Man from the Moon By Otis Adelbert Kline LOOKING forward is always an interesting occupation, for the imagination can be given absolute free play and so many seemingly fantastic pictures may be called into being. But equally absorbing can be the process of looking backward, though it must be done with considerably less freedom of imagination. What was the origin of races? Did all of us – Yellow, Black and White – start our generations in similar manner? How far afield of the truth are anthropologists? Otis Adelbert Kline has pondered on these questions and, being a writer of no mean ability, it naturally follows that his story is well worth serious consideration. Therefore me recommend it heartily, knowing that you will agree with us. W E stood on the eastern rim of Crater “What single, if weak, leg supports your Mound – my friend Professor theory that the craters of the moon were caused by Thompson, the noted selenographer, meteorites?” I asked. and I. Dusky shadows lengthened and “You are standing on it,” replied the grew more intense in the great, deep basin before professor. Then, seeing me look around in us, as the Sun, his face reddened as if from his perplexity, he added: “Crater Mound is the only day’s exertions, sank slowly beyond the western known Terrestrial formation that exactly resembles rim. in shape the great ring mountains of the moon. If Behind us, Alamo Edwards, the dude Crater Mound was caused by the impact of a wrangler who had brought us out from Canyon gigantic meteorite with the earth, there is a strong Diabolo two weeks before, was dividing his time probability that the numerous ringed craters of the between the chuck wagon and our outdoor moon were created in a like manner.” cookstove in the preparation of our evening meal, “But was it?” I asked. while our hobbled horses wandered about near-by, “That is something I can neither prove nor searching out clumps of edible vegetation. disprove,” he replied. “The evidence I have thus “How is the story progressing, Jim?” asked far discovered leads me to believe that many the professor, referring to a half finished novel I relatively small meteoric fragments have fallen had brought out with me to occupy my time with, here. But they could not have fallen singly, or by while my friend puttered among the stones and twos and threes to make this dent three-quarters of rubble in the vicinity. a mile in diameter and more than four hundred feet “I’ve reached an impasse –” I began. below the surrounding earth level, to say nothing “And so have I,” rejoined my friend of throwing up the ring on which we now stand to dejectedly, “but of the two, mine is far the worst, a mean height of a hundred and fifty feet above the for yours is in an imaginary situation, while mine plain.” is real. You will eventually solve your problem by “Then how could they have fallen?” using your imagination, which has no fixed “If this great earthen bowl was caused by limitations. I can only solve mine by using my them, they must have struck this plain in an reason, which is limited to deductions from facts. immense cluster at least a third of a mile in If I do not find sufficient facts either to prove or diameter, probably more.” disprove my theory, what have I? A hypothesis, “In that case, what has become of the ludicrously wobbling on one puny leg, neither able cluster?” to stand erect among established scientific truths “Part of it is probably buried beneath the soil. nor to fall to dissolution among the mistaken ideas Part of it, exposed to the air, would have been of the past.” burned to a fine ash, having generated a terrific heat in its passage through the atmosphere and still 1 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 2 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 having, before it cooled, an opportunity to unite The last pink glow of the sun was fading in with oxygen. There should, however, be an the west, and the moon was rising when I reached intermediary residue which I have been unable to the top of the ridge. find.” “Sit down here beside me,” whispered the “Maybe it was carted off by prehistoric professor. “Our visitor seems to be preparing for a Americans for the metals it contained,” I feebly religious ceremony of some sort, and I dislike ventured to suggest. disturbing him.” “Improbable as that statement may seem,” While my friend munched his sandwich and said the professor, “there is a small amount of sipped his coffee, I used my binoculars to watch evidence in favor of it, for I have found a number the Chinaman. He had erected four poles of meteoric fragments miles from the rim of the supporting four others which formed a square crater. By Jove! We appear to have a visitor!” above a low, flat-topped rock near the center of the He clapped his powerful binoculars to his crater. Suspended from the horizontal poles by eyes, and looking in the direction in which they cords were many small objects which were pointed, I saw a tall, bent figure, apparently attired apparently very light in weight, for they stirred like in a robe or gown, leaning on a long staff and leaves in the breeze. A lighted taper stood in the carrying a bundle of poles under one arm, slowly center of the flat rock, which was surrounded by a descending the slope opposite us. ring of thin sticks that had been thrust into the “Seems to be a Chinaman,” he said, passing ground. The Oriental was on his knees before the the glasses to me. “What is your opinion?” stone, immobile as the rock itself, his face turned in our direction. I LOOKED and saw an undeniably Mongolian “Seems to be keeping his eyes on us,” I said. face, with slanting eyes, prominent cheek bones, “I think he is waiting for the moon to rise and a long, thin moustache, the ends of which above the crater rim,” replied the professor, once drooped at least four inches below the chin. The more applying his eyes to his own binoculars. voluminous garments, though badly tattered, were My friend was right, for as soon as the first unquestionably Chinese, as was the cap with a shaft of moonlight entered the crater the kneeling button in the center, which surmounted the broad figure was galvanized into action. head. Bursting into a singsong chant, quite audible, “A Chinaman or an excellent makeup,” I if unintelligible to me, the Celestial applied the replied. “Wonder what he’s doing out here in his flame of the taper to each of the thin sticks he had native costume?” planted around the stone, all of which were soon Our speculations were interrupted by the glowing like burning punk. Then he stepped clarion supper call of Alamo from the camp behind beneath one of the objects suspended from a us: horizontal pole, made a short speech in the “Come an’ get it, or I’ll feed it to the direction of the moon, and lighted it with the taper. coyotes.” It burned out in a few seconds, casting a weird, “You go down and eat,” said the professor. yellow light over the scene. Stepping beneath the “I’m not hungry, anyway, and I want to stay here next suspended object he made another speech and and watch this curious newcomer. Bring me a lighted that object also. This one burned with a bacon and egg sandwich and a bottle of coffee blue flame. He continued thus for several minutes when you have finished.” until all the dangling objects had been consumed – Knowing my friend’s disposition – for once each with a different colored flame. Then he he had made up his mind, a