appeared on Earth, and it radiates mentality.
Again the trio wrestled desperately
It’s overcoming the world—”
with the mental waves, but this time they felt
The voice trailed down into silence
more than compulsion. There was a message,
and ceased. Frantically Jefferson buzzed the
a distinct message, an impression of thought
contactor, without success. Bitter-faced, he waves, as though a voice were speaking.
flung down the receivers and made a brief
Silent and rigid they listened.
explanation to his wondering companions.
“Be warned, before you go too far.
“Things are getting tough!” whistled
You are grappling with the brain of Lu Sang, a
Stanhope. “Vanishing planets, protoplasm! brain that formerly lay in a pitifully What the devil next? What’s it all for, I inadequate earthly body. The time has come wonder?”
when I have learned all that matter has to tell;
“This is no time to ask questions,”
that being so I seek the region of pure thought, Jefferson snorted. “We’ve got to act—fast.
the thought that exists where matter is not.
Give me a band with the blast-tubes; we’re
Originally in the dim beginning there was
taking some of this moon back to Earth. naught but space; the accident of certain Quickly!”
crystallizing
Without another word the three set to
radiations produced matter—a cancer in the
work, each performing his part of the task
midst of an otherwise uniform sea of thought-
with absolute assurance. Disintegrator blast-
impressions. With my knowledge it is an easy
tubes, operated from the base of the ship, set
matter to produce a radiation capable of
to work and cut a full square mile of the
causing atomic collapse through the medium
apparently solid satellite below. For a time
of heat, the destruction of matter and its
that iron grey surface was ripped and torn with
resolution into apparently empty space.
shafts of energy, then, as they ceased their
“Not until space is empty and all life
activity the magnetizers came into action.
destroyed can I obtain the real concept of
Immediately, the mile-square sheet, thought. My mental radiations now are jagged-edged, was torn from its native bed
disturbing matter life, reducing it to the final and floated into space. In response the space
stage when it will be a simple matter to
ship adjusted her position to the new balance
destroy the living bodies without impairing
and a blinding segment of Venus appeared
the minds. These perturbations are caused
beyond the satellite’s edge.
entirely by the efforts of the human
“Full speed ahead,” Jefferson snapped.
mentalities to escape from their Earthbound
Brain of Venus
11
bodies. In the end they will all escape—that is
We’re running no space ships now.”
my aim. So, puny humans, do not attempt to
Jefferson
nodded.
stand in my way. You may struggle as you
“Send them to me, sir, and at the
wish, invent all you desire, but your end is
earliest moment we’ll figure ways and means.
inevitable.”
Now, let’s get busy.”
WITH that the communication ceased, but the
mental perturbations continued. The three men
CHAPTER III
said nothing, and in a manner purely
The Brain Speaks
mechanical drove the flier steadily back
toward Earth.
When ultimately they gained the IN the days that followed men labored to build landing grounds mechanical devices came into
a small shed from the material of the Venusian
operation to take control of the colossal sheet
moon. It was hard work—cruelly hard—but
of metal they had brought with them. Gently
the need for urgency accomplished wonders.
and carefully it was lowered to the ground,
And while the men struggled to erect
then, opening the door, Jefferson found the building on the space grounds, death was himself facing Commandant Bradley.
stalking in every corner of Earth. From every
“Thank God you’re back, Jefferson,”
city came news of the steady death of
were his first words. “You got my radio populations, of people of weak mental report, of course? I was overcome at the end
resistance overcome by the onslaughts of the
by a mental attack. Things have gone much
Venusian brain. The now vast seas of
worse while you’ve been away. The protoplasmic matter that also smeared Earth’s protoplasm is everywhere, slowly covering surface were impossible things to fight.
Earth. The same stuff has also appeared on
“The stuff isn’t brain matter, sir,”
Mars and smothered that planet completely.
Jefferson explained to his worried superior.
