A Voice from the Inner World by A Read online

  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

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  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

  and I knew that scores of my countrymen

  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

  ships. All the available metal in this land was

  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,

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  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