fleet of tractors could extinguished the taper and knelt once more before not drag him from his purpose – I did not argue the stone, resuming his chant, and prostrating with him, but descended to the camp. himself from time to time with his forehead While Alamo grumbled about dudes that were touching the stone. The breeze, blowing in our too interested in rocks to come for their chow direction, was laden with the sweet, heavy odor of while it was hot, I finished my evening meal. Then, burning sandalwood and musk. taking my binoculars, I carried his light snack to A half hour passed with no change in the the professor as requested. ceremony. Then the burning joss sticks winked out, one by one. When the last went dark, the 3 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 kneeling man made a final obeisance, then rose, “Well I’ll be damned!” Alamo tilted his broad took down his framework of poles, Stetson to one side and scratched his head in tucked them under his arm, and leaning amazement. heavily on his long staff departed toward the west. By this time my excited friend had reached “Show’s over,” I said. “Shall we go back to the side of our Celestial visitor. camp?’ “He was only inviting you to sup with us, in “Hardly,” replied my friend. “I’m going to the patois of the West,” explained the professor. follow him. In this bright moonlight it should be The Chinaman bowed gravely to Alamo. easy. By Jove! What has become of him? Why the “Your magnificent hospitality is duly fellow just now disappeared before my eyes!” appreciated,” he said, “but I beg to be excused, as I “Maybe he fell into a ditch,” I hazarded. may not partake of food in the presence of the “Ditch, fiddlesticks!” snapped the professor. mighty Magong.” As he uttered the last word he “I’ve explored every square foot of this crater and extended his left hand toward the moon, then know there is no depression of any kind where he touched his forehead as if in salute. There was was walking.” something majestic about his bearing that made “Eastern magic,” I ventured. “Now you see it, one forget the tattered rags in which he was clad. now you don’t.” “We accept your excuse without question,” “Rot! You stay here and watch the western said the professor, quickly. “Permit me to welcome slope with your binoculars. I’m going down to you to our campfire circle.” investigate.” Our guest bowed low, moved into the circle of I watched, while the professor stumbled firelight, and laying his staff on the ground, hastily across the crater and frantically searched squatted before the fire. Then he took a long the vicinity of the place where he had declared the stemmed pipe with a small, brass bowl, from one Celestial had disappeared. After a twenty minute of his capacious sleeves, and the professor and I hunt, he gave it up and came back. both proffered our tobacco pouches. “Queer,” he panted as he came up beside me. “I’ll use my own, with your indulgence,” said “Deucedly queer. I couldn’t find hide nor hair of our visitor, filling his pipe from a small lacquered the fellow – not even the burnt ends of his joss box he carried. Before closing the box, he threw a sticks. Must have taken everything with him.” pinch of tobacco into the fire, raised his left hand We returned to camp, squatted beside the fire, toward the moon, and muttered a few words and lighted our pipes. unintelligible to me. Then, after touching his Alamo had stacked the dishes, putting off to forehead, he lighted his pipe with the glowing end the last the one camp job he hated – washing them of a stick from the fire. – and was picketing the horses. Suddenly we heard After puffing in meditative silence for a few him sing out: minutes, he said: “Well, look who’s here! Hello, Charlie. You “As I have thanksgiving devotions to perform, wantee come along washee dishee, gettee all same my time is limited. I will therefore, as briefly as plenty much chow?” possible, explain the reason for my visit, and Looking up in surprise, I saw the tall, ragged convey to you the communication of the great one, Oriental who had disappeared so mysteriously a whose humble messenger I am. few moments before, coming toward us. He was “Twenty years ago I was a Buddhist priest in still leaning on his long staff, but minus the poles T’ainfu. It was expected of every member of our he had previously carried, order that at least once during his lifetime he should make a pilgrimage to a certain monastery in T HE professor and I both leaped to our feet Tibet, there to perform mystic rites in a secret from places beside the fire. sanctuary, where a sacred stone of immemorable The Chinaman paused and looked at antiquity was kept. I made the pilgrimage, fully Alamo in evident bewilderment. expecting to return to T’ainfu, as my brother “I beg a thousand pardons,” he said in priests had done and take up the duties of my excellent English, “but your speech is quite humdrum existence there for the term of my unintelligible to me.” natural life. 4 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 “There are things which I may tell you, and exactly fitted the description. It took me a year things which I may not disclose, so let me explain, more to find you and to receive the sign.” briefly, that the whole course of my life was “May I ask what sign you refer to?” inquired changed when first I viewed the sacred stone. It the professor. was graven with mystic characters, similar to, yet “My illustrious ancestor, who charged me unlike Chinese writing. According to tradition, with the task of conveying his message to you, said none but a living Buddha could decipher this in the writing that his spirit would be watching me sacred writing, which might not be transmitted to from Magong. He prophesied that you would any of his followers, however great or wise. appear at this place, and when you did, he would “Now I had, from the days of my youth, made flash a brilliant signal to me from his Celestial a study of our ancient writings, and had learned the abode.” meanings of many characters since wholly “And you have seen the signal?” obsolete, as well as the former meanings of those “I have and do, for it is still visible. Look!” whose significance had been entirely changed. I He pointed toward the full moon. firmly believed, with my fellow priests, that none The professor looked, then raised his but the living Buddha might translate the writings binoculars to his eyes and focused them. on the stone. You may judge, therefore, of my “By Jove!” he exclaimed. “You have surprise, when I found myself able to translate unusually sharp eyes. There is a brilliant, star-like several of the ideographs graven on its sacred light in the crater, Aristarchus. A rare occurrence, surface. I instantly believed myself the true too.” possessor of the karma of Buddha, and that the “I have studied Magong for many years,” living Buddha of my order was an impostor. On replied our guest, “and have trained my eyes to see attempting to translate other characters, I found the things hidden from the sight of ordinary mortals. I majority of them unintelligible to me. could have used a telescope or binoculars, but for “One of the requirements of my pilgrimage my purpose I have no need of them.” was that I was to spend four hours a day for a “Remarkable!” commented the professor. period of seven days alone on my knees before the “And this light fulfills the prophecy?” sacred stone. A guard, posted