The same thing will happen to Earth. Worst of
“It’s really unintelligent chemical, but
all are the disappearing planets. Thank God
somehow, probably through the medium of
we have four force-ray projectors. Two of
electricity, the distant Brain has managed to
them help to keep Earth steady during the
excite the atoms of lowly chemicals existing
shiftings of the balance. What did you find?
in the very ground into a formation of
Anything?”
protoplasm. The stuff has a cellular reflective
Briefly Jefferson related everything.
power which enables it to reflect the mental
“So the only bright spot is our bringing
outpourings of the Brain with tremendous
the metal back with us,” he concluded. “It
amplification, just as a mirror reflects the
protects us against the Brain’s thought waves.
sunlight. The Brain is using it, I imagine,
We can build a shelter of it and work inside
purely to increase the potency of his thought-
with peace. It’s our only chance. There must
range. Since the same thing happened on Mars
be something that can destroy this infernal
it seems a logical conclusion. By this means
Brain—we’ve got to find something. If we
the Brain has doubled his power, can reach
don’t all matter will be eliminated and all
everywhere.”
mind released to its primordial level before
“And now?” Bradley asked drearily.
matter came. How many men can you let me
“How do we fight it?”
have, sir?”
“We still have time,” Jefferson
“You can have the entire space unit.
answered grimly. “The shelter is finished.
Thrilling Wonder Stories
12
Inside the hut we are perfectly safe. And the
reports that told of the protoplasm’s advance
only way to defeat the Brain is by electricity.
into Pennsylvania.
One electric wave can always upset another if
At six p.m. on the following evening,
you go
about it properly. Brain-radiations, or
when the cabling and machine connections
thought-waves, are electrical in nature. These
were at last completed, Mars vanished from
incoming mental waves are in the vicinity of
the cosmic map. Instantly the two bracing
one hundred and ninety thousand frequency,
power-rays, automatically controlled, changed
working on the new Crookes-Matthew Table.
their power, adjusting themselves to equal
Frequencies of that order are far and away in
pressure and negating what would otherwise
advance of anything yet produced on Earth,
have been world-shattering earthquakes.
and the only way we can get it is by the
Stanhope, who had been present at the
electric and almost inexhaustible discharge of
observatory when the Martian disaster had
smashing atoms. You see, if we can once
happened, issued an immediate report.
achieve a similar number of frequencies and
direct them at Venus, it seems obvious that
THERE was nothing particularly unusual
like will repulse like.
about the matter, it seemed. The Brain was
“In other words, the power of the obviously capable of utilizing radiations able Brain will be so heterodyned, or turned aside,
to cause atomic excitation. Hence the atoms of
as to cease to have effect. Then, while the
Mars had been agitated through continuously
effect is maintained and the Brain is helpless
rising temperature. Mars, it appeared, had
we will venture near enough to Venus’ surface
passed through all the stages of atomic
to smash it out of existence with large-sized
destruction. It had glowed red, then white,
ray-tubes. That cannot be done without the
then violet as the 6000° C. temperature was
Brain being temporarily incapacitated. reached. Higher and higher, until tremendous Normally it can turn aside any ray-tube in
X-rays had poured forth into space; to be
existence. It is virtually indestructible, unless replaced by gamma rays as the temperature
under the anaesthesia of frequencies of a like
soared to millions of degrees. The nuclei of
power to its own.”
Mars’ atoms had begun to tremble, and finally
“Go to it,” the commandant at 2,000,000° had collapsed altogether.
encouraged. “I hope it works. And remember,
Mars had passed out in a grand splash
the protoplasm stuff has reached West of cosmic rays and ceased to be. Why the Virginia and is rapidly moving eastward. It’ll
furious heat of the collapsing planet had not
be here any time.”
blistered Earth to cinders was a mystery. The
Jefferson nodded. “If we’re quick we
only explanation, apparently, was that the
can beat it. I’m going right now to make the
Brain had its own ways of working, was
final details.”
saving Earth for its own particular
The equipping and hook-up of the experiments.
directional instruments with the main power
Jefferson’s jaw squared when he heard
lines proved a longer job than Jefferson had
the news. With hardly a word he entered the
anticipated. Throughout two days and nights
protective building not an hour afterward,
men milled and flocked about the job, battling
accompanied by Stanhope, Bragg, and the
with both the elements of time and mental
commandant himself. No sooner was the door
trouble. With every passing hour the force of
shut than activity began—the main power
the Brain was becoming stronger. Jefferson
house of the United Powerlines being
fumed and cursed, listened to desperate radio
constantly in television contact.
