The Vorkul-Hexan War
VORKULIA, the city of the Vorkuls, was an seven-pointed star. At its center, directly upon the south of Jupiter, rose a shaft—its cross-section a seven-pointed star—which the of the nation. Radiating from the seven points of the were leading to star-shaped open plots, from which in turn out to other areas; reaching, after many such steps, to the of the metropolis. The walls, still and more of gray-green metal, a seamless, against an foe; a a searing, green emanation. Metal alone not long have that and enemy, but against that green that Jovian not prevail, but back, impotent. Writhing and crawling, with an of and vigor, possible only to such as there, it its most against that in vain.
The short, zig-zag lanes, the ways, and the seven-pointed were with a glass. This was to prevent vegetable and no traffic whatever, since of the Vorkuls have been earth-bound and all traffic was in the air. The purpose of the openings was to separate, and thus to by air, the which, level upon level, upward, with at or to and at every level. Buildings, entrances, visible—all replicated, reiterated, in the one theme, that of the stelliform.
Color ran riot; from of awe-inspiring to of gossamer; lights and in wide and in narrow, pencils—but in all, through all, over all, and all was the Seven-Pointed Star.
In and almost the space, at least a mile in width, the and the were huge, seven-sided structures—featureless, squat, of green metal. No thing was to be in that space. Its was of solid metal and thick, and that metal, as well as that of the walls, was and and as though by to flame. In a of one of these Vortel Kromodeor, First Projector Officer, rested a and board. He was at ease—his folded, his length in about two bars. But at least one enormous, was always pointed toward the board, always was at least one and bat-like ear in the direction of the panel.
A whistling, rent the air and the officer's as he a of his length upright, out a dozen arms to and upon his board, while the great heptagon, hundreds of other Vorkuls to attention at their of duty. As the came to a in a blast of Kromodeor over a lever, as did every other officer in every other heptagon, and there was plain to any the for the and in the space the and of Vorkulia. For these were the which Czuv had occasionally from afar, as they upon some above the Jovian banks of mist, and which Brandon was soon to see in his screen. The and metal of the and was so by the of the of energy necessary to those thousands of of against the of Jupiter, more than two and a times the of our own world! Vast of energy from the ports. Wave upon wave, the heptagons, it and upon the metal the walls. As more and more of the power of those Titanic was unleashed, it in a which, the walls, and above those ramparts. Even the of the metal not all the energy of that blast, and the new seven-pointed of appeared as those were from the ground and upward.
HIGH in the air, another up and a of and the of into groups of seven. Each group then moved with mathematical into its position in a formation—a gigantic, seven-ribbed, in space. The at the of this formation; behind, and protected by, the full power of the other of the forty-nine groups of seven. Due north, the in alignment, along a meridian—due north!
At the end of his watch Kromodeor his to the officer him and into the air, by the of the powerful of his snake-like and tail. Wings spread, and outthrust, he across the room toward a low opening. Just they the upon either of the the great shut, the retracted, and the long and the of the passage without a jar. With a wriggling, motion he like a along the and into a wardroom. There, after a around the room, he up a officer who, with one eye, was reading a in three or four hands; while with another eye, upon its pedicle, he a moving picture upon a television screen.
"Hello, Kromodeor," Wixill, Chief Power Officer2 the in the wailing, language of the Vorkuls. He the into the air, where it rolled into a tight and into an opening in the of the room. "Glad to see you. Books and are all right on cruises, but I can't to work up much about such now."
Kromodeor an and the screen, upon which, to the of whistling, sound, and an group of forms.
"A good show, Wixill," the officer replied, "but nothing to the attention of men in what we are doing. Think of it! After twenty years of preparation—two long lifetimes—and for the time in our history, we are actually going to war!"
"I have of it at length. It is disgusting. Compelled to traffic with an of life! Were it not to end in the of those hexans, it would be to the point of silliness. I cannot them at all. There is room upon this for all of us. Our are not using one seven-thousandth of its surface. You would think that they would all strangers. Yet for have they us, to let us alone, until they us to prepare means for their destruction. They as as the growths, and, but for their very intelligence, one would class them as such. You would think that, being and being to us, they would not have anything to do with us in any way, peacefully or otherwise. However, their and are about to end."
