though I could not clasp his
hand, I endeavored in every way to show him the brotherly warmth of
feeling I entertained for him.
It now occurred to me that in the excitement of our first communication
with each other, we had completely overlooked an important
conventionality. I therefore announced that I was known on Earth as
Harold Lonsdale.
"My name is Almos," he responded, his dark eyes sparkling as he quickly
entered into the spirit of the occasion. "Although it was customary once
for us to have two or three names, we found it in better harmony with
the changed conditions of the present time to have but one. This you
will more easily understand when you have become better acquainted with
this planet and its people."
"And as I am most anxious to learn more about the conditions of life in
your world," I added, eagerly, "I trust you will continue the account of
Martian observations of Earth, which was barely commenced last evening
when the wave contact ceased. But first let me ask how you located my
whereabouts, for this morning I moved to another section of the city."
"Ah!" he replied, with a smile, "I was not aware you had moved.
Experience has taught me about where to look for the large city you call
Paris, on the side of Earth that is now exposed to us, and then by
systematic search I soon located the response of your instrument.
"As our observations of Earth with projected light-rays have been
carried on for seven hundred years, it will be necessary to give you an
outline of our history and the progress of science covering that time.
This will not only be of interest as a forecast of your own world's
future, but will also prove of the greatest value to you, if you decide
to visit this planet, an undertaking which I am convinced lies within
your power."
His words wrung an exclamation of astonishment from my lips, but, as
though not wishing to be interrupted, he went on:
"Seven hundred years ago, a power derived from that substance known on
Earth as radium, was discovered on Mars. This power was found to be
capable of projecting light rays almost instantaneously through space
for inconceivable distances, at the same time preserving their integrity
to such a remarkable degree that they would reach the farthest planets
without diffusion or diminution. Thus my image, thrown upon the
instrument before me, is conveyed to Earth in light-waves by this flow
of super-radium with such tremendous speed as to be practically
instantaneous; these are received in your instrument, which is
responsive to the flow of super-radium, in the same condition as when
they left Mars, consequently depicting the image life-size.
"Having come in contact with another body in the heavens, this
outward-flowing current of super-radium is changed to an inward-flowing
current. In making this change it frees the light-waves it conveyed from
Mars, and retains the light-waves of the objects about it, which is
merely repeating its performance upon leaving Mars. These light-waves of
objects on another globe it now conveys on its return journey to Mars,
entering a receiving instrument and depicting the objects therein
life-size.
"Possessing rays invisible to the human eye, except when agitated by a
substance of its own nature, daylight on a planet becomes an entirely
unnecessary adjunct to observations made with super-radium, and we are
able to explore the dark side of planets and other heavenly bodies, just
as effectually as those illuminated by the sun.
"Thus have we, for seven hundred years, been able to study the country,
cities, streets, and people of Earth. And not only did we note a
remarkable similarity in the people, buildings, and scientific progress
to early Martian ages, but, by the advertisements, placards, and other
street signs we were able to learn the principal languages spoken on
your planet, and these were found to correspond in a remarkable degree
to those in use on Mars, before conditions on our planet made the
adoption of a composite language an absolute necessity. And undoubtedly
these same conditions in due time will face the people of Earth."
I could not restrain an exclamation of astonishment at this prediction,
but Almos at once reassured me by stating that when the time did come,
it would be the beginning of universal peace and happiness on Earth.
"Am I to understand, then," said I, "that a condition of perfect
happiness prevails on Mars?"
"Unhappiness is considered a disease with us," Almos rejoined. "It is
heard of, but very rarely, and is treated as a serious malady. But you
will understand these things better as you gradually become acquainted
with the conditions here. You must remember that you are in the position
of a man over fifteen hundred years in advance of his day.
"Having become convinced, through close observations, that the progress
of Earth was identical with that of Mars, and that Earth, being the
younger planet, was consequently following our lead, we anxiously
watched for the discovery on Earth of the wonderful power that had been
the means of bringing us into such close visual contact with you. When
you discovered radium, we realized that this would eventually lead to
the discovery of the higher power, but we feared that this might not be
for hundreds of years.
"That communication was possible through the medium of radium and
electricity, we were totally ignorant of. It was the responsive
properties of radium in your instrument, however, that first attracted
my attention while searching over Paris for an object I had previously
been observing. Thereafter my interest in your progress was as great as
your own, and every twenty-four hours, when the eastern hemisphere of
Earth was turned toward Mars, I searched with the radioscope until I got
the response of your instrument.
"I have kept my success in communicating with Earth a secret, as it
involves an invention of mine which I have not yet made public, and of
which I will now tell you. This invention is the radiphone, through
which we are now conversing, and to which the diaphragm of your
instrument responds, as it doubtless contains radium also. My entire
life has been devoted to the development of Martian-Earthly
communication, and this instrument has been the goal which I have
striven to reach since boyhood, and yet its success in communicating
with Earth came as a great surprise to me."
