Latest / Classic Science Fiction Audiobooks: Free Public Domain Sci-Fi Stories / 🟡 Wanted - 7 Fearless Engineers! (Full Audiobook) | Frederick Orlin Tremaine

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🟡 Wanted - 7 Fearless Engineers! (Full Audiobook) | Frederick Orlin Tremaine · Classic Science Fiction Audiobooks: Free Public Domain Sci-Fi Stories

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one of Wanted Seven Fearless Engineers. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Wanted Seven Fearless Engineers by Warner van Lorne. A great
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  Speaker 1: civilization's fate lay in Dick Barrow's hands as he led
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: his courageous fellow engineers into a strange and unknown land.
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  Speaker 1: None of them knew what lay ahead, what dangers awaited them,
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: more what rewards. But they did not hesitate, because the
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  Speaker 1: first question asked them had been are you a brave man?
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: Chapter one, Opportunity.
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  Speaker 2: From where Dick Barrow sat, hundreds of men were visible,
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  Speaker 2: occupying benches in every manner of position. Some stretched at
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  Speaker 2: full length, sleeping in the morning sun after a night
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  Speaker 2: in the park. Others sat with heads hanging, thinking thoughts
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  Speaker 2: of their own depression or recession. It meant the same
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  Speaker 2: to all of them. Some didn't care, but others tried
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  Speaker 2: to find any kind of work that would fill their
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  Speaker 2: stomachs with food. For three days, Dick hadn't eaten a
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  Speaker 2: good meal and felt almost as low as the derelicts
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  Speaker 2: whom he had for companions. He would have enjoyed a smoke,
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: but turned away as two men dove for a cigarette
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: butt discarded by a passer. By any one who could
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  Speaker 2: afford buy a newspaper was an aristocrat, and Dick watched
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  Speaker 2: until he saw one discarded. For three days he had
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: been reading them second hand, but the only jobs were
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  Speaker 2: too far to walk and apply for. His eyes stopped
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  Speaker 2: at one item in the column, and a puzzled frown
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  Speaker 2: slowly puckered his forehead. Wanted an engineer, young man with
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  Speaker 2: love for electrical mechanical work, who is not afraid of isolation.
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  Speaker 2: Have some knowledge of engineering, but experience more desirable than
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  Speaker 2: specialized training. Must be willing to leave country never to return,
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  Speaker 2: for which you will be well renumerated. Have no close
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  Speaker 2: family ties, and willing to submit to a certain amount
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  Speaker 2: of danger. Will be isolated with few members of own race,
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  Speaker 2: but will have great opportunity to develop mastery of huge machines.
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  Speaker 2: Come prepared to leave a post immediately without preparation. Every
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  Speaker 2: want will be taken care of by employers. This position
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  Speaker 2: is for lifetime, without opportunity of turning back. After having
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  Speaker 2: accepted responsibility. Great opportunity room thirty six, eighteen West Morgan
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  Speaker 2: Avenue City. For a long time, Dick Barrow gazed at
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  Speaker 2: the ad mentally comparing his own qualifications for the position,
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: and they seemed to fit. He was not a graduate engineer,
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: being forced to quit school after two years of study.
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: Three years later, his father died. Then Dick lost the
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  Speaker 2: job that had kept them eating regularly. His love of
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  Speaker 2: mechanics remained insatiable, and he constantly hoped for work which
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: would allow him to use his knowledge and ability. He
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  Speaker 2: had no relations, and the only girl had forgotten him.
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: When he left school, he heard that she married a classmate.
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  Speaker 2: Dick was twenty seven. Five years had slipped by since
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  Speaker 2: he quit school, and he couldn't remember where they'd gone.
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  Speaker 2: It was only six months after his father died that
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  Speaker 2: he lost his last regular job. He tried selling and
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: was a failure. He had been carpenter's helper, plumber's helper, porter,
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  Speaker 2: counter boy, and bus boy as the months passed, but
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: nothing steady. For the past two months, he had been
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: hunting for work while his few dollars dwindled to where
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  Speaker 2: he no longer had room rent. Then it was the park.
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: His feet were sore and blistered from holes in his shoes,
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  Speaker 2: and he limped with every step. It took so long
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  Speaker 2: to reach the address that there was little chance of
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  Speaker 2: finding the job still open. It was not the first
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: time he had missed for the same reason. He found
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  Speaker 2: that eighteen Morgan Avenue was a dreary structure, appearing as
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  Speaker 2: if it had been standing twenty years too long. The
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  Speaker 2: wooden stairs creaked as he rested his weight on, first
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  Speaker 2: one sore foot and then the other. Room thirty six
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  Speaker 2: was at the top of the five story building, and
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  Speaker 2: it seemed ages before he reached the doorway. The only
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  Speaker 2: sign of furnishing in the room was a hard bench
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  Speaker 2: occupied by three men. Dick had to stand while his
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  Speaker 2: feet tortured him, but it was hopeful to see men waiting.
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  Speaker 2: The job wasn't filled. Suddenly, a door at the opposite
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  Speaker 2: side of the room jerked open, and a man dashed through.
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  Speaker 3: Get out of here, the man's insane.
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  Speaker 2: Two of the men followed, but the man who remained
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  Speaker 2: on the bench glanced at Dick, grinned, shrugged his shoulders,
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  Speaker 2: and entered the door. A moment later, his booming voice
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  Speaker 2: could be heard through the thin partition, although his words
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  Speaker 2: were not clear. An hour passed while Dick waited. When
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  Speaker 2: the man came out with a smile on her his face.
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  Speaker 2: He wished Dick luck and headed for the stairway. Barrow
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  Speaker 2: felt a queer sensation as he stepped through the inner doorway.
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: A man faced him in a huge leather chair across
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  Speaker 2: the room. At least Dick thought he was a man
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: grotesque in every way. His body was small, while his
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  Speaker 2: head was twice as large as normal. He was light complexioned,
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  Speaker 2: with almost white hair thinly covering the top of his
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  Speaker 2: enormous head. His features were finely cut, with large aquiline nose.
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  Speaker 2: He was not repulsive and smiled in welcome As Dick
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  Speaker 2: hesitated at the threshold. When he spoke, his tone was
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  Speaker 2: soft and musical.
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  Speaker 4: Welcome, stranger. You have come in answer to my advertisement,
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  Speaker 4: and I will explain without wasting time. But first tell
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  Speaker 4: me about yourself.
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: Going over his complete life history, including the two years
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  Speaker 2: in college, Dick came to the lean years when his
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  Speaker 2: father died. He hesitated slightly, not proud of this period.
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  Speaker 4: Go on, mister Barrow. It is not important to have
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  Speaker 4: been a success in business, and I will not consider
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  Speaker 4: that in your applications. It isn't what you have done,
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  Speaker 4: but what you want to do that interests me.
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  Speaker 2: He spoke with a strange accent that Dick didn't recognize,
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  Speaker 2: but he was pleasant and made it easy to talk.
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  Speaker 2: When Barrow finished by relating the finding of the newspaper
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  Speaker 2: and the long walk to the office, the queer man
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  Speaker 2: was smiling.
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  Speaker 4: I like your frankness and will tell you about the position.
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  Speaker 4: Although I can't reveal the location of your work. It
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  Speaker 4: is not on any map, and you will work among
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  Speaker 4: a race such as myself, with no opportunity of leaving.
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  Speaker 4: After reaching the destination, you will be given every comfort
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  Speaker 4: and advantage among my people, and be required to work hard.
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  Speaker 4: In return, there are several machines out of commission, which
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  Speaker 4: must be repaired and put to work again. After a
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  Speaker 4: few months. Your work will be easier, although you must
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  Speaker 4: constantly watch all machinery to see that it is in
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  Speaker 4: perfect condition and does not stop work for even a moment.
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  Speaker 4: My people use mechanics of greater size and development than
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  Speaker 4: anything you have ever seen, and our lives depend upon
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  Speaker 4: its perfect operation. In order to accept this position, you
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  Speaker 4: must be married. Your wife must come with you and
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  Speaker 4: be willing to accept the same living conditions which are
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  Speaker 4: offered to you. The man who left this office as
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  Speaker 4: you entered has a fiancee and has gone to talk
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  Speaker 4: it over with her. In your instance, I must select
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  Speaker 4: your wife. You will be the leader of the workmen
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  Speaker 4: whom I take back. There will be only a few
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  Speaker 4: people such as yourself, and you can never again see
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  Speaker 4: others of your race. You will have power and wealth
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  Speaker 4: among my people, and every type of entertainment that you desire.
• 8:08
  Speaker 4: But remember that you leave your race forever, with no
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  Speaker 4: possibility of return. If you accept my offer, you must
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  Speaker 4: trust entirely in what I say about the future.
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  Speaker 2: When the man finished speaking, Dick was quiet for a
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  Speaker 2: long time. Everything seemed so unreal, so different from what
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  Speaker 2: he had expected. He must be willing to leave everything
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  Speaker 2: he had always known to enter an existence which he
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  Speaker 2: didn't understand, without chance of return. Yet he believed every
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  Speaker 2: word this man spoke. Impossible, as it seemed, But marriage
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  Speaker 2: with a girl he had never seen. The man spoke again.
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  Speaker 4: You hesitate about marrying I can see it in your eyes.
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  Speaker 4: But remember that she must accept without knowing you, and
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  Speaker 4: is taking just as great a chance this I can say.
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  Speaker 4: She will be brilliant, and I could not trust you
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  Speaker 4: to pick out a brilliant woman for your wife. Love
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  Speaker 4: would come first in your eyes. Other things would seem unimportant.
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  Speaker 4: I know that you and the girl I select are
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  Speaker 4: apt to fall in love, as I shall choose a
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  Speaker 4: girl suitable to your temperament.
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  Speaker 2: Dick answered slowly.
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  Speaker 1: I don't know what to say. I will have to
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  Speaker 1: live with her all my life, and if we're not happy,
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  Speaker 1: anything you could offer would mean nothing.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: The smile spread over the strange man's face again.
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  Speaker 4: I wouldn't worry too much. I believe you could stand
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  Speaker 4: a greater chance of happiness if I do the choosing
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  Speaker 4: than if you do it yourself, as I can see
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  Speaker 4: more of the future. If you are mutually likable and
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  Speaker 4: willing to understand and each other, if you are mentally
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  Speaker 4: on the same level, there is little chance of not
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  Speaker 4: falling in love. My race mates in this way, and
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  Speaker 4: it works out better than your haphazard meeting.
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  Speaker 2: When he realized that Dick still hesitated, he was slightly upset. Then,
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  Speaker 2: reaching into a leather bag hung from a strap around
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  Speaker 2: his neck, he stretched forth a handful of bills.
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  Speaker 4: Go and get yourself a good meal. It is now mourning.
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  Speaker 4: When two more mornings have passed, come again. Don't be
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  Speaker 4: afraid to use the money for anything that you desire.
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  Speaker 4: This does not mean that I expect you to accept
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  Speaker 4: the offer, but it will allow you to think it
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  Speaker 4: over carefully, without thinking of your stomach. Buy clothes, a
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  Speaker 4: room to sleep in, anything else that you want. Be comfortable,
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  Speaker 4: and do not worry about what you've spent. If you
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  Speaker 4: refuse my terms, I will be disappointed, but will not
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  Speaker 4: expect to be repaid.
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  Speaker 2: As Dick reached the street, he shook his head. It
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  Speaker 2: all seemed so fantastic, but the money in his hand
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  Speaker 2: was real money, and there was a lot of it.
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  Speaker 2: Suddenly he realized that people were staring at the handful
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  Speaker 2: of bills, and he hurriedly stuffed them in a pocket.
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  Speaker 2: When he was alone for a moment, he stepped into
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  Speaker 2: a vacant doorway to count it. There were fourteen twenties,
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  Speaker 2: ten fifties, and three ten dollar bills in the lot,
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  Speaker 2: twenty seven bills in all, representing eight hundred and ten dollars.
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  Speaker 2: Folding the money carefully and placing it in a safe pocket,
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: he noticed a sign across the street shoes it said.
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: He glanced at his own, then limped slowly across. When
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: the traffic lights changed for a moment, he looked in
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  Speaker 2: the window, then stepped inside. While the shoe clerk was busy,
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: he carefully slipped to twenty from the other bills. It
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: would seem strange if he had too much money with
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  Speaker 2: his feet in such shape. The next stop was a restaurant,
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: then followed a trip to a clothing store, and he
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: left his old suit behind, with new clothes, shoes, and
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: a meal beneath his belt. He began to think the
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: offer of the stranger was far from fantastic. What if
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  Speaker 2: he did have to marry a strange girl, At least
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: they would both have comfort and companionship wherever they went.
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  Speaker 2: Barrow's first appointment was on Tuesday morning, and Friday found
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: him climbing the same stairs. He watched the papers, but
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: there had been no repetition of the advertisement. Evidently the
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  Speaker 2: strange man had all the applicants he wanted. The outer
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: office was empty, but when he opened the inner door,
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: the queer man was smiling, just as Dick remembered him.
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  Speaker 4: Come in, mister Borow, I am glad to see you.
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  Speaker 4: I was surprised to hear of your use of the money,
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  Speaker 4: but was pleased rather than disappointed. You did well.
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  Speaker 2: For a moment, Dick was taken aback. Then he smiled sheepishly.
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  Speaker 1: I don't know just what to say, sir. I did
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  Speaker 1: so many things, but I didn't know I was being watched.
• 13:15
  Speaker 4: Every move you made was watched carefully and reported to me.
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  Speaker 4: I know where you spent every hour since you left
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  Speaker 4: here the other morning. I wanted to know how you
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  Speaker 4: would act with money enough to do as you pleased
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  Speaker 4: for a few days. You acted wisely, and I'm glad
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  Speaker 4: that you spent so much of it on men who
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  Speaker 4: need it. You bought twenty two pairs of shoes, thirty
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  Speaker 4: six shirts, and forty five suits of underwear. You also
• 13:45
  Speaker 4: bought cheap suits for nine men and several odd end
• 13:49
  Speaker 4: end accessories as well. Out of the total sum, you
• 13:53
  Speaker 4: spent less than one hundred dollars for yourself, and yet
• 13:58
  Speaker 4: you have only forty two dollars of the sum I
• 14:01
  Speaker 4: handed you. The remainder you used for meals and keep
• 14:05
  Speaker 4: lodging for the men you have taken care of in
• 14:08
  Speaker 4: the past three days. You have gone through a lot
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  Speaker 4: of money since you were here.
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  Speaker 2: Dick stammered as he spoke.
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  Speaker 1: I'm sorry, sir, but I.
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  Speaker 4: Thought you thought just right. I did give you the
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  Speaker 4: money to use as you pleased, and I'm proud of
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  Speaker 4: the way you've spent it. But I want to know
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  Speaker 4: the answer. You must have decided by this time. If
• 14:32
  Speaker 4: the answer is yes, you will bind yourself to a
• 14:35
  Speaker 4: lifetime of work. If it is no, we will say
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  Speaker 4: good bye.
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  Speaker 2: Dick's face lighted with a smile.
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  Speaker 1: The answer is yes. I'm proud to leave my future
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  Speaker 1: in your hands, even to my marriage. I made up
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  Speaker 1: my mind to do as you desire, and am prepared
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: to leave any time you are ready. I hope you've
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: hired every one you need, and that we'll all enjoy
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: our new work.
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  Speaker 4: You are a brave man, Dick Barrow.
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  Speaker 2: There was admiration in the voice of the stranger.
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  Speaker 4: If you remained here, I believe you would make your
• 15:09
  Speaker 4: mark in life. But you will have even greater opportunity
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  Speaker 4: where you are going. I believe your decision will prove
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  Speaker 4: to be a happy one. You must stay at a
• 15:20
  Speaker 4: good hotel reasonable if you want, although it is not important.
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  Speaker 4: I will send the girl to you within a few days.
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  Speaker 4: You will be married as soon as possible after you
• 15:32
  Speaker 4: meet her. She will bring a letter and will do
• 15:35
  Speaker 4: it exactly as you say. I will allow time for
• 15:39
  Speaker 4: you to get acquainted before I have further orders. From
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: that time, you will obey my orders explicitly and follow
• 15:47
  Speaker 4: every instruction without question. Every member of the party will
• 15:52
  Speaker 4: take orders from you, and you must give them once more.
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: Dick was handed a handful of bills as he prepared
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: to leave, and knew there was even more than the
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: first time, but he would live in constant dread of
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: meeting the girl he was to marry. As he started
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: to open the door, the man spoke again.
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  Speaker 4: Use the money as you desire. It will be your
• 16:14
  Speaker 4: last chance of spending any and I want you to
• 16:18
  Speaker 4: enjoy yourself as much as possible during the time remaining.
• 16:22
  Speaker 4: Do what you like for the men in the park
• 16:25
  Speaker 4: or any others you wished to help. If you need
• 16:28
  Speaker 4: more money, send a messenger to this room, but don't
• 16:32
  Speaker 4: come yourself. Don't contact me again until my orders require it.
• 16:38
  Speaker 4: Have a good time.
• 16:40
  Speaker 2: Dick felt that he was living a dream, but a
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: very pleasant one. Just one thought disturbed him, who the
• 16:47
  Speaker 2: girl would be and what she would be like.
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: End of chapter one, Judge two of Wanted Seven Fearless Engineers.
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Wanted seven Fearless Engineers by Warner
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: van Lorne, Chapter two out to see. The following morning,
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: an advertisement appeared in the papers under the heading of
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: help wanted woman. It was the same address on Morgan Avenue.