"They are. Vorkulia has much—too much—but I am that our did not decide to them sooner. If they had, we not have been doing this now."
"There speaks the of youth, Kromodeor. It is a of all our to have any with outsiders, as you will learn as soon as you see one of them. Then, too, we will heavily. Since we have their so long, and have every phase of the to analysis, it is that we are to succeed—but you also know at what cost."
"Two-sevenths of our force, with a error of one in seven," the Vorkul. "And that cannot be the next seven years and of the of the to their great upon Callisto, we are at this time. Their are nothing, of course. It is in the of the city that we will men and vessels. But at that, each of us has five in seven of returning, which is good odds—much than we had in that last into the jungle. But by the Mighty Seven, I shall make myself around one hexan, for my brother's sake," and his unconsciously. "Hideous, monstrosities! Creatures so should not be allowed to live—they should have been over the to the ago!" Kromodeor out an as he spoke, and the of sinuous, power that was his own body.
"Better avoid work with them if possible," Wixill. "You might not be able to unwrap, and to touch one of them is almost unthinkable. Speaking of wrapping, you know that they are on the of the work in the star this evening. Let's watch them."
They to the and away in perfect "step"—undulating along in such that their sides, only a apart, two lines. Deep in the part of the they entered a large room, provided with a in the center and having hundreds of short, in of chairs; most of which were already taken by spectators. The two officers their around two of the pillars, their to a level of and each an or two upon the stage. This was, of course, heptagonal. Its sides, like those of the themselves, were not straight, but to make the a seven-pointed star. The was by a low rail, and and were with thick of a hard but and fabric.
IN this star-shaped ring two Vorkuls were for the of the in a that to most of the of wrestling, boxing, and bar-room brawling, with no barred. Four hands of each of the leather billies, and be used only in with those weapons, the hands being left free to as the owner saw fit. Since the sport was not to be lethal, however, the and other parts were protected by metal masks, and the were by shields. The fins, being small and tough, no protection.
"We're just in time," Kromodeor whistled. "The main is on. See anyone from the flagship? I might a of that Sintris will paint the symbol upon his wing."
"Most of their men to be across the star," Wixill replied, and beings silent, in the going on in the ring.
It was a well watching. Wing against and the lithe, hard and this way and that, almost than the follow, in of holds. Above the of the be the and of the eight as they against the leather or against and hides. For minutes the raged, with no apparent. Now the were upon the of the star, now of in the air above it, as one or the other to a from which to upon his opponent; but upon or over the star—to its was to disgracefully.
Then, high in air, the visiting that he saw an opening and grappled. Wings in blows, hands and wrenched. Two powerful bodies, to powerful tails, around each other viciously, up into something lamp cord; and the two Vorkuls, each helpless, to the with a crash. Fast as was Zerexi, the from the flagship, Sintris was the faster. Like the of a of that long as they the floor, and up under those wings—an of a second slow in interposing—that sped. Two around the of the visitor and inexorably. Desperately the to that terrible hold, but every was as soon as it was begun. Beating wings, under the very air quivered, were met and by capable. Hands and were of no against that of sinew, and Sintris, his his and his own hands that over his and neck, all his power into his tail—tightening, with terrific, surges, that already about the of his opponent. Only one result was possible. Soon Zerexi quiet, and a of light from a at the ringside, contenders. At the the himself from the loser, and by until the had the use of his muscles. The two then touched in and away together, over the of the crowd; into a and as the two officers from their "seats" and out into the corridor.
"Fine piece of work," said Wixill, thoughtfully. "I'm that Sintris won, but I did not him to win so easily. Zerexi shouldn't have gone into a so early against such a fast man."
"Oh, I don't know," Kromodeor. "His big mistake was in that second check. If he had the arm with his fifth, taken out the fourth and second with his third, and then gone in with...." and so, like two early after a good match, the friends the points of the long after they had their quarters.
