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Fantascience Digest, v. 2, issue 2, January-February 1939
Page 19
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FANTASCIENCE DIGEST Page 19 SOMETHING DIFFERENT By WILLIS CONOVER, Jr. I've got a swell plot for a science-fiction story I'm going to write. Something [[underline]]different[[end underline]], something really unique and unusual. I'll give you a rough idea of what it's like, and I'll bet it floors you. Boy, get a load of this: The City Editor of [[underline]]The Daily Dozen[[end underline]] tells his star reporter, Flush Warden, to interview the well-known Russian scientist, Professor Ivan Togohomovitch, at his home laboratories out in the country. Flush---who, incidentally, is very handsome---drives to the scientist's dark, gloomy residence and lifts the huge knocker on the door a couple of times. The door opens slowly, and Flush is confronted by a seven-foot, powerful-looking, white-coated Russian. Flush knows he's a scientist because he has a Marchioni beard. "Professor Ivan Togohomovitch?" Flush asks. "I am he," the scientist growls. (Boy, ain't that "I am he" classy stuff?) "I am a pizzy man. Vat do you Vant?" Flush explains that he's from [[underline]]The Daily Dozen[[end underline]], and he's come to interview the scientist. Togohomovitch admits him somewhat reluctantly and leads him down a long, dark hall into his laboratory, which is full of test-tubes and microscopes and all that stuff you read about. Now, here's where the story gets good. The door opens, and in walks a beautiful dark-haired girl whose raven tresses reflect the glow of neon tubes with a glossy sheen. She looks at Flush and says, "Oh, excuse me, Poppa. I didn't know you had company," and starts to withdraw from the laboratory. The scientist says, "That's O.K., Nadya. Come in," and explains to Flush that this is his daughter Nadya. Flush acknowledges the introduction, and is suddenly aware of her breath-taking beauty. So breath-taking in fact, that he can say nothing. Well, the scientist leaves the room for a moment. I don't know why, but I can guess. Anyway, it's necessary that he leave the room so Nadya and Flush can be alone together. So I just have him leave to make the story go all right. He doesn't need a reason; and besides, I'm the author, ain't I? Well, Nadya rushes up to Flush and yells, "Oh, you must go immediately! Quick, before he returns! He is a friend, an inhuman monster. He's going to do something horrible to you, unless you go now. Others have come, but none have ever left---in recognizable form. Why, only yesterday he sent out a barrel marked 'Synthetic Hamburger'." Just then the door opens and the scientist comes in. He looks sternly at Nadya; then he says in a nasty tone of voice, "Nadya, leave us at vonce." She goes to the door; and then she turns and makes One Last Silent Appeal to Flush as she closes the door behind her. But our hero hasn't even
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FANTASCIENCE DIGEST Page 19 SOMETHING DIFFERENT By WILLIS CONOVER, Jr. I've got a swell plot for a science-fiction story I'm going to write. Something [[underline]]different[[end underline]], something really unique and unusual. I'll give you a rough idea of what it's like, and I'll bet it floors you. Boy, get a load of this: The City Editor of [[underline]]The Daily Dozen[[end underline]] tells his star reporter, Flush Warden, to interview the well-known Russian scientist, Professor Ivan Togohomovitch, at his home laboratories out in the country. Flush---who, incidentally, is very handsome---drives to the scientist's dark, gloomy residence and lifts the huge knocker on the door a couple of times. The door opens slowly, and Flush is confronted by a seven-foot, powerful-looking, white-coated Russian. Flush knows he's a scientist because he has a Marchioni beard. "Professor Ivan Togohomovitch?" Flush asks. "I am he," the scientist growls. (Boy, ain't that "I am he" classy stuff?) "I am a pizzy man. Vat do you Vant?" Flush explains that he's from [[underline]]The Daily Dozen[[end underline]], and he's come to interview the scientist. Togohomovitch admits him somewhat reluctantly and leads him down a long, dark hall into his laboratory, which is full of test-tubes and microscopes and all that stuff you read about. Now, here's where the story gets good. The door opens, and in walks a beautiful dark-haired girl whose raven tresses reflect the glow of neon tubes with a glossy sheen. She looks at Flush and says, "Oh, excuse me, Poppa. I didn't know you had company," and starts to withdraw from the laboratory. The scientist says, "That's O.K., Nadya. Come in," and explains to Flush that this is his daughter Nadya. Flush acknowledges the introduction, and is suddenly aware of her breath-taking beauty. So breath-taking in fact, that he can say nothing. Well, the scientist leaves the room for a moment. I don't know why, but I can guess. Anyway, it's necessary that he leave the room so Nadya and Flush can be alone together. So I just have him leave to make the story go all right. He doesn't need a reason; and besides, I'm the author, ain't I? Well, Nadya rushes up to Flush and yells, "Oh, you must go immediately! Quick, before he returns! He is a friend, an inhuman monster. He's going to do something horrible to you, unless you go now. Others have come, but none have ever left---in recognizable form. Why, only yesterday he sent out a barrel marked 'Synthetic Hamburger'." Just then the door opens and the scientist comes in. He looks sternly at Nadya; then he says in a nasty tone of voice, "Nadya, leave us at vonce." She goes to the door; and then she turns and makes One Last Silent Appeal to Flush as she closes the door behind her. But our hero hasn't even
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