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: His heart sank. The man was advertising for a wife.
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: Now Barrow knew he was in for a tough streak
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: of luck. He read it carefully.
• 17:48
  Speaker 3: Opportunity for young lady must be of age, single, brilliant
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: with good family background, higher education not necessary. Must be
• 17:57
  Speaker 3: willing to travel long distance. Must not be a verse
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: marriage with brilliant young man. Give up all former associations
• 18:03
  Speaker 3: with no possibility of return. Live life in small community
• 18:07
  Speaker 3: of own race with no possibility of communication with former home.
• 18:11
  Speaker 3: Must be without close family ties or relationship. Opportunity to
• 18:15
  Speaker 3: live life of luxury and ease with amiable group far
• 18:18
  Speaker 3: from present home and civilization. Young lady who fits qualifications
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: will not regret applying for position honor love and security
• 18:27
  Speaker 3: will be her reward. Opportunity Room thirty six, eighteen West
• 18:31
  Speaker 3: Morgan Avenue, City.
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: While Dick was eating dinner on Tuesday evening, a young
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: lady fell headlong in front of his table. A moment later,
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: she was seated in the chair opposite his own. Ten
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: minutes later, he was ordering her dinner. Afterward, as they
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: walked toward a movie, Dick felt as if he was
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: committing a crime. He was supposed to meet his future
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: wife and instead was entertaining this young lady who'd fallen
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: into his life. When he learned that she was staying
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: at the same hotel, they made a date for breakfast
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: the next morning. Dolores Dunbar was good company and seemed
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: willing to spend most of her time in Dick's company.
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: He learned that she was as friendless as himself and
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: wondered why they couldn't have met before he made the
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: strange bargain. But as the third day drew to a close,
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: she appeared apprehensive when she kept glancing around as if
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: expecting someone. Dick became curious and felt rather hurt to
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: think she was looking for some one else. Finally, she spoke.
• 19:36
  Speaker 2: I'm sorry, Dick, that I've made usefu you the way
• 19:38
  Speaker 2: I have, but I was ordered to do it. You see,
• 19:41
  Speaker 2: my employer told me to meet you and spend every
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: possible moment in your company. He also said that I
• 19:46
  Speaker 2: would become acquainted with some one through you, and that
• 19:49
  Speaker 2: you would know who he was. When I said I
• 19:51
  Speaker 2: came from the large headed man on Morgan Avenue.
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: With a letter for a moment, Dick was stunned. Then
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: he laughed, a sickly, half heart laugh. When he found
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: his voice, it squeaked. I think we'd better go to
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: my room. We have some very private things to say.
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: The queer man had succeeded in their being together for
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: three days before either knew they were the central figures
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: in the drama. Now they felt farther apart than at
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: any moment since they'd met, but nervously admitted they had
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: fared better than they expected. They were married in the
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: morning to keep the arrangement, but didn't consider it part
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: of the bargain to live as man and wife. Dick
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: found only one order in the letter, to be at
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: the office at ten o'clock on Tuesday morning. That left
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: five days to enjoy themselves in spite of the stiffness
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: between them, Dick noticed how the light caught in Dolores's
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: dark hair, and how her brown eyes sparkled at each
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: new sight. Her head reached just above his shoulder, and
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: he had never danced with a better partner. She enjoyed
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: his company and admitted to herself that he was a
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: perfect gentleman. During the five days, they saw every good
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: show and visited every popular nightclub. Things they had always
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: wanted to do were packed into the short time to themselves.
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: Dick hired a car and they drove for hours through
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: the country. When Tuesday morning came, they were tired and
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: it was hard to get up in time to keep
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: the appointment. When they opened the door, the big headed
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: man laughed at their yawns.
• 21:32
  Speaker 4: I see that you've either been enjoying yourselves. I have
• 21:36
  Speaker 4: been trying, mighty heart. You can make up your sleep
• 21:40
  Speaker 4: from now on, as it will be a long time
• 21:43
  Speaker 4: before we reach our destination. How do you like each
• 21:47
  Speaker 4: other for permanent companions?
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: Their faces grew crimson. Finally Dick found his voice. I'm
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: perfectly satisfied, sir. I think Dolores is very pretty and
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: is very good company. He looked the other way to
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: hide his embarrassment. As the girl spoke, I feel.
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: The same way. We have enjoyed being together, and perhaps
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: when we are better acquainted, the stiffness will disappear. We
• 22:13
  Speaker 2: both feel odd because we were required to marry.
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: The strange man laughed out loud at this.
• 22:21
  Speaker 4: In other words, you might have fallen in love if
• 22:26
  Speaker 4: you had been allowed time to do it, but having
• 22:30
  Speaker 4: to marry creates an entirely different feeling. I believe it
• 22:36
  Speaker 4: will work out well, even though you feel cheated at
• 22:39
  Speaker 4: the moment. But we haven't any time to lose. Everyone
• 22:44
  Speaker 4: is at the dock and we sail in two hours.
• 22:48
  Speaker 4: Here are your instructions, Dick. From now on you give
• 22:52
  Speaker 4: the orders and I remain in the background. They will
• 22:57
  Speaker 4: all feel more comfortable under the command under one of
• 23:00
  Speaker 4: their own race. Study everything carefully on the way to
• 23:05
  Speaker 4: the dock, and give them as your own orders.
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: Dick had little time for anything except to look through
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: the sheaf of papers. On one sheet was a list
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: of seven couples with stateroom numbers beside each. His own
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: was on the top with number three room. This he
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: dropped in a side pocket where it would be easy
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: to find the remainder was in connection with sailing. Dick, Dolores,
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: and the big headed man occupied one cab while the
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: baggage followed in another. Dolores had obtained quite a wardrobe,
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: much to the amusement of her employer, but the man
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: spoke only once during the trip.
• 23:45
  Speaker 4: Everyone in the party must consider that they work for you, Dick.
• 23:51
  Speaker 4: You must hear all complaints and settle all differences. They
• 23:56
  Speaker 4: must not approach me for any reason known as markwill
• 24:01
  Speaker 4: of section one, which you will understand when we reach
• 24:06
  Speaker 4: our destination.
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: The crew was hurrying back and forth on the deck
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: of the small ship, taking care of last minute details.
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: A group of people were gathered beside a huge stack
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: of baggage, and Dick walked toward them without waiting for
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: the others. Dolores went to the gangplank beside Mawquill, helping
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: him slightly. He seemed to have difficulty in supporting his
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: enormous head with the slight body. As Dick reached the group,
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: he read the names from the list in his hand.
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: Mister and missus John McCarthy, you're in stateroom number seven.
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: Take what baggage you can carry. The rest will be
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: put on board. He called each name and stateroom. They
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: headed for the ship. John McCarthy, he found, was the
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: man he'd met in the office, and he still had
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: his perpetual grin. Evidently his fiancee had agreed to the pact,
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: for they were now man and wife. When Dick started
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: toward the ship after watching the baggage put on board,
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: he was stopped by a tap on the shoulder. The
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: cab drivers were still waiting for their money. Morquil had
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: left everything in his hands, even to paying for the
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: motor trip to the dock. It was a strange departure,
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: with only a few people on the dock to say
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: good bye, even they were just neighbors of the passengers.
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: Most of the women on board were crying. As the
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: Primrose nosed out through the harbor toward the open sea.
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: Dick was still at the rail when the captain approached.
• 25:36
  Speaker 2: I'm sorry to bother you, mister Barrow, but I must
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: know our destination so I can set the course.
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: The young leader's day dreaming was cut short to jerk
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: him back to his duties. He felt that the lives
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: and hopes of everyone on the ship had been thrust
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: into his hands. Even the captain didn't know where they
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: were going. The ship had been chartered for a voyage
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: of several months to an unknown destination. He and the
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: crew were well paid and didn't care where they went.
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: Dick drew a sealed envelope from his pocket, detached a
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: slip of paper, and handed it to the captain. He
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: read the note, then repeated it. You're to keep the
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: destination to yourself. No one on the ship is to
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: know where we're going, and you'll not mention it to
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: me again. I hope that we have good weather, Captain,
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: and a fast trip. Barrow felt like a fool, repeating
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: messages as if they were his own without the slightest
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: knowledge of what they were about. He was supposedly charting
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: the course and didn't have the slightest idea where they
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: were going. When Dick reached his stateroom after answering questions
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: from everyone on board and telling them nothing, he found
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: Dolores sobbing. She'd kept her smile until the boat sailed.
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: Now she was crying her eyes out. It was not
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: a new sight, as every woman on the ship seemed
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: occupied in the same way, with the men trying to
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: comfort them. As Dick sat down beside her, he could
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: feel the throb of the diesel motor. It seemed to
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: carry the rhythm of adventure through the walls of the cabin,
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: giving the feeling of the unknown. For a long time,
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: there was silence while Dolores held one of Dick's hands
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: for protection.
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: Dick, we only have one cabin. I'm supposed to stay
• 27:20
  Speaker 2: here with you, and I hardly know you. Morquell told
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: me that I must stay here. There are no extra rooms.
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: I'm sorry, Dolors. We will just have to put up
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: with things as they are. We've got into this and
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: we'll have to see it through. After all, we are
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: man and wife, and the people on board would think
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: it strange if we didn't occupy the same room. There
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: are two bunks, so I won't have to sleep on
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: the floor. It will be a long trip, and we
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: might as well enjoy it as much as possible. Days
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: changed into weeks as the ship plowed steadily south. They
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: stopped at one port for a few hours to refuel,
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: and there was little to see. The ship was slow,
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: and it felt good to walk on land again, but
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: no one spoke enough English to answer questions. It was
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: the only time they sighted land until just before the
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: end of the trip, when small islands began to slide by,
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: some within a few hundred feet, others just visible in
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: the distance. Marquall hadn't appeared on deck during the entire trip,
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: but now he approached the rail, his face lighted up
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: with an ethereal glow as he gazed across the blue water.
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: He looked like a man who was sighting his home
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: after many years of absence. Dick couldn't help but feel
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: glad for him, while cold chills of misgiving crept up
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: and down his own spine. Their voyage was ending at
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: a far different place than he'd pictured in his mind,
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: and quite the opposite of the description which Morquil had
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: given of gigantic mechanical development. They were passing by small
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: south sea islands where mechanical equipment was out of the question.
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: They hardly appeared habitable. When the captain approached Dick Mowkill
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: joined the conversation.
• 29:07
  Speaker 4: I'll give you the directions, Captain. Mister Barrow is not
• 29:11
  Speaker 4: feeling well, and I can do it for him. In
• 29:16
  Speaker 4: about an hour we will reach the island and I
• 29:20
  Speaker 4: will point out the entrance to the harbor. It is
• 29:23
  Speaker 4: well protected and there is no need to worry about
• 29:27
  Speaker 4: any storm while we unload.
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: Every inch of space in the ship was packed with supplies.
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: There were crates of books as well as pieces of machinery.
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: Considerable radio equipment included assembled sets as well as parts.
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: There were rifles and even one small cannon. Several crates
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: of chickens and turkeys joined the other things on the beach. Then,
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: to the amazement of the party, a crate of pigs appeared.
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: It required three days to empty the ship, and with
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: each passing hour the little party grew more apprehensive. It
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: seemed as if they'd been transferred to an island to
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: start a new civilization instead of a place where mechanical
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: development was far advanced. Because Dick was the leader of
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: the party, the others began to look at him with hatred.
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: Morquill was almost forgotten. When the last piece of equipment
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: was covered with heavy tarpaulins, they constructed a shelter against
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: one side of the pile. It was almost dark when
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: everything was finished, and the captain decided to wait until
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: the next day to sail. Everyone was invited on board
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: the Primrose for a farewell party, Dick was forced to
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: call a meeting in the main cabin to forestall danger
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: of the party deserting with the ship. Marquill had instructed
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: him carefully, friends, we are facing a great adventure. I'm
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: in no different position than you, except that as leader,
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: I'm responsible for whatever happens. I must take all blame
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: for whatever comes. Yet know that it will eventually work
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: out as we expected. You all know that it is
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: forbidden to talk about this trip or to surmise our destination.
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: I can assure you that it is done for your benefit,
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: and later you will appreciate the fact that you did
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: not know the future. I can't say what the next
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: few days will bring to all of us, but be
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: assured that everything you have been promised will be fulfilled.
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: At the moment, it seems impossible that things can turn
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: out as we expected, but they will. You must simply
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: be patient and do not lose faith in this great adventure.
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: As Dick finished his speech, Mawquill smiled very satisfied. Dolorss
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: even smiled faintly, although it required effort to overcome her
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: feeling of disaster. The following morning, everyone went ashore and
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: John McCarthy went around trying to aid Barrow in cheering
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: up the party. He lied like a trooper, whispering to
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: everyone that he discovered something that satisfied him about the
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: marvelous civilization they would reach. Before long, word of this
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: reached Morquill, and he hurriedly called Dick and John out
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: a sound of the others. He appeared almost frightened, and
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: the moment they were alone, he spoke, what have you learned?
• 32:18
  Speaker 4: I wanted you to know nothing, and it is better
• 32:21
  Speaker 4: if you are ignorant. Whatever you learned is too much
• 32:25
  Speaker 4: and may upset the future.
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: John started to laugh, Then, seeing the expression of agony
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: on the face of Morquill, he stopped short.
• 32:35
  Speaker 4: Don't worry. I haven't learned anything. I simply tried to
• 32:38
  Speaker 4: help Dick keep the people satisfied. They were getting soul
• 32:42
  Speaker 4: rest lest they need at something. In my hometown, I
• 32:45
  Speaker 4: was known as a famous liar and thought my ability
• 32:49
  Speaker 4: might come in hand.
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: He slowly the agony disappeared from Marquill's face.
• 32:55
  Speaker 4: Some day you will understand how much you have done
• 32:58
  Speaker 4: for me, John, You will never regretted.
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: The McCarthys remained jovial and tried to keep up the
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: spirits of the others as the days of loneliness passed.
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: Philip Jones and his wife were quiet and waited patiently.
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: Andrew and Emma Smith had taken over the cooking and
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: served the meals. George and Mary Martin were the youngest couple,
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: and Dick doubted whether either of them was past twenty one.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: The others were all nearer thirty. They spent their time
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: side by side gazing over the sea, perfectly happy in
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: each other's company. Gerald Brown and Peter Yarborough were constantly
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: fishing from the collapsible boat while their wives played cards.
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: One night, they were awakened by brilliant flashes of light
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: running to the beach. They watched in amazement. They appeared
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: like big guns firing just above the surface of the
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: water a few miles away. While they watched, they gradually
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: faded out. It was like a terrific electric storm, and
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: the little party drew close together for comfort. When the
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: lights faded out entirely, Mawquil told them to get some sleep.
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: They would have to move equipment aboard a new ship.
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: The following day, with the first streak of dawn, Dick
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: was back at the edge of the beach, straining his
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: eyes into the gloom, but it was almost an hour
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: before any object was visible. After breakfast, the ship was
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: much plainer. They could see a rounded hull like the
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: top of a huge submarine above the water. One of
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: the women remarked that she would stay on the island
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: before she'd enter an undersea ship. The trip on the
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: Primrose was bad enough, but it wasn't below the surface.
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: Marquill called them within the canvas shelter as if to
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: make a speech. He held a small ball in one hand,
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: and while they waited for instructions, it landed in their
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: midst A cloud of yellow vapor burst from the object,
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: and everyone in the party slowly sank to the ground.
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: Morquil joined the others in unconscious stupor, a victim of
• 35:05
  Speaker 1: his own gas. End of chapter two, Chapter three of
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: Wanted Seven Fearless Engineers. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: or to volunteer police, visit LibriVox dot org. Wanted Seven
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: Fearless Engineers by Warner van Lorne, Chapter three, Strange Destination.
• 35:48
  Speaker 3: When Dick opened his eyes, there was a feeling of
• 35:50
  Speaker 3: motion to the bed. The strangeness of the ceiling overhead
• 35:54
  Speaker 3: drew his attention. It was not canvas, but shiny metal,
• 35:58
  Speaker 3: almost purple in tint. Suddenly he sat up. Dolores lay
• 36:03
  Speaker 3: beside him. As his eyes cleared of the lingering mist.
• 36:07
  Speaker 3: Objects in the room became plainer. They were in a
• 36:10
  Speaker 3: luxuriously equipped cabin. Dolores slowly opened her eyes. A moment later,
• 36:16
  Speaker 3: she sat out beside him, glancing through the porthole beyond
• 36:19
  Speaker 3: the bed. She turned away with a groan.
• 36:23
  Speaker 2: We are under water and deep. I can't see a
• 36:26
  Speaker 2: thing but strange blue light.
• 36:28
  Speaker 3: When Dick joined her, his forehead puckered in a frown.
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: No, Dolores, it doesn't look like water. It looks more
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: like No, it can't be.
• 36:39
  Speaker 3: For several minutes there was silence while he gazed through
• 36:42
  Speaker 3: the opening. Dolores had lost interest in the outside and
• 36:46
  Speaker 3: was examining the fittings of the cabin. It had everything
• 36:49
  Speaker 3: that could be desired in a first class hotel room,
• 36:51
  Speaker 3: and many little toilet articles besides. Suddenly Dick turned away.
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: It's true. We're in the air or above it, Dolores.
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: This ship is an aircraft.
• 37:06
  Speaker 2: Never mind, Dick. This room is beautiful, whether we're flying
• 37:10
  Speaker 2: or swimming. This is the nicest room I've ever had.