Day after day the of Vorkulian toward the north of the great planet, with a high and velocity. Day after day the in space unchanged, no unit from its place in the formation. Over jungles, over water, over and seas, over of mud, and high over volcanoes, in of violence, the Vorkulian flew—straight north. The regions, than the poles, were with no in scenery—it was a world of fog, of jungle, of water, of boiling, mud, and of volcanoes. Not of such mild and as we of green Terra know, but of volcanoes, in of intensity. Due north the Vorkulian was hurled, the was altered.
"All captains, attention!" Finally, in a high latitude, the sent out final instructions. "The have us and our long range report that they are to meet us in force. We will now go into the whirl, and with the as they have been planned. Whirl!"
At the command, each to a path. Each group of seven slowly about its own axis, as though each were to a rod, and at the same time around the line of in such fashion that the whole cone, wide open to the fore, to be its way through the air.
"Lucky again!" Kromodeor, in the wardroom, to Wixill as the two prepared to take their watches. "It looks as though the action would come while we're on duty. I've got just one to ask, if you have to on power, let Number One alone, will you?"
"No of that," Wixill hissed, with the Vorkulian of a chuckle. "We have of power for all of your officers. But don't waste any of it, or I'll cut you five ratings!"
"You're welcome. When I old Number One on any work, one is all we'll take. See you at supper," and, his at the door of the power room, Kromodeor away to his station upon the his panel.
Making sure that his were so that no possible or him out of position, he set an toward each of his screens, though he that it would be long those range would anything vessels. Then, for any emergency, he his one "live" screen—the one upon which were being the pictures and reports by the high-powered of the observers.
WITH the by the spheres, it was not long until the leading of the Vorkulian war-cone. This was of the new, high-acceleration vessels. Their crews, with the blood-lust and of their breed, had not the of their to that of the main of the fleet. These vast, slow-moving were no more to be than those ones visits they had been for twenty long Jovian years—by the time the slower arrive upon the there would be nothing left for them to do. Therefore, in number as were the of the vanguard, they to the attack. In one they their of force—dazzling, under power the studying, questing, had southward; cut, beaten, and crippled. These monsters, however, did not pause or in their ordered motion. As the of out, the green metal into a green radiance, against which the Titanic themselves in vain. Then there out from the of the of the great of green luminescence—tractor after ray, which upon the and them into the open end of that cone.
Then, in each group of seven, great of energy out from to fortress, until each group was into one unit by twenty-one such of force. The unit formed, a from each of its seven upon a sphere, and under the power of those seven tractors, the was into the center of of the Vorkulian unit. There seven red upon it, by all the power of seven fortresses, in by the of the and by their twenty-one beams. Under that impact, the screens and of the were as as so many of the most vapor. The red of the of those was by a of color, and through the there may have a or two of metal that was only liquefied. The red and green out, the died from the metal walls, and the of the Vorkuls northward—as little marked or by the as is a who, having up a in full flight, on.
"Great Cat!" Far off in space, Brandon from his screen and his brow. "Czuv it, Perce, when he called those fortresses. But who, what, why, and how? We didn't see any that looked of or those beams—and of course, when they got started, their screens cut us off at the pockets. Wish we have some out of their language—like to know a of their ideas—find out we can't on terms with them some way or other. Funny-looking wampuses, but they've got brains—their think-tanks are very full of bubbles. If they have it in mind to take us on next, old son, it'll be just ... too ... bad!"
"And then some," Stevens. "They've got something—no fooling. It looks like the are going to theirs, good and plenty, soon—and then what? I'd give my left and four teeth for one long look at their in action."
"You and me both—it's funny, the way those green ray-screens to the walls, of being spherical, as you'd ... should think they'd have to from a center, and so be spherical," Brandon cogitated. "However, we've got nothing to go through them, so we'll have to by. We'll possible, look on from when we must, but all the time up we can. In the meantime, now that we've got our passengers, old Doctor Westfall something that he says is good for what us. Distance—lots of distance, out from the sun—and I wouldn't wonder if we'd take his prescription."
The two Terrestrial into silence, into their plates, the of one of those great in another attempt to solve the of the and of the of energy which they had just witnessed. Scarcely had the search begun, however, when the were again cut off sharply—the main of the had and the Vorkulian screens were again in place.
