Emancipatrix

Eon Flint Homer

Description

Science fiction fans, settle in for a gripping interplanetary adventure. In "The Emancipatrix," brilliant researcher Dr. Kinney jets off on yet another fact-finding trip -- and finds himself face-to-face with a scientific conundrum. This thought-provoking and prescient tale is sure to please connoisseurs of golden-age SF.

Sujets

• Science fiction

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 juin 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781775562993
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE EMANCIPATRIX
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HOMER EON FLINT
 
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The Emancipatrix First published in 1921 ISBN 978-1-77556-299-3 © 2012 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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I - The Mental Expedition II - Almost Human III - World of Mammoths IV - The Gold-Miner V - The Super-Race VI - Impossible, but— VII - The Missing Factor VIII - Fire! IX - Found! X - At Half Cock XI - The Edge of the World XII - Outside Information XIII - The Twelve XIV - The Slave Raid XV - Overlooked Endnotes
I - The Mental Expedition
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The doctor closed the door behind him, crossed to the table, silentlyoffered the geologist a cigar, and waited until smoke was issuing fromit. Then he said:
"Well," bluntly, "what's come between you and your wife, Van?"
The geologist showed no surprise. Instead, he frowned severely at theend of his cigar, and carefully seated himself on the corner of thetable. When he spoke there was a certain rigor in his voice, which toldthe doctor that his friend was holding himself tightly in rein.
"It really began when the four of us got together to investigateCapellette, two months ago." Van Emmon was a thorough man in importantmatters. "Maybe I ought to say that both Billie and I were as muchinterested as either you or Smith; she often says that even the tour ofMercury and Venus was less wonderful.
"What is more, we are both just as eager to continue the investigations.We still have all kinds of faith in the Venusian formula; we want to'visit' as many more worlds as the science of telepathy will permit. Itisn't that either of us has lost interest."
The doctor rather liked the geologist's scientific way of stating thecase, even though it meant hearing things he already knew. Kinneywatched and waited and listened intently.
"You remember, of course, what sort of a man I got in touch with. Powartwas easily the greatest Capellan of them all; a magnificent intellect,which I still think was intended to have ruled the rest. I haven'tbacked down from my original position."
"Van! You still believe," incredulously, "in a government of the sort hecontemplated?"
Van Emmon nodded aggressively. "All that we learned merely strengthensmy conviction. Remember what sort of people the working classes ofCapellette were? Smith's 'agent' was typical—a helpless nincompoop, notfit to govern himself!" The geologist strove to keep his patience.
"However," remarked Kinney, "the chap whose mind I used was no fool."
"Nor was Billie's agent, the woman surgeon," agreed Van Emmon, "even ifshe did prefer 'the Devolutionist' to Powart. But you'll have to admit,doc, that the vast majority of the Capellans were incompetents; the restwere exceptions."
The doctor spoke after a brief pause. "And—that's what is wrong, Van?"
"Yes," grimly. "Billie can't help but rejoice that things turned out theway they did. She is sure that the workers, now that they've beenseparated from the ruling class, will proceed to make a perfect paradiseout of their land." He could not repress a certain amount of sarcasm."As well expect a bunch of monkeys to build a steam engine!
"Well," after a little hesitation, "as I said before, doc, I've noreason to change my mind. You may talk all you like about it—I can'tagree to such ideas. The only way to get results on that planet is forthe upper classes to continue to govern."
"And this is what you two have—quarreled about?"
Van Emmon nodded sorrowfully. He lit another cigar absent-mindedly andcleared his throat twice before going on: "My fault, I guess. I've beenso darned positive about everything I've said, I've probably causedBillie to sympathize with her friends more solidly than she wouldotherwise."
"But just because you've championed the autocrats so heartily—"
"I'm afraid so!" The geologist was plainly relieved to have stated thecase in full. He leaned forward in his eagerness to be understood. Hetold the doctor things that were altogether too personal to be includedin this account.
Meanwhile, out in the doctor's study, Smith had made no move whatever tointerrogate the geologist's young wife. Instead, the engineer simplyremained standing after Billie had sat down, and gave her only anoccasional hurried glance. Shortly the silence got on her nerves; and—such was her nature, as contrasted with Van Emmon's—whereas he hadstated causes first, she went straight to effects.