outside the door, saw “To the letter. Permit me to deliver my to it that but one pilgrim was admitted at a time. message, therefore, and depart, for I have much to On the day following, I secreted writing materials do before Magong veils her face once more.” in my clothing, and spent the time allotted to me Drawing a large, bulky envelope from his on that day, and the five days following, in pocket, the Oriental arose and handed it to the carefully copying the writings on the stone. professor with a profound bow. “I carried my prize away without detection, Springing to his feet with alacrity, the but did not return to T’ainfu. Instead, I wandered professor accepted it with a bow as low and from monastery to monastery, from temple to dignified as that of the donor. temple, conversing with the learned men and “Man of science,” said our guest. “Use this reading the ancient records to which I, as a pilgrim message as you will, for that is your privilege, but priest, was usually given access without question. you will confer a favor on the illustrious sender The task of translation, which had at first appeared and bring manifold blessings on yourself and your easy, took me ten years to complete. descendants if you will use it to advance the “When it was finished I knew that it had not knowledge of mankind.” been written by God, as was supposed, but by the “I will endeavor to use it as you ask,” replied first earthly ancestor of my race, and I found the professor, “and thank you for it, and for the myself charged with a trust which appeared as trust you have placed in me.” difficult of fulfillment as the translation itself. The “Do not thank me,” was the answer, crater which you have been investigating was accompanied by a significant gesture skyward. described to me – yet its location was unknown to “Thank P’an-ku.” the writer. I was charged to find it and to find you. “I will, and do. May we not have the pleasure It took me nine years to find the crater, during of your company tomorrow?” which time I visited thousands, none of which “A thousand thanks, and as many regrets, but my task will have ended when Magong veils her 5 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 face, and I am weary and would return to T’ainfu. communication with Mars, the only other planet So farewell.” inhabited by intelligent beings. For over five He took up his staff, and without a further thousand years, our interplanetary ships had visited word, stalked majestically out into the moonlight. their planet, and their ships had made friendly calls The last we saw of him was when his tall, gaunt on Magong, carrying passengers, manufactured figure was silhouetted against the sky for a merchandise, and raw materials. A colony of their moment on the crater rim. pale, white people, whose faces I wish we had With trembling fingers the professor broke the never seen, was founded on one of our continents seal of the envelope and drew therefrom a neatly and treated with every friendly consideration by written manuscript. It was in English, and he read our rulers: that is, my ancestors. A colony of our it aloud to me, while Alamo snored lustily from the stalwart yellow people had also settled on Mars, folds of his blanket, several yards away. and had been received with every appearance of With Professor Thompson’s permission, I good will. publish it here for the first time, making it clear at Before I was sixteen years of age I had the outset, that while it seems to explain many learned to navigate an ether ship, and when I had matters which have puzzled our leading scientists demonstrated to my father’s satisfaction that I was for hundreds of years and is not, in the light of our a thorough master of interplanetary navigation, he present knowledge, either susceptible of proof or permitted me a leave of absence of two years for refutation, we cannot vouch for its veracity. the purpose of visiting the inner planets – Earth, Venus and Mercury. This trip was mostly for my own education, as all three of the planets had been explored thousands of years before, and had The Story of P’an-ku subsequently been visited at regular intervals by H our scientific expeditions for the purpose of AVING attained the advanced age of two tabulating the evolutionary changes taking place hundred and ninety-eight earthly years, and on them, Mercury had developed nothing but the feeling the hands of San-miau, the devourer, most lowly vegetable organisms. Venus teemed grim messenger of the Supreme God, T’ien, ever with life, ranging from the microscopic, unicellular closing tighter on my throat, slowly squeezing out animalcules to gigantic, four-footed reptiles, which my soul from this old shell of a body, I, P’an-ku, roamed through her great forests of fern and fungi, lord of thousands, founder of a new race, and last some of them feeding on these and other survivor of an old, have retired from my manifold primordial thallophytic growths, some preying on duties and pleasures – the ordering of the affairs of these herbivora or on the lesser creatures my subjects, the company of my wives, my coexistent with them on that planet. Some of them children, and my children’s children, who will had evolved membranous wings with which they someday be numerous as the stars of heaven – to flapped clumsily from place to place, but there write this history of my own people for those to were no birds or mammals. Among the plants, come who will have the intelligence and the desire none flowered or bore fruit or seeds. All to understand it. reproduced by spores or spawn or by simple For a million historical years, men of my race fission. inhabited Magong when she was yet a planet On the Earth, a higher order of evolution was among planets, a free, rotating sphere with her own in progress. Many of the plants, having developed undisturbed orbit, midway between the orbits of specialized sexual organs, flowered and bore fruit. this planet and that of the terrible, devastating war- Birds forsook the ways and forms of their reptilian world, Mars. For a half of those million historical ancestors – – evolved a thousand shapes and hues years, an ancestor of mine – a P’an-ku – sat on the – cultivated glorious plumage and melodious imperial throne of Magong and held dominion over voices. Mammals suckled and reared their young, all her lands and seas. and man, the greatest mammal of them all, was When I was born, Crown Prince of Magong, slowly battling his way to world supremacy with my people had reached an advanced state of crude weapons and implements of wood and stone. civilization, for much can be accomplished in a On my return to Magong, after visiting the million historical years. For more than ten inner planets, I importuned my father to permit me thousand years, Magong had been in 6 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 to visit Jupiter. This he flatly refused to do. The demand their release or fight, but was met half way trip, he said, was too long and dangerous for one of by a fleet of Martian warships. my years. Furthermore, only one, out of a thousand T of our most skillful and experienced navigators, HE contest that ensued was short and who had attempted the trip, had returned to tell of disastrous. My fleet used the cold, energy- it. I had to be content, therefore, with several trips decreasing green ray of condensation, which to Mars, where I, as Crown Prince of Magong, was we had developed – the enemy fleet, the hot, always received with such pomp and splendor that energy-increasing red ray of dispersion. We had I wished I might be permitted to go incognito and developed our inter-rotating green rays to such a mingle with the common people – but even this degree that any substance touched by them would small pleasure was denied me. contract to less than one-hundredth of its normal At twenty-five, I was made commander-in- size with a corresponding increase in density. The chief of Magong’s interplanetary navies. Shortly toughest metals, under this ray, would become as thereafter, trouble developed between my father brittle as egg shells and more dense than pure lead. and Lido Kan, Supreme Ruler of Mars. It seems The effect of the red rays of the Martians was that a number of Martians, jealous of the economic the opposite, but fully as devastating, as these rays, progress made by our colonists on that planet, had rotating in receding spirals, tore the atoms apart on gone to Lido Kan with tales of woe, insisting that contact, making the heaviest metals less dense than they be deported. So strong was the pressure they the atmosphere in an instant. When a green ray met brought to bear on him, that he finally took the a red ray of equal intensity, they neutralized each matter up with my father. The reply of my father other. was courteous, but firm. He insisted that if his By superior maneuvering, I managed to wipe people were to be deported from Mars, the Martian out the last Martian battleship when I had lost all colony must also leave Magong. Lido Kan argued but the flagship of my fleet. This had been badly that his people had created no disturbance on crippled by a red ray, and after making temporary Magong, and no dissension among the subjects of repairs, I limped sadly back to port. my father, which was true enough, and my father On the face of my father, when I reported to naturally retorted that his subjects were too him in the throne room that day, was a look, courteous to even think of bringing up such a sterner than any matter. I had ever seen him wear. One word led to another, and things went “My son,” he said. “War is a terrible thing – from bad to worse, until a group of Martians the worst affliction that can come to humanity – attacked and massacred the inhabitants of one of but it is at hand and we must meet it like men. The our settlements. My father instantly demanded an Martians have made a start by wiping out our imperial apology from Lido Kan, complete colonies and attacking our fleet. Now they are punishment of the perpetrators of the crime, and determined to eliminate us entirely from the solar indemnity for relatives of all the massacred people. system. At this very hour they are preparing to use Lido Kan delayed his reply for several days, but their most terrific weapon of all against us. was eventually swayed by the jingoists of his “What weapon is that, O my father?” I asked. realm, and replied that he would neither apologize, “Come with me, my son, and I will show pay indemnity, nor punish any of his subjects, as you.” my father had received fair and timely warning. He led me up to the great observatory on top While my father debated what to do in this crisis – of his palace. We passed through the general for he had always been a man of peace – word observation room, where a hundred enormous came that an army of Martians had completely telescopes were in constant use – a thousand wiped out our colonies on that planet. trained men observing, recording, and A short time thereafter, the commander of one manipulating the instruments. Going into his of our large interplanetary passenger ships ether- private observation room, my father himself waved me that the Martians would not permit him trained his huge telescope on a distant object. Then to leave port, and that several hundred of our ships he called me to look. I saw what appeared to be a were being held in a similar fashion. I immediately huge spiral of nebulous matter forming near Mars, left Magong with a fleet of battleships, intending to 7 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 “They are clearing the interplanetary lanes for can learn here at present. I will show you the only the passage of a huge fleet,” I said. “See, they are efficient aggressive weapon to which I can turn at collecting all the meteoric bodies for millions of present. By this, and by the remaining miles in all directions.” interplanetary fleets under your command, the “They are doing more than that, my son,” my question of our very existence will be determined.” father replied. “That matter-condensing and We descended to the main floor and entered a projecting apparatus which they formerly used to compression tube car, in which we were shot to clear the way for peaceful ships is going to be used one of the numerous physics laboratory stations of for a horribly deadly purpose. Have you noticed Magong. My father presented Wang Ho, the where they are condensing the meteoric mass?” venerable chief scientist of the institution. “It seems to be on a line between Magong and “Wang Ho,” he said. “Is the atmosphere Mars,” I replied. disintegration ray ready? “It is. Have they ever condensed material in “It is ready, your majesty,” was the reply. that position before? You know full well they have “Then train it on Mars. They insist on war, so not. They have always concentrated it in a position we will give it to them in earnest. They are where it could be projected out into space without determined to destroy the face of our planet, harm to anyone.” therefore let us remove the atmosphere from “Why, Father, what do you mean?” theirs.” “I mean that as soon as that synthetic nebula “Your majesty is aware, I hope, that a reaches a sufficient degree of cohesion and solidity continuous use of this ray will be suicidal. For it will be projected at us!” every ten cubic parsads of their atmosphere we “What will it do? Will it burst our planet send out into space, we also send out one cubic asunder? Will everyone be killed?” parsad of our own. If your majesty would wait, and “No. It is not large enough for that, but it can have a number of these ray projectors made in do incalculable damage, and if their aim is good portable size, they could be fastened to ether ships and they are not stopped in some way, they can and used without destroying our own atmosphere.” collect enough of such matter from the meteoric “Unfortunately,” replied my father, “we belts of the solar system to depopulate this planet.” cannot wait. The war is on. It may be decided in a “Can’t we dodge them? What about the new few days. Several weeks would be required to fit gravity control plant?” out ether ships with these ray projectors. No, we “The thing is still in the experimental stage. must fight now, or be forever beaten. Turn the ray Besides, it is a terrible and a dangerous thing to on them, and keep it going as long as they are in disturb or attempt to change the orbit of Magong. range. Our other projecting stations will take up Every body in the solar system is in perfect the duty, one by one, as the planet revolves on its balance with every other body, and too great a axis.” change, even in the orbit of our own relatively He turned to me. small planet, may cause untold damage – some “My son,” he said. “The entire war fleet of upset of the scheme of things, which we cannot Magong is in your keeping. Save