THE HAZARDOUS UNDERTAKING.
The greater part of the next day was spent in moving the rest of my
belongings to my new quarters and in settling down there. Indeed, so
occupied was I with this task, that the approach of darkness found me
quite unprepared for wave contact with Mars. I had been obliged to take
my instrument apart in order to allow the larger pieces of furniture to
be brought into the room, and it required almost two hours to put it
together again.
When at last all was in readiness and I had turned on the current, I
found my Martian friend waiting for me.
"This is to be the last of my narrative," he remarked, after we had
greeted each other.
"What!" I ejaculated in amazement.
"You see, my dear fellow," continued Almos, "it was necessary for you
to become gradually acquainted with the advanced contions on Mars,
properly to understand them, and I have tried to school your mind
accordingly. It is essential, however, for you to see these things,
fully to appreciate the advancement of almost twenty centuries, and only
thus can my highest ambition be realized."
"How is it possible?"
"When I have told you of several important ways in which life on Mars
differs from that on Earth, you will more readily understand.
"I have said that unhappiness on Mars is almost unknown. It is only the
presence of ill health that causes unhappiness. If the body can be kept
in a condition of absolutely perfect health--and by that I mean
something far beyond what is considered perfect health on Earth--then
unhappiness is impossible. Its causes, sorrow, jealousy, envy, hatred,
and discontent, are eliminated, and a normal condition of perfect
immunity from wrong-doing and unhappiness exists.
"It has been discovered on Earth that crime is the result of a diseased
brain, and with us this discovery, in time, developed the fact that
wrong-doing, even in its minor phases, is the result of physical ill
health. Maintain, then, a perfect state of bodily health in a community,
and there is no wrong-doing and consequent unhappiness.
"The means of obtaining this bodily health was discovered on Mars, in
the form of invisible light rays, almost six hundred years ago, and its
discovery led to a complete transformation in social conditions,
establishing perfect tranquillity and happiness upon the entire globe.
"Separate governments became intolerable and were abandoned when race
distinction was forgotten, and the people of Mars became as one family,
speaking one tongue. Friendship for one's neighbor was transmuted into
love for one's brother. The pursuit of personal gain was replaced by a
desire to work for the good of all, and now a keen individual sense of
right and duty actuates the entire population, and is paramount in all
things. Duties are performed without other compensation than that which
the fulfillment of something well done brings.
"It was soon found that the remarkable regenerating properties of these
rays perpetuated life and youth. Not only did they prevent sickness of
any kind, but they rebuilt the tissues of the body as fast as they wore
out, thus making the aging of the body impossible. A child therefore
grows up to full manhood or womanhood and remains in that state of the
body's highest excellence. While the child is developing the rays
stimulate his progress; anything beyond that would be decaying, a
condition the rays prevent."
Accustomed though I had become to a long recital of the most marvelous
accounts without interrupting, I could not suppress an exclamation of
astonishment at the information that Martians enjoy everlasting life.
Almos received my evident amazement with the quiet smile I had grown
accustomed to observe upon such occasions, and, with a view of
illustrating the point further, said:
"Although one's actual age becomes a very unimportant matter when,
instead of being limited to sixty or seventy years, it extends over
hundreds of years, I can readily ascertain my age, from the fact that I
was twenty years old at the time these wonderful rays were discovered. I
have lived, then, about six hundred of Earth's years, or three hundred
Martian years."
"Six hundred years!" I exclaimed, as I looked at the reflection of his
handsome face; his eyes flashing, his cheeks aglow with ruddy health,
his whole countenance animated with the full vigor of manhood.
"Of course, we do not know how long the effects of regenerating rays
will make it possible to live," pursued Almos, "but in theory, it would
seem that by their daily use perfect health will be assured, and life
itself will continue indefinitely."
"And death become unknown on Mars!" I added, enthusiastically.
"Not quite unknown," rejoined Almos. "For lives are sometimes lost in
accidents. Instant death defies all our science, and will not be
conquered. But in accidents, no matter how serious, where a spark of
life remains, we can prevent that from escaping until the body is in a
condition to take care of it.
"This is accomplished by a device known as a virator, which, though
simple in construction, is the greatest marvel of the age. It consists
of a dome, made of material similar to glass in appearance, but which
differs from anything else known, in that it is absolutely atomless.
This dome fits over the operating table, upon which the patient lies,
with just sufficient room for two persons inside, and is kept at the
temperature of the body. On its top is a small globe made of the same
material, measuring but a few inches in diameter, which is connected
with the large chamber below by a neck or passage about an inch wide.
The patient is placed inside, and there operated upon. If life leaves
the body, either during the operation or after, the spirit ascends
through the narrow passage into the small globe above and is there
retained, as it cannot pass through the material of which the walls of
this chamber are constructed. The body is then kept continually bathed
in the regenerating rays, which not only preserve it as if life were in
it, but actually carry on the process of healing. This continues until
the body is in a perfectly sound and healthy condition again, and well
able to retain life.
"And now occurs the most wonderful of all. When everything is in
readiness for the spirit to enter the body again, a strong flow of
super-radium is sent through the top globe from an instrument attached.
Passing through the small chamber and down the narrow passage, it
reaches the body, and immediately changes to a return flow. This current
is but momentary; the patient is seen to move, and the body is once more
quickened by the life spark. The flow of super-radium has conveyed the
spirit of the patient from the small chamber above and released it in
the body as it returned, in exactly the same manner as it does with
light-waves or sound-waves."
"Marvelous!" I gasped, though my mind could only slowly comprehend this
almost miraculous achievement. With such vast scientific resources
nothing seemed impossible to Martians.
Almos had stopped abruptly. A change came over him. His face paled and
his lips set in a hard, determined expression. Instantly I felt my every
faculty strain to the utmost, in response to the new character of this
remarkable being.
