The Creature from Beyond Infinity

CHAPTER XIX The Earth Shield

Two weeks later found Court haggard and red-eyed with exhaustion. He and Ardath, aided by Li Yang, Scipio and Marion, had been working day and night, experimenting, testing, discarding. Court's task had been complicated by the difficulty of securing the Government's backing. The President, though in favor of Court's proposal, would not give his consent until the country's foremost scientists had approved.

"They still don't realize what we're up against," Court told Marion.

The two were walking toward a huge white auditorium on Pennsylvania Avenue. The dome of the Capitol loomed against the blue sky. A number of cars were drawn up before the marble building.

"But they know what the Plague's doing," Marion said worriedly. "New cases every day!"

"I know. Perhaps I shouldn't have asked for as much money as I did, yet we'll need it all. Small weapons aren't enough. We've got to build the Shield to save Earth."

"Well, today's the day," she mused. "All the scientists will be there, with lots of Army officials and Washington bigwigs."

Court smiled. "Yes. I hope—"

He turned into an alcove and picked up a phone. Presently he asked:

"Scipio? All set? Good. Be careful, now." He turned back to Marion. "This may be dangerous, but I think it'll do the trick."

Before long, he was on the stage of the auditorium, a lithe, well built figure against a background of sable curtains. The room was nearly filled with a crowd of men—scientists, uniformed Army men, politicians. A rustle of expectancy went through them as Court appeared. Without preamble he began:

"I am going to ask you to witness—" He paused as reporters' flashlight bulbs popped and glared. "All right, boys. Save some of your plates till later. You will need them. To resume, I am going to perform an experiment for you today. Most of you are already familiar with my proposal. I have found a cure for the Plague, but it is an expensive one. On the other hand, it is the only possible way to save the human race from extinction."

"Bunk!" a voice yelled. "Prove it!"

Court lifted his hand.

"One moment You have all read about Ardath. Some of you, I think, have seen my colleague. His strange history has become familiar to you. Let me introduce him now."

Ardath walked out on the platform. His antique clothing had been replaced by a well fitting suit of light flannels, and his slim figure went over to stand beside Court. The lean, patrician face looked out over the audience without expression.

"Fake!" a cry arose. It was echoed by others. A gray-haired man stood up.

"If you've found a cure for the Plague, prove it. This Ardath may be an impostor. He probably is. He has nothing to do with—"

Ardath did not say a word, but he stepped forward a pace. Something in the look of the strange, alien eyes brought silence to the auditorium. In the stillness, Court spoke again.

"You know that the Plague is fatal. To touch a Carrier is instant death. That there is no possible insulation. I have already given my theories about the origin of the Plague. It is sheer life energy—the ultimate evolution of all life, the residuum of some immeasurably ancient universe that evolved into pure energy perhaps eons ago. This cosmic cloud of energy has drifted through the interstellar void until its edges infringe upon the Earth.

"Some catalyst in our atmosphere made it potent, infected our Me forms with this strange virus. What the Plague does is simply this—it speeds up entropy. And the evolution that takes place is abnormal, against nature."

Court paused, drew a deep breath, and resumed.

"Normal evolution is slow. Mankind automatically adjusts itself to different environments through the course of ages. But this is a sudden jump to the ultimate life form, which in the normal course of events should not exist in this System for billions of years. That disrupts the evolutionary check-and-balance system. Humanity is not yet ready for this metamorphosis. It must come slowly and gradually, over a period of millions of years. Let me sketch for you the future.

"More and more of the Carriers will appear as Earth plunges deeper into the heart of the cloud of life energy. The Carriers will feed on those who were once their fellows. Eventually only they will exist on this planet, and even they will die in the end for lack of sustenance. In less than fifty years, the world will be a barren, dead sphere drifting through space. That is what it might have been, had we not found a cure!"

Then the Kyrian's clipped, precise voice rang through the auditorium.

"Court speaks truly. You men of this civilization are strange to me. Perhaps few of you believe the story of my origin. That does not matter. Working together, Court and I have discovered the nature of the Plague and found a solution. It is this— The Carriers are forms of Me energy. They can be destroyed, but only by creating a stronger type of energy which will drain their own. Only one thing will do that—atomic power.

"A certain Carrier came in touch with the unguarded atomic power in my space ship. Later, we searched for him, and found his body near the vessel. Exposure to the terrific energy had killed him."

Court nodded, remembering how he and Ardath had hunted through the Wisconsin hills for Sammy, and the burned, inhuman thing they had found at last. The Kyrian went on.

"Atomic power short-circuits the Carriers, drains their energy. Already we have constructed portable weapons which are thoroughly satisfactory."

"But the life-cloud in space!" a voice from the audience broke in. "You can't destroy that!"

The Kyrian smiled grimly.

"True. And more and more Carriers will appear as we approach the nucleus of the cloud. But we can protect the Earth, create a wall around it, a shell of atomic energy! With the right machines, we can transform the Heaviside Layer into a shield that will perfectly insulate this planet against the cosmic cloud. Solar radiation will still come through unchecked. But not a trace of the deadly life energy will be able to penetrate the Shield."

