The Red Stuff

CHAPTER IV

What happened while Captain Waterson and his crew relaxed and slept in the rest­house at Clarke Station during the period when the Circe was refuelled, checked and inspected preparatory to her home drop to Earth remains a mystery at present, and one to be cleared up at the official inquiry before the Space Control Commissioners.

It is difficult to believe that any member of the ship's company, after their recent experience, would be either care­less or negli­gent where the red sub­stance was concerned. The specimen bottles are said to have been locked into a steel cup­board in the Captain's cabin. If they were, and it is believed that evidence on this point is unim­peach­able, then it would seem that one of two things must have happened; either some person moved by curiosity or the hope of a valuable find broke into that cup­board and opened one or more bottles: or some of the containers were faulty or damaged and the contents leaked — it would be able to pass beyond the door since an air­tight fit for lockers and cup­boards are not normally safe equip­ment in space. Possibly we shall never be certain which was the cause.

Whatever took place, the lament­able fact is that no report of the leak­age was made until several hours later. That much is clear for the first party to notice a pool of ‘red jelly’ found its edges already some yards from the ship. They were interested, but not alarmed, taking it at first for a pool of some kind of lubricant, and had even walked several steps into it before paying it serious attention. It then occurred to the leader that the extent was greater than he had supposed, and thinking it likely that it might be some kind of fuel and possibly danger­ous, he ordered his men back and went to report. Thus both he and his men spread it farther on their boots.

The Station Official on duty who accom­panied him to make ex­ami­nation was better informed, and realized what it was, but in his inex­perience lacked the caution to avoid all contact with it. By the time the news of the out­break reached Captain Waterson it was spread­ing in all direct­ions from trails left by men who had stepped in it and others who had crossed them; half a dozen offices were already infected, and a number of workers daubed scarlet from head to foot were spread­ing it farther every minute.

Confusion followed. Efforts were made to remove all un-conta­mi­nated ships, and force had to be used to prevent the Captains taking off in craft which had been conta­mi­nated. There is nothing to be gained by mini­miz­ing the fact that for a time a regret­table state of panic reigned. But it is to the credit of certain officials that no infected ship did, in fact, succeed in leaving during that time.

Little could be done. The only torches modified to work in airless condi­tions were aboard the Circe. Had they been avail­able they were too few and too small to have appre­ciable effect upon the area now affected. Fuel was plenti­full but since it will not burn without an atmos­phere, it was impossible to ring the area with fire.

So far it has been im­possible to check the spread of the substance. Fire pro­ject­ors of various kinds are being adapted as quickly as possible and will be rushed to the scene via the Whitley Lunar Station as soon as they are available. Every precaution is being taken against the starting of new out­breaks.

The state is one of the gravest emer­gency calling for the en­list­ment of all scien­tific effort. Not only is our whole system of space navi­ga­tion based upon use of the Moon as a way-station so that with­out it we must become earth­bound again until new and more power­ful fleets have been constructed, but there is the menace of the red sub­stance itself.

There is no need for panic, but it is necessary for every one to realize the full gravity of the situation. What­ever the cost, this sub­stance must be prevented from spread­ing; above no grain of it must be allowed to reach Earth.

Volunteers are already fighting and dying on the Moon in order that that shall not happen. All our resources must back them without stint. Hope is expressed that certain radio-active materials may prove effec­tive against the menace. Every­thing must be tried at all costs.

If anybody doubts the necessity of the sacri­fices he may have to make, let him look through even a low-powered teles­cope at the Moon. A little east of Plato in the semi­circle of the Sinus Indium, where Clarke Lunar Station used to stand, he will see a bright scarlet patch already flowing out across the Marc Imbrium. Let him imagine that it was not the Clarke Station, but his own town that stood there, and let him make his sacri­fices to prevent imagi­nation becoming reality.