• 37:13
  Speaker 2: It has everything, and look at the dressing table.
• 37:17
  Speaker 3: Dick sat down in amazement, a smile slowly spreading over
• 37:21
  Speaker 3: his face. Dolores was happy wherever they were. The room
• 37:25
  Speaker 3: was all that mattered, but he couldn't understand why Markwill
• 37:29
  Speaker 3: had gassed them and put them on board unconscious. He
• 37:32
  Speaker 3: would have enjoyed seeing the new ship. When a knock
• 37:36
  Speaker 3: sounded at the door. Dolores was unpacking her clothes for
• 37:39
  Speaker 3: the first time since they left the Primrose, turning the knob,
• 37:43
  Speaker 3: Mark Will stepped in.
• 37:46
  Speaker 4: I'm sorry, Dick that I had to use gas, but
• 37:49
  Speaker 4: I knew that people would be afraid of boarding this ship.
• 37:53
  Speaker 4: John mccathy is down in the power room already examining
• 37:57
  Speaker 4: the machines, but some of the others are upset about
• 38:02
  Speaker 4: the transfer from the island. I hope you don't feel
• 38:06
  Speaker 4: resentful no more.
• 38:09
  Speaker 1: We're satisfied. If you don't believe it. Look at Dolores.
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: She decided to like this from the minute she saw it,
• 38:14
  Speaker 1: and it's unpacking already.
• 38:17
  Speaker 3: The worried expression disappeared from the strange man's face.
• 38:21
  Speaker 4: I had the cabins equipped for women, as I know
• 38:24
  Speaker 4: they are particular about such things. Would you like to
• 38:28
  Speaker 4: see the ship? It will be your home for a
• 38:31
  Speaker 4: long time, and you might as well get acquainted. I'm
• 38:35
  Speaker 4: sorry that no one but myself understands English, but you
• 38:39
  Speaker 4: will have ample time to learn our language during the voyage.
• 38:44
  Speaker 4: You must speak it fluently by the time we arrive.
• 38:49
  Speaker 3: As they started out, Dolores dropped the dress she was
• 38:52
  Speaker 3: holding to join them. Curiosity overcame the desire to straighten
• 38:56
  Speaker 3: out her clothes. Entering a wide passage to the right,
• 39:01
  Speaker 3: it ended abruptly in a room with several comfortable chairs.
• 39:05
  Speaker 3: Three tables occupied the center in uneven positions, the underparts
• 39:09
  Speaker 3: filled with metal covered books. Two men of Marquill's race
• 39:13
  Speaker 3: looked up at their approach. Dick returned their friendly smile
• 39:18
  Speaker 3: when Dolores smiled. They appeared embarrassed, but truly greatly pleased.
• 39:23
  Speaker 3: Barrow noticed that one of them was examining a book
• 39:25
  Speaker 3: in English. The illustrations seemed to fascinate him. A narrow
• 39:30
  Speaker 3: passage beyond the main cabin led to the control room,
• 39:33
  Speaker 3: where three men sat in swivel chairs. The instrument board
• 39:38
  Speaker 3: was a marvel to Dick, and he watched for several minutes.
• 39:41
  Speaker 3: It would require months to understand even a small portion
• 39:44
  Speaker 3: of the gauges. The ship was built with two decks
• 39:48
  Speaker 3: and a large hold beneath the lower floor, which contained
• 39:51
  Speaker 3: the machinery. The strange men were courted on the lower level,
• 39:55
  Speaker 3: with the exception of Markuill. His cabin was next to
• 39:58
  Speaker 3: the one occupied by the Barrows. The McCarthys were on
• 40:01
  Speaker 3: the opposite side of the passage, in a room slightly
• 40:04
  Speaker 3: smaller than the one allotted to Dick and his wife.
• 40:07
  Speaker 3: The quarters of all the remainder of the party were smaller,
• 40:10
  Speaker 3: but still quite comfortable, all located farther back on the
• 40:13
  Speaker 3: same passage. Morkel was proud of the ship and displayed
• 40:17
  Speaker 3: each section with pride. He opened every cupboard door and
• 40:20
  Speaker 3: showed them through all of the cabins. They were stopped
• 40:23
  Speaker 3: for a while when they met missus Yarborough, trying to
• 40:26
  Speaker 3: dispel her fear of the strange craft. The others appeared
• 40:30
  Speaker 3: to be taking their new quarters for granted and settling
• 40:32
  Speaker 3: down for the trip. The main cabin was towards the
• 40:36
  Speaker 3: front of the ship, while the dining room was at
• 40:38
  Speaker 3: the rear the staterooms on the passage between. One stairway
• 40:42
  Speaker 3: led to the lower level from just back of the
• 40:44
  Speaker 3: control room, another from the dining saloon. A ramp beneath
• 40:48
  Speaker 3: the rear stairway led to the hold of the ship.
• 40:51
  Speaker 3: When they started down, Dolores returned to her cabin. Her
• 40:55
  Speaker 3: interest ended on the upper decks. Dick spotted John bending
• 40:59
  Speaker 3: over one of the machines, so engrossed that he didn't
• 41:02
  Speaker 3: hear their approach. One of the crews stood nearby watching.
• 41:06
  Speaker 3: When McCarthy saw Barrow, he nearly burst with enthusiasm.
• 41:10
  Speaker 4: This is the greatest thing I've ever seen. Why it
• 41:13
  Speaker 4: almost talks? Do you know this little machine actually picks
• 41:17
  Speaker 4: up the orders from the control room and adjust every
• 41:21
  Speaker 4: machine down here. Dand if I don't think it's got
• 41:24
  Speaker 4: a brain.
• 41:26
  Speaker 3: When Mark will led the way towards the front of
• 41:28
  Speaker 3: the hold, John was still engrossed in the apparatus.
• 41:32
  Speaker 4: He will be a valuable man to you, Dick, and
• 41:35
  Speaker 4: can solve many problems that you would otherwise have to
• 41:38
  Speaker 4: do yourself. He will make an able assistant.
• 41:42
  Speaker 3: Passing by the heavy machinery, they approached an enclosed section,
• 41:46
  Speaker 3: which appeared to be of recent installation. Stepping through the doorway,
• 41:50
  Speaker 3: Markwill threw a switch which lighted every corner. Then watched
• 41:54
  Speaker 3: expectantly as Dick examined the strange objects. It appeared to
• 41:58
  Speaker 3: be a colony of metal beehives with covered passages between.
• 42:04
  Speaker 4: It is our home, Dick. This room contains everything in
• 42:08
  Speaker 4: miniature that you will see when we arrive. Each of
• 42:12
  Speaker 4: the smaller domes hos thirty thousand people, the large one
• 42:17
  Speaker 4: three times that number. We are born, live, our lives,
• 42:22
  Speaker 4: and die beneath these metal ceilings. It will be your
• 42:26
  Speaker 4: job to care for them. Everything beneath these domes is
• 42:30
  Speaker 4: exactly as it is in our cities, except that the
• 42:35
  Speaker 4: machines are dummies. This model room was installed so you
• 42:39
  Speaker 4: could study our civilization during the trip. When you arrive,
• 42:44
  Speaker 4: you will be ready to start work. You and you
• 42:48
  Speaker 4: only will have a key. You may bring any member
• 42:53
  Speaker 4: of your party here that you desire, but it is
• 42:56
  Speaker 4: not necessary for them to understand the entire civilization. There
• 43:03
  Speaker 4: are only six cities, including the large one, where you
• 43:07
  Speaker 4: and John McCarthy will be located. The other men will
• 43:12
  Speaker 4: each have one dome under their control. It is easy
• 43:17
  Speaker 4: to travel back and forth, and you may gather together
• 43:20
  Speaker 4: at any time, although each of you will have duties
• 43:24
  Speaker 4: in different sections. While you are overseeing the work in
• 43:28
  Speaker 4: the smaller cities, John can look after the capital. Upon
• 43:33
  Speaker 4: your arrival in Yorpun, you will take complete charge of
• 43:37
  Speaker 4: all mechanical work. It will be your responsibility from then on.
• 43:44
  Speaker 3: As Dick slipped the key in his pocket, he felt
• 43:46
  Speaker 3: the weight of a country settle slowly on his shoulders.
• 43:49
  Speaker 3: Two hundred and ten thousand people entirely dependent upon his
• 43:54
  Speaker 3: control of the machines. Where could this settlement be? They
• 43:59
  Speaker 3: had sailed down near to the end of the world
• 44:01
  Speaker 3: in the Primrose, and now they were going even farther
• 44:05
  Speaker 3: from the way the metal domes covered the cities. It
• 44:08
  Speaker 3: might be at the south Pole and still be habitable.
• 44:12
  Speaker 3: By the time they returned to the main cabin, it
• 44:14
  Speaker 3: was dinner time. It was past midday when he regained consciousness,
• 44:18
  Speaker 3: and Dick was hungry. Missus McCarthy was knitting a sweater
• 44:22
  Speaker 3: for her husband, while three of the strange men watched
• 44:25
  Speaker 3: in amazement. Her knitting needles seemed to hold them spellbound.
• 44:30
  Speaker 3: The other members of Dick's party were sitting around trying
• 44:32
  Speaker 3: to decide what to do, but the sound of the
• 44:35
  Speaker 3: dinner gong made them forget their worries. Dick had to
• 44:39
  Speaker 3: go down to the hold and call John, who was
• 44:40
  Speaker 3: still watching the master machine. If he hadn't been dragged away,
• 44:44
  Speaker 3: he would have spent the night examining the strange device.
• 44:48
  Speaker 3: The meal was simple, but they all enjoyed it. It
• 44:51
  Speaker 3: seemed to dispel the gloom from the party, and they
• 44:53
  Speaker 3: appreciated McCarthy's jokes. There were fifteen of Mawkuill's race in
• 44:58
  Speaker 3: the crew, and all but the men at the controls
• 45:00
  Speaker 3: joined them. Knives and forks stood at the places set
• 45:04
  Speaker 3: for the passengers, brought from the supplies on the Primrose,
• 45:07
  Speaker 3: but the crew at with long narrow spoons table silver
• 45:11
  Speaker 3: was evidently unknown to this race of people. After dinner,
• 45:15
  Speaker 3: Markel called them to the main cabin and for the
• 45:18
  Speaker 3: first time told about the destination. All that had kept
• 45:21
  Speaker 3: them from losing hope long before was his promise of
• 45:24
  Speaker 3: greater comfort and luxury than they could hope for in
• 45:26
  Speaker 3: their native land.
• 45:28
  Speaker 4: I know that some of you resent the fact that
• 45:32
  Speaker 4: you were unconscious while put aboard this ship, but I
• 45:36
  Speaker 4: know you would hesitate to come of your own accord.
• 45:40
  Speaker 4: One woman said that she wouldn't go on an under
• 45:43
  Speaker 4: sea ship, and she would be more afraid of this.
• 45:49
  Speaker 4: You will be amazed to know that we are now
• 45:52
  Speaker 4: leaving the atmosphere of the Earth that you have always known.
• 45:57
  Speaker 4: Our destination is on a different planet.
• 46:04
  Speaker 3: End of chapter three.
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: Chapter four of Wanted Seven Fearless Engineers. This is a
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: Wanted Seven Fearless Engineers by Warner van Lorne. Chapter four
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: Marquill's story.
• 46:40
  Speaker 2: For a long time, there was silence, Then missus Jones fainted.
• 46:44
  Speaker 2: McCarthy took it without flinching, and his wife was satisfied
• 46:47
  Speaker 2: if he was. Dick had suspected something almost as strange
• 46:52
  Speaker 2: and did not seem surprised. Dolores looked at him for guidance.
• 46:56
  Speaker 2: He nodded reassuringly. The others shut their lips tight, feeling
• 47:01
  Speaker 2: that they had been taken prisoner without hope of escape.
• 47:05
  Speaker 2: After a pause, Morkwell continued. Missus Jones had recovered her
• 47:09
  Speaker 2: composure and was staring at him with undisguised dislike.
• 47:14
  Speaker 4: I am sorry it had to happen this way, but
• 47:17
  Speaker 4: I would not have been able to take sufficient people.
• 47:20
  Speaker 4: If you had known where we were going, some of
• 47:23
  Speaker 4: you might have come, but I treated every one alike.
• 47:27
  Speaker 4: I also was unconscious from the gas, but the crew
• 47:31
  Speaker 4: revived me. I had to look after the loading of
• 47:34
  Speaker 4: the supplies and have the cabins prepared for you. It
• 47:38
  Speaker 4: was much nicer that way than if you had resisted
• 47:41
  Speaker 4: and were put on board by force. I shall start
• 47:45
  Speaker 4: at the beginning of my story and let you judge
• 47:48
  Speaker 4: for yourselves as to whether we have done wrong. The
• 47:52
  Speaker 4: existence of my world depends on the perfect operation of machines.
• 47:57
  Speaker 4: Even our atmosphere is manu factioned and kept at proper
• 48:02
  Speaker 4: temperature within sealed domes to protect us from the natural
• 48:06
  Speaker 4: gases of the planet. We live on this planet through necessity,
• 48:11
  Speaker 4: not desire. Our race landed there very long after escaping
• 48:17
  Speaker 4: from a planet that was falling into the sun. Their
• 48:21
  Speaker 4: spaceship ran short of fuel within the gravity pull of
• 48:25
  Speaker 4: our present habitation. It was difficult, but they succeeded in
• 48:29
  Speaker 4: constructing gas proof shelters and slowly improved conditions for living.
• 48:36
  Speaker 4: We never knew what happened to the other spaceships from
• 48:39
  Speaker 4: our original planet, but they may be distributed throughout the universe.
• 48:45
  Speaker 4: Your own ancestors may be of the same origin as ours.
• 48:50
  Speaker 4: The similarity of our forms tends to prove it. Eventually,
• 48:56
  Speaker 4: metal domes were built and the race prospered within, but
• 49:01
  Speaker 4: our lives depend on their being kept in perfect repair.
• 49:06
  Speaker 4: Machines were built which do practically all of the work
• 49:10
  Speaker 4: in caring for our wants, and from the first we
• 49:14
  Speaker 4: have adjusted our own gravity to live normally under the
• 49:19
  Speaker 4: gigantic pull of the new planet, which to you is Jupiter.
• 49:26
  Speaker 4: Through the ages, our lives became easier and required less
• 49:31
  Speaker 4: manual work. Machinery did everything we desired. Most of them
• 49:37
  Speaker 4: were automatically repaired and serviced, while the permanent machines ran
• 49:43
  Speaker 4: on through the ages without care. As generation after generation
• 49:48
  Speaker 4: lived and died under these conditions, we lost most of
• 49:52
  Speaker 4: our former knowledge. When one of the atmospheric machines ceased
• 49:58
  Speaker 4: to operate, we could not to repair it. Instead, one
• 50:02
  Speaker 4: of the other machines had to be speeded up and
• 50:05
  Speaker 4: the atmosphere pumped into the extra dome. At the height
• 50:10
  Speaker 4: of our mechanical development, this spaceship was built. Then the
• 50:15
  Speaker 4: race lost interest and were content to live in ease
• 50:19
  Speaker 4: without attempting to reach another planet. Three generations ago, our
• 50:24
  Speaker 4: people discovered the danger. Even our bodies had deteriorated until
• 50:31
  Speaker 4: we could not stand hard work. The machines had begun
• 50:35
  Speaker 4: to break down. We were headed for extinction. When I
• 50:41
  Speaker 4: was a young man, they succeeded in finishing the equipment
• 50:45
  Speaker 4: on this ship. Three generations had been required to create
• 50:50
  Speaker 4: enough fuel for only two voyages. I was selected as
• 50:55
  Speaker 4: the man to explore the strange world which we had
• 50:59
  Speaker 4: been studied. With the instruments of our ancestors. We had
• 51:04
  Speaker 4: determined your exact mechanical development and knew that you were
• 51:08
  Speaker 4: capable of furnishing the engineers, which meant life or death
• 51:13
  Speaker 4: to our race. It is twenty years since I was
• 51:18
  Speaker 4: left on the small island and the ship returned to Jupiter.
• 51:23
  Speaker 4: At that time we decided the date for this trip
• 51:26
  Speaker 4: to bring me back. In the meantime, I traveled half
• 51:30
  Speaker 4: way around the world in a small metal boat before
• 51:34
  Speaker 4: being picked up by a tramp steamer as I dared
• 51:37
  Speaker 4: not land near any civilized country. After I reached a settlement,
• 51:43
  Speaker 4: I had to learn your customs and language, and many
• 51:47
  Speaker 4: other things about a completely alien people. I was furnished
• 51:52
  Speaker 4: with an ample supply of gold, as we knew it
• 51:56
  Speaker 4: was the metal that you valued highest. This purchased mail
• 52:00
  Speaker 4: many things that would otherwise have been impossible to obtain,
• 52:04
  Speaker 4: and also brought me a great deal of trouble. I
• 52:08
  Speaker 4: was robbed of most of the wealth before I had
• 52:11
  Speaker 4: been in civilization a year. The fact that a great
• 52:16
  Speaker 4: deal was left on the small island is all that
• 52:19
  Speaker 4: made my venture possible. I spent three years in an
• 52:24
  Speaker 4: institution before they decided that I was a normal human
• 52:28
  Speaker 4: being and could take care of myself. I dared not
• 52:33
  Speaker 4: tell them that I came from a different planet, or
• 52:36
  Speaker 4: I would have failed in every way. I learned many
• 52:39
  Speaker 4: things about the people of your world, but mainly that
• 52:43
  Speaker 4: gold could buy almost anything. I lived for several years
• 52:49
  Speaker 4: by working at anything that I could obtain, trying to
• 52:52
  Speaker 4: find someone who would finance an expedition to the island.