Brain of Venus
13
Jefferson moved steadily and
The three moved to the door and
resolutely in the midst of the apparatus, gazed
opened it—but instead of an absence of
at the distance-gauge. From his calculations,
mental compulsion, such as they had
he knew that the main immense transmitter,
expected, there swept In on them a
four miles away, was pointed so that its tremendous communication, so intense that outflowing radiations would impinge directly
they staggered before it.
on Venus. The remainder of his instruments
“So, you imagine by the use of
told him exactly the load being carried, the
electricity that you can defeat me? You pitiful
number of frequencies, and countless other
fools! When will you realize that the
electrical details, while way back in the electricity you have hurled into space is far laboratories of the Powerline Company the
from a detriment? Rather it is an advantage! I
atom-smashing apparatus was at work. Atom-
smashing was not a new art to the scientists,
and reflected my own radiations. I absorb it
but the amount of energy called for on this
into myself, increase my mental range to
occasion most certainly was. One hundred and
double because you have doubled the
ninety-five thousand frequencies! That was frequencies. You notice how strong my power what it was now.
is? Realize that there is no power that can stop It needed at least twelve atom-my plans. I shall now destroy you in the same
smashing machines, directed upon three one-
way I destroyed Mars, by a radiation that will
ton blocks of copper to produce the desired
annihilate matter. There remains, of the entire
load. Desperate scientists worked in the midst
spatial universe, reckoning, that is, to Alpha
of terrific heat and light, protected by heavy
Centauri, only Earth and Mercury to destroy,
suits and goggled helmets, watching an awe-
together with a few odd planetoids and moons.
inspiring display of disruption and Tomorrow at eight in the morning, by Earth annihilation, the result of which was time, Earth shall pass. Remember that. And at transmitted direct to the protective shelter at
that time those who have not succumbed to
the space grounds, and then to the transmitter
mental power will die in the ordinary way.”
itself.
The three men heard no more. They
For two hours, and more, Jefferson
stepped back into the protective shelter, dazed, labored with the switches and resistances until
alarmed. Almost mechanically Jefferson gave
he finally achieved a steady output of one
the stopping order to the power houses, then
hundred and ninety-five thousand frequencies.
he turned a bleak face to the others.
“That’s the first part, sir,” he
“It’s impregnable!” he muttered.
announced quietly to the commandant. “If I’m
“Instead of electricity stopping it, it’s just used correct, the Brain can’t operate with that force it! Yet there must be a way. And we’ve only
being hurled at it. Naturally the force will be
got twelve hours!”
blocked as
that tiny satellite passes between,
He stopped and sat down to think,
but that’s hardly worth reckoning in. The head buried in his hands.
power will remain on until Stanhope, Bragg
and I have been to Venus and blown the Brain
to atoms with the ray-tubes we’ve had fixed
CHAPTER IV
aboard our ship. We’ve got to go right away.
The Last Chance
You’d better stay here, sir. There’ll be no
hitch; the power is automatically controlled.
Come on, you two.”
AT length Jefferson looked up, his eyes
Thrilling Wonder Stories
14
bright.
that we can utilize them? Direct one at our
“There’s only one chance,” he said moon, which is infinitely heavier than the grimly. “It might just work. At eight tomorrow
Venusian satellite, and the other at the
the new disruptive radiation will be hurled at
Venusian satellite itself, the power being just
Earth. But what is to happen if we deflect the
sufficient to hold that small body steady and
radiation and turn it back on Venus?”
stationary at the exact moment the Brain fires
“Presumably it would wreck Venus,”
forth the disruptive power. That will cause the
Stanhope returned obviously. “Or the Brain
power to recoil and destroy all Venus at
might absorb it. First find your deflector.”
exactly eight o’clock. So far as the calculation That’s simple. This satellite metal, of
goes, I shall go into space and give radio
which this shelter is built, evidently reflects all directions to Earth. My instruments will check
known vibrations and does not absorb any of
it.”
them—not even thought-waves. The Brain has
Bragg smiled cynically.
proved that. That being so it is a certainty that