The Twenty-First Century Limited by Paul Slachta Read online

  Amazing Stories, December, 1929

  Amazing Stories

  2

  The Twenty-First Century Limited

  by Paul Slachta

  TELL you, sir,” exclaimed Roy on that plane.”

  Carlton, Chief Pilot of the

  “I

  “You’re right, but we can’t wait any

  Interplanetary Express Co., “it can’t

  later than 5 o’clock or we are bound to lose be done!”

  that mail contract. We need that badly. The

  “And why not?” queried the president

  future of this company depends on that

  of the company, Bruce Darway.

  contract. We can’t rely on the passenger

  “You have received a report from the

  money alone; it’s too uncertain. Since we

  observatory telling of a certain comet, have purchased these new planes we have been

  you not?” asked Carlton.

  operating at a loss. What we want is profit and

  “I have—but what has that to do with

  that mail contract will give us profit. Carlton, this run?” questioned Darway.

  can’t you think of a way out of this?”

  “Plenty.” Carlton walked toward the

  “Listen, we have one slim chance to

  wall where a terrestrial map was hanging. He squeeze by that stranger in the heavens and

  took a pencil from his pocket and marked a

  I’m going to take that chance!”

  line from Earth to Venus. “That,” he

  “Attaboy, Carlton, I know you’ll make

  explained, “is the route we take. At 6:30 it. Go out and beat that Chicago ship to the tomorrow evening that comet will be about

  contract!”

  900,000 miles from our route. You know that

  “By the way, Mr. Darway, what time

  is uncomfortably close, considering the speed does the E. & V. send out their ship?”

  of the comet and the speed we make. If we

  “Just a minute and I’ll see.” He went

  ever get caught in its gravity pull, Heaven help toward the rear wall. A glazed screen, about the poor unfortunates on board!”

  the size of an ordinary window-pane, was

  “Isn’t there a possible chance of built in the wall. There were two large dials cutting ahead of the comet?” asked Darway.

  under it, that was all. He worked the dials for

  “Only one chance in a thousand. At

  a few seconds. Presently a blurred picture was that place I have my gravity screens wide

  seen on the screen. The dials were turned a

  open and chances are we will be attracted.

  little more and then the rival company’s

  Usually there are ‘pockets’ near a body of that station came into view. He manipulated the

  sort, places where there is practically nothing.

  dials for a while longer until a large bulletin As you know, our power is etheric; we get the board was seen on the screen. It read:

  power from the surrounding ether, and if we

  can’t get it, we are left to the mercy of that EARTH AND VENUS EXPRESS Co.

  Great Void.”

  EXPRESS WILL LEAVE CHICAGO

  “Perhaps we could start ahead of our

  11:55 P. M. MONDAY, JULY 8th, 2028

  schedule—hm— say about two o’clock,” WILL ARRIVE AT VENUS, CITY OF

  suggested Darway.

  VELENA, AT 2:30 P. M., SATURDAY,

  “Impossible, sir,” Carlton answered, JULY I3th, 2028

  “the Round the World Express is due to arrive at 4 A. M., and most of our passengers will be After reading it, Darway shut off the

  The Twenty-First Century Limited 3

  power and said, “They have a five-hour start arrangements for me, reserved my stateroom

  on us. Do you think you can beat them to it?”

  and attended to my baggage. Just now I was

  “I’ll do my best, sir. Our ships are

  waiting for him at his apartment.

  sturdier and have more speed. How many

  Roy came in, his features twisted in

  passengers am I taking up?”

  perplexity.

  “1,100.”

  “What is the matter, old man?” I asked

  “I guess I’ll go out and look the ship

  of him.

  over.”

  “W-e-ell,” slowly answered Roy, as if

  “Do that, and I wish you luck.”

  in doubt, “this is your first trip and I don’t Pilot Roy Carlton walked out.

  know that I ought to tell “you, but I guess I may as well.” He put his hands on my

  ROY CARLTON and I have been close shoulders, and looking me straight in the eyes, friends since our boyhood days. In all the time said, “Paul, we have one chance out of a

  I have known him, he has always been much

  thousand to get by a comet on the trip we are attracted by the science of aviation. Every

  to make tomorrow.”

  opportunity that has presented itself to him, he I stepped back, feeling a sinking

  grasped. Always studied, always crammed his

  sensation in the pit of my stomach.

  brain with the intricacies of airplane control

  “Why can’t they delay the trip?” I

  and its mechanism. It was often that he didn’t managed to ask.