• 52:57
  Speaker 4: No one would believe me when I said that I
• 52:59
  Speaker 4: knew of a great fortune in gold. I finally found
• 53:04
  Speaker 4: a man who did believe me, and he received one
• 53:07
  Speaker 4: half of the gold as reward. It was not until
• 53:11
  Speaker 4: then that I could begin the work that I started
• 53:14
  Speaker 4: out to do, and nearly ten years had passed. I
• 53:18
  Speaker 4: planned for several years before I dared try to obtain
• 53:21
  Speaker 4: the people I needed. I studied everything I could about
• 53:25
  Speaker 4: your engineering and found that it was not of the
• 53:28
  Speaker 4: same type as our own. For this reason, I did
• 53:32
  Speaker 4: not want a graduate engineer, as he would have to
• 53:36
  Speaker 4: learn everything all over again in my cities. When I
• 53:41
  Speaker 4: advertised for men and told you of the wonderful mechanical development,
• 53:45
  Speaker 4: it was the truth. I did mislead you to a
• 53:49
  Speaker 4: small extent in obtaining your promise to come with me,
• 53:53
  Speaker 4: but the existence of my race depended on your work.
• 53:57
  Speaker 4: My people will give you anything you do desire if
• 54:00
  Speaker 4: you will help them. When we left our cities, we
• 54:05
  Speaker 4: didn't know whether we could even escape from the planet
• 54:08
  Speaker 4: in this ship. There was no opportunity of testing it
• 54:12
  Speaker 4: until we started on the journey. Even the men at
• 54:15
  Speaker 4: the controls had never handled it. All of their knowledge
• 54:19
  Speaker 4: was obtained by years of practice sitting in a stationery ship.
• 54:25
  Speaker 4: When they left me on the island and returned to
• 54:28
  Speaker 4: the planet, they hoped I could accomplish my purpose, but
• 54:32
  Speaker 4: the chance of success was pitifully small. I have never
• 54:37
  Speaker 4: enjoyed the comforts of other members of my race, but
• 54:41
  Speaker 4: have spent my life in an alien universe, carrying around
• 54:45
  Speaker 4: my big head without friends or companionship. Their gravity within
• 54:50
  Speaker 4: our enclosed cities is lower than on your planet, making
• 54:55
  Speaker 4: it easy for us to walk. After several years of
• 54:59
  Speaker 4: study and planning, I knew there was only one way
• 55:02
  Speaker 4: of accomplishing what I went after. It is the way
• 55:06
  Speaker 4: I have done it. No one would have believed that
• 55:09
  Speaker 4: I came from a strange planet. They would have thought
• 55:12
  Speaker 4: me out of my mind. If I had persuaded them,
• 55:16
  Speaker 4: I could have found no recruits for the work, no
• 55:19
  Speaker 4: matter what I offered. I know how any one feels
• 55:23
  Speaker 4: about leaving their own planet where they were born and
• 55:27
  Speaker 4: brought up. You will find that the machines need work badly.
• 55:33
  Speaker 4: Some of them are running only because we use several
• 55:36
  Speaker 4: times the normal power to turn them. Our mining machines
• 55:40
  Speaker 4: have not worked for more than a generation, and the
• 55:44
  Speaker 4: mines remain idle. The metal supply is running short. The
• 55:49
  Speaker 4: equipment which overcomes gravity also furnishes us with power. When
• 55:55
  Speaker 4: weights are lifted with gravity almost eliminated, then allowed to
• 55:59
  Speaker 4: sin with a full pull of Jupiter it creates enormous
• 56:04
  Speaker 4: amounts of energy for every use. It will be months
• 56:09
  Speaker 4: before we reach our cities, and I hope that by
• 56:12
  Speaker 4: that time you will feel satisfied with your forced migration
• 56:16
  Speaker 4: to my race. It was the only cause which would
• 56:19
  Speaker 4: avoid annihilation within a few generations. At first, it will
• 56:26
  Speaker 4: seem terrible to be shut in beneath a metal cover,
• 56:30
  Speaker 4: but when you become accustomed to it, that feeling disappears.
• 56:34
  Speaker 4: You depend just as much on a ship at sea
• 56:37
  Speaker 4: or a plane in the air, but never think of
• 56:40
  Speaker 4: it in the same way. We must trust you, as
• 56:44
  Speaker 4: we will not know whether you are repairing or destroying
• 56:48
  Speaker 4: our machines until we see the results. You will be
• 56:52
  Speaker 4: given complete power and can draw upon my people for
• 56:56
  Speaker 4: all of the help you need. You will be even
• 56:59
  Speaker 4: more powerful than the rulers of the domes. My people
• 57:03
  Speaker 4: decided that you deserved this position long before we attempted
• 57:08
  Speaker 4: to reach the earth and bring you back. I came
• 57:12
  Speaker 4: to your country because the mechanical development is greater than
• 57:16
  Speaker 4: in any other nation. You have greater love for engineering,
• 57:21
  Speaker 4: and more of you are employed that way. I have
• 57:24
  Speaker 4: told you everything about my home and my people, and
• 57:28
  Speaker 4: leave it up to you as to the way you
• 57:30
  Speaker 4: were lacked. We have only done what was necessary for
• 57:33
  Speaker 4: the survival of our race, and hope that you will
• 57:37
  Speaker 4: forgive us for stealing you from your own planet. You
• 57:41
  Speaker 4: have complete freedom of the ship to come and go
• 57:44
  Speaker 4: as you please at any time. You are now considered
• 57:48
  Speaker 4: part of our own population, and we both have the
• 57:52
  Speaker 4: same interests. We hope you enjoy it.
• 57:57
  Speaker 2: For a moment, Morquell gazed into the face of the
• 58:00
  Speaker 2: small gathering of people, then slowly walked from the room.
• 58:04
  Speaker 2: There was complete silence, broken occasionally by a sigh as
• 58:08
  Speaker 2: some thought of home exerted itself. An hour passed and
• 58:12
  Speaker 2: they still had not moved. Each seemed to be waiting
• 58:15
  Speaker 2: for one of the others to break the silence. Finally,
• 58:19
  Speaker 2: Dick got to his feet. His words came slowly, as
• 58:23
  Speaker 2: if carefully weighed before using. The others listened intently.
• 58:28
  Speaker 1: I know what each of you must be thinking, because
• 58:31
  Speaker 1: I've been thinking the same thoughts. We are all in
• 58:34
  Speaker 1: the same boat, without chance of leaving, headed for Jupiter.
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: We have seen the last of the world where we
• 58:42
  Speaker 1: were born. Either we'd take up our lives in this
• 58:45
  Speaker 1: new existence or die out here in space, destroying Morquill's
• 58:50
  Speaker 1: race as well as ourselves. He says, they cannot survive
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: without our aid. Our own world did not need us
• 58:57
  Speaker 1: or give us much for our efforts. If it had,
• 59:01
  Speaker 1: we would not beyond this strange spaceship. Morquill hired only
• 59:05
  Speaker 1: people who were willing to leave their homes and friends,
• 59:09
  Speaker 1: and we applied for the work. There really is not
• 59:12
  Speaker 1: much that we can complain about. For one, I intend
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: to do all that I can to make our future
• 59:19
  Speaker 1: home the greatest civilization in the universe. Perhaps in the
• 59:23
  Speaker 1: future years it will be possible for us to pay
• 59:26
  Speaker 1: a short visit to our former planet. Perhaps our children
• 59:29
  Speaker 1: will follow in our footsteps, enjoying greater honor, comfort, and
• 59:33
  Speaker 1: luxury than they could possibly have had in our own world.
• 59:38
  Speaker 1: I received little from my fellow men, and have already
• 59:42
  Speaker 1: received more from Morquill than I ever had before.
• 59:48
  Speaker 2: As Dick sat down, John MacCarthy's voice boomed.
• 59:51
  Speaker 4: Out, I'll follow Dick. Here's the boss of this party,
• 59:55
  Speaker 4: and if he is satisfied, I am boy. We shall
• 59:59
  Speaker 4: do god places. When we got started, the.
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 2: General laugh broke the tension, and each once spoke. After
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 2: a little hesitation, each man slowly grasped the gigantic task
• 1:00:10
  Speaker 2: that was facing them, and felt honored as a result.
• 1:00:14
  Speaker 2: It was a new world, farther advanced in their own
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 2: former habitation, which needed them to care for it. It
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 2: was a big bite to chew, but they would do it.
• 1:00:24
  Speaker 2: Dick remained in his chair long after the others had
• 1:00:26
  Speaker 2: gone to their cabins. His mind dwelled on the complete
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 2: happiness and satisfaction that lighted Markwill's face when informed of
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 2: their decision. In that moment, he was repaid for a
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 2: lifetime in a strange world amongst alien people. His return
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 2: to Jubiter would be triumphal with the earth people as
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 2: his friends come to save his race from extinction. Barrow's
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 2: mind wandered on to the gigantic tasks that faced them.
• 1:00:54
  Speaker 2: His would be the greatest responsibility as head of all
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 2: the domes. The other men would have a single city
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 2: to care for. The thought of McCarthy as his assistant,
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 2: was comforting. He would be a great help. The strange
• 1:01:08
  Speaker 2: race of beings were putting every trust in the earthmen,
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 2: putting themselves at the mercy of seven strangers, and Dick
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 2: knew the men would earn that faith. He jumped when
• 1:01:18
  Speaker 2: a hand touched his shoulder, Dick, won't you take your
• 1:01:22
  Speaker 2: wife to her room? She feels sleepy? End of chapter four.
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 1: Chapter five of Wanted Seven Fearless Engineers. This is a
• 1:01:42
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All liberaryvox recordings are in the public domain.
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 1: Wanted Seven Fearless Engineers by Warner van Lorne, Chapter five.
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 1: Voyaging to another world.
• 1:02:07
  Speaker 2: During each waking period, Barrows spent many hours in the
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 2: room with the miniature domes. They were beautiful models which
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 2: could be opened or moved as desired by small levers.
• 1:02:17
  Speaker 2: On the foundation, wires as fine as hairs were strung
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 2: from one spot to another, while metal the size of
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 2: thread represented heavy cables. Slowly, an understanding of the strange
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 2: civilization formed in Dick's mind, and he drew sectional maps
• 1:02:33
  Speaker 2: of the location of all mechanical equipment. Other maps pictured
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 2: the streets so that it would be easy to reach
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 2: any desired destination. When this was done, Morkwell sent one
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 2: of his men down to make as many copies as desired.
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 2: Each engineer was to have a complete set. The earthmen
• 1:02:51
  Speaker 2: had learned to keep track of the time according to
• 1:02:53
  Speaker 2: the system on the ship. Each licks included the time
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 2: spent in sleep as well as one waking period. It
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 2: was twenty seven hours in length, but they all thought
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 2: of it as a day. Each LIX was divided into
• 1:03:06
  Speaker 2: thirty six MiGs, each MiG being just forty five minutes
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 2: in length. They were able to keep track of each
• 1:03:14
  Speaker 2: MiG by their watches, although the timepieces were useless for
• 1:03:17
  Speaker 2: any other purpose. One lix, Dick returned the friendly smile
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 2: of a member of the crew, and to his amazement,
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 2: the man spoke je keep all. For a moment, Barrow
• 1:03:29
  Speaker 2: was stumped, then realized that it must be a greeting.
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 2: When he was greeted the same way by a second
• 1:03:35
  Speaker 2: and then a third man, he tried to imitate the words.
• 1:03:39
  Speaker 2: The man from Jupiter was so pleased that he almost danced,
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 2: then spoke again, ought more ding. Dick's jaw almost dropped open.
• 1:03:49
  Speaker 2: The man was trying to speak English. Suddenly, Barrow laughed.
• 1:03:55
  Speaker 2: Morquill had been instructing his crew in the strange language,
• 1:03:58
  Speaker 2: as well as telling them to greet the earth men
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 2: in their own tongue. He must speak about holding classes
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 2: to learn the language. They would have to understand it,
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 2: and the sooner they started, the easier it would be.
• 1:04:10
  Speaker 2: The following licks, Dick stopped on the ramp to the
• 1:04:13
  Speaker 2: machinery hold to listen. McCarthy was humming the tune of
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 2: a song that had been the rage at home, but
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 2: the words.
• 1:04:20
  Speaker 4: Were check aboor chickibow chickibow.
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 2: Barrow smiled as he approached, but the big irishman didn't
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 2: realize the reason. He was almost bursting with news.
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 4: I've got it, Deck, I've found the key. Don't laugh,
• 1:04:35
  Speaker 4: but I've discovered the working principle of this little machine,
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 4: and it will lead to the secret of all others.
• 1:04:42
  Speaker 4: In a month, i'll know how this quake rs.
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 1: Don't worry. I'm not laughing, John. I think it's great
• 1:04:49
  Speaker 1: that you've got this far. I only wish the others
• 1:04:52
  Speaker 1: would show as much interest. Not one of them has
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: been down here for more than a few minutes, and
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 1: they know little more than when we started.
• 1:05:00
  Speaker 4: Oh don't take it that way, Deck, it isn't the fault.
• 1:05:03
  Speaker 4: Didn't you ever see their wives? Those women won't let
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 4: the man out of their sight for three minutes. Your
• 1:05:09
  Speaker 4: wife and mine are different. They trust us if we
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 4: tell them the ship's okay, it's okay, but them say
• 1:05:17
  Speaker 4: they can't tell their wives anything. The women and their
• 1:05:20
  Speaker 4: families do all of the talking.
• 1:05:24
  Speaker 2: Dick laughed, but knew that it was close to the truth.
• 1:05:28
  Speaker 2: The other men in the party were tied to their
• 1:05:30
  Speaker 2: wives apron strings. Aside from Dolores and Eileen McCarthy, none
• 1:05:35
  Speaker 2: of the women trusted the spaceship. They were afraid it
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 2: might fly to pieces at any moment, although they had
• 1:05:41
  Speaker 2: overcome their fear enough to find means of entertainment. Small
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 2: devices in the cabin showed miniature movies with words in
• 1:05:48
  Speaker 2: the tongue of the dome Cities. Discovering this created a
• 1:05:52
  Speaker 2: desire to understand the language, and they eagerly attended the classes.
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 2: One licks Dick found Gerald Brown examining a piece of machinery.
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 2: A few licks later, Andrew Smith had joined him. Soon
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 2: every earth Man was spending his time in the machinery hold,
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 2: with McCarthy acting as instructor. He would accept no excuse
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 2: for being late at his classes, and they all arrived
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 2: on time. Weeks slipped by as the ship drove on
• 1:06:20
  Speaker 2: through space. The earthmen learned to admire the men from
• 1:06:23
  Speaker 2: Jupiter for their constant good nature, although they were slightly childish.
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 2: The crew of engineers were slowly learning the rudiments of
• 1:06:31
  Speaker 2: Jupiter's science. Barrow through his study of the domes, and McCarthy,
• 1:06:35
  Speaker 2: through study of the machines, far surpassed the others. At
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 2: times both men spent hours in the model room. At others,
• 1:06:43
  Speaker 2: Dick examined the machines beside the irishmen. They compared notes
• 1:06:47
  Speaker 2: until each knew the other's findings. Dick took all the
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 2: men into the model room once every third Lix and
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 2: spent four hours instructing them in the civilization. Each man
• 1:06:59
  Speaker 2: had his own set of maps and marked down facts
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 2: about his future location. Dick copied their notes on a
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 2: large map that covered all the cities. They used numbers
• 1:07:08
  Speaker 2: to signify different mechanisms to make it easier to describe
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 2: equipment than was duplicated in more than one dome. In
• 1:07:15
  Speaker 2: a month, they were able to carry on light conversation,
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 2: and from then on mastery of the language was faster.
• 1:07:21
  Speaker 2: The women far sur past the men due to desire
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 2: for entertainment. When he was able to question the crew,
• 1:07:29
  Speaker 2: Dick received a terrible shock. They knew less about the
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 2: ship's operation than his own men. They didn't understand their
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 2: own equipment. The people of the Domes were content to
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 2: enjoy the mechanical wonders of their ancestors without bothering about
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 2: how they ran. They used equipment for every purpose without
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 2: the slightest interest in why it worked. The Earthmen suddenly
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 2: realized what a gigantic task they faced seven men to
• 1:07:58
  Speaker 2: rebuild a civilization. The men at the controls knew what
• 1:08:02
  Speaker 2: reaction would take place by movement of believer, but didn't
• 1:08:06
  Speaker 2: understand why Dick became slightly worried about reaching their destination.
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 2: It was beyond all reason earth Men wouldn't have attempted
• 1:08:15
  Speaker 2: to operate equipment they knew nothing about by movement of
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 2: controls to obtain the proper action. It was no wonder
• 1:08:21
  Speaker 2: these people had found it necessary to find engineers to
• 1:08:24
  Speaker 2: run their machines. Months slipped by as the ship moved
• 1:08:29
  Speaker 2: steadily towards the giant planet. Every piece of equipment seemed
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 2: to be the answer to perfection. This voyage had taught
• 1:08:37
  Speaker 2: them more about mechanics than was covered in a complete
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 2: engineering course on Earth. It was of a far different kind.
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 2: With gravity, the basis of all operation. Even the spaceship
• 1:08:48
  Speaker 2: employed some of the same power drawn from the nearest
• 1:08:51
  Speaker 2: heavy body, then amplified until it reached enormous proportions.