"Well," explosively, "Van and I have split!"
Smith was seldom surprised at anything. This time was no exception. Hemerely murmured "Sorry" under his breath; and Billie rushed on, herpent-up feelings eager to escape.
"We haven't mentioned Capellette for weeks, Smith! We don't dare! If wedid, there'd be such a rumpus that we—we'd separate!" Something came upinto her throat which had to be choked back before she could go on.Then—
"I don't know why it is, but every time the subject is brought up Vanmakes me so WILD!" She controlled herself with a tremendous effort. "Heblames me, of course, because of what I did to help the Devolutionist.But I can't be blamed for sympathizing with the under dog, can I? I'vealways preferred justice to policy, any time. Justice first, I say! AndI think we've seen—there on Capellette—how utterly impossible it isfor any such system as theirs to last indefinitely."
But before she could follow up her point the door opened and the doctorreturned with her husband. Kinney did not allow any tension to develop;instead, he said briskly:
"There's only a couple of hours remaining between now and dinner time; Imove we get busy." He glanced about the room, to see if all was inplace. The four chairs, each with its legs tipped with glass; the fourfootstools, similarly insulated from the floor; the electrical circuitrunning from the odd group of machinery in the corner, and connectingfour pair of brass bracelets—all were ready for use. He motioned theothers to the chairs in which they had already accomplished marvels inthe way of mental traveling.
"Now," he remarked, as he began to fit the bracelets to his wrists, anexample which the rest straightway followed; "now, we want to make surethat we all have the same purpose in mind. Last time, we were simplylooking for four people, such as had view-points similar to our own. To-day, our object is to locate, somewhere among the planets attached toone of the innumerable sun-stars of the universe, one on which theconditions are decidedly different from anything we have known before."
Billie and Van Emmon, their affair temporarily forgotten, listenedeagerly.
"As I recall it," Smith calmly observed, "we agreed that this attemptwould be to locate a new kind of—well, near-human. Isn't that right?"
The doctor nodded. "Nothing more or less"—speaking very distinctly—"than a creature as superior as we are, but NOT IN HUMAN FORM."
Smith tried hard not to share the thrill. He had been reading biologythe previous week. "I may as well protest, first as last, that I don'tsee how human intelligence can ever be developed outside the human form.Not—possibly!"
Van Emmon also was skeptical, but his wife declared the idea merelyunusual, not impossible. "Is there any particular reason against it?"she demanded of the doctor.
"I will say this much," cautiously. "Given certain conditions, andinevitably the human form will most certainly become the supremecreature, superior to all the others.
"However, suppose the planetary conditions are entirely different. Iconceive it entirely possible for one of the other animals to forgeahead of the man-ape; quite possible, Smith," as the engineer started toobject, "if only the conditions are different ENOUGH.
"At any rate, we shall soon find out. I have been reading further in thelibrary the Venusians gave us, and I assure you that I've found someastonishing things." He fingered one of the diminutive volumes. "Thereis one planet in particular whose name I have forgotten, where allanimal life has disappeared entirely. There are none but vegetable formson the land, and all of them are the rankest sort of weeds. They haveliterally choked off everything else!
"And the highest form of life there is a weed; a hideous monstrosity,shaped something like an octopus, and capable of the most horrible—" Hestopped abruptly, remembering that one of his hearers was a woman."Never mind about that now."
He indicated another of the little books. "I think we will do well toinvestigate a planet which the Venusians call 'Sanus.' It belongs to thetremendous planetary family of the giant star Arcturus. I haven't readany details at all; I didn't want to know more than you. We can proceedwith our discoveries on an equal footing."
"But," objected Smith, recalling the previous methods, "how are we toput our minds in touch with any of theirs, unless we know enough aboutthem to imagine their view-points?"
"Our knowledge of their planet's name and location," replied the doctor,"makes it easier for us. All we have to do is to go into the telepathicstate, via the Venusian formula; then, at the same time, each mustconcentrate upon some definite mental quality, some particularcharacteristic of his own mind, which he or she wishes to find on Sanus.It makes no difference what it may be; all you have to do is, exert yourimaginations a little."
There was a pause, broken by Smith: "We ought to tell each other what wehave in mind, so that we don't conflict."
"Yes. For my part," said the doctor, "I'd like to get in touch with abeing who is mildly rebellious;