  have his regular school studies prepared, and

  “Let me explain,” Roy answered.

  it is a wonder to me that he finished school

  “Yesterday the company received a letter from with me.

  the Postal Department telling us that they

  After we graduated, I went to a higher

  would send their mail by the ships of the

  school to complete my studies, while Roy

  company that made the best time on this run.

  went to the Interplanetary Co. to look for a

  “Our company has invested money in

  job.

  new ships, and as you know, these ships

  He was lucky enough to get a laborer’s

  operate between Earth and Venus. Since the

  job, doing odd work about the huge airdrome

  purchase of these ships, the company has been and landing station. Since then, his progress operating at a loss, or was just about breaking was rapid. Today he is rated the best pilot the even. The passenger money, alone, can’t meet company ever had.

  all the expenses. What we need is some

  Six years ago the company started a

  outside source and this source has come, in the regular route between Earth and Venus. The

  guise of a big mail contract.

  company prospered for a time, until they

  “Our closest rival is the E. & V. Co. of bought five new ships. From then on the best Chicago. The other two companies are

  they could do was to break even. Now they

  insignificant and need not be taken into

  saw their way out of the difficulty.

  consideration. The E. & V. is sending their Ever since I left college, Roy asked,

  ship at fifteen minutes of midnight, while we begged and pleaded with me to make a trip

  leave at five. They have a five hours start on with him. I repeatedly told Roy, “I prefer to us—and on that comet. They have——”

  stay on Mother Earth.” For some reason, I

  “Pardon me, but won’t the Postal

  didn’t trust those ships. Or, perhaps, I was Department give you credit for that five hours afraid.

  start?”

  After much coaxing one day, I

  “No. You see the E. & V. stop on the

  promised Roy I’d go. Roy had made all moon for four hours and a half to pick up

  Amazing Stories

  4

  passengers. Still they are that much ahead of distinguish this word, painted in large letters us.”

  at the forward end of the ship, “VE-NURTH.”

  “I

  see.”

  The ship was 950 feet long, 400 feet wide, and

  “Well, as I was saying, they have 200 feet deep. It had a number of decks. On nothing to worry about. They probably top of the upper deck was a glass-enclosed haven’t given it a second thought. We, promenade.

  however, are scheduled to leave at 5 A. M.

  The promenade was like a second

  and running on our schedule we are due to

  Garden of Eden. The flooring of this “garden”

  cross the orbit of the comet at 9 P. M.—45

  was like a huge lawn, with tempting banks

  minutes later, the comet will cross our route at here and there for some tired person to rest the point where we crossed its orbit.”

  upon, and forget his troubles. Gravel walks

  “You bet it is.”

  entwined themselves between the many

  “Here is my only hope. By running the

  species of trees, ferns and flowers. All the ship as fast as I dare, I might be able to beat paths led to the center of the promenade where the comet to it.” He said this with a far-away a large lake afforded swimming facilities.

  look in his eyes, as if he were thinking of that Around the sides
were settees placed

  fatal meeting. Then turning to me, he said, “I in such a way that passengers could look at the won’t press you to make that trip. If you wish heavens without any undue strain. Birds, both it, I will cancel your reservation.”

  from Earth and Venus, flitted from limb to

  “No, I’ll make this trip with you,” I

  limb, singing and making happy without a

  answered. It was good to see his face care in the universe. I couldn’t blame them.

  brightening up.

  Amid such surroundings any one could be

  “Come,” he said, “let’s go to the happy.

  airdrome and look the ship over.”

  At the forward end of this promenade

  We walked together toward the station.

  the observatory and instrument rooms were

  There was the mighty ship, on the runway,

  located. The observatory, I found, was a very ready to take off in the early morning.

  interesting place, many of the machines and

  instruments that were in there I had never seen AS we neared the huge plane, my heart began

  before. All were used for the purpose of

  to beat at a faster clip. I didn’t know whether I observing the heavens for some stray bodies

  was just scared or thrilled. There it stood, like that might come in front of the onward rush of a huge shadow in the fast failing light, just the ship.

  itching, it seemed to me, to fly away into the The instrument room contained many

  unknown.

  delicate instruments that showed the speed of As we came nearer the ship, shouts

  the ship, the amount of power used, the

  and orders came to our ears, baggage men

  distance from the nearest heavenly body, and piling in the baggage, a passenger shouting

  so forth. In one corner of the room was an

  good-by to some of his friends far down instrument that continually drew my attention, below the landing stage. All this left its mark because of its oddness. To me it was just an on my mind. With the exception of some of

  intricate maze of wiring, tubing and coils.

  the officials, no one knew that he might be

  Suspended on the wall near this instrument

  going to his doom, that this might be his last was a glazed screen, marked with very minute good-by.

  lines, running both vertically and horizontally.

