with little chance of detection.
supernatural being. The fact that I could go
“Without much difficulty I made my
about and breathe the sulphur-laden air would
way to the other vessel, and found her even
cause them to regard me with even greater
more dissected than I had supposed. Why the
wonder and superstition, and, as I found later,
denizens of the place had torn her to bits I did
the fact that I was never seen to eat, confirmed
not then know, but certain portions of her
their belief that I was some mysterious being
machinery and fittings had been left intact,
against whom their gases and their deviltries
and, as I examined these, I made another and
were of no avail.
most astounding discovery. Deeply engraved
“I had not much time to devote to such
upon a brass plate was the ship’s name ‘U. S.
matters, however. Soon after regaining the
S. Cyclops!’ For a space I stood staring, Chiriqui I heard excited cries from the land, scarcely able to believe my eyes. Here then
and looking over the ship’s rails, I found an
was the solution to that mystery of the sea, the
immense crowd had gathered near the empty
disappearance of the collier, as laden with
cradle of the airship, and that all were gazing
Amazing Stories
14
upward. Following their example, I stared into
twenty-foot jets of blinding flame shot out. As
the greenish void and instantly understood.
easily as though made of wax, the steel sides,
Descending rapidly towards the plain, came
the massive beams, the armored barbettes of
the great sphere, and, suspended below it, was
the warship melted and were cut by these jets,
the hull of another captive ship. And as I
and as the pieces fell apart, the spherical
focused my glasses upon this, I rubbed my
airship took a position above the vessel, and
eyes and gaped. The dull gray color, the lines,
by its magnetic power, lifted tons of the
the raking funnels, the barbettes and gun fragments, then sailing off, deposited them in muzzles left no room for doubt. Incredible as
some spot beyond the city. It was then, as I
it seemed, the captive vessel was a warship!
saw the ship rapidly dissolving before my
What hope then had my fellow men upon
eyes, that the inspiration came to me which
earth? What chance was there if these giant
may make it possible for me to communicate
creatures could send forth their flaming with the outside world and may, if God wills, machine, and by it, capture the fastest, most
serve to warn my fellow men of the fate which
powerful war-vessels—all within the space of
will overtake them if these terrible creatures
a few hours?
are allowed to follow out their plans. As the
“Rapidly the machine and its burden
jets of flame cut through the McCracken’s
approached, and presently descended gently
superstructure, and the radio antennae fell in a
dropping the war vessel close to the Chiriqui.
tangled mass across the deck, I forgot all else
My worst fears were confirmed. The vessel
and rushed to the wireless room of the
was an American destroyer, the McCracken,
Chiriqui. Here was my chance. If the ship’s
radio transmitter was still in working order; if
must lie unconscious upon her, and in a few
the auxilliary battery was still charged, I might
moments would be carried off to some send out messages which, small as the chances unknown horrible fate. What that fate was I
were, might reach the ears of some of the
had already surmised. That first demonstration
countless thousands of persons who listened
of the ferocious cannibalism of the giantesses
each night at their receiving sets. I trembled
upon the Chiriqui’s deck had been enough to
with fear that I would find the transmitter
make my blood run cold.
injured or dismantled. I shook with dread that
“But I had not yet guessed even a
the battery might be dead. I felt faint with
fraction of the true horror of it. Scarcely had
apprehension that the message, if sent, might
the McCracken been dropped upon the earth,
never penetrate the sulphur-laden atmosphere
when the women swarmed upon her, and once
or might never reach the outer world. And I
more I saw the creatures gathering the inert
realized, with a sickening sinking of my heart,
forms of men and carrying them to the city.
that even if heard my communication might be
And rapidly, too, they commenced regarded as a hoax, and no attention would be dismantling and tearing the destroyer into bits.
given it. But I would do my best. The radio set
How they had accomplished this with the had not been molested. Everything was in Cyclops had puzzled me, but now I witnessed
working order, and I set myself the task of
the process close at hand. From the vicinity of
transmitting my story each night at the same
the waterfall, lines or pipes were led to the
hour, repeating it over and over again, until
vessel’s side; presently there was the roaring
the storage batteries are exhausted, for to get
sound of steam; dense clouds of vapor arose
up steam and start the dynamos is beyond my
from the cataract; the water ceased to flow,
powers. Had I knowledge of Morse I would
and from the extremities of the lines or tubes
send my story by that code, but I have not, end
A Voice from the Inner World
15
so—I must cease. For the love of your race
damnable accident or design I do not know,
and of your dear ones listen, I beseech you,
the creatures went forth in their airship and
until I can resume.”
discovered the teeming millions of human
beings on earth.