the fleet if you possibly foresee. True, we have slightly perturbed can, yourself with it, but remember – it is only a the motion of Magong, just as an experiment, but it barrier. It is one of the protections of Magong. If has been done cautiously, and always with a the barrier must be destroyed in the line of duty – counter-perturbance sufficient to bring it back to then do not attempt to save it at the cost of that the proper place in its orbit.” which it was set up to protect. Do you Once more my father looked through the giant understand?” telescope. “Fully, father. I will be wary and circumspect, “The projectile is formed and on the way,” he but I will not fail in the line of duty.” said gravely. “Where it will strike, no one can tell Once more we entered the compression tube – not even those who are sending it. It may crush and were shot back to the imperial palace. After this palace, destroy this city. It may kill nobody or bidding farewell to my mother, I said a last wipe out a million people. It may miss Magong goodbye to my father, and went out to my flagship. entirely, but this is not probable. We are too large a There were tears in the eyes of my mother as she target. Let us go below. There is nothing more we called her last farewell to me. My father was too 8 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 much of a man of iron, however, to betray his on the work under the control of the same emotion at such a time. operators. During the progress of my ship toward Mars, M Y fleet of ten thousand ether ships was six of these huge clusters were projected at my ready for action, awaiting only my word of world. Five of them struck the target and one command. I had formed a daring plan missed, to shoot out into space and become an which, if successful, might mean the destruction of asteroid with an orbit of its own around the sun. the fleet and my own death, but would make it My plan was simple and direct. Each of my possible for Magong to win the war. ships carried a chart, showing the location of the Leaving half of my ships to guard the planet thousand enemy wave stations. Each station was against enemy craft, I took the other half and made numbered, and five ships were assigned to the straight for Mars. Shortly after we started, the first attack of each. huge missile of the Martians passed us, and a few My ship, together with four others of the most minutes thereafter it struck Magong with a brilliant powerful of my navy, each carrying a battery of flare of light, leaving a great dark pit in the ground twenty huge ray projectors, were to attack the where it had fallen. Referring to my charts I found central magnetic station. that it had alighted on a small village of about two While we neared Mars I watched the hundred souls. What a sudden and terrible end for movements of the enemy fleet, and saw that it was them! heading straight for Magong, evidently pleased at As we pressed onward, I saw another large the fact that my first fleet had dispersed. This nebula spiraling into shape, and knew that it would exactly suited my plans, as I knew that Hia Ku, my not be long until a second projectile was on the able lieutenant, would give them a warm reception way to Magong. with the five thousand ships I had left under his Presently I saw a huge enemy fleet put out command, and I would be free to carry out my from Mars, evidently with the intention of meeting attack. and giving battle to my fleet. This did not fit in When I drew near the central wave station of with my plans at all, so I immediately gave secret the Martians I saw that my other four ships had orders to all of my commanders, then bade them arrived on schedule, and ordered the attack. We disperse. were discovered almost instantly, and a thousand There were nearly a thousand magnetic wave red rays were flashed at us, but we were able to stations on Mars, most of which were in neutralize these by laying down a barrage of green continuous use because of the terrific efforts the rays. Then a number of Martian ether ships, Martians were putting forth to crush Magong. reserved to guard, the central station, arose and These stations were sending out powerful, man- attacked us from above. One of their rays pierced directed magnetic lines of force, which drew all our upper barrage and one of our ships, with her relatively small particles of matter, with which controls destroyed, plunged dizzily groundward, they came in contact, toward the stations from but was disintegrated by the red rays before she which they were projected. This procedure would had fallen half way. have been dangerous to the Martians themselves With this ship gone my barrage was had they not been clever enough to cross the lines weakened, and I knew that it would only be a of force and form contracting vortices, hundreds of matter of minutes until we should all meet a like thousands of miles from their planet. Under the fate. As certain death faced us, I thought quickly, direction of the central station, these vortices were and as quickly gave orders, resolving that in our combined and recombined at regular intervals, passing we should at least cripple the central wave until visible nebulae resulted. The nebulae were station of the enemy. My ships instantly responded condensed by extra and special lines of force from to my command, and in a moment all were the central station, then projected at Magong, plunging directly downward, temporarily protected close-knit, spherical clusters of stone and metal. above and below by our green ray barrage – our When the central station was turned away from the objective the glass dome of the central wave target by the axial rotation of the planet, a station. It was my hope that when we crashed duplicate-control station on the other side carried through this dome to our death we might destroy, or at least cripple this station, and thus hamper the 9 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 Martians and give my father the time he needed to fit out other ships with atmosphere destroyers, thus assuring the victory of Magong. But the Martians were too wise for me. They must have suddenly focused their lines of magnetic force on our ships, forming a contracting vortex a short distance above the dome, for we lost control of all of them simultaneously. They revolved about each other for a moment, and then crashed together. With that crash I lost consciousness.... When I recovered my senses once more I was lying on a metal bench to which my hands and feet had been bound. Standing over me with a sneering smile on his pale face was Lido Kan, Supreme Ruler of Mars. “What happened?” I asked, bewildered. “Where are my men?” “All died but you,” he replied, “when we brought your ships to the ground. I had thought to bring them 10 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 down gently, but the rage of my operator got the they continued to add to it. Presently I saw that it better of him, and he wrecked all four. I cannot was ready to be projected. There was a terrific roar understand how it happened that you lived through from the machinery in the building around me, and that crash. It was a miraculous escape.” the huge globe shot outward, but not in the “Perhaps I have been saved for a purpose,” I direction of Magong. It described a short curve and replied, “The Supreme Ruler of the Universe is all- began to fall directly upon Mars. Once more there