  All this came to my mind while we

  Near one of those lines was an illuminated,

  walked toward the station in silence. I could dot, the size of a pin-head.

  The Twenty-First Century Limited 5

  Naturally I was curious as to the use of

  screws to move it.”

  this instrument, but no opportunity offered

  “Why can’t you use the gravity screens

  itself for inquiring about its function. That it throughout—from the time you start to the

  was a very important instrument was obvious

  time you land?” I asked.

  at a glance.

  “The screens move this ship at

  All the staterooms were located around

  tremendous speed,” his face was all smiles

  the sides of the ship. A short corridor led to and just beaming sarcasm at me, “and we

  the central part of the ship, where the dining couldn’t very well shoot at 500 miles a minute room was located. The side doors led to the

  in this dense atmosphere, with that heavy

  libraries, music-rooms and lounge-rooms.

  traffic just above us, could we?”

  One deck was used for the crew’s

  “Oh, no, not very well.” What else

  sleeping quarters, the baggage rooms and the could I say?

  great power machines that could make the

  “You see,” he continued to explain,

  ship lighter than a feather.

  “when we are ready to start, we open gravity The two upper decks were for the first-screens ever so little, which makes the ship class passengers. The grill room and just light enough for the screws to move it; promenade were used by rich and poor, officer and as I said before, the screws are started and and baggage men alike, although the lower

  we slowly rise into the atmosphere.”

  class did have some restrictions.

  He led the way to the third deck, and

  The ship was lighted, heated and to my stateroom. The rooms were very cooled on starting by this modern form of

  comfortable; every means was used to make

  power—atomic decomposition. This very its owner feel perfectly restful and at home same power drove the ship ahead at unheard

  throughout the voyage.

  of speed, and at the same time it purified the

  “Just before we are ready to start, old

  air. And it was this atomic power that operated man, come up to the observation tower and I’ll the gravity screens, two of which were located explain more fully how the ship is operated,”

  at the forward end of the ship. Two anti-

  Roy said.

  gravity screens were fixed in the rear. There

  “I’ll do that.”

  was one thing I couldn’t understand, namely,

  “Well, good night. Try and get some

  why did they have five propellers above the

  sleep.”

  promenade? Once I interrupted Roy, in the

  With that he left the room.

  midst of his explanations and voiced my

  query.

  I WAS awakened by a powerful droning

  “You say the ship’s power is atomic?”

  sound. Hurriedly I got up and dressed. While I

  “Yes.”

  was dressing the drone came nearer being a

  “Why, then, do you have the propellers

  shriek. It was just 3:45 A. M. I went to the on top of the plane?”

  corridor and looked around, expecting to see

  “These five propellers,” he answered,

  the people in a panic. The only person I saw, complacently, “are used to lift the ship out of however, was an officer.

  the atmosphere.”

  “Where is that noise coming from?” I

  “But I can’t see how these screws can

  proceeded to ask that worthy. “Did something even budge a ship this size?”

  go wrong?”

  “We don’t rely on the screws alone.

  “Nothing wrong. The screens and

  You see, we open the anti-gravity screens just propellers are being tested.”

  enough to make the craft light enough for the Although I felt foolish and small, I

  Amazing Stories

  6

  sighed with relief. Since I was up and wide

  At last the time was drawing near. All

  awake and had nothing to do, I decided to

  the passengers were on board, the men were

  have an early breakfast.

  sealing the openings in the sides of the ship, After a good hearty repast, I went to

  the gangplanks were pulled away, everything

  the promenade. The screws had been stopped

  was in readiness.

  by this time, and quiet prevailed again.

  I looked at the clock. It was exactly

  I met Roy at the observation tower. It

  five minutes to five. The sun was up and lit was just 4:30. Far down below the passengers that confusing scene. The propellers began to were hurrying up the gangplanks, baggage

  spin. Roy was sending orders——

  men shouting orders to their help, air taxis

  “Open the anti-gravity screens one-

  arriving and leaving. All was hurry and tenth!”