HERE the message broke off abruptly, and
“But the bulk of humanity was and still
Frank and I sat staring at each other, fearing to
is safe from them, at least until new means of
speak lest we might interrupt or miss the attacking mankind are devised, for the words which might come, and listening with
globular airship cannot approach the land. The
straining ears at the head-sets. For an hour we
very power it uses to lift the greatest
sat there and then, once more the voice spoke.
steamships and carry them off, draws the
“The doom that I feared is machine to the earth and holds it fast. But approaching. I have been here for three above water, which acts as an insulator months and this will, I know, be my final
apparently, the apparatus can operate at will.
message. Oh that I could only be sure that
And they have a twofold purpose in capturing
someone has heard my words, that my fate has
not bee
n in vain but has served to warn my
exhausted in constructing two of the spherical
fellow beings. But I must hurry on. I have
machines. One of these never returned from
learned everything of importance. I have its first trip, and only the one remains. To watched, studied and have even learned to
construct more, these giant women plan to use
understand much of the language of these
the metal salvaged from captured ships, until a
beings. I found that there were men. They are
vast fleet of the infernal things is ready to go
puny beings compared to the women, though
forth and wipe the seas clean of ships and
ten-foot giants compared to normal men, and
human beings. And the bodies of the men and
they are cowed, abject, mere slaves of the
women, struck down by the gas, are to serve
females. Only enough male children are as food for these demons in human form.
permitted to survive to propagate the race. All
“This is the most horrible, blood-
others are killed.
curdling thing of all. Rendered unconscious by
“As they reach manhood only those
the gas, the victims remain in a state of
males of super-intelligence, strength and suspended animation indefinitely, exactly as virility are permitted to live. The others are
do grubs, spiders and insects when stung by
destroyed and—yes, horrible as it sounds, certain species of wasps and placed in their their bodies, like those of the murdered infants
nests to provide food for their young. Stacked
and of the aged, sick or infirm, are devoured.
in great storage vaults these breathing, living,
And as fast as the males attain middle age
but paralyzed human beings are kept, and as
their lives are forfeited. Long ago these beings
needed, are taken out.
subsisted upon the few wild creatures which
“Already
they
have a supply on hand
roamed their land; but long ago all these were
sufficient to last them for over a year. Some of
exhausted and human flesh became the only
the Cyclops’ company are still preserved;
meat. There is no vegetable food, and for a
there are over three hundred from the
time the sacrificed surplus males, and the Chiriqui, hundreds from other ships, and the aged, provided food for the race. But entire crew of the McCracken.
gradually the male births decreased, female
“All these things I learned little by
children preponderated, and with the increased
little, and mainly through a friend, for
population resulting, the males were too few
marvelous as it may seem, I have a friend—if
to nourish the others. Then, through what friend he can be called, a miserable,
Amazing Stories
16
trembling, terrified male, who, doomed to above. Their magnetic or electrical forces death, sought to escape his fate and sought
extend only downwards. The gasses they
refuge with me, dreading my presence less
throw out are heavier than air and descend but
than his doom, and hoping that such a feared
cannot ascend, and by means of swift planes,
and almost reverenced being as myself might
huge bombs and machine guns, the things can
protect him. For two months he has been my
be easily destroyed. And they cannot travel
companion, but he cannot eat anything but
without throwing off the dazzling green light.
meat and the supply of meat upon the ship is
Only when motionless are they dark. And so
getting low, and sooner or later he must they will offer easy marks and can be readily succumb. And the women, maddened at his
detected. So, I beseech you who may hear,
escape from their clutches, though not yet
that the governments are notified and warned
daring to approach too closely to me, are
and that a fleet or many fleets of airplanes
getting bolder. Some time, at some unguarded
properly equipped patrol the seas, and at first
moment, they will find the poor fellow alone
sight of one of the green meteors rise above it
and will fall upon him. And in his terror, in an
and utterly destroy it without mercy.
effort to buy his life, he will, I know, reveal to
“Wait! I hear a terrified scream. ... I
them that I am but an ordinary mortal, a man
am back again at the transmitter. It was the
who eats and drinks and who survived the gas
fellow who has been with me. Poor devil! He
by mechanical and not supernatural means.
has met his fate, but after all it was the custom
But I will not be taken alive by these fearful
of his people, and, moreover, he would have
female cannibals. When the time comes, as I
starved to death in a few days. For that matter
know it will, I will blow my brains out, and
I, too, face starvation. The ship’s stock is
though they may devour my body they will
running low; all the food upon the McCracken
not rend me alive. No more ships have been
was destroyed in cutting up that vessel, and
brought in here since the McCracken was unless another ship is captured I will have no captured. But this I know is due to the fact that
food after two weeks more. What a strange
all the energies of these creatures are being
thought! How terrible an idea! That the awful
devoted to building additional air machines.
fate of hundreds of my fellows would be my
This work goes on in a vast cavern beyond the
salvation! But I will never live to die from
city where tremendous forces, furnaces with
hunger. I can hear the terrible screams of my
heat beyond human conception and machines
late companion on the deck outside. God! It is
of which we know nothing, are controlled by
the end! The fellow must have told the
the internal steam, the radiant energy and the
enraged females. His body has been torn to
magnetic powers of the earth’s core.
shreds. With bloody hands and reeking lips
“And now, again let me implore any
they are rushing towards the upper deck where
and all who may hear my words to give close
I sit. They are here! This is my last word! God
attention to what I say, for here again is a
grant that I have been heard! I am about to—”
means by which humanity may combat and
“Crashing in our ears came the report
destroy these ghastly, gigantic cannibals. The
of a pistol.
spherical air-machines are helpless from