Latest / Space Odyssey Sci-Fi Anthology / 16 - Welcome Martians

Transcript

16 - Welcome Martians · Space Odyssey Sci-Fi Anthology

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Welcome Martians by Essay Lombino. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: by Dale Grothman. Only one question seemed important in this
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: huge space venture. Who was flying? Where? Welcome Martians by
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: Essay Lombino. The only sound was the swish of the
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: jets against the sand as the big ship came down slowly,
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: nose pointed skyward, a yellow tail streaming out behind the tubes.
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: It settled to the ground like a cat, nuzzling its
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: haunches against a velvet pillow. Dave Langley peered through the viewport.
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: I feel kind of funny, he said. A tremor of
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: excitement flooded through cow Maner's thin frame. Mars, He whispered.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: We made it gently. The fins probed the sand, poking
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: into it. Cal cut the power and the big ship
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: shuddered and relaxed. A huge metal spider with a conical head.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: Cal peered through the viewport, his eyes scanning the planet
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: behind him. Dave struggled into the spacesuit, gathering up his instruments.
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: I can make tests Dave said, keep the starboard guns
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: trained on me. Cal nodded. He walked Dave to the
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: airlock and lifted the toggles on the inner hatch. Dave
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: stepped into the small chamber and Cal snapped the hatch shut.
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: He walked quickly to the starboard guns, wiggled into the
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: plastic seat behind them, and pitched his shoulders against the
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: braces outside like a grotesque balloon. Dave stumbled around on
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: weighted feet, taking his readings. What's out there? Cal wondered
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: just exactly what. He tightened his grip on the big
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: blasters and trained the guns around to where Dave puttered
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: in the sand. Dave suddenly stood erect, waving at Cal
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: as starting to lumber back to the ship. Cal left
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: the guns and went to the airlock. He stepped into
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: the chamber, closed the toggles on the hatch behind him,
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: and twirled the wheel on the outer hatch. He was
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: ready to move back into the ship again when Dave
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: stepped through the outer hatch, his helmet under his arm.
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: It's okay, Cal, breatheable atmosphere and the pressure is all
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: right too. Cal let out a sigh of relief. Come on,
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: he said, get out of that monkey suit, then we'll
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: claim the planet for Earth. They went back into the
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: ship and Dave took off the suit, hanging it carefully
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: in its locker. Both men strapped on holsters and stun
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: guns from the munition's locker. They checked the charges in
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: their weapons, holstered them, and stepped out into the Martian night.
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: It was cold, but their clothing was warm and the
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: air was invigorating. Cal looked up at the sky. Pobos,
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: he said, pointing and demos. Dave added, Ike and Mike yeah.
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: Dave smiled. How do you feel, Dave, Cal asked suddenly,
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: how do you mean Mars? I mean we're the first
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: men to land on Mars, the first, Dave. They were
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: walking aimlessly, in no particular hurry. It's funny, Dave said,
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: I told you before, I feel kind of. The music
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: started abruptly, almost exploded into being tore through the silence
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: of the planet, like a strident scream of a wounded animal.
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: Trumpets blasted raucously, Trombones moaned and slid. Bass drums pounded
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: a steady tattoo tubas heavy and solemn, like old men
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: belching clarinets, shrill and squealing cymbals crashed, a military band
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: blaring its march into the night. What. Dave's mouth hung open.
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: He stared into the distance. There were lights, and the
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: brass gleamed dully. A group of men were marching toward them,
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: blowing on their horns, waving brilliant banners in the air.
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: People hal said, and music like ours is just like ours.
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: The procession spilled across the sand like an unraveling spool
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: of brightly colored silk. Children danced on the outskirts of
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: the group, hopping up and down, screaming in glee. Women
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: waved banners, sang along with the band. The music shouted
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: out across the sand, a triumphal march with a lively beat.
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: A fat man led the procession. He was beaming his smile,
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: a great enameled gash across his face. The music became louder, closer,
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: ear shattering. Now Welcome. The shouts rang out, Welcome, Welcome, English.
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: The word escaped Dave's lips with a sudden hiss. For
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: God's sake, Cal, they're speaking English. Something's wrong, Cal said tightly,
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: This isn't Mars. We've made a mistake. Dave, the fat
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: man was closer, now still grinning, his stomach protruding a
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: gold watch hanging across his vest. Beneath his jacket, he
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: wore a white carnation in his button hole. A humber
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: black was perched solidly across his head. They're human, Dave whispered.
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: The fat Man stopped before them, raising his hands. The
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: music ceased as abruptly as it had begun. He stepped
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: forward and extended his hand. Welcome home, he said, Welcome home.
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: The words seared across Cow's mind with a sudden understanding.