knowing.” was a roar from the projector machinery, and once “I, at least, have kept you for a purpose,” again the sphere shot outward, only to return, replied Lido Kan, savagely, “Lying here on your drawn by the terrific pull of Mars’ gravity on its back, you shall witness the destruction of your great mass. world.” He pressed a lever and a curved metal A feeling of exultation came over me, as I saw plate slid back from the ceiling, disclosing a great, that my enemies failed, again and again, in their dome-like lens which looked out into space. “The efforts to project the sphere. It appeared to me that empire of P’an-ku is doomed,” he continued. they had brought destruction on their own heads. “While this side of our planet is turned toward But Lido Kan was not without resource. Suddenly Magong, you shall witness its destruction through I heard a more terrific roar from the machinery this lens. As soon as we turn away the lens will than had occurred before. A great section was split become a mirror which will give you the battle from the mighty sphere, and simultaneously, the scenes as witnessed from our station on the other larger and smaller pieces were projected obliquely side. I pride myself that this is a rather clever out into space. This time they did not fall back, but invention of mine.” continued to travel in curved paths. The smaller, I made no reply, but looked eagerly out moving much more swiftly than the larger, soon toward Magong. Already the once fair face of my disappeared from view, but it reappeared again in a planet was growing pock-marked and ugly from few hours. The larger, moving more majestically the cruel disease called war. across the sky, appeared to travel in a direction “You are a clever whelp,” continued my opposite to that taken by the smaller, because of its captor, watching my features closely, “but not slower motion and the axial rotation of the planet. I clever enough for Lido Kan. Your ships destroyed had witnessed the formation of the moons of Mars. two hundred of my magnetic wave stations, but it Foiled in his attempt to hurl so huge a will not take long to rebuild them, and in the projectile, Lido Kan once more turned his attention meantime the others are functioning quite to the firing of smaller ones. Hour after hour I successfully, as you will observe. At least half of watched, my lens presently turning to a mirror as the population of Magong has already been Mars turned her face away from Magong, and each destroyed by my projectiles.” hour added to my sorrow as I saw the surface of “Don’t be too sure of victory,” I replied. “By my planet turning to enormous ringed pits. the time you have destroyed Magong, you may Presently an attendant brought me food and drink. find yourself without an atmosphere.” Afterward, I slept at fitful intervals. “Hardly. It will take many days for your Days passed, and I detected new tactics on the father to destroy our atmosphere. One week is all I part of my father. He evidently decided to risk all require to silence all of his ray projectors and in an attempt to dodge the projectiles, for I saw exterminate his people. But enough of this idle that Magong was shifting out of her orbit – moving talk. I must to the grim work before me. I leave in closer to the sun in an eccentric fashion that you to the pleasant contemplation of the would make it difficult for an operator to properly dissolution of your heritage – the empire of aim and time a projectile intended to strike her. Magong.” Soon I saw that he had moved into the orbit of Earth, then beyond it, between the orbits of Earth L EFT quite alone in the small, bare observatory and Venus. At first I could not fathom his plans, room, I lay on my back and watched the but gradually they dawned on me, as I saw Earth progress of the battle. High above me the come along and Magong fall in behind her. It was Martians were forming an enormous cluster his intention, I felt sure, to use the larger planet as meteoric material. Already it was at least ten times a shield against the devastating Martian projectiles. as large as any they had projected at Magong, and 11 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 Something must have gone wrong with his by your own father, as he continues to dissipate control station, however, for Magong presently fell our atmosphere. And so, farewell.” behind the Earth in her race around the sun, then He went out, and shortly thereafter, my rose, crossing her orbit behind her, and hurried attendant came in, placed a tank of water and a forward to catch her once more – this time outside large basket of food within reach, and unfettered Earth’s orbit, between Earth and Mars. Something, one of my hands. Then he, too, went out, and I was also, had happened to Magong’s rotation on her left alone, gasping for breath, as the atmosphere axis. Whereas she had previously revolved once in continued, to grow more rare. every twelve hours, she now turned with exceeding Presently I saw the fleet of Lido Kan set out. slowness. Rushing on past Earth, she continued for Instantly, with the thin point of one of my eating some distance, then paused and fell back once sticks, I set about picking the locks of my fetters. more to wait for the larger planet. Magong, I could Within an hour I had freed myself. Finding my clearly see, was caught in the gravity net of Earth. door unlocked I rushed from the room. Presently I Thus she had become a satellite of that planet, even blundered into the great deserted room from which as the huge broken projectile of Lido Kan had the official Martian ether visiphone messages had become two satellites of Mars. formerly been sent to Magong. Opening a switch, I Lido Kan kept up his pitiless bombardment of found that the power was still on, and signaled the Magong, once he had grown accustomed to her station of my father. My heart gave a leap of joy new orbit, with deadly accuracy. Once, and once when his face suddenly appeared in the disc before only did I see him miss, the projectile, which was a me, relatively small one, passing Magong and striking “Have you any ether ships left?” I asked him, somewhere on the planet Earth – I could not tell after ice had exchanged greetings. just where because of the silvery cloud envelope “Not quite a thousand.” that hid her surface from view. “And does Hia Ku still live?” Although fully four-fifths of her population “He lives, and commands the fleet during must halve been wiped out by this time, I knew your absence.” that Magong still kept up the fight, as the “Then dispatch him at once to find and atmosphere in my room grew rarer each day until destroy the fleet of Lido Kan, who has just left breathing was a painful effort. here with five hundred ships, purposing to colonize One day Lido Kan entered my room. Strapped Earth.” to his back was an apparatus containing “Then the atmosphere is nearly dissipated?” concentrated air, from which he took mouthfuls “It is.” from time to time. “But what about you, my son? Are there any “I come to take leave of you, young whelp of ships left in which you can return?” P’an-ku,” he said. “My people are dying by the “There are none near-by, and I have not the millions for want of air, thanks to the infernal rays strength left to go out and search for more. My which your father has managed to keep trained on death is only a matter of hours, and I am resigned us. Our dissipated atmosphere cannot be brought to my