Speaking slowly and deliberately, his keen eyes holding mine fascinated
by a strange fire that seemed kindled within them, he said:
"A few words more and we have reached that point at which death may
await the inhabitant of Earth who would proceed farther. A death that no
scientific knowledge can avert. I have tried to school your mind, to the
end that you may fully understand the nature of a desperate undertaking,
never before attempted by any human being, which, if you wish to
attempt, you must risk alone.
"Impelled by a motive that I cannot now explain, I have spanned the
millions of miles of universe lying between us by a bridge of theories,
which, should they prove realities, would enable you to see and live in
another world. Should they prove untenable, however, no power on Earth
or Mars can save you; in five hours all would be over. You must consider
the possible consequences ere it be too late."
"Never!" I cried. "My dear Almos, I am too vitally interested; I have
proceeded too far now to hesitate at any step toward such a goal.
Explain your theories to me, and I will test them, even if it costs me
my life, for Mars holds that which is dearer to me than life on Earth
ever can be."
"Well, my brave fellow," said Almos, his voice softening, "you must
follow me closely in all I tell you, and remember every word I say, for
to-morrow I can be of no assistance to you. Alone you must undertake the
journey."
I was glad Almos had not questioned me regarding the import of what I
had said in the enthusiasm of the moment, for I could not help feeling
now that I had acted unjustly in not confiding in him, at once, the
facts regarding the mental image of the beautiful young girl whom I
fully believed existed on Mars, and whose destiny, I was certain, was
inextricably bound with mine. I now decided to do so on the first
opportunity.
"I have explained to you how the spirit may be retained in the upper
chamber of a virator after it has left the body," pursued Almos, "and as
it is this apparatus we shall employ, I have but to describe the
additions I have made to it to meet our requirements, and also my
theories in connection with them.
"To the lower chamber or dome of a virator I have connected the
receiving apparatus of a radioscope, first removing the image surface.
This can be disconnected easily, and the projecting apparatus
substituted, from which I have also removed the image surface. Thus we
may have a free current of super-radium flowing from the radioscope to
Earth and returning into the virator, and by substituting the projecting
apparatus, we have a current flowing from the virator to Earth and
returning into the receiving apparatus.
"This is exactly the condition that exists in a virator in ordinary use
with these exceptions: the current of super-radium is made to flow
either in or out of the bottom chamber, as well as the top; instead of
being local, the current is between Earth and Mars, and consequently
much more powerful. The currents from both the top and bottom chambers
are controlled by clockwork which I have devised for that purpose, and
in place of an operating table in the virator I have substituted a
couch.
"And now I enjoin you to summon all your courage, for in this
undertaking nothing but nerves of steel will carry you safely through."
"I shall faithfully carry out your instructions, Almos," I responded,
trying to appear perfectly calm, though my being fifteen hundred years
behind Martian times never seemed so much a handicap as now.
"Follow me, then, word for word," resumed Almos. "Understand all I say,
for in the error of a second, the misconception of a word, the hesitancy
of a moment, there is death!
"To-morrow, when that part of the Earth's surface on which Paris is
situated appears, I shall attach the receiving apparatus of the
radioscope to the lower chamber of the virator, so that the return
current from Earth will flow into it. I shall then set the clockwork to
turn on the current of super-radium in half an hour. In that time my
body must be in a condition to receive your spirit."
I could not suppress a shudder upon hearing this, but I deemed it best
not to interrupt Almos.
"Filling a cone with the required amount of chloroform, I shall enter
the virator, and, reclining upon the couch, place the cone over my mouth
and nose. In a few minutes my spirit will have passed into the upper
chamber.
"By experimenting, I have found that regenerating rays are contained in
super-radium. In fact, my theory is that the regenerating rays and the
invisible rays of super-radium are synonymous. Such being the case, when
the current of super-radium is turned on by the clockwork, it will flow
to Earth and, returning, enter the virator and restore my body to a
normal condition, freeing it from the fumes of chloroform and making it
capable of receiving its new life.
"The glow of your instrument, in response to the super-radium current,
will warn you that this has taken place, and you must then prepare
yourself for departure. You will not observe any image, owing to my
having removed the lenses of the radioscope, but your instrument will
glow in response to the current.
"Having prepared a cone of chloroform, you must move a couch directly in
front of your instrument, so that upon lying down your body will obscure
the rays from it. You will thus know that you are in the path of the
super-radium current; this is of the greatest importance as, otherwise,
your spirit would undoubtedly escape upon leaving the body and be lost
forever.
"After taking every possible precaution to safeguard against any
movement of the body, place the cone securely over your mouth and nose.
Within a short time your spirit will leave the body and will instantly
be caught up by the super-radium current, on its return flow to Mars.
Entering the receiving apparatus and thus passing into the virator, the
flow will come into direct contact with my body, into which it will
discharge your spirit."
Almos stopped abruptly, consternation written on his face. A moment
later, I realized the cause--the two planets were passing out of wave
contact. At such a critical moment nothing could be more unfortunate,
and I was about hastily to suggest a postponement, when Almos exclaimed:
"It is all right!--I shall leave----"
Wave contact ceased before he had time to finish the sentence, and I was
left standing before the instrument in a state of irresolution.
How could I arrive on Mars totally unprepared to meet the conditions?
Upon my regaining consciousness these might present themselves in the
most urgent form, demanding immediate attention and a thorough knowledge
of Martian sciences. Almos' life, indeed, might depend upon just such a
condition.
Undetermined upon the course I should pursue the next day, my mind
filled with the most formidable fancies of so strange an undertaking, I
at last sought repose, hoping that with the morrow would come clearer
thought.