So accustomed was I to hear the Martian speak of the most miraculous
occurrences in an ordinary conversational tone, that the idea of there
still remaining something on Mars to be discovered appeared a still
greater wonder.
"We have made a most important discovery," pursued Almos. "I say 'we,'
as without the response of your instrument the action of a super-radium
current on sound-waves would not have been discovered."
"I feel that I can hardly share in the honors," I protested modestly.
"Without the super-radium current from Mars, I would still be
experimenting with the hope of finding a substitute for glass."
I now entered into a full account of the experiments I had conducted,
describing how, quite accidentally, I had made a substance responsive to
the waves from Mars. He was greatly amused upon hearing of my
astonishment at finding that Martians resembled the people on Earth; and
when I drew for him a verbal picture of the ferocious creatures the
inhabitants of Mars were supposed to be, he laughed aloud.
"We never suspected that the people of Earth did us such a great
injustice," he said, his whole countenance lighting up with good humor.
"I have several volumes here giving accounts of observations of Earth,
some of them written eight hundred years ago. It would perhaps interest
you to hear what the Martian conception of the inhabitants of Earth was
at that time."
"Indeed it would," I exclaimed, with rising curiosity.
"Well then," rejoined Almos, bringing one of the books and turning over
the leaves, while a curious smile still played about his mouth, "you
must understand that this was written over a hundred years before
super-radium was discovered, and at that time we had no means of
observing Earth except through the telescope, which showed us the
mountains, seas, and continents, much the same as your telescope must
reveal the physical features of Mars. On the question of whether Earth
is inhabited the author says:
"'That this planet is inhabited we have no reason to doubt, as it is
known to be enveloped in an atmosphere, and it is now a generally
accepted theory that the changes noticed in its color throughout the
year are the seasonal effects on vegetable matter existing on its
surface.... What the inhabitants are like, however, we can only
surmise, but a study of the conditions under which they live will help
us to picture the wild amphibious creatures they must be. Their planet,
more than half covered with water, and being so many millions of miles
nearer the sun than we are, is almost continually enveloped in heavy
clouds of vapor, which, unless they were half fish, must surely
suffocate them. They doubtless seek the depths of water when these
clouds of thick vapor arise. Upon emerging, however, they have to face
such intense heat as none of us could tolerate a minute and live....
They are no doubt provided with steel-like skin to resist this
temperature.... That they are of a fierce temperament there can be
little doubt, as their atmosphere, which is twice the weight of ours, is
so overcharged with electricity, owing to the heat and clouds of vapor,
that violent storms are constantly breaking over them, doubtless killing
thousands of them at a time and tending to make the natures of the
survivors as fierce as the elements which surround them.... Their year
is but half as long as ours, and this--impeding the laws of propagation,
thus making impossible the higher order of mankind--would naturally
have the effect of rendering their lives a short, reckless, and
ferocious existence, full of unrestrained cruelty and passions....'
"And now," continued Almos, with a smile, after closing the volume, "you
see there is no occasion for apologies from you."
"No," I answered, somewhat dryly.
"The fact is, my dear fellow," said Almos, laughing and seeming to enjoy
the situation immensely, "the entire solar system is pursuing the same
path; what A thinks of B, B has already thought of A."
The failing light on my instrument at this moment gave warning of the
passing of Mars out of wave contact, and we were obliged to bid each
other good-bye, Almos promising important revelations on the morrow.
As I stood for a moment before my instrument, now wrapped in darkness, I
was conscious of a strange feeling that, in bidding Almos adieu, I had
also parted from another inhabitant of Mars. Though well aware that I
had only seen and conversed with Almos, my mind, nevertheless, also
reproduced the likeness of a young girl, wonderfully beautiful. I had
first experienced this mental image immediately after my first
conversation with Almos. At that time I had tried hard to put it from me
as merely a delusion resulting from nervous tension. But I found that
after each interview with Almos, the image became clearer and more
definitely fixed in my mind, until now I firmly believed in the
existence of this beautiful being on Mars, and, remarkable though it
seemed, I could not deny my growing affection for her. I had not
mentioned this mental image to Almos, as I felt convinced that he knew
nothing of it, and therefore would be unable to help me in any way.
Moreover, my training had taught me to seek a scientific reason for
things which might appeal to the superstitious as weird and uncanny. I
was therefore loath to speak of it to Almos, until I had proved beyond
doubt that it was not an hallucination.
After I had spent many hours in vainly seeking a possible cause for this
mysterious mental image, the realization that I was but the veriest
infant in the wonderful achievements of our sister planet, finally
decided me upon the wiser course of leaving such matters until I had
become better acquainted with Martian inventions and scientific
progress. I therefore looked forward to visiting this wonderful world
with the greatest anticipation, and though I was entirely ignorant of
how this stupendous and seemingly impossible feat should be
accomplished, such was my faith in Almos' superior knowledge of science,
that I did not, for a moment, doubt the possibility of such a thing.
Little did I realize the fearful nature of the journey--the success of
which was based entirely on theories--or I would have shrunk in horror
from such an undertaking.