• 1:08:57
  Speaker 1: Footnote. This gravity power was derived from huge weights swung
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 1: on an axis that could be faced toward any point
• 1:09:06
  Speaker 1: in the universe, and the slightest pull resulted in force
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: that was exerted on the fuel. The explosive mixture remained
• 1:09:15
  Speaker 1: at constant pressure, creating a smooth driving medium discharge of
• 1:09:21
  Speaker 1: the fuel under high compression resulted in greater power than
• 1:09:25
  Speaker 1: could be obtained in any other way. When the fuel
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: shot through the tubes, it exerted force on the gas
• 1:09:33
  Speaker 1: cloud that was far above the actual speed of the explosion.
• 1:09:38
  Speaker 1: The heat of combustion was reduced and the ship operated
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 1: without effect from the blasts. The tubes were small, yet
• 1:09:48
  Speaker 1: the power expended was beyond anything ever accomplished on Earth.
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 1: End of footnote.
• 1:09:57
  Speaker 2: Pt Yarborough was a practical chemist and spent many hour
• 1:10:00
  Speaker 2: hours trying to analyze the fuel. It was highly inflammable,
• 1:10:03
  Speaker 2: yet could stand terrific compression without effect. When it was
• 1:10:07
  Speaker 2: allowed to expand again, it reached the flash point immediately,
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 2: creating enormous amounts of heavy gas. He believed it might
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 2: be duplicated from crude oil properly refined. When Dick learned
• 1:10:19
  Speaker 2: that there was a history of the spaceship in the
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 2: Metal books, his curiosity was aroused. He could read the
• 1:10:25
  Speaker 2: language of the Domes slightly, but not enough to study
• 1:10:28
  Speaker 2: the intricate explanations. It was through these books that the
• 1:10:32
  Speaker 2: Dome men had learned to control the ship and set
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 2: the course for any desired planet. Markuill's aid was enlisted
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 2: to translate the text, and he learned some amazing facts.
• 1:10:42
  Speaker 2: A description of the fuel was given, but the base
• 1:10:45
  Speaker 2: for manufacture was unknown, being of natural origin on Jupiter.
• 1:10:49
  Speaker 2: As markwill read father and explained sections that Dick couldn't understand,
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 2: the earth Man felt uneasy. The crew had abandoned all
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 2: hope of returning to their home planet. The first time
• 1:11:00
  Speaker 2: they had started from the Earth. They didn't understand what
• 1:11:03
  Speaker 2: it meant to feel responsible for equipment. They manufactured enough
• 1:11:06
  Speaker 2: fuel for two trips according to the rating of consumption
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 2: in the books, but Dick wondered the tanks were filled
• 1:11:13
  Speaker 2: to capacity before the first trip and hadn't been tested.
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 2: Since the happy Dome people didn't consider that their ancestors
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 2: might have been mistaken, or that actual operation might vary
• 1:11:24
  Speaker 2: from the original plan. For the first time in twenty years,
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 2: the gages were examined. Barrow and McCarthy crawled through the
• 1:11:33
  Speaker 2: dust coated passage beneath the floor of the machinery hold.
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 2: They found a light switch, but the bulbs were so
• 1:11:39
  Speaker 2: dust coated that only a faint glow shed on the
• 1:11:41
  Speaker 2: surrounding metal. They sneezed and coughed as the dust laden
• 1:11:45
  Speaker 2: air filled their lungs.
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 4: Darned if you don't get the craziest ideas, Dick, what
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 4: good would it do to know how much ship juice
• 1:11:53
  Speaker 4: there is? Anyway we can't make it. This hole wasn't
• 1:11:57
  Speaker 4: built for self respecting men to crawl.
• 1:12:00
  Speaker 3: Well.
• 1:12:01
  Speaker 1: I don't know, John, but this trip may not be
• 1:12:03
  Speaker 1: as easy as it appears. They've been driving at full
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 1: force for months, when it seems to me that less
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 1: power might carry us when we're not within the pull
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: of some planet. I want to make sure that there's
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 1: plenty of fuel. According to the books, the designers didn't
• 1:12:19
  Speaker 1: expect the ship to be driven this hard.
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 2: John did a little cussing when they located the gauges
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 2: and found them so thick with grime that they had
• 1:12:28
  Speaker 2: to be cleaned. He headed back through the dust for
• 1:12:30
  Speaker 2: a cloth, with Dick's laugh.
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 4: Following, all right, all right, but don't wrap it Anne.
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 4: Just because you happen to be in front of me
• 1:12:38
  Speaker 4: and there isnth worm to pass, don't give you the
• 1:12:41
  Speaker 4: right to laugh. Some day you'll be eating your share
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 4: of dust. And will I laugh a Beth, other doms
• 1:12:48
  Speaker 4: are all a mass.
• 1:12:50
  Speaker 2: Dick wrote down the reading of each gauge. As John
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 2: cleaned the surfaces, he couldn't understand the strange numerals and
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 2: had to go over them with Morquill. Both men breathed
• 1:12:59
  Speaker 2: a sigh of relief as they crawled back through the
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 2: floor of the hold and dropped the trap door in place.
• 1:13:04
  Speaker 2: An hour later, Dick began to worry. According to Markwill,
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 2: the tanks were less than one eighth full. The big
• 1:13:11
  Speaker 2: headed man had gone over the figures twice and was
• 1:13:14
  Speaker 2: showing signs of agitation as he checked them again at
• 1:13:17
  Speaker 2: Barrow's request. When he glanced up, Dick knew there was
• 1:13:21
  Speaker 2: no mistake.
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 4: The fuel is low, Dick. According to the other trip,
• 1:13:26
  Speaker 4: the greatest use of power is at the time we
• 1:13:30
  Speaker 4: approached the planet to fight the pull of gravity. A
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 4: trip from Earth is only half completed, with the greatest
• 1:13:38
  Speaker 4: need of fuels still ahead. You must think my race
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 4: very stupid not to have thought of it.
• 1:13:46
  Speaker 2: It took Dick a long time to answer. His mind
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 2: was searching frantically for some solution. It was useless to
• 1:13:54
  Speaker 2: ask help of the crew. They couldn't even think scientifically.
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 1: No more. I don't think you're stupid, but I do
• 1:14:03
  Speaker 1: consider your people very foolish. From the appearance of things,
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: we will never reach the domes. Unless something drastic is accomplished,
• 1:14:12
  Speaker 1: the ship will smash to pieces on your planet. You
• 1:14:15
  Speaker 1: don't know anything about the ship's operation, and we've only
• 1:14:18
  Speaker 1: studdied it for a short time.
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 2: They decided to inform the men immediately, but say nothing
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 2: to the women for the present. Within an hour of
• 1:14:27
  Speaker 2: the discovery, Morquill warned the men at the controls to
• 1:14:30
  Speaker 2: conserve the power as much as possible. Every operation of
• 1:14:33
  Speaker 2: the ship was dependent on fuel. The generators for heat,
• 1:14:37
  Speaker 2: light and controls were turned by discharge through the tubes.
• 1:14:41
  Speaker 2: At least one blast must be fired at all times
• 1:14:44
  Speaker 2: to keep the controls sensitized and develop power for emergency equipment.
• 1:14:48
  Speaker 2: The other tubes were silenced. During the rest, MiGs Dick
• 1:14:53
  Speaker 2: couldn't sleep, but spent every minute talking to John McCarthy.
• 1:14:57
  Speaker 2: There must be some solution, and they had to find it.
• 1:15:02
  Speaker 2: End of chapter five.
• 1:15:09
  Speaker 1: Chapter six of Wanted Seven Fearless Engineers. This is a
• 1:15:15
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All libriarvox recordings are in the public domain.
• 1:15:21
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 1:15:28
  Speaker 1: Wanted Seven Fearless Engineers by Warner Van Lorne, Chapter six
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 1: An Engineer's Metal.
• 1:15:40
  Speaker 3: In the morning, the earthmen were called together. They came
• 1:15:43
  Speaker 3: with smiling faces, which slowly changed to apprehension. There were
• 1:15:48
  Speaker 3: many suggestions in as many minutes, but none that gave
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 3: a possibility of accomplishing the impossible. They had to stretch
• 1:15:54
  Speaker 3: the fuel without visible means of stretching. It believed the
• 1:16:00
  Speaker 3: meeting was a routine course in mechanics, and went on
• 1:16:03
  Speaker 3: enjoying their entertainment. The men explained they were bothered by
• 1:16:07
  Speaker 3: a knotty question about the machinery. To account for their
• 1:16:09
  Speaker 3: worried concentration. It would have been a terrible handicap if
• 1:16:13
  Speaker 3: the women discovered the truth. Three licks passed with little change.
• 1:16:20
  Speaker 3: The fuel had been cut down for a while, but
• 1:16:22
  Speaker 3: the ship didn't hold its course. Every tube had been
• 1:16:25
  Speaker 3: fired to hold the direct route for Jupiter. They were
• 1:16:28
  Speaker 3: constantly cutting into the meager supply that remained and had
• 1:16:32
  Speaker 3: to overcome the deficiency. Due to the slight conservation of fuel,
• 1:16:36
  Speaker 3: the ship had been operating far below efficiency, and the
• 1:16:40
  Speaker 3: cold of space began to seep through the walls. This
• 1:16:44
  Speaker 3: affected the Dome people more than the earthmen, and they
• 1:16:47
  Speaker 3: suffered torture. Any change in temperature was unknown to them.
• 1:16:51
  Speaker 3: They were chilled at a few degrees below normal heat. Suddenly,
• 1:16:55
  Speaker 3: during dinner on the third evening, Peter Yarbread jumped up
• 1:16:59
  Speaker 3: from the table. The other men fastened eager eyes on
• 1:17:02
  Speaker 3: his face, while the women watched in amazement. He started
• 1:17:06
  Speaker 3: to speak, then remembered the women and sat down quietly.
• 1:17:12
  Speaker 1: I think I've found the answer to our problem. If
• 1:17:15
  Speaker 1: you will join me in the hold when we finish eating,
• 1:17:17
  Speaker 1: I'd like to talk it over.
• 1:17:19
  Speaker 3: With you, missus. Yarborough was even more amazed.
• 1:17:24
  Speaker 2: Peter, I'm surprised at you jumping up from the table
• 1:17:27
  Speaker 2: so excited, just because you happened to think of the answer.
• 1:17:30
  Speaker 2: To a problem you ought to be ashamed.
• 1:17:33
  Speaker 3: In spite of his worries, Dick lowered his head to
• 1:17:36
  Speaker 3: hide the smile. If only Peter's wife knew what that
• 1:17:39
  Speaker 3: problem was, she might not think it so strange. Hardly
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 3: a man touched his food, and as soon as they
• 1:17:47
  Speaker 3: were out of earshot of the women, he spoke what
• 1:17:49
  Speaker 3: was in his mind. The crew heard him at the table,
• 1:17:52
  Speaker 3: and many of them gathered to listen. For the first
• 1:17:55
  Speaker 3: time in their lives. They were worried. Their lives depended
• 1:17:59
  Speaker 3: on the Earthmen before they even reached their planet. Yarborough hesitated, I'm.
• 1:18:05
  Speaker 1: Not so sure now that I have found the answer.
• 1:18:09
  Speaker 1: When it came to me, I thought it was simple,
• 1:18:11
  Speaker 1: but now it seems like a dream. Since knowing that
• 1:18:15
  Speaker 1: the fuel was low, I've racked my brain for something
• 1:18:18
  Speaker 1: that might be used, and it had to be on
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 1: the ship. Every other man was looking for a mechanical answer,
• 1:18:25
  Speaker 1: and my efforts would be of little use. So I've
• 1:18:28
  Speaker 1: searched for a chemical. Water is the only liquid in
• 1:18:33
  Speaker 1: any quantity. I discarded it so many times that it
• 1:18:37
  Speaker 1: left a headache, but my search always came back to
• 1:18:41
  Speaker 1: the same place. It's the only thing we've got. All
• 1:18:45
  Speaker 1: other liquids are in two small amounts, even if they
• 1:18:48
  Speaker 1: could be used, and the ship is equipped only for
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 1: chemical fuel in liquid form. At dinner, when I became
• 1:18:56
  Speaker 1: so excited, I thought that water would do the trick.
• 1:19:00
  Speaker 1: Now I don't know. It has oxygen in large amounts,
• 1:19:03
  Speaker 1: which is vitally needed, but that's the only advantage. Even
• 1:19:08
  Speaker 1: if we dared try, it might injure the tubes. Still,
• 1:19:13
  Speaker 1: I believe it's the only chance of salvation. It's the
• 1:19:15
  Speaker 1: one substance on board in any large quantity. What do
• 1:19:19
  Speaker 1: you think?
• 1:19:20
  Speaker 3: There wasn't a sound. As minutes passed, each man searched
• 1:19:24
  Speaker 3: frantically for the slightest hope, searched for the one chance
• 1:19:28
  Speaker 3: in a thousand. Dick finally broke the silence.
• 1:19:33
  Speaker 1: What is your plan, Peter? You must have thought of something. No,
• 1:19:37
  Speaker 1: that's just the trouble. I'd thought that water might mix
• 1:19:40
  Speaker 1: with the fuel, even fire with it. It was only
• 1:19:44
  Speaker 1: a brainstorm, I'm afraid.
• 1:19:46
  Speaker 3: After a moment, Dick spoke again, it can't be.
• 1:19:50
  Speaker 1: Since there's no other substance, we must use water. There
• 1:19:53
  Speaker 1: has to be a way, and we've got to find it.
• 1:19:56
  Speaker 1: We might as well use up the water and die
• 1:19:58
  Speaker 1: of thirst, as to around in space until we starved
• 1:20:01
  Speaker 1: to death or die in the dive at Jupiter.
• 1:20:06
  Speaker 3: Twice, missus Martin came down the ramp to take her
• 1:20:09
  Speaker 3: husband to bed, but Dick sent her away. The men
• 1:20:12
  Speaker 3: would stay there until they had found a solution. They
• 1:20:15
  Speaker 3: had to. The fuel was fast disappearing. Marquill still sat
• 1:20:21
  Speaker 3: in the background. The other men from Jupiter had gone
• 1:20:24
  Speaker 3: to their quarters. He could offer no suggestion, but listened
• 1:20:28
  Speaker 3: carefully to every word they spoke. Finally he stood up.
• 1:20:34
  Speaker 4: I hope that you can forgive me in the last
• 1:20:37
  Speaker 4: three licks, I have regretted that I ever saw your Earth.
• 1:20:42
  Speaker 4: It were better that my people die than for us
• 1:20:45
  Speaker 4: to carry people from a happy planet to die in
• 1:20:48
  Speaker 4: space because of our stupidity. We are no better than
• 1:20:54
  Speaker 4: children without cares or worries. The men of the crew
• 1:20:59
  Speaker 4: rear lies the risk before they left the domes. But
• 1:21:03
  Speaker 4: it is not your fault. Oh, sit down, you big
• 1:21:07
  Speaker 4: headed numskull.
• 1:21:09
  Speaker 3: McCarthy's voice boomed out.
• 1:21:11
  Speaker 4: We don't blame you. We'll find some way to run
• 1:21:14
  Speaker 4: this great and get there in one piece. You just
• 1:21:17
  Speaker 4: made us go to work before we expected. Why the
• 1:21:21
  Speaker 4: problem like this is simple on Earth. They'd solve it
• 1:21:25
  Speaker 4: in no time. You just go to bed and stop worrying.
• 1:21:28
  Speaker 4: We'll have everything fixed by morning.
• 1:21:32
  Speaker 3: Markwill's expression changed slightly, and he almost smiled. He started
• 1:21:37
  Speaker 3: with the ramp as if taking the words literally, but
• 1:21:40
  Speaker 3: half way up he faced the little gathering again.
• 1:21:43
  Speaker 4: Thank you, John, but I haven't forgotten that you were
• 1:21:46
  Speaker 4: a famous liar in your hometown, and you haven't lost
• 1:21:51
  Speaker 4: your ability. Thank you anyway, You're very kind.
• 1:21:56
  Speaker 3: When McCarthy turned towards the others, he looked rather sheepish,
• 1:22:00
  Speaker 3: but the forced smiles he received made him feel a
• 1:22:03
  Speaker 3: lot better. Hours passed while each man told everything he
• 1:22:08
  Speaker 3: had known about water. At last, Dick stood up.
• 1:22:13
  Speaker 1: We've covered every possible reaction and many that are seemingly impossible,
• 1:22:18
  Speaker 1: but have overlooked one very vital point that will either
• 1:22:22
  Speaker 1: help or hinder greatly. The fuel is subjected to terrific pressure. Naturally,
• 1:22:28
  Speaker 1: any water that was used would receive the same treatment.
• 1:22:32
  Speaker 1: In the compression chamber, the pressure rises very fast, which
• 1:22:36
  Speaker 1: must develop higher temperature. The result is that we would
• 1:22:39
  Speaker 1: not have water. We'd have steam. It would be almost dry.
• 1:22:44
  Speaker 1: Steam water in the liquid form couldn't discharge oxygen fast
• 1:22:49
  Speaker 1: enough to affect the fuel, but as steam it might.
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 1: There's a good chance that steam may even increase the
• 1:22:55
  Speaker 1: explosive power to a point that we can't even imagine.
• 1:22:59
  Speaker 1: There's one way to find out. Try it. Every man
• 1:23:03
  Speaker 1: here will admit that John has the most practical mechanical brain.