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: There's been some mistake, he started. Mistake, The fat Man chuckled. Nonsense, nonsense,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: I'm Mayor Panley. You're back in New Caliph. Gentlemen, the
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: city is yours, the world is yours. Welcome home. You
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: don't understand. Cow persisted. We've just come from Earth. We've
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: just traveled more than fifty million miles through space. We're
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: from Earth. I know, the mayor said, I know, you know,
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: of course. Isn't it wonderful? The crowd cheered behind him,
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: telling the night how wonderful it was. Cow blinked turned
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: to Dave. The mayor put his arms about the two men.
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: We've been watching your approach for weeks. I'll have to
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: admit we were a little worried in the beginning. Worried,
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: the mayor began to chuckle again. Why, yes, yes, not
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: that we didn't think you'd make it, but there were
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: some who ah, here are the television trucks now. The
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: trucks wheeled across the sand, just like the thousands of
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: trucks Cal had seen back on Earth. The television cameras
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: pointed down at them, and the men stood behind them
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: with earphones on. Smile, Smile, the mayor whispered. Cal smiled.
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: Dave smiled too, Ladies and gentlemen, Mayor Panley said to
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: the cameras, it is a distinct honor for New Calith.
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: The crowd raised their voices, drowning out his voice. The
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: banners waved yellow, red, blue, orange. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, the
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: distinct honor of New Callous to be able to welcome
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: Bobby gallus and Gary Dale. Gallus Dale. The voice was saying,
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: gallus Dale, gallus Dale. Just a second call interrupted, You
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: don't understand at all. Those aren't our four years in space.
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: The mayor continued, four years among the stars to Earth
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: and back. Fellow citizens for the glory of Mars. You've
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: got that twisted, Cal said, we didn't. The mayor took
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: Cal's elbow and turned him toward the cameras. You were
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: in space for four years, weren't you, Captain Gallus, Yes,
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: we were, but it wasn't space. The mayor gushed, limitless space,
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: the first men to land on Earth again. The cries
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: of the crowd split the night across the stretches of
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: the sky. The mayor continued across the uncharted wilderness above.
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: Across the there were banquets and more banquets, and women
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: in every shape and size. The city of New Calus
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: went all out to welcome the space travelers, Bobby Gallis
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: and Gary Dale. At the end of the week of festivities,
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: the mayor came to Cal and Dave, have you enjoyed
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: your stay? Boys, he asked? It was swell, Cal said,
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: but you've got things all. I was wondering when you
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: plan to leave for the capital. Don't misunderstand me. We'd
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: like you to stay as long as you want to.
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: But for God's sake, Cal snapped, will you please listen
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: to me? Mayor Panley was visibly shaken. Why, of course,
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: Captain Gallus, of course, why certainly, he lapsed into silence.
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: I'm not Bobby Gallus, Cal said, and this isn't Gary Dale.
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: The mayor nodded his head. You're not Gallus and Dale,
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: he said, slowly. That's right. Cal said. We didn't go
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: to Earth. We came here from there. This is the
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: first time we've ever been on Mars. Do you understand
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: we're earthmen? Earth men? The mayor considered this for a
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: second and then burst out laughing. Why that's preposterous, Absolutely preposterous.
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: His laugh rose in volume to a bellow. Oh, you're joking.
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: I should have known you're only joking. We're not joking.
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: This is all some kind of horrible mistake. We're the
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: first men to land on Mars. You've got to understand that.
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: Dave pleaded. The mayor was still laughing. He walked to
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: the door and opened it. All right, boys, you've had
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: your little joke. You've earned the right to it. I'll
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: make arrangements for you to leave for Dome City in
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: the morning. He shook his head and chuckled again. Earth man,
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: tisk tisk, and then he was gone. They sat alone
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: in the hotel room. It was like any Earth hotel
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: they had ever been in. A big soft bed, a wall, telephone,
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: two dressers, two armchairs, a big mirror over one of
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: the dressers, a television set on the other dresser. This
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: is screwy, Dave said. Is it possible we're back on Earth?
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: Is it possible the joke is on us? Maybe everyone
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: is just ribbing us. Maybe we've been going around in
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: circles for four years. Maybe no, Cal said, we're on Mars,
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: all right. I don't know exactly how to explain it,
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: but I've got an idea. What's that, Dave asked, Cal shrugged.
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: Probably all wrong, of course, But it has something to
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: do with comparable development of cultures on different planets. You
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: mean Mars is in exactly the same state of development
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: as Earth. Something like that. You know, the theory give
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: two different places the same materials to start with, and
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: their cultures will run parallel to each other for the
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: rest of their existence. Sure, Dave said, but these guys,
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: Gallison Dale, how the hell could we possibly be mistaken
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: for them? I don't know. Cal leaned back on the
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: bed and stared at the ceiling. Maybe we'll find out
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: in Dome City, maybe, Dave repeated, hollowly. The president of
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: the planet greeted their ship in city. There were more parades, banners, bands, banquets, reporters, cameras, confettis, women, speeches, presentations,
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: and at last they stood before the president's desk, two
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: bodyguards standing on either side of him. He was a
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: thin man, slightly bolding, with remless glasses. Gentlemen, he said,
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: I don't have to tell you how pleased I am.
