Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 19, 1924 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

COLOSSUS OF THE RADIO. ““What’s the power that makes him move?” asked May. Replacing the steel plate, Nick turned and pointed to: the electric cable connected to the meter on the wall. ‘“ That,” he said, and added: ‘‘ Plus—” “Plus again!” ejaculated Bill, and frowned. ‘ Why not speak out plain? I’m no scientist, neither is May. What are you getting at when you say plus?” “Tm trying to tell you the truth without pretending to know more than I actually know myself,” explained Nick. ‘“ Let’s get at it in this way. Can you tell me what electricity is?” “ Sure,” answered Bill promptly, then, a look of doubt crossed his face. ~ “Vou are not so sure. Not when you stop to give the question a second thought,” said Nick. ‘‘ Well, that needn’t bother you even if you don’t know what electricity is. Nobody.does. All we know is that we can produce it and make it do certain things, such as give light, heat, and power. And when I said I was making use of electricity —plus, I was speaking the literal truth, al- though I don’t know what the plus is any more than I or anybody else knows what electricity is. The discovery I have made is this; that machine over there is a receiver and condenser. It is not connected in any way with the line from the power house, yet it absorbs current. It not only absorbs it, but it stores it up. By means of this little keyboard here I can use that power and direct it to the receivers inside my Steel man. Simply put, I’ve worked out a prac- tical method of transmitting wireless; radio power. The only thing my steel baby can’t do is to think. He doesn’t have to breathe or to eat; all he needs to get busy and move around as I want him to is to have a little of the ultrajuice run through him and— there you are.” CHAPTER Vi. ONE WHO MUST BE OBEYED. S he finished speaking, Nick’s fingers played over the keys of the control- ling “instrument. With silent, long strides, the steel man walked straight toward 509 Bill. The metal of the automaton’s knee was almost touching Bill. Then—the steel man stopped—turned and walked toward the lathe. As the ponderous figure drew near the machine, Bill unconsciously held his breath. ‘“Can’t you stop him?” he gasped as the steel man came within a few inches of the lathe. ‘‘ That thing’s heavy. Besides—it’s bolted to the floor. There—there’ll be a smash up.” “Not yet,” said Nick quietly, and in re- sponse to his manipulation of the keyboard, the steel man’s hands came up. Within a few inches of the lathe they stopped rigid. Another step—and they struck the edge of the machine. For a moment the steel man seemed to waver. Bill glanced round at Nick. The young inventor was frowning with concentration. His fingers hovered in doubt over the keyboard. Then, in rapid succession he pressed several keys. The steel man, his hands still against the edge of the lathe, took a backward step. His huge body leaned forward. Then—he began to push. Slowly, but with inexorable certainty, the iron bolts holding the lathe to the floor began to tear loose. In less than a minute they ripped free of the splin- tered floor. With a crash the lathe tilted against the wall. “How’s that?” cried Nick, and again touched the keyboard. Before either Bill or May could reply, the steel man was standing upright. ‘ What do you think of him now?” Bill shrugged his shoulders and looked at May. ‘“ You tell him,” he suggested, “ I’m out of words.” “ And I’m past thinking,” said the girl. “Tl admit this,’ put in Bill, “ you’ve got hold of something there that I’d be scared to handle. Supposing you lost con- trol of the thing. There doesn’t seem to be any limit to the power you can put into that steel man.” “There isn’t,” declared Nick, “ but I’ve taken some precautions. There’s a little contraption in what I call the brain of my steel man that will act something like a fuse. If he gets too much of the super- current and beyond control, why, his brain will just burn up.” oO Comichbooks (S@)