fate.” back, nor could we manufacture a new one, from “Do not despair, for I, your father, will save the elements locked in the soil, in less than a you. I will shut off the atmosphere-destroying rays thousand years. I am leaving, therefore, with the at once, and will have a small, swift ship there to five hundred large ether ships I still possess, for the bring you back in less than four hours.” purpose of colonizing the damp, unhealthful and I savage planet, Earth. My wave projecting stations, RETURNED to the room where I had been I will leave manned, each being provided with a imprisoned, to watch for the ether ship, and true supply of concentrated air, and committed to the to the word of my father it appeared in less than task of continuing the bombardment of Magong four hours – a tiny, one-man craft. I hurried to the until death overtakes them. roof, reaching it just as the ship alighted. A man “I will have one of your hands unfettered, and stepped out – an old and faithful servant of my will leave you plenty of food and water so that father. when death finally overtakes you, you will be slain “The ship from His Majesty, your father, Highness,” he said. 12 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 “But why a one-man craft?” I asked. that closely approached absolute zero swept over “Hia Ku took all the others when he left to me. With numbed hands I pulled frantically at the attack the fleet of Lido Kan,” he replied. Then, recalcitrant plate, and in a moment more had it in before I could prevent him, he took a small, green place. In the meantime, however, my small, swift ray projector from his belt and pressed the muzzle craft had hurtled away uncontrolled to a position to his abdomen. With a gasping “Farewell, nearly a thousand miles from the four remaining Highness,” the brave and loyal fellow dropped combatants. dead at my feet. I swung her to, and steered for the battle scene Hurrying below once more, I entered the ether once more. Then I saw something which wrung a visiphone room and signaled my father. His face gasp of horror from my lips – a huge meteor appeared in the disc. I told him what his messenger cluster from Mars, rushing straight at the four had done, and tears streamed from his eyes. ships. I had no time to signal them – to do “Just another sacrifice to the rapacity of Lido anything, in fact. A moment later it struck them, Kan,” he said. “Get into your craft now, and I’ll and all four combatants disappeared in a blinding turn on the rays once more.” flash of light without appearing to have had the I lost no time in getting back to the little craft slightest effect either on the path or the mass of the and away from Mars. I was making swift progress projectile. toward Magong, when suddenly I happened on the With a heavy heart, I turned my ship toward remnants of the two battle fleets. There were only Magong. A short time after, I saw the projectile three of our ships left, and they were beleagured by strike. There was a small chart on board, and on four enemy craft. Both flagships were still intact, referring to it, I found that it had destroyed one of and at the time, dueling with their enormous ray our atmosphere disintegrating ray stations. projectors – green against red. As I approached A two-hour run took me to Magong, during them, one of our ships was cut in two by a red ray, which time, four more enormous projectiles hurtled the halves hurtling out through space. past me on their death-dealing errands. As I steered I had one small ray projector on my forward toward the palace of my father a fifth shot past me, deck – a puny weapon indeed against those of the hurling my tiny craft through the thin atmosphere huge battle-ships, but I determined to enter the like a leaf caught in a whirlwind. When I unequal contest. Selecting the helmsman’s turret of succeeded in righting it, and looking downward the nearest enemy ship, I plunged toward it. My once more, a chill of horror crept over me, for this approach in the tiny craft was apparently last messenger of death had dug a huge pit more unperceived, and I did not turn on my green ray than sixty miles in diameter, and the center of the until within less than a thousand feet of my target. pit marked the spot where my father’s palace had When the ray struck it, the turret instantly stood. My beloved parents were no more. P’an-ku, collapsed, and the ship, out of control, swung the mighty monarch, was dead. I was P’an-ku, broadside, scattering her ray barrage and leaving ruler of a desolate waste that had once been the her hull unprotected. I instantly turned the nose of mighty, flourishing empire of Magong. my craft upward and passed over her, noting as I I alighted near the rim of the enormous crater did so that she had been broken up by the huge and stepped out of my craft. A moment later, green rays from our two remaining battleships. gasping for breath, I hastily sprang back inside and Without pausing to give the enemy a chance closed the door. The atmosphere of Magong was to understand just what had happened, I quickly nearly gone. With her huge ray projectors still plunged at the helmsman’s turret of the next ship. going, she was committing suicide in order that her Once again my tiny ray threw a mighty ship out of hated enemy might be destroyed. control, and it was destroyed by the green rays of Rising, I made for the nearest ray projector Hia Ku. This time, however, I did not escape station. Circling close to it, I peered in the unscathed, for one of the red rays of the second windows. Not a living soul greeted my gaze, but ship, shooting wildly upward as she went out of there were many dead bodies on the floors. The control, had carried off part of my forward deck. projectors, however, were still working – pointed I tried to close the safety plate beneath my by machinery set to keep their rays on Mars until instrument board, to keep my air and warmth from they should fail to function for lack of power. escaping into outer space, but it stuck, and a cold 13 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 An occasional meteor cluster struck Magong By signs, I finally made the terror-stricken from time to time, but they grew smaller and fewer savages understand that I wished to know the in number – a sure sign that their projectors were whereabouts of my ether ship. One of them, who succumbing, one by one, to the death-dealing rays appeared bolder than the rest, led me to a place our people had left trained on their planet. Rising, I where an enormous fissure yawned in the hard made for the nearest world which would support ground. Far down in this fissure I saw the craft human life – Earth. It was a good two hours’ wedged. I was casting about for some means of journey, and I noted with alarm that I only had a rescuing it, when the earth trembled, and the crack small supply of concentrated air in my tank – closed over it. enough to last me about forty-five minutes by Thus cut off from interplanetary travel – for I using it judiciously. did not know how to construct another ether ship – Pressing my speed control lever to the highest I found myself earthbound. I immediately set about notch, I rushed Earthward with super-meteoric learning the simple language of the savages, living swiftness. Forty-five minutes passed, and still the in a dwelling of skins tied to light poles, because of Earth, although looming big ahead of me, was the frequent