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: Cal took a deep breath. We've been trying to tell
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: Major Panley. He said that we are not gallison Dale.
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: The President smiled. I know he told me of your
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: little joke. It's not a joke. The President cocked an eyebrow. No,
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: He looked at his bodyguards. Do you feel any ill
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: effects in space? He asked. Cal grimaced, Oh, great, now
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: he thinks we're psycho. Look, can't you get this through
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: your heads. We are from Earth. We never heard of
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: gallison Dale. My name is Calvin Manners and this is
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: David Langley. Very interesting, the president said. He tapped his
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: finger on the back of his other hand and stared
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: at the two earth men. He reached over toward the
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: intercom on his desk, then and pressed a button yes,
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: A woman's voice answered, Miss Daniels. Will you bring in
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: the photos of Captain Gallus and Lieutenant Dale please? Yes, sir.
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: The President turned to the two men again, those are
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: your ranks, are they not? Yes? But we're in the
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: United States Army. The what the United States Army? The
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: United States is a country on Earth? Really, now we're
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: getting somewhere. What else does Earth have? What is it like?
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: Are the inhabitants intelligent? Yes, we are. We are earthmen.
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: Can't you understand that? I think you're carrying the joke
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: a little too far, gentlemen. A joke is a joke.
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: But we've spent millions of dollars on your trip. Really,
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: this is no time for banter. Cal opened his mouth,
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: ready to protest. Just as the outside door swung wide.
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: An attractive blonde in a smart suit stepped into the
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: room and walked to the President's desk. She kept her
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: eyes glued on the two earth men, dropped two large
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: photographs on the desk, and turned. She stared over her
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: shoulder at Callan Dave until she was gone. The President
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: smiled knowingly. Women are falling all over you too. I
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: imagine we're both married. Cal said, dryly. We don't care
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: for all. This married president was shocked. I thought we'd
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: distinctly chosen unmarried men for the job. Strange, we've got
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: wives on Earth, Dave said, Aha, The President said, then
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: they are intelligent beings. Pity, pity. A twinge of anticipation
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: curled up Cal's spine. Pity, why a pity? Why did
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: you say that? Well, you know, surely you realize this
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: was the only flight we could afford. What for the meantime, anyway,
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: we might attempt another flight in fifty years, sixty perhaps
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: maybe more. But you've already proven space travel, Captain Gallus.
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: The achievement is ours. All we need now is the
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: money to damn it. I am not Captain Gallus. Cal shouted,
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: and we've got to get back to Earth. I've got ahead,
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: mister President. He's six years old. And Cal stopped abruptly.
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: Oh this is all nonsense. Why am I arguing with you?
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: Can't you understand we are earthmen? What do we have
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: to do to prove it? The President sighed. Turned over
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: the photographs on the desk. They were glossy prints of
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: two men in uniform. They were young men in khaki
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: smiles on their faces. One of the men looked exactly
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: like Calvin Manners. The other strongly resembled David Langley. Here
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: are your photographs, the President said. This is you, Captain
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: and you lieutenant. They were taken before the trip. You're younger,
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: of course. Cal stared at the photograph. It could have
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: been he. The nose was a little sharper perhaps, and
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: the face thinner, but it could have been he. It
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: could have been and he it's a freak accident, he shouted,
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: a coincidence in two parallel cultures. Ah. He saw the
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: look on the President's face. Then it was a cold look,
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: a suspicious one. Cal stopped speaking, sweat staining the armpits
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: of his uniform shirt. The President grinned again, that's better.
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: I understand the strain of space, gentlemen. But we must
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: be practical, mustn't we? He paused, Shall we talk about
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: Earth now? The only sound was a swish of jets
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: against the grass as a big ship came down slowly,
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: nose pointed skyward, a yellow tail streaming out behind the tubes.
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: It settled to the ground like a cat, nuzzling its
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: haunches against a velvet pillow in the distance. The lights
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: of New York danced crazily, gleaming from a thousand spires
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: that scratched the sky. The radios blared forth excitedly, and
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: the police cars screamed through the night as they rushed
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: to City Hall to pick up the mayor. Inside the ship,
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: Gary Dale peered through the viewport. I feel kind of funny,
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: he said. A tremor of excitement flooded through Bobby Gallis
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: thin frame earth. He whispered. We made it. The end
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: of Welcome Martians byes A Lombino