• 1:23:08
  Speaker 1: It will be his job to find a means of
• 1:23:10
  Speaker 1: injecting the water in the proper amounts. The rest of
• 1:23:13
  Speaker 1: us can try to find any kinks in the system
• 1:23:15
  Speaker 1: that he suggests. He knows every piece of equipment on
• 1:23:19
  Speaker 1: board and can pick whatever is best suited for the purpose.
• 1:23:24
  Speaker 3: As Dick sat down, John got to his feet.
• 1:23:28
  Speaker 4: This is one time that I'm ahead of you. While
• 1:23:30
  Speaker 4: you've been talking, I've been planning a way to do
• 1:23:33
  Speaker 4: just that. There's an extra firing tube that can hold
• 1:23:37
  Speaker 4: the pressure we want. Fuel for all the blasts is
• 1:23:41
  Speaker 4: compressed in one chamber, then discharged through any desired tube.
• 1:23:46
  Speaker 4: If we put the water under the pressure with a
• 1:23:49
  Speaker 4: hydraulic system and let us seep into the chamber at
• 1:23:53
  Speaker 4: a set right it might work. Valves can control the
• 1:23:57
  Speaker 4: steam perfectly and regulate the flow to whatever is desired.
• 1:24:02
  Speaker 4: The tube will have to be shut off from the
• 1:24:04
  Speaker 4: fuel tank every few hours to be filled preheating. The
• 1:24:08
  Speaker 4: water will develop steam pressure, and it won't long enough
• 1:24:12
  Speaker 4: from the hydraulic system to affect the operation of the blasts.
• 1:24:17
  Speaker 4: What do you say, Shall we try it? It means
• 1:24:19
  Speaker 4: shouting off all but the emergency tube for several hours
• 1:24:23
  Speaker 4: and it will be cold.
• 1:24:26
  Speaker 3: Within five minutes. They were hauling the heavy tube from
• 1:24:28
  Speaker 3: the storage room. In an hour, everything was ready to assemble,
• 1:24:32
  Speaker 3: and each man knew exactly what work he was to do.
• 1:24:35
  Speaker 3: A pipeline was run from the water tanks to fill
• 1:24:37
  Speaker 3: the steam chamber in position Dick was building an electric
• 1:24:42
  Speaker 3: heating unit to encase the entire tube, which could be
• 1:24:45
  Speaker 3: regulated for any desired temperature. Half of the rest period
• 1:24:49
  Speaker 3: had passed when the chamber was finished and they were
• 1:24:52
  Speaker 3: ready to cut an opening in the compression unit. Perspiration
• 1:24:55
  Speaker 3: poured down the body of every man, but not from
• 1:24:58
  Speaker 3: the exertion. Each minute that passed et deeper into the fuel.
• 1:25:03
  Speaker 3: If water couldn't replace the liquid, they were helpless. They
• 1:25:08
  Speaker 3: wanted to install the tube while the women were asleep.
• 1:25:10
  Speaker 3: The ship would be too cold for comfort for a
• 1:25:12
  Speaker 3: long time after the blasts could be started again. When
• 1:25:16
  Speaker 3: the heating units in the hull were shut off, it
• 1:25:18
  Speaker 3: would become freezing inside. Men raced through the ship, stopping
• 1:25:23
  Speaker 3: at their staterooms. On the way. Dick dropped three extra
• 1:25:27
  Speaker 3: covers over Dolores without disturbing her, then slipped into the
• 1:25:30
  Speaker 3: heaviest clothing that he owned. Each man was occupied in
• 1:25:34
  Speaker 3: his own room in the same way, heavy coats were
• 1:25:37
  Speaker 3: taken to the men at the controls, while the remainder
• 1:25:40
  Speaker 3: of the crew were sent to a room with an
• 1:25:41
  Speaker 3: emergency heating unit. In fifteen minutes, they were back at
• 1:25:46
  Speaker 3: the compression chamber, and at the touch of a button,
• 1:25:48
  Speaker 3: the blasts were silenced from the control room. By the
• 1:25:51
  Speaker 3: time an opening was cut in the heavy tanks, the
• 1:25:54
  Speaker 3: cold had begun to creep into the ship. The men
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 3: worked desperately, and for a while per sapiration dampened their clothing.
• 1:26:02
  Speaker 3: Then the chill crept deeper and they shivered. Their fingers
• 1:26:07
  Speaker 3: grew numb, and they had to warm them over a
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 3: small electric unit. But the opening slowly enlarged beneath their torches.
• 1:26:15
  Speaker 3: When the tube was fitted into the hole and the
• 1:26:16
  Speaker 3: metal began to flow around the edges, even the torches
• 1:26:19
  Speaker 3: seemed to throw little heat. Dick knew his nose was
• 1:26:23
  Speaker 3: frosted and warned the others not to touch their nose
• 1:26:26
  Speaker 3: or ears. According to John's watch, it required three hours
• 1:26:30
  Speaker 3: to fit the tube in place. When they rang for
• 1:26:35
  Speaker 3: the power to be turned on, they waited in vain.
• 1:26:37
  Speaker 3: When minutes passed without reaction, they glanced at each other
• 1:26:40
  Speaker 3: in consternation. Brown and Martin raced up the ramp while
• 1:26:43
  Speaker 3: the others waited. Within a few minutes, the tubes began
• 1:26:47
  Speaker 3: to fire and warmth slowly drove back. The numbing cold
• 1:26:53
  Speaker 3: water pipes had burst, and they hurried to stop the leaks.
• 1:26:56
  Speaker 3: The main tanks were uninjured, as the cold hadn't penetrated
• 1:26:59
  Speaker 3: the big supplies in steadorage. Dick suddenly realized that Brown
• 1:27:03
  Speaker 3: and Martin hadn't returned. When he reached the upper deck,
• 1:27:07
  Speaker 3: all of the women were gathered near the room where
• 1:27:09
  Speaker 3: the crew had been left. The thermometer was only fifty
• 1:27:12
  Speaker 3: degrees even then, and they shivered in heavy coats. Every
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 3: dome man was stretched out on the floor. As Dick
• 1:27:21
  Speaker 3: stepped within, his heart almost stopped beating, but they were
• 1:27:25
  Speaker 3: only unconscious. His breath escaped in a long sigh after
• 1:27:30
  Speaker 3: holding it for almost a minute. Brown and Martin were
• 1:27:34
  Speaker 3: trying to revive the prone forms. The control men lay
• 1:27:37
  Speaker 3: beside the others, brought there by the two earthmen. The
• 1:27:41
  Speaker 3: eyes of first one then another slowly opened, and they
• 1:27:45
  Speaker 3: looked around in amazement. Cold affected them like an anesthetic,
• 1:27:49
  Speaker 3: causing complete unconsciousness. When the ship reached normal warmth, they
• 1:27:55
  Speaker 3: felt as good as ever. It hadn't been cold enough
• 1:27:58
  Speaker 3: to freeze them in their section, and not a man
• 1:28:01
  Speaker 3: was injured. When they understood what happened, the men hurried
• 1:28:05
  Speaker 3: back to the controls. The heavy coils were soon fastened
• 1:28:10
  Speaker 3: around the tube and it was filled through a valve
• 1:28:13
  Speaker 3: on the upper side. A gauge was set to register
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 3: the pressure of the vapor within. They decided to raise
• 1:28:19
  Speaker 3: steam pressure enough to equal the compression of the fuel.
• 1:28:23
  Speaker 3: It required fifteen minutes for the water to reach the
• 1:28:25
  Speaker 3: boiling point. While they nervously held their watches, they could
• 1:28:29
  Speaker 3: keep track of minutes and hours, although there was no
• 1:28:32
  Speaker 3: longer day and night in their lives. According to their figures,
• 1:28:37
  Speaker 3: they now at dinner at three o'clock in the morning
• 1:28:39
  Speaker 3: and went to bed in the early afternoon. They held
• 1:28:43
  Speaker 3: their breath when the steam valve was opened. It moved
• 1:28:46
  Speaker 3: slowly under Dick's fingers, while a thousand questions raced through
• 1:28:51
  Speaker 3: every mind. Would it silence the blasts? Would it put
• 1:28:54
  Speaker 3: them out of commission permanently? Was that moment and the
• 1:28:58
  Speaker 3: turning of that valve the end of existence for them all?
• 1:29:03
  Speaker 3: Dick glanced at the gauge on the tube, then jerked
• 1:29:06
  Speaker 3: the valve shut. The pressure was still far below that
• 1:29:09
  Speaker 3: of the fuel. He turned the heating unit on full
• 1:29:12
  Speaker 3: and watched the gauge climb higher. They didn't understand the
• 1:29:16
  Speaker 3: numerals of the domed cities, but knew the pressure was
• 1:29:19
  Speaker 3: getting terrifically high. When he opened the valve again, the
• 1:29:24
  Speaker 3: steam gauge did not rise. It held almost steady. The
• 1:29:29
  Speaker 3: hiss of escaping steam sounded through the heavy metal. Faintly,
• 1:29:35
  Speaker 3: the tubes began to fire spasmodically. Dick bit his lips
• 1:29:39
  Speaker 3: as he opened the valve a little wider. John McCarthy
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 3: wiped the sweat from his forehead as every face turned
• 1:29:45
  Speaker 3: white as chalk. They fired evenly again. The steam was
• 1:29:50
  Speaker 3: working through the mixture, discharging through the blasts. They felt
• 1:29:56
  Speaker 3: their bodies sway under the effects of acceleration. And exultants
• 1:29:59
  Speaker 3: filled them. There was some reaction, at least Marquill appeared
• 1:30:04
  Speaker 3: on the ramp, his face lighted by a smile.
• 1:30:08
  Speaker 4: What have you done? The ship is traveling at almost
• 1:30:12
  Speaker 4: twice the speed that it was before. Is it all right?
• 1:30:17
  Speaker 3: Dick sat down hard. Not a man in the crowd
• 1:30:20
  Speaker 3: was able to answer. Success had left them speechless. Barrow
• 1:30:25
  Speaker 3: was the first to recover his voice.
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 4: Are you sure, yes, Dick? We took three separate observations
• 1:30:33
  Speaker 4: and each showed the same result, almost double normal speed.
• 1:30:39
  Speaker 4: Does it mean what you wanted? Can we reach the domes?
• 1:30:43
  Speaker 1: I hope so, Morquill. If the steam has made that
• 1:30:46
  Speaker 1: much difference, we'll get there without trouble. The water must
• 1:30:50
  Speaker 1: be conserved as much as possible, and hope that it lasts.
• 1:30:55
  Speaker 1: Whether it increases the power of the fuel or simply
• 1:30:57
  Speaker 1: creates an additional body to drive against is not important.
• 1:31:02
  Speaker 1: We're getting there. End of chapter six Chapter seven of
• 1:31:16
  Speaker 1: Wanted Seven Fearless Engineers. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 1:31:22
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
• 1:31:26
  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Wanted seven
• 1:31:33
  Speaker 1: Fearless Engineers by Warner van Lorne, Chapter seven, Jupiter and Trouble.
• 1:31:43
  Speaker 1: The huge ship circled the planet twice, with the instruments
• 1:31:47
  Speaker 1: adjusted to detect the metal of the domes. They spread
• 1:31:50
  Speaker 1: over many miles of the surface, yet were like grains
• 1:31:54
  Speaker 1: of sand on the enormous globe. When the gauges quivered
• 1:31:58
  Speaker 1: over a section hidden beneath the mists, everyone breathed a
• 1:32:02
  Speaker 1: sigh of relief. It would be many hours before the
• 1:32:05
  Speaker 1: ship was within the cities, but they were home. Every
• 1:32:09
  Speaker 1: earth man had the same feeling. Jupiter was almost as
• 1:32:13
  Speaker 1: much of a home to them as to the natives.
• 1:32:15
  Speaker 1: Even before they had seen it, they eagerly looked forward
• 1:32:19
  Speaker 1: to the sight of the domes that were beyonder their care.
• 1:32:22
  Speaker 1: John McCarthy entered the control room with a big tray
• 1:32:26
  Speaker 1: of containers.
• 1:32:28
  Speaker 4: Here it's not Lecua, but I'll bet you enjoy it more.
• 1:32:31
  Speaker 4: There's enough in each of these to really quench your thirst. I,
• 1:32:35
  Speaker 4: for one, will enjoy drinking all of the water I want.
• 1:32:39
  Speaker 4: After five weeks on short rations.
• 1:32:43
  Speaker 1: It seemed impossible that the clouds outside could be deadly.
• 1:32:47
  Speaker 1: They were beautiful in the reflected light of the sun,
• 1:32:50
  Speaker 1: Yet those vapors contained poison that no man could live in.
• 1:32:54
  Speaker 1: The domes were the only place that life could exist
• 1:32:57
  Speaker 1: on the strange planet. As they dropped through the heavy mists,
• 1:33:01
  Speaker 1: it created a feeling of dense fog. They could see
• 1:33:05
  Speaker 1: nothing of the surroundings, trusting entirely on the instruments. It
• 1:33:09
  Speaker 1: was like groping in the dark. Yet the earth Men
• 1:33:12
  Speaker 1: knew it had been done before, and the dome Men
• 1:33:15
  Speaker 1: showed no fear. When a slight jar shook the ship,
• 1:33:19
  Speaker 1: they breathed easier it had touched the ground. They could
• 1:33:23
  Speaker 1: feel some effect of the heavy gravity even within the
• 1:33:26
  Speaker 1: insulated hull. The ships slanted down at a steep angle,
• 1:33:31
  Speaker 1: sliding forward with its own weight. The earth Men didn't
• 1:33:35
  Speaker 1: understand what was happening, but watched the actions of the
• 1:33:38
  Speaker 1: dome Men. They were using a different control board now
• 1:33:42
  Speaker 1: beneath the other panel. McCarthy was down in the hold,
• 1:33:46
  Speaker 1: watching the action of machines that had been idle until now.
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 1: When they stopped, the mists disappeared from around them. Lights
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 1: above outlined a huge metal passage. The ships started forward
• 1:33:59
  Speaker 1: again and heavy doors slid back at the approach, with
• 1:34:03
  Speaker 1: bright light appearing beyond. They were looking across sunlit country,
• 1:34:08
  Speaker 1: the most perfect scene they had ever witnessed. Strange trees
• 1:34:13
  Speaker 1: and growth of every description spread in every direction. When
• 1:34:17
  Speaker 1: the ships slid into the open, they were beneath one
• 1:34:20
  Speaker 1: of the domes, enormous, beyond their greatest imagination, and exquisitely beautiful.
• 1:34:27
  Speaker 1: While they watched spellbound, people started across the fields to
• 1:34:31
  Speaker 1: greet the expedition. The women were well proportioned and far
• 1:34:36
  Speaker 1: different from the men of the race, not as tall
• 1:34:38
  Speaker 1: as the women of Earth or quite as well built,
• 1:34:41
  Speaker 1: but their heads were much smaller than the men's. All
• 1:34:45
  Speaker 1: men were dressed in flowing robes, the women in much
• 1:34:49
  Speaker 1: less clothing. They wore tight fitting garments, like bathing suits
• 1:34:54
  Speaker 1: of metallic cloth. They were happy and carefree, seemingly without
• 1:34:58
  Speaker 1: a worry in their lives. Children came romping across the
• 1:35:02
  Speaker 1: fields beside their parents. Minutes slipped by, and the people
• 1:35:07
  Speaker 1: from Earth hadn't moved. Sight of their new home was
• 1:35:11
  Speaker 1: too wonderful to grasp at once. Instead of the gloomy
• 1:35:15
  Speaker 1: metal covering they had expected, the curved surface above was
• 1:35:19
  Speaker 1: finished in blue that resembled clear sky at home, as
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 1: if they had reached the land of their dreams. When
• 1:35:28
  Speaker 1: their minds snapped back to reality. The Dome men were
• 1:35:31
  Speaker 1: being welcomed by friends and relatives. The babble of voices
• 1:35:35
  Speaker 1: came faintly to the control room from the power hole.
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 1: John McCarthy joined them. When the machines stopped, he came
• 1:35:43
  Speaker 1: up to find the reason. Now. The others watched as
• 1:35:46
  Speaker 1: he gazed at the beautiful scene for the first time.
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 1: Their own amazement was reflected in his eyes. When he
• 1:35:53
  Speaker 1: looked up at the curved dome. His wife slipped her
• 1:35:57
  Speaker 1: arm around him. They were disturbed by the crew returning
• 1:36:01
  Speaker 1: with their friends to welcome the engineers. The Dome people
• 1:36:05
  Speaker 1: seemed completely happy. They were like children greeting their parents,
• 1:36:09
  Speaker 1: holding the hands of the earth people, and gazing into
• 1:36:12
  Speaker 1: their faces with adoration. In their minds, the future was
• 1:36:17
  Speaker 1: secure and they no longer had a care in the world.
• 1:36:21
  Speaker 1: Eileen McCarthy was so overwhelmed at the reception that she
• 1:36:24
  Speaker 1: hogged two of the little women. It was like a
• 1:36:28
  Speaker 1: dream to walk across the heavy carpet of moss. There
• 1:36:32
  Speaker 1: was no grass, but the velvet coat of green was
• 1:36:34
  Speaker 1: quite familiar. The trees were shaped like an inverted bowl,
• 1:36:39
  Speaker 1: their branches conforming to the curve of the dome above.
