Amazing Stories, Vol. 2, No. 1 — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

¥) VOLUME 2 HUGO GERNSBACK, Editor DR. T. O’CONOR SLOANE, Ph.D.; Associate Editor Editorial and General Offices: 230 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. Extravagant Fiction Today - - APRIL, 1927 No. 1 MAGAZINE OF SCIENTIFICTION WILBUR C. WHITEHEAD, Literary Editor C. A. BRANDT, Literary Editor Cold Fact Tomorrow THE MOST AMAZING THING (In the Style of Edgar Allan Poe) By HUGO GERNSBACK borundum, rested the all-powerful Supremental,—who, in other universes, would perhaps be called the King. Before him appeared one of his distinguished explorers, who had just returned from an excursion through other worlds. The explorer's antennae touched those of the Supremental, upon which the following discourse took place: “It will probably interest your Highness to know that on our visit to the Third Planet of the Sixth Universe we en- countered a race of most amazing creatures. An exploration of the planet showed that they were not fashioned of the natural roducts of their own soil, or, indeed of their geology, as or instance we are. Instead these creatures are made of a rubber-like, soft substance. In shape they are most gro- tesque and they have a jerky, mechanical motion similar to that of certain of our own machinery. Instead of floating in space as we do, they move around with a sort of hop- motion. Their shapeless bodies, if such they may be called, are crowned with an oval appendage, totally out of keeping with the rest of their bodies.” “Most astonishing!" said the King. “In this oval appendage, we found two remarkable television mechanisms, with a unique optical system. The light gathered through the two lenses is focused on a red sort of net, which is connected by literally millions of fine strands to a central exchange system, where the light is translated into pictures. A most roundabout system.” “Extraordinary!” ejaculated the Supremental. “In the inside of their elliptical appendages is a vast elec- trical sort of exchange, from which center the entire machine is navigated and made to go through its various movements. In the inside of the creature, we found an extraordinary, but rather clumsy motor, which incessantly pumps a colored liquid through a tube system and which I think lubricates the various parts of the machine. There is also a sort of double bellows which purifies the liquid and acts in a manner similar to our own filters.” “Most astounding!" wheezed the King. “I don’t believe a word of it. But tell me what fuel is used in these machines?” “This is another amazing thing, which must surely tax your credulity, but it is true nevertheless. Instead of using reconverted light rays, as we do, these creatures go through the intricate process of using the strangest fuels, which they obtain from their flora and fauna. They never use the same fuel twice in succession, but keep on varying to an astonish- ing degree, which, however, does not seem to affect their machinery.” “Incredible!” snorted the King. municate with each other?” “This is the most amazing part of all," continued the ex- plorer.” We were much puzzled at first by their strange methods. They use a sort of radio communication, if such I may call it. Certainly no antennae touch when communica- tion takes place, neither do they touch each other. In the elliptical appendage of which I spoke, there is, in the center, a Ae hole, which opens and closes. When these beings communicate, this hole opens and closes more or less rapidly, although no substance comes forth, and nothing is perceived. It is thought that the communication is effected by some wave motion, but inasmuch as we have no organs to interpret it, we accidentally discovered by electrical means, that when the hole is opened and closed certain vibrations issue forth which to us are unintelligible and meaningless when translated into electric vibrations. “Hil Hill’ chuckled the King. “What rubbish!” “We found, on inspection of a dead specimen, which we opened, that at the side of the elliptical appendage there are two holes, which, incredible as it may seem, are an almost exact replica of one of our own telephone-like instruments, which we use for régistering low vibrations on a moving paper strip. There is a diaphragm, such as we use in our S35 on his throne, cut out of a pure crystal of Car- “And how do they com- instruments, and several small ivory-like substances pressing against the center. In a spiral tube of liquid there are fine Dt LUG a lla Te Ue : _ Mr. Hugo Gernsback speaks every Monday at 9 P. M. from WRNY on various scientific and radio rabicct | . | (¢ GDOOKS;: : Teed ti BPs oe ees ; a k y " ate : Pov * p Pa 4 ’ ° 2 - strands, which go to the central exchange, evidently to convey the electric impulses to the exchange, by which communica- tion is established between the various beings.” “Impossible!” cried the King. at, however, is not all," continued the explorer, un- abashed. ‘Extending from the top of their bodies are two folding levers, which can be bent back and forth, seemingly at will. Instead of having normal tentacle-like appendages, they have these folding rods, with which they perform their work. At the end of the rods are a number of tentacles by which various things may be grasped at the will of the creature. This is also most strange, because nature certainly could have equipped them with our own suction apparatus, instead of using clutching appendages that have to wrap themselves around all objects in order to handle them.” “Pifflel™ exploded the King. Moreover,” continued the explorer, “electrical connections seem to run through every part of their bodies, so it is possible for each part to communicate with the central sta- tion in case of need. We found, for instance, that when we touched them on any part of their bodies with our radio perforers the rest of the things were sympathetic to whatever part we touched. The same seemed to te the case with changing temperatures. They seem to be able to distinguish heat from cold without using an antenna, which they do not possess. Moreover, this communication seemed to pro- ceed at the speed of light. For instance, when one of their tentacle-like appendages by means of our instru- ments the double lever-like appendage with its tentacles was jerked away instantly. From this we conclude that the com- munication taking place between the tentacle and the seat of ore must be instantaneous. Certainly that of the speed ° ght.” “Stuff!” yawned the King. do, by means of repulsion?” “No, indeed"’—this from the explorer—‘The specific gravity of their bodies is extremely high. They are eternally chained to the soil of their planet, on top of which they live. They do not live in submerged caverns, like our own polar in- habitants, but they live in strange cubicles, which they fashion themselves. These cubicles have holes cut in their sides to admit light, and other ethereal vibrations. The things them- selves never leave the surface of their planet except in clumsy contraptions. They usually conglomerate in large centers, like low insects, while most of their planet is not so peopled, but is covered with flora.” “Preposterous,"" commented the King. “But what will interest your Highness most is that during part of the rotation of the planet, it becomes immersed in darkness. Then these incredible creatures fall down prone on their backs and relapse into a state of coma from which they are aroused only by sunlight, when the earth has rotated around sufficiently to come into the sunlight again. Why they should do this is a profound mystery to us. It seems a great waste of time.” “Ha, Ha!” laughed the King, now thoroughly amused by the incredible tale. “But the worst is yet to come,” continued the explorer. “Every once in a while, for apparently no reason at all, they fall upon each other and exterminate thousands of themselves with the most astonishing implements, which bore holes through their bodies, or with weird machines which give out gases as some of our insects do; or they annihilate each other's cubicles by drop- ping destructive missiles on them. Yet, when it is all over, they appear to become good friends once more.” “Enough of this,”” roared the All Highest. do not believe a word of this fantastic tale. It is impossible that mature should create such foolish creatures. And where, may I ask, did you find these things, and by what name do they go>?” “Their world,” continued the explorer, “is called by them the planet Earth, and the things, we understand, call themselves human beings.” “And do they float about as we PUEVTVEAU ATE TRA NT TTY LET ELOTESETUTETE ORES OSES EN ESE | Te MTNA ET LAT ET dhs CATED EOMmM ee * v., 0 $745 oe IF . Ay a. a " 7 ty ~~ = f Pa . e t = we touched “I certainly .