A low murmuring in the auditorium grew into a roar. Men rose and shouted questions, challenges at Ardath. A shield around the Earth? Ridiculous! Such fantastic pipe-dreams belonged with perpetual motion and other exploded theories. Ardath glanced wryly at Court.

"Well, I see I can't convince them. Shall we—"

Court was waving his arms, trying to quiet the crowd. His attempts were useless. Already some of the audience were rising and heading for the exits.

No one saw Court wave toward the wings. But all eyes turned to the stage when the black curtain rustled apart. Simultaneously a gasp of sheer horror ripped from hundreds of throats.

On the platform was—a Carrier!

A huge box of luminous metal stood just behind it, in which the horror had apparently been confined. It was open now, and the luminous fog that constituted the Carrier was drifting forward with purposeful intent.

Ardath and Court had raced to one side of the stage. Scipio appeared, wheeling a small contrivance no larger than a dictaphone. A conical tube topped it, ending in a translucent lens.

"Good," Court snapped at the Carthaginian. "But for God's sake, be careful now!"

The giant nodded with a flash of white teeth. Court turned to the paralyzed audience.

"Stay where you are! There's no danger, unless you get hysterical and riot."

A uniformed man in the aisle shouted an oath and whipped out his revolver. He pumped bullets at the glowing creature. Naturally there was no result. Court waited till the echoes had died.

"No one will deny that this is an authentic Carrier. Watch!"

The creature was at the edge of the platform when Scipio swung his weapon to focus upon it. The result was unspectacular. A ray of intense white light struck from the lens, and the glow surrounding the Carrier merely began to fade. The thing remained motionless, all its glory dulling.

At last there was only something hike a mummy collapsing to lie motionless on the stage. Scipio switched off the light.

"Take your seats, please," Court said. "I have no more surprises for you. I shall welcome a committee to examine the body of this Carrier." The first man to hasten down the aisle was a strongly built, handsome man with grizzled gray hair. He went directly to Court.

"Mr. President!" Court cried. "I didn't know you intended to be here, or I wouldn't have—"

"I'm glad you did make that experiment," said the President of the United States. "I doubt if the scientists will fail to approve your plan now." There was a little twinkle in the level gray eyes. "Even if they do, I have authority under martial law to order you to build your Earth Shield, and to give you every assistance you require."

The big figure turned toward the audience, and the President waved at the group of reporters.

"Put that on your front pages, boys. Stephen Court's in charge!"

With silent, incredible speed, Earth swung into action to fight the cosmic menace. Stephen Court was in charge. Beside him Ardath worked, untiring, unsparing of himself. Li Yang, Scipio, and Marion Barton lent their aid.

Staffs of trained scientists gathered from all over the world. Factories were hastily commandeered, and their machinery altered so they could turn out quantities of the atomic energy portable guns.

From San Francisco, to New York, from New Orleans to Chicago, trained men went busily to work. Production of the guns was left to subordinates. Once provided with the plans, they executed their orders with swift precision.

Troops of militia were armed with the weapons and sent into Plague-infested areas. New York was cleared of the Carriers, and the other cities as well. Dozens of the guns were stored in airports, ready for instant transportation whenever a case of the Plague was reported. Such reports were constant these days. Earth was approaching dangerously close to the nucleus of the cosmic cloud.

Ardath flew to China, with Li Yang and two hundred famous scientists. A job had to be done there. Two gigantic towers had to be erected, on each side of the Earth—one in the Orient, one in America. Court was in charge of constructing the latter. He remained in constant telephonic communication with Ardath.

Speed was essential. Every resource of the country was turned to building the Earth Shield. Business was neglected. The Government issued their orders, delegating certain jobs to certain groups. The people had to be fed, of course, but every capable man was mustered to the task for which he was best fitted. Factories worked day and night.

Every other country lent its aid. Canada, England, Germany, France, Italy, Japan—all forgot their imperialistic and trade quarrels in order to battle the common enemy. There was no time for war.

Build the Towers! Create the Earth Shield! These aims were foremost.

Slowly the mighty obelisks rose. They resembled the Eiffel Tower, but were far taller and larger. Immense girders buckled huger beams together as the monoliths rose against the sky day by day. Faster, faster, the men worked.

At night, searchlights were used. New roads were built and old ones widened, all converging on the Towers. A railroad was laid to each one from the nearest line.

Nearby towns found themselves incredibly augmented in populations. Emergency barracks rose. Dapper physicists and chemists slept side by side with burly roustabouts and riveters.

No thought of class, and few quarrels, arose. Each man knew that the Plague might strike his own family next. Under his breath he whispered:

"Build the Earth Shield! Hurry! Hurry!"

Two Towers loomed at last, visible for many miles. Each one was topped with a shimmering, bright sphere of metal, fifty feet in diameter. From these globes the atomic energy would flame out, to encircle the planet and transform the atomic structure of the Heaviside Layer into an impregnable barrier.