earthquake shocks. These, as well as many thousands of miles away. Glancing at the the many volcanic eruptions, terrific electrical indicator on my air tank, I saw that it registered storms, meteoric showers and electromagnetic zero. I closed my foul air escape valves, and displays from the polar regions, I knew were the breathed as lightly as possible. Presently I felt a results of the recent constant proximity of Magong deadly lethargy creeping over me. By exerting my to Earth, and that things would, in time, reach their will power to the utmost I managed to retain proper balance once more. The savages, however, control of my senses for a few minutes longer. believed that the coming of “The great night light” Suddenly my waning consciousness registered and the subsequent terrifying phenomena, were the fact that my instruments showed I had nearly due to some magic power which I possessed, and I reached the outer limit of the Earth’s atmosphere. was consequently worshipped as a god. To have entered it at the speed at which I was Propitiatory offerings of food, flocks, and traveling would have meant a sudden, flaming animal skins poured in to me from neighboring death. Two things I managed to do before my tribes for hundreds of miles in all directions. senses fled – set my control lever at low speed, and Gradually the earthquake shocks subsided, the unfasten the door beside me. Then came oblivion. volcanic eruptions ceased to be continuous, the meteoric showers grew less frequent, and the W HEN I regained consciousness I was lying elements less destructive. After a year had passed I on the earthen floor of a large, mud-walled married a daughter of the chief of the tribe among hut. Standing around me was an awe- which I had fallen. Other chieftains, learning that stricken group of light-skinned, half naked the god married women, quickly tendered the savages. I sat up, and as I did so, the earth shook hands of their daughters. beneath me and a portion of the mud wall One of these, I married from time to time, collapsed, crushing three men and a woman. The thus making alliances with tribe after tribe which remainder of the savages prostrated themselves none might wish to break. I grew immensely around me with every indication of superstitious wealthy, as the wealth of these people was fear. reckoned, and built me an immense palace of hewn I signed that I was hungry, and food and drink stone, personally supervising the work of my horde were instantly brought me – a huge chunk of of unskilled laborers. I also built a temple for the scorched meat and a white sour beverage which I worship of the great god, T’ien, Supreme Ruler of afterward learned was the fermented milk of some the Universe, and taught my people to worship animal. I ate and drank, and feeling stronger, arose Him, and to regard me only as His earthly vicar. and stepped out of the hut, walking as if my body Most of my numerous wives bore me had been weighted with lead because of the children, and I was grateful for the fact that all of planet’s tremendous gravitational pull. As I did so, them, instead of resembling their mothers’ people, the earth quivered once more, and the hut had the yellow skins, straight black hair, and collapsed completely. slanting eyes of my race. My children grew up and married savage women and men, yet there was 14 Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930 slight modification in the physiognomy of their thousand years hence, this writing will be offspring. As the years passed, I learned that these unintelligible to my descendants. Time, however, people, my children and descendants included, should raise up a man among them, who will have rarely lived longer than a century, their average life the intelligence and the persistence necessary to span being about seventy years. When I passed the decipher it. I picture him, however, as a studious century mark without showing any signs of man of religion, and therefore uninterested in its senility, it was noised about that I was an scientific aspects – and my scientific mind yearns immortal. This belief increased my power, and to communicate with others of its kind – minds consequently I neither denied nor affirmed its that will understand. truth, although I knew I should be middle-aged at To my descendant, I therefore give this two hundred and would probably be dead before I charge: had traveled far in my third century of existence, as Translate this writing into the languages of the three centuries was the average life span for my leading nations of Earth. Then journey hence, to a race, and a total of four centuries rarely attained. place where you will find a pit three-quarters of a Having now reached my two hundred and mile in width and more than five hundred and fifty ninety-eighth year, I am ready to return to my feet deep. It will be ringed about by a wall a maker, leaving a hundred thousand descendants – a hundred and fifty. feet in height. My figures are proud race who have long since ceased to approximate because they are only calculations, intermarry with the white-skinned savages. They based on the size and speed of the meteoric mass are known as the Celestial People, and I have made which Mars projected to Earth. them lords over the lesser races of my mighty Because it is unique on Earth, and exactly empire. resembles the pits on my native planet, men of This record, which I have graven on age- science who are interested in Magong will defying stone with my own hands, will be sealed in eventually visit it. When you have found it, you the cave in which I am cutting it. I have calculated will secret yourself in the neighborhood and that, not less than five thousand years hence, the observe these men. Each time you see a true door of the cave will be revealed by erosion. scientific visitor, watch the face of Magong for a As the end approaches I feel the gift of sign, When a bright light appears, you will know prevision – the urge to prophesy. When my that my soul has recognized the right person, and message is found, my descendants will be signaled you from its celestial abode. numbered by millions. They will not be scientists, Hand him a translation of this writing in his but religionists. I see this tendency persisting in own language, and go about your own affairs with them, up to this day, and it will continue. Although my blessing, for it is to him and to his kind that I, I have taught them to read and write the language as a scientist, address this message. of my people, and to worship T’ien, I have long And now, as I bring this, my life story to a since abandoned the attempt to teach them science. close, I look back over a long, and fairly happy My every effort to get them to grasp even the existence spent on Earth, yet each time I view rudiments of astronomy and physics was Magong, I cannot help thinking of what might unavailing. My simplest statements along these have been, had it not been for that horrible, man- lines were interpreted as symbolic religious made plague called war. Nor can I repress a feeling utterances and wound around superstitious beliefs. of sadness at sight of my once proud world among The pure language of my forefathers, together worlds, now a lowly satellite, her war-scarred, with the characters I have taught them, is lifeless face forever turned sadly and submissively undergoing a gradual change. It may be that, five toward her new master, Earth. The End 15