DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Vulcan, whole no. 5, January 1944

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Vulcan, whole no. 5, January 1944

Page 17

heavens. Soon it grew still, a mere streak of light in the sky. Then it was but a dot, merely another star. Slowly the crowd dispersed...

Aboard the ship (it had been named the Sirius after Sirius, the brightest star in earth's sky) the captain and the crew lay in their hammocks, without which they could not have stood the terrific acceleration. The captain, whose hammock lay in easy reach of the controls, was looking through the control-room window. They had just left the atmosphere of Earth, when he suddenly stiffened in surprise.

"Good Lord!" he exploded, and tried to sit up in spite of the terrific weight that seemed to be pressing him down. He reached for the controls.

The captain had good reason for surprise and excitement. For, bearing down upon the Sirius, was a great meteorite, a perfect globe in shape! The meteor repulsion was, of course, in operation. But even though the repulsion field was of great strength, it could never protect the ship from a head-on collision with a meteorite the size of that one! The captain turned the ship suddenly, at the risk of killing everyone on board, and even that was not enough.

Crash! The Sirius vibrated in every joint, as the meteorite struck them only a glancing blow. But even that had come close to demolishing the ship. The repulsion screen had been strong enough to save them.

It was only several hours later, when the Sirius was farther out in space and the acceleration had lessened to a point where the occupants were again comfortable, that the captain spoke of the meteorite. One of the other men who had seen it said:
"God, but it was huge! A regular giant."

"What puzzles me," spoke up the captain, "is its shape. How could a meteorite so far out in space be such a perfect globe?"

"Say!" said one of the more imaginative men of the crew, "maybe it was [a]spaceship carrying creatures from some other world."

"Perhaps," said the captain doubtfully. "Anyway, it's a puzzle..."

As the crowd about the field from which the Sirius had taken off was dispersing, they were suddenly treated to a sight none would ever forget. High in the night sky a point of brilliant light appeared amid the stars. In a moment it had grown to a great globe of flame, falling all the while. It lighted up the landscape as brightly as day with a weird glow. In awe, the faces of the crowd were turned to the phenomenon of the skies.

As it fell, the meteor continued to grow brighter until none could bear to look directly at it. It was apparent that it would strike the earth several miles away. But suddenly, just before it stuck, the meteor exploded.

Later a radio message was received from the Sirius, telling of the space voyager's narrow escape from the meteor.

But none of the myriads of persons over the whole surface of the Earth who heard the news knew how narrow the escape had been -- both for the members of Sirius's crew and all the peoples of Earth. Nor did they know that in the explosion of that meteor had died the last of a great and ancient race.

THE END

DO YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE?
When you have an occasional nightmare, does it take the simple form of vampires and ghouls? Or is it something far worse? Yes, we have the physical counterpart of your subconscious symbolizing -- quite horrible done up in messy [hectoring?] and awful proofreading. Such morons as Chad Oliver and Paul Milan and poetry of Karden; not to mention Ray Palmer and others.

Saving...

heavens. Soon it grew still, a mere streak of light in the sky. Then it was but a dot, merely another star. Slowly the crowd dispersed... Aboard the ship (it had been named the Sirius after Sirius, the brightest star in earth's sky) the captain and the crew lay in their hammocks, without which they could not have stood the terrific acceleration. The captain, whose hammock lay in easy reach of the controls, was looking through the control-room window. They had just left the atmosphere of Earth, when he suddenly stiffened in surprise. "Good Lord!" he exploded, and tried to sit up in spite of the terrific weight that seemed to be pressing him down. He reached for the controls. The captain had good reason for surprise and excitement. For, bearing down upon the Sirius, was a great meteorite, a perfect globe in shape! The meteor repulsion was, of course, in operation. But even though the repulsion field was of great strength, it could never protect the ship from a head-on collision with a meteorite the size of that one! The captain turned the ship suddenly, at the risk of killing everyone on board, and even that was not enough. Crash! The Sirius vibrated in every joint, as the meteorite struck them only a glancing blow. But even that had come close to demolishing the ship. The repulsion screen had been strong enough to save them. It was only several hours later, when the Sirius was farther out in space and the acceleration had lessened to a point where the occupants were again comfortable, that the captain spoke of the meteorite. One of the other men who had seen it said: "God, but it was huge! A regular giant." "What puzzles me," spoke up the captain, "is its shape. How could a meteorite so far out in space be such a perfect globe?" "Say!" said one of the more imaginative men of the crew, "maybe it was [a]spaceship carrying creatures from some other world." "Perhaps," said the captain doubtfully. "Anyway, it's a puzzle..." As the crowd about the field from which the Sirius had taken off was dispersing, they were suddenly treated to a sight none would ever forget. High in the night sky a point of brilliant light appeared amid the stars. In a moment it had grown to a great globe of flame, falling all the while. It lighted up the landscape as brightly as day with a weird glow. In awe, the faces of the crowd were turned to the phenomenon of the skies. As it fell, the meteor continued to grow brighter until none could bear to look directly at it. It was apparent that it would strike the earth several miles away. But suddenly, just before it stuck, the meteor exploded. Later a radio message was received from the Sirius, telling of the space voyager's narrow escape from the meteor. But none of the myriads of persons over the whole surface of the Earth who heard the news knew how narrow the escape had been -- both for the members of Sirius's crew and all the peoples of Earth. Nor did they know that in the explosion of that meteor had died the last of a great and ancient race. THE END DO YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE? When you have an occasional nightmare, does it take the simple form of vampires and ghouls? Or is it something far worse? Yes, we have the physical counterpart of your subconscious symbolizing -- quite horrible done up in messy [hectoring?] and awful proofreading. Such morons as Chad Oliver and Paul Milan and poetry of Karden; not to mention Ray Palmer and others.