• 1:36:43
  Speaker 1: They were smaller than the trees of Earth, with very
• 1:36:46
  Speaker 1: large leaves the eyes of the earth. People kept returning
• 1:36:50
  Speaker 1: to the dome. It was hard to believe that it
• 1:36:53
  Speaker 1: was not blue sky except for giant supports that reached
• 1:36:56
  Speaker 1: from the ground to the metal ceiling hundreds of feet
• 1:36:59
  Speaker 1: of bay. When P. T. Yarborough learned that he was
• 1:37:03
  Speaker 1: in charge of this agricultural dome, his pleasure knew no bounds.
• 1:37:07
  Speaker 1: His wife couldn't wait to see the home that had
• 1:37:10
  Speaker 1: been prepared for them, and waiting almost twenty years. A
• 1:37:14
  Speaker 1: circle of buildings formed the foundation of the immense metal ceiling,
• 1:37:18
  Speaker 1: as well as housing thousands of inhabitants. The back walls
• 1:37:22
  Speaker 1: of the structures were always blank toward the vapor beyond
• 1:37:26
  Speaker 1: the miniature civilization. Each city was a world of its own,
• 1:37:31
  Speaker 1: with a curved horizon at the top of the buildings.
• 1:37:34
  Speaker 1: In Yarborough's Dome, there were few means of travel, as
• 1:37:37
  Speaker 1: every inch of soil was cultivated. The dome dwellers were
• 1:37:41
  Speaker 1: past masters at farming and loved this work more than
• 1:37:45
  Speaker 1: any other type of labor. To them, it was a
• 1:37:48
  Speaker 1: pleasure that vied with the amusement machines of other cities.
• 1:37:52
  Speaker 1: When missus Yarborough entered her new apartment, thirty stories above
• 1:37:56
  Speaker 1: the ground and stepped to one of the balconies, the
• 1:37:59
  Speaker 1: view view was superb. She was not interested in the
• 1:38:02
  Speaker 1: next dome, but wanted to settle her own domain as
• 1:38:05
  Speaker 1: soon as possible. Completely happy, the rest of the party
• 1:38:10
  Speaker 1: entered an open car mounted on a single track and
• 1:38:13
  Speaker 1: started for the next city. Every object that moved was
• 1:38:17
  Speaker 1: operated by the control of gravity and could develop enormous
• 1:38:21
  Speaker 1: speed and power. It rolled swiftly across the open ground
• 1:38:25
  Speaker 1: to enter a tunnel three hundred feet wide, which carried
• 1:38:29
  Speaker 1: all of the commerce between the cities. When it emerged
• 1:38:32
  Speaker 1: in the next dome, the imitation sky was the same,
• 1:38:36
  Speaker 1: but only a small portion of the ground surface was cultivated.
• 1:38:41
  Speaker 1: Small buildings dotted the level floor, which Marquill explained were
• 1:38:45
  Speaker 1: the entrances of the mines unworked for many years. Gerald
• 1:38:49
  Speaker 1: Brown and his wife remained in this city in an
• 1:38:52
  Speaker 1: apartment as well situated as that of the Yarboroughs in
• 1:38:55
  Speaker 1: the first dome. Hours passed as they moved from city
• 1:38:58
  Speaker 1: to city. When they reached the capitol, only the barrows
• 1:39:02
  Speaker 1: MacCarthys and Martins remained of the original fourteen. The others
• 1:39:07
  Speaker 1: were in their own domes, settling down to the new existence.
• 1:39:11
  Speaker 1: Every occupation seemed to have been forgotten by the childish
• 1:39:15
  Speaker 1: people to come and welcome the beings from another planet.
• 1:39:19
  Speaker 1: They lined every inch of the way, many deep. The
• 1:39:23
  Speaker 1: main dome was three times the size of the others.
• 1:39:27
  Speaker 1: Supporting pillars one hundred feet in diameter seemed vague where
• 1:39:32
  Speaker 1: they touched the ceiling above. Parks covered most of the ground.
• 1:39:36
  Speaker 1: Dotted here and there by amusement buildings and theaters. Cars
• 1:39:40
  Speaker 1: whizzed back and forth as people gathered to see the
• 1:39:43
  Speaker 1: strangers for the first time in generations. The amusement buildings
• 1:39:47
  Speaker 1: were deserted since their arrival. Dick had seen no sign
• 1:39:52
  Speaker 1: of work, and finally questioned Morquil.
• 1:39:56
  Speaker 4: The people the work one MiG out of each lickstick.
• 1:40:00
  Speaker 4: It is enough to carry on cultivation of the crops
• 1:40:03
  Speaker 4: and keep the amusement buildings running properly and efficiently.
• 1:40:09
  Speaker 1: Barrow was stunned. The working period would have to be
• 1:40:12
  Speaker 1: increased to three immediately, then four and five. They seemed
• 1:40:17
  Speaker 1: to think that bringing men from another world would do
• 1:40:20
  Speaker 1: the work, and were apt to be disappointed when he
• 1:40:23
  Speaker 1: started issuing orders. When Dick and his wife were installed
• 1:40:28
  Speaker 1: in their new home and the MacCarthys settled in a
• 1:40:31
  Speaker 1: nearby apartment, Marquill hesitated. The Martins were anxious to see
• 1:40:36
  Speaker 1: their own habitation and looked at the dome man questioningly.
• 1:40:40
  Speaker 1: He finally spoke with hesitation.
• 1:40:44
  Speaker 4: I have bad news for you. The Martins will have
• 1:40:48
  Speaker 4: to occupy an apartment in this city for a while.
• 1:40:52
  Speaker 4: Their dome is out of order. Trouble developed soon after
• 1:40:56
  Speaker 4: the ship left here on this trip, and over a
• 1:41:00
  Speaker 4: thousand people were killed. Every other city is overcrowded with refugees.
• 1:41:07
  Speaker 4: It started with a strange banging on top of the dome,
• 1:41:12
  Speaker 4: which kept increasing. No one knew what the trouble was
• 1:41:16
  Speaker 4: or how to stop it, so they waited to see
• 1:41:19
  Speaker 4: what happened. It didn't sound as if the ceiling was
• 1:41:22
  Speaker 4: going to fall, but as if the banking came from outside.
• 1:41:27
  Speaker 4: It was several MiGs before they knew the course. When
• 1:41:31
  Speaker 4: a large section crashed to the ground, it was a
• 1:41:34
  Speaker 4: complete surprise and caught the inhabitants unprepared. Soon the air
• 1:41:40
  Speaker 4: was mixing with the poisoned gases from outside people tried
• 1:41:44
  Speaker 4: to escape, and most of them did, all except those
• 1:41:48
  Speaker 4: that fell unconscious from the gas. Before the last of
• 1:41:52
  Speaker 4: them reached the tunnel, green things dropped to the ground
• 1:41:56
  Speaker 4: and started after those who remained. They had closed the
• 1:41:59
  Speaker 4: door between the cities to keep the creatures from entering
• 1:42:03
  Speaker 4: this dome. It is the first time that anything has
• 1:42:07
  Speaker 4: happened to my people, and we don't know what it
• 1:42:10
  Speaker 4: could be.
• 1:42:13
  Speaker 1: For a long time, the Earthmen remained silent. The troubles
• 1:42:16
  Speaker 1: of this civilization had been dumped into their laps already
• 1:42:20
  Speaker 1: in the form of a terrible calamity. It sounded almost
• 1:42:24
  Speaker 1: as if some kind of life forms had broken through
• 1:42:27
  Speaker 1: the domes from the outside. Perhaps there was more danger
• 1:42:33
  Speaker 1: than could be imagined. One dome had been injured, if
• 1:42:37
  Speaker 1: not destroyed, and others might follow. A meeting of the
• 1:42:42
  Speaker 1: Earthmen was called immediately, much to their surprise. Dick dared
• 1:42:46
  Speaker 1: not let conditions stay as they were, for fear of
• 1:42:49
  Speaker 1: future trouble. Action must be taken at once. We don't
• 1:42:55
  Speaker 1: know what we're facing, but the fate of the race,
• 1:42:58
  Speaker 1: as well as our own lives, seems to be in danger.
• 1:43:01
  Speaker 1: The break of the dome might have been accident, and
• 1:43:04
  Speaker 1: the moving forms the imagination of fear. But we know
• 1:43:08
  Speaker 1: that over a thousand people were killed. Whatever caused the trouble,
• 1:43:13
  Speaker 1: The men went back to their domes to rest and
• 1:43:16
  Speaker 1: planned some means of entering the deserted city, but were
• 1:43:19
  Speaker 1: disturbed before they had time for sleep. The agricultural Dome
• 1:43:24
  Speaker 1: had been attacked. The pounding had begun within a short
• 1:43:28
  Speaker 1: time of their arrival. One thing was certain. The injured
• 1:43:33
  Speaker 1: dome had been attacked. It was not accident that the
• 1:43:36
  Speaker 1: metal ceiling fell. There were living beings in the gases
• 1:43:40
  Speaker 1: outside their civilization. The first dome had been attacked just
• 1:43:45
  Speaker 1: after the spaceship left for the Earth, and this attack
• 1:43:48
  Speaker 1: came just after its return to the domes. There was
• 1:43:52
  Speaker 1: little doubt that movement of the ship had disturbed the
• 1:43:55
  Speaker 1: serenity of existence. Perhaps the gas creatures hadn't known what
• 1:44:00
  Speaker 1: was beneath the metal hives until the ship appeared. The
• 1:44:05
  Speaker 1: banging on the Agricultural Dome had to be stopped. A
• 1:44:09
  Speaker 1: hole would let in the gas rifles that had been
• 1:44:12
  Speaker 1: brought back on the ship as curiosities were given to
• 1:44:15
  Speaker 1: each earth man. They loaded them carefully while they searched
• 1:44:19
  Speaker 1: for some means of reaching the trouble. When the leader
• 1:44:23
  Speaker 1: of the dome heard what they were planning, he showed
• 1:44:26
  Speaker 1: them sealed openings to a space between the sections of metal,
• 1:44:30
  Speaker 1: which hadn't been used since the city was built. The
• 1:44:33
  Speaker 1: dome was constructed in three layers for insulation and to
• 1:44:37
  Speaker 1: give added protection. It was like a maze to work
• 1:44:40
  Speaker 1: their way toward the pounding through the network of struts.
• 1:44:45
  Speaker 1: At times they had to crawl on their hands and knees.
• 1:44:47
  Speaker 1: At others there were clearly defined passages. They were afraid,
• 1:44:53
  Speaker 1: and not ashamed to show it. They were hunting creatures
• 1:44:56
  Speaker 1: which they knew nothing about. Didn't even know whether bullets
• 1:45:00
  Speaker 1: would affect them. They might face thinking beings or forms
• 1:45:04
  Speaker 1: of life that only wanted to search in the domes
• 1:45:07
  Speaker 1: for food. It was not a pleasant thought. Every rifle
• 1:45:12
  Speaker 1: was cocked as they neared the source of the pounding,
• 1:45:15
  Speaker 1: every nerve drawn to the finest point. Suddenly, Dick stopped.
• 1:45:21
  Speaker 1: He was ahead of the others and first to glimpse
• 1:45:23
  Speaker 1: what they faced. He motioned to use the oxygen masks
• 1:45:27
  Speaker 1: as he fastened his own in place. As they crept closer,
• 1:45:31
  Speaker 1: light glinted on the giant pointed hammer operated from beyond
• 1:45:35
  Speaker 1: the outer layer of metal, It rose and fell at
• 1:45:39
  Speaker 1: even intervals through the rent in the upper surface. The
• 1:45:44
  Speaker 1: ram had already crushed through two thicknesses of metal and
• 1:45:48
  Speaker 1: was battering at the inner layer. The inside section was
• 1:45:52
  Speaker 1: more like glass than metal, and dim light passed through,
• 1:45:56
  Speaker 1: but the outer layers were opaque. When the huge disappeared
• 1:46:00
  Speaker 1: from the glow of light, it left a gaping hole
• 1:46:03
  Speaker 1: where it had been. It was of material they had
• 1:46:06
  Speaker 1: never seen, and glistened with a brownish hue. It appeared
• 1:46:11
  Speaker 1: to shorten and expand in diameter each time it struck
• 1:46:15
  Speaker 1: the surface. For a moment, they hesitated, trying to decide
• 1:46:19
  Speaker 1: the best means of attack. Whatever animated the ram was
• 1:46:23
  Speaker 1: above their vision, and they had to be close to
• 1:46:26
  Speaker 1: the opening to see it. Each time the shiny object descended,
• 1:46:30
  Speaker 1: the dome vibrated beneath their feet. As long as the
• 1:46:34
  Speaker 1: vibration remained, they were safe, But when it felt like
• 1:46:37
  Speaker 1: a thud, the metal would be cracking. Thousands of helpless
• 1:46:42
  Speaker 1: people were depending on the action of earth Men for
• 1:46:45
  Speaker 1: their future existence. They seemed to think that it was
• 1:46:48
  Speaker 1: only necessary to tell their troubles to these amazing strangers
• 1:46:52
  Speaker 1: to have them solved. Stories about the use of water
• 1:46:56
  Speaker 1: to drive the spaceship had circulated throughout the cities, crediting
• 1:47:00
  Speaker 1: the newcomers with superhuman powers. As the Little Party crept nearer,
• 1:47:06
  Speaker 1: they separated to approach the opening from every direction. Dick
• 1:47:11
  Speaker 1: was to fire first. If he saw anything to shoot at,
• 1:47:15
  Speaker 1: it might be a powerful machine clamped to the outer
• 1:47:18
  Speaker 1: surface instead of a being that could be injured. The
• 1:47:22
  Speaker 1: glass globes of the masks were clouding with moisture and
• 1:47:25
  Speaker 1: it was hard to see. A thud came that didn't
• 1:47:30
  Speaker 1: vibrate quite as much, and the men could feel the
• 1:47:33
  Speaker 1: hair on their necks stiffen. It was now or never,
• 1:47:36
  Speaker 1: and Dick fired, although he was still several feet from
• 1:47:39
  Speaker 1: the opening. He fired at the topmost section of the ram,
• 1:47:43
  Speaker 1: hoping it might stop the hammering for a moment, even
• 1:47:46
  Speaker 1: if it didn't injure the equipment. Two more shots rang
• 1:47:50
  Speaker 1: out before the object could deliver another blow. It was alive.
• 1:47:55
  Speaker 1: The heavy ram jumped from the shock of the bullets,
• 1:47:59
  Speaker 1: curving convulsively to one side of the opening. Then it
• 1:48:03
  Speaker 1: drew back out of sight. End of chapter seven Chapter
• 1:48:15
  Speaker 1: eight of Wanted Seven Fearless Engineers. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 1:48:22
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 1:48:26
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Wanted
• 1:48:33
  Speaker 1: Seven Fearless Engineers by Warner van Lorne, Chapter eight, Battle
• 1:48:40
  Speaker 1: with a Monster.
• 1:48:43
  Speaker 2: Minutes passed while the earthmen, hardly dead, breathe. Their ebbing
• 1:48:47
  Speaker 2: heartbeats seemed to almost echo in their breasts. Then the
• 1:48:51
  Speaker 2: object appeared at the opening, hesitated, and was thrust in
• 1:48:55
  Speaker 2: The hammer was ahead. It swayed back and forth like
• 1:48:58
  Speaker 2: the head of a huge cat, and every gun fired
• 1:49:01
  Speaker 2: in unison. Shot after shot pumped into the head with
• 1:49:05
  Speaker 2: rapid and unerring accuracy. The giant head moved from one
• 1:49:10
  Speaker 2: side to the other while two gigantic eyes peered around.
• 1:49:14
  Speaker 2: It didn't know enough to draw back from the danger zone,
• 1:49:17
  Speaker 2: but muscular reaction finally moved it out of sight. Dick
• 1:49:21
  Speaker 2: crept forward, motioning for the others to wait until he
• 1:49:24
  Speaker 2: investigated there was no need for all of them to
• 1:49:27
  Speaker 2: enter the danger zone. He turned the flashlight on that
• 1:49:31
  Speaker 2: had been strapped to his waist and played it around
• 1:49:33
  Speaker 2: the jagged opening, then climbed to the next level and
• 1:49:37
  Speaker 2: searched again. When he crawled to the outer surface. The
• 1:49:41
  Speaker 2: creature was writhing a few feet away. He motioned, and
• 1:49:45
  Speaker 2: the other men soon joined him where they could watch
• 1:49:47
  Speaker 2: the creature. They were standing almost on the direct center
• 1:49:51
  Speaker 2: of the dome, where it was almost flat. The flashlights
• 1:49:55
  Speaker 2: penetrated the mists enough to mark out the shape of
• 1:49:58
  Speaker 2: the attacker. When they were all centered, Suddenly they felt
• 1:50:02
  Speaker 2: sick to their stomachs. It was a caterpillar, as loathsome
• 1:50:06
  Speaker 2: a creature as they could have imagined, with its curled body,
• 1:50:09
  Speaker 2: and the farthest possible thing from a human being, a
• 1:50:12
  Speaker 2: form of life that existed in the poison gases where
• 1:50:15
  Speaker 2: men would die within minutes. The muzzles of the creature
• 1:50:19
  Speaker 2: had to be terrifically strong to move against the gravity
• 1:50:22
  Speaker 2: of the huge globe. Even at the center of the dome,
• 1:50:25
  Speaker 2: they felt less effect of the neutralized gravity of the interior.
