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Venus, v. 1, issue 1, June 1944
Page 6
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-6- his voice gentle. "There was no other way that I could speak to all of you. Twice I had asked you to bring some of your friends to see me, but you refused." He took a short, snub-nosed weapon from his belt and trained it on the youth who leaned on the table, he stood erect. "so you would betray your own son to the World Council!" It was a statement, rather than a question. "The Council has known of your activities since the beginning," the older man replied. "No, you are not betrayed. I came here to talk to you. All I ask is that all of you listen. If, when I am finished, you do not choose to believe, then I shall let the Council deal with you as it sees fit." "Must my friends remain like this?" The younger man asked as he threw out his arm in a gesture that encompassed the room. Silently the older man handed him the weapon that had released him from his paralysis. There was silence as the youth used the counter-ray, broken only by the movement of bodies straightening from cramped positions. A full five minutes passed, while the older man waited, and watched, then the youth turned and faced him. "Father, we will listen to you and what you have to say. We make no promise to heed, or obey your will. We will only listen." He stepped aside and sat down with his companions. Ken Teris surveyed the sea of young, sullen faces upturned to him, his fingers strayed to the thin ribbon of telescript that lay on the table. "Rob Ames was sentenced to ten years in Gobi Prison, today," he said gently, "for attempting to build a spaceship." "Sentenced to death, you mean, for no man returns from Gobi." A voice came from the rear of the room. "True, but remember, Rob knew the Law, and he broke it." the older man's voice was grave. "How can a law be just when it holds back all attempts at progress?' Another voice demanded. "What is the World Coincil, but the voice of the people? By what right do they make a law that impedes man's attempts to better himself? It was over just such things as this that the War of Hate was fought. Are we going to have to fight again, to release man from the rule of the Council?" "Every law the Council makes is for the good of the people of Earth. The War of Hate was fought to forever release mankind from the rule of selfish individuals." There was a murmur of dissent through the room, then some one else spoke. "What is the reason for the law? Why is it a crime to try to build a spaceship? The whole thing is ridiculous. We have the fuel, why does the Council keep us bound to Earth?" "That is why I am here, " Ken told them. "You telepaths have banded together for the betterment of the world, and mankind. Now it is time that all of you learned that progress cannot be made by breaking the law as Rob Ames did. "You are surprised that i know that your are telepaths? The World Council knows all there is to know about you... Listen to what I have to say, then make your own decision for we are sure that it will be the right one. If it is not, you will have to be dealt with." I am the only man on this earth whose feet have trod the floor of Tycho's crater... It was in the year 2058 that I piloted the spaceship, "Star Passage." in the first sucessful flight to the moon. Others had tried, but I suceeded. What I thought and felt on that first journey through space or my landing and subsequent explorations is not important. The only thing that is important is the man I met as I crossed the floor of one of the lesser craters.
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-6- his voice gentle. "There was no other way that I could speak to all of you. Twice I had asked you to bring some of your friends to see me, but you refused." He took a short, snub-nosed weapon from his belt and trained it on the youth who leaned on the table, he stood erect. "so you would betray your own son to the World Council!" It was a statement, rather than a question. "The Council has known of your activities since the beginning," the older man replied. "No, you are not betrayed. I came here to talk to you. All I ask is that all of you listen. If, when I am finished, you do not choose to believe, then I shall let the Council deal with you as it sees fit." "Must my friends remain like this?" The younger man asked as he threw out his arm in a gesture that encompassed the room. Silently the older man handed him the weapon that had released him from his paralysis. There was silence as the youth used the counter-ray, broken only by the movement of bodies straightening from cramped positions. A full five minutes passed, while the older man waited, and watched, then the youth turned and faced him. "Father, we will listen to you and what you have to say. We make no promise to heed, or obey your will. We will only listen." He stepped aside and sat down with his companions. Ken Teris surveyed the sea of young, sullen faces upturned to him, his fingers strayed to the thin ribbon of telescript that lay on the table. "Rob Ames was sentenced to ten years in Gobi Prison, today," he said gently, "for attempting to build a spaceship." "Sentenced to death, you mean, for no man returns from Gobi." A voice came from the rear of the room. "True, but remember, Rob knew the Law, and he broke it." the older man's voice was grave. "How can a law be just when it holds back all attempts at progress?' Another voice demanded. "What is the World Coincil, but the voice of the people? By what right do they make a law that impedes man's attempts to better himself? It was over just such things as this that the War of Hate was fought. Are we going to have to fight again, to release man from the rule of the Council?" "Every law the Council makes is for the good of the people of Earth. The War of Hate was fought to forever release mankind from the rule of selfish individuals." There was a murmur of dissent through the room, then some one else spoke. "What is the reason for the law? Why is it a crime to try to build a spaceship? The whole thing is ridiculous. We have the fuel, why does the Council keep us bound to Earth?" "That is why I am here, " Ken told them. "You telepaths have banded together for the betterment of the world, and mankind. Now it is time that all of you learned that progress cannot be made by breaking the law as Rob Ames did. "You are surprised that i know that your are telepaths? The World Council knows all there is to know about you... Listen to what I have to say, then make your own decision for we are sure that it will be the right one. If it is not, you will have to be dealt with." I am the only man on this earth whose feet have trod the floor of Tycho's crater... It was in the year 2058 that I piloted the spaceship, "Star Passage." in the first sucessful flight to the moon. Others had tried, but I suceeded. What I thought and felt on that first journey through space or my landing and subsequent explorations is not important. The only thing that is important is the man I met as I crossed the floor of one of the lesser craters.
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