• 1:50:29
  Speaker 2: It required effort to stand on their feet. Some effects
• 1:50:33
  Speaker 2: of the neutralizers in the giant pillars, which emanated most
• 1:50:36
  Speaker 2: of the way to the dome, enabled them to handle
• 1:50:38
  Speaker 2: their bodies. The creature before them was accustomed to normal
• 1:50:42
  Speaker 2: gravity of the heavy planet, and even the metal of
• 1:50:45
  Speaker 2: the dome was not beyond the pounding of its hammer.
• 1:50:49
  Speaker 2: What they had mistaken for a battering ram was the
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 2: brown tip of the mammoth insect. From end to end,
• 1:50:55
  Speaker 2: it measured over sixty feet. The men finally turned away
• 1:50:58
  Speaker 2: in disgust as it rung in muscular reaction. John McCarthy
• 1:51:03
  Speaker 2: was climbing into the opening behind the other men when
• 1:51:06
  Speaker 2: he happened to glance back. His flashlight dimly lighted the
• 1:51:10
  Speaker 2: spot where the monster had been, and it was gone.
• 1:51:14
  Speaker 2: He hesitated with one foot in the air, then realized
• 1:51:18
  Speaker 2: what had happened. The movement of the body had moved
• 1:51:21
  Speaker 2: it farther and farther from the center of the dome.
• 1:51:23
  Speaker 2: It had reached a place where the curve was sufficient
• 1:51:25
  Speaker 2: to let it slide on the smooth metal. A moment later,
• 1:51:29
  Speaker 2: a slight jar was felt through the entire structure. It
• 1:51:33
  Speaker 2: had slid from the man made mound to crash on
• 1:51:35
  Speaker 2: the ground below. Memory of that site made a sober
• 1:51:39
  Speaker 2: return to the interior. Before they dared rest, metal sheets
• 1:51:44
  Speaker 2: were carried to the opening and blocked in place. Then
• 1:51:47
  Speaker 2: dome men welded them to the solid metal. They didn't
• 1:51:50
  Speaker 2: want to see any of those creatures in the cities.
• 1:51:53
  Speaker 2: Twelve hours had passed by the time the opening was
• 1:51:55
  Speaker 2: sealed and the earthmen dragged their tired forms through the
• 1:51:58
  Speaker 2: maze of supports for the la last time. They were
• 1:52:02
  Speaker 2: almost asleep before they could reach their own apartments and
• 1:52:05
  Speaker 2: tumble into comfortable beds. They had conquered the first problem.
• 1:52:10
  Speaker 2: Dick was awakened by an excited man talking faster than
• 1:52:13
  Speaker 2: he could understand the new language. When he grasped what
• 1:52:17
  Speaker 2: the other was saying, he leaped from the bed, wide awake.
• 1:52:20
  Speaker 2: Every dome had been attacked. The caterpillars were pounding many
• 1:52:24
  Speaker 2: spots on each one. They seemed to be trying to
• 1:52:27
  Speaker 2: get at the creatures that had destroyed one of their number.
• 1:52:31
  Speaker 2: In that moment, Dick felt like an old man. He
• 1:52:34
  Speaker 2: thought of the spaceship the only way of attacking from
• 1:52:37
  Speaker 2: the outside, and gave that up. There wasn't enough fuel
• 1:52:40
  Speaker 2: to handle it and the blast might tingure the metal domes.
• 1:52:44
  Speaker 2: His mind searched frantically for some way of fighting all
• 1:52:47
  Speaker 2: of the creatures and knew it couldn't be done. He
• 1:52:51
  Speaker 2: was racing across the open ground while thousands of people
• 1:52:54
  Speaker 2: gazed at the banging overhead. Suddenly he stopped, then turned
• 1:52:59
  Speaker 2: back towards his apartment, running just as hard. There was
• 1:53:03
  Speaker 2: a system of communication between the domes that sometimes worked.
• 1:53:08
  Speaker 2: It was not efficient, but if he could get in
• 1:53:10
  Speaker 2: touch with the others immediately, there was one chance. He
• 1:53:15
  Speaker 2: tried franktically to get a connection, but it wasn't until
• 1:53:18
  Speaker 2: one of the natives held with the intricate system of
• 1:53:20
  Speaker 2: signals that he heard the voice of Andrew Smith. A
• 1:53:24
  Speaker 2: few moments later, Philip Jones answered, then Jared Brown and
• 1:53:27
  Speaker 2: Peter Yarborough. Each man was given quick yet explicit instruction.
• 1:53:33
  Speaker 2: When Dick turned away from the phone, John mc carthy
• 1:53:36
  Speaker 2: entered the room, followed by George Martin. The noise in
• 1:53:40
  Speaker 2: the city had finally aroused them from their slumber. John
• 1:53:44
  Speaker 2: started to smile, but the expression on Barrow's face drove
• 1:53:47
  Speaker 2: all thought of greeting away.
• 1:53:49
  Speaker 3: What is it?
• 1:53:50
  Speaker 4: I thought that people were doing a day's work, but
• 1:53:53
  Speaker 4: you His.
• 1:53:54
  Speaker 2: Face turned ashen as he ran to the balcony, George
• 1:53:57
  Speaker 2: Martin only a step behind. After gazing up for a moment,
• 1:54:01
  Speaker 2: McCarthy turned slowly to face Dick.
• 1:54:04
  Speaker 4: The worms, it sounds like hundreds of them. We'd better
• 1:54:08
  Speaker 4: work fast of than have the whole wolf down about
• 1:54:11
  Speaker 4: our ears.
• 1:54:13
  Speaker 1: No, John, we can't fight them with guns. They've attacked
• 1:54:16
  Speaker 1: every dome on the planet.
• 1:54:18
  Speaker 2: When full realization came to the big irishman, he sank
• 1:54:22
  Speaker 2: slowly into a chair.
• 1:54:24
  Speaker 4: Then, what have you got any plan of Are we helpless?
• 1:54:30
  Speaker 1: We've got work to do, and plenty of it. There's
• 1:54:32
  Speaker 1: a slight chance of saving the cities. I've already instructed
• 1:54:36
  Speaker 1: the others.
• 1:54:38
  Speaker 2: As the three men raced toward the power plant, Dick
• 1:54:40
  Speaker 2: explained John and George were to do the work while
• 1:54:44
  Speaker 2: he traveled from dome to dome to make sure the
• 1:54:46
  Speaker 2: people were prepared and see that the power plants were
• 1:54:50
  Speaker 2: used as he intended. By the time they reached the
• 1:54:53
  Speaker 2: entrance to the building, John nodded and Barrow turned back
• 1:54:56
  Speaker 2: as the other men entered the door. The first his
• 1:55:00
  Speaker 2: own people that Dick saw were told to remove everyone
• 1:55:02
  Speaker 2: from the buildings and gather them in the open spaces
• 1:55:05
  Speaker 2: of the parks, leaving no one within any structure. The
• 1:55:10
  Speaker 2: expression on his face scared them even more than the
• 1:55:13
  Speaker 2: pounding of the worms, and they hurried to obey. Dick
• 1:55:17
  Speaker 2: jumped into the nearest ground car he could and be
• 1:55:20
  Speaker 2: bothered traveling on the railroads. This happened to belong to
• 1:55:23
  Speaker 2: the assistant head of the Dome, whom he dispossessed. It
• 1:55:27
  Speaker 2: jerked crazily across streets and parks while he learned to
• 1:55:30
  Speaker 2: handle the controls. An hour later, Dick was back at
• 1:55:34
  Speaker 2: the powerhouse in the Big Dome. Every city was ready.
• 1:55:38
  Speaker 2: In several places, the hammering heads had broken through the
• 1:55:41
  Speaker 2: outer lairs and were banging at the translucent inner ceiling.
• 1:55:45
  Speaker 2: The creatures had learned how to break through. The first
• 1:55:49
  Speaker 2: worm that attacked while the spaceship was away either took
• 1:55:51
  Speaker 2: its time or didn't realize what was beneath the heavy
• 1:55:54
  Speaker 2: metal these creatures were working in. Earnest heavy insulator came
• 1:56:00
  Speaker 2: tables ran from the powerhouse to the nearest metal pillars,
• 1:56:03
  Speaker 2: where MacCarthy and Martin were working desperately to fasten them
• 1:56:06
  Speaker 2: in place. The booming voice of the irishmen had kept
• 1:56:09
  Speaker 2: the natives back. Although they crowded as close as they dared,
• 1:56:13
  Speaker 2: they were really afraid when the hammering grew plainer with
• 1:56:17
  Speaker 2: each passing minute. When the cables were fastened, John shouted
• 1:56:21
  Speaker 2: to Dick, who was waiting in the power house. He
• 1:56:24
  Speaker 2: pulled a heavy switch at the end of the wires.
• 1:56:27
  Speaker 2: The city was suddenly in complete darkness. Then it flashed
• 1:56:31
  Speaker 2: bright again as power flowed back into the thousands of
• 1:56:34
  Speaker 2: coils in the ceiling material. Twice more, it darkened when
• 1:56:38
  Speaker 2: the giant switch was thrown and the lights came on again.
• 1:56:41
  Speaker 2: This time it stayed bright. Dick ran to the doorway
• 1:56:45
  Speaker 2: and gazed at the dome above. It was silent. The
• 1:56:49
  Speaker 2: people were frightened and moved restlessly about. Twice more, he
• 1:56:53
  Speaker 2: turned the power into the metal, and after one long
• 1:56:56
  Speaker 2: darkened period, the city remained bright. No sound came from
• 1:57:01
  Speaker 2: the dome. Either the worms were dead or frightened away.
• 1:57:06
  Speaker 2: Within a week, the doors to the deserted city were
• 1:57:08
  Speaker 2: opened and the earth men passed through. When they glimpsed
• 1:57:12
  Speaker 2: the interior, they stopped in consternation, then started to laugh.
• 1:57:17
  Speaker 2: Huge worms covered the ground, and smaller additions of the
• 1:57:21
  Speaker 2: same species crawled around them. They were using the dome
• 1:57:24
  Speaker 2: for a hatching place. They had only entered it to
• 1:57:27
  Speaker 2: bring forth their young. It was not brains that tempted
• 1:57:31
  Speaker 2: them to attack the city, but the instinct to find
• 1:57:33
  Speaker 2: a protected place for their eggs. Since they had broken in,
• 1:57:38
  Speaker 2: many of the young had hatched and were crawling around
• 1:57:40
  Speaker 2: the ground. Sight of the earth Men seemed to excite
• 1:57:43
  Speaker 2: their feelings, and several of the creatures started toward them.
• 1:57:48
  Speaker 2: The men fired carefully and the forms squirmed on the ground.
• 1:57:52
  Speaker 2: The ones that came behind stopped, and some of the
• 1:57:55
  Speaker 2: young tried to feed on the remains of their companions.
• 1:57:58
  Speaker 2: The sight was so sicken for the earth Men fired
• 1:58:01
  Speaker 2: at every living thing they could see. Several of the
• 1:58:04
  Speaker 2: wounded creatures crawled up the huge pillars to disappear through
• 1:58:08
  Speaker 2: the opening above, while the men shot at their disappearing forms.
• 1:58:12
  Speaker 2: When the last caterpillar lay dead, the entire area appeared
• 1:58:16
  Speaker 2: like a battlefield. Three days later, the gas had been
• 1:58:19
  Speaker 2: expelled and the hole in the dome repaired. The population
• 1:58:23
  Speaker 2: was returning to their homes, burying the carcases in the fields.
• 1:58:28
  Speaker 2: The city was livable again, and they knew electric current
• 1:58:31
  Speaker 2: would stop any future attacks of the strange creatures. Ten
• 1:58:36
  Speaker 2: years later, Dick Barrow sat on the balcony before his apartment.
• 1:58:40
  Speaker 2: His son, John, eight years old, was playing with Dick McCarthy.
• 1:58:44
  Speaker 2: While he watched the boys, his mind swung back to
• 1:58:47
  Speaker 2: the earth the little group had left so many years before.
• 1:58:50
  Speaker 2: For three years they had talked of returning to their
• 1:58:52
  Speaker 2: home planet, and the evening before the conversation reached a climax,
• 1:58:57
  Speaker 2: they were starting in two months. It no longer required
• 1:59:01
  Speaker 2: years to manufacture fuel for one trip. All machinery was
• 1:59:05
  Speaker 2: working at top efficiency, and they could turn out enough
• 1:59:08
  Speaker 2: of the liquid in a month to drive the ship
• 1:59:10
  Speaker 2: back and forth several times. Crews of workmen had been
• 1:59:14
  Speaker 2: trained to care for all mechanical equipment, and there was
• 1:59:17
  Speaker 2: no longer need for the engineers from the Earth. The
• 1:59:20
  Speaker 2: day the little party it now consisted of eighteen with
• 1:59:24
  Speaker 2: the four children, entered the space ship, Tears rolled down
• 1:59:27
  Speaker 2: the cheeks of many of the crowd. The Dome people
• 1:59:31
  Speaker 2: had learned almost worshiped these members of an alien race
• 1:59:34
  Speaker 2: and thought they would never leave. But when they realized
• 1:59:37
  Speaker 2: that their leaders were dissatisfied and wanted to return to
• 1:59:40
  Speaker 2: their native planet, they aided in every way they knew.
• 1:59:43
  Speaker 2: How The ship was out of port for less than
• 1:59:46
  Speaker 2: a week. When the people became restless, they hardly spoke
• 1:59:51
  Speaker 2: even at meal time, and for the first time in
• 1:59:53
  Speaker 2: ten years, there were petty quarrels. When Barrow called them
• 1:59:58
  Speaker 2: to the main cabin, they came grudgingly, then Slowly the
• 2:00:02
  Speaker 2: expressions changed, Smiles appeared on their faces, and their heads
• 2:00:06
  Speaker 2: moved with the sheepish nods of ascent.
• 2:00:09
  Speaker 1: Where fools and you all know it. We were happy
• 2:00:12
  Speaker 1: in the domes, happier than we ever were in our
• 2:00:15
  Speaker 1: lives before. We didn't appreciate it and longed to return
• 2:00:19
  Speaker 1: to the Earth. We wanted to leave, yet had everything
• 2:00:23
  Speaker 1: there to live for. We had comfort, every pleasure, and
• 2:00:27
  Speaker 1: more friends than we can possibly have on our own world.
• 2:00:30
  Speaker 1: I feel ashamed right now. We wish that we were
• 2:00:35
  Speaker 1: back in our own apartments, and might as well admit it.
• 2:00:39
  Speaker 1: The Earth is not what we want. We want the domes.
• 2:00:42
  Speaker 1: They are home. The best thing for us to do
• 2:00:45
  Speaker 1: now that we are on the way to Earth is
• 2:00:48
  Speaker 1: established commerce. We can create friendship between the planets. We
• 2:00:52
  Speaker 1: are the natives of Jupiter. Our interests will always be
• 2:00:57
  Speaker 1: with the Dome people. We have almost become part of
• 2:01:00
  Speaker 1: that race, and they have given us everything in return.
• 2:01:03
  Speaker 1: They even gave us our freedom when we wanted it.
• 2:01:07
  Speaker 1: We belonged there.
• 2:01:10
  Speaker 2: Ten years more passed, and John Barrow was beginning to
• 2:01:13
  Speaker 2: help his father's work. Vacationing in Jupiter's domes had become
• 2:01:17
  Speaker 2: so popular on the Earth that they were building another
• 2:01:20
  Speaker 2: city to accommodate the tourist trade. It was the third
• 2:01:23
  Speaker 2: to be added to the original six. Merchant ships were
• 2:01:27
  Speaker 2: constantly discharging goods from the Earth and carrying back rare materials.
• 2:01:32
  Speaker 2: Spaceships from the Earth, designed after the original jupitership, were
• 2:01:36
  Speaker 2: searching the little known planets for minerals. Domes were being
• 2:01:40
  Speaker 2: built on three of the smaller globes, and pioneering humans
• 2:01:44
  Speaker 2: migrated to new worlds. There was danger, yes, but also
• 2:01:48
  Speaker 2: fame and fortune for the hardy people who would inhabit them.
• 2:01:52
  Speaker 2: The Earth had changed a lot since the visit of
• 2:01:54
  Speaker 2: the spaceship. They had adopted the principle of control and gravity,
• 2:01:58
  Speaker 2: and tremendous structures were the result. New buildings were several
• 2:02:02
  Speaker 2: times as large as the greatest structure of ten years before.
• 2:02:06
  Speaker 2: Both planets had benefited from the friendship, and both were
• 2:02:09
  Speaker 2: happier as a result. As Dick Barrow's mind ran over
• 2:02:13
  Speaker 2: these facts, he smiled and spoke aloud to himself.
• 2:02:18
  Speaker 1: And all this in twenty years, it seems incredible.
• 2:02:23
  Speaker 2: What did you say, dear, asked Dolores. Dick smiled as
• 2:02:28
  Speaker 2: he glanced.
• 2:02:28
  Speaker 1: At her it's nothing. I was just thinking, remember the
• 2:02:33
  Speaker 1: night you fell in front of my table in the hotel,
• 2:02:36
  Speaker 1: and I thought it was accidental. You scheming gold digger.
• 2:02:42
  Speaker 2: The ruler of the Domes ducked when his wife threw
• 2:02:44
  Speaker 2: her book, but she didn't throw it very hard. End
• 2:02:49
  Speaker 2: of chapter eight, end of Wanted Seven Fearless Engineers by
• 2:02:53
  Speaker 2: Warner van Lorn, read by Lizzie Driver, Cory Samuel, Andrew Coleman,
• 2:03:00
  Speaker 2: Philippa and David Barnes, London, eighteenth October two thousand and eight,