True to nature, and tradition, the fleet, hundreds strong, to the attack. Above, below, and around the far-flung the dashed, every Vorkulian with every at their command; with every to their race. Planes of and slashed, of through the atmosphere, and were with full radio against the visitor—with no effect. Bound together in groups of seven by the mighty, pale-green of force, the Vorkulian northward, along with not the in or velocity. The and of power themselves against those green walls—seemingly as to energy as a is to water, since the not any in the of the screens, under the of the projectors. Bombs, torpedoes, and all material were futile—they in the air from their objectives, or at the touch of one of those dark, dull-red rays. And swiftly, but and as at a Vorkulian drill, the were the fleet. Seven green would out, an sphere, and it into the center of of the unit of seven. There would be a of red, a still of incandescence, and the would out to another of the globes. It was only a of moments until not a remained; and the Vorkulian onward, now at full acceleration, toward the visible ahead of them—a city around Jupiter's northern pole.
At the of his projector, Kromodeor a with a many-fingered, hand and spoke.
"Wixill, I am being again—I can very that I do. Have the him?"
"No, they haven't been able to with his yet. Either he is using a most minute pencil or, what is more probable, he is on a which we do not use. However, I agree with you that it is not a intelligence. All of us have it, and none of us enmity. Therefore, it is not a hexan—it may be one of those of the satellites, who are, of course, perfectly harmless."
"Harmless, but unpleasant," returned Kromodeor. "When we I'm going to his myself and send a along it that will end his upon me. I do not...."
AWAILING the and every Vorkul in the more about his bars, for the was about to begin. The city of the them, all her to the of her long and history. Mile after mile it extended, an of in series of circles—a city of such size that only a small part of it was visible, to the infra-red of the Vorkulians. Apparently the city was unprotected, having not a wall. Outward from the low, houses of the city's there a wide and plain, which was from the by a narrow of liquid—a liquid of such that across it, those neither creep.
But as the Vorkulian approached—now and with maximum acceleration, of energy out for miles each as the full power of its was unleashed—it was clear that the of the was from unprotected. The plain in a blast of radiance, a surface, through which be of level level, into the ground as as the reach; and from the liquid of the there a of yellow luminescence. These were the defences, and invincible. Against them any ordinary warcraft, with ordinary of offense, would have been as as a a battleship. But now those were being by no ordinary craft; it had taken the of Vorkulia two long to the engine of which was itself and with an already and speed.
Onward and the cone, its entire and together—into one unit by green and red pressors. These and members, of unheard-of power, of the whole of three hundred forty-three a single structure—a with all the and of a truss! Straight through that of yellow the drove, green as the overloaded; its upward, into and the as it through that yellow wall. Simultaneously from each there a green of radiance, so that the whole circle of the cone's mouth was one solid beam, upon and in an mile upon mile of the earthworks.
Practically and object! Every article in every had long since been in its compartment, and now every Vorkul his entire in about bars: for the entire energy of the millions of of the cone, at the measure of its possible velocity, was to be upon those of which the of Vorkulian to the of the hexans. The on and held. Inconceivably powerful as that was, it a under the of those of metal, almost in their flight. But the war-cone was not halted; the calculations of the Vorkulian scientists had been accurate. No possible structure, and but natural ones—in entire had been and for miles through the air—could have the of that lunging, twisting, impact. Lifted by that of and and by its of momentum, the came up out of the ground as a comes up in the teeth of a power shovel. The ground and and boulders, of masonry, and of metal in all as that city-encircling of was from its bed.
APORTION of that thirty miles in length was in the air, a twisted, of generators, ammunition, and and short-circuited high-tension leads the themselves cut it and thus save the of their fortifications. With crashes, the at the points, the stopped and, the off, the shattered, smoking, of in clashing, upon the city.
The of the Vorkuls did not attempt to repeat the maneuver, but into two single cones, one of which toward each point of rupture. There, upon the and ends of the cordon, their points of attack lay: theirs the to eat along that fortress, no what the opposition might to bear—to in its place a of until the two cones, their work complete, should meet at the opposite of the city. Then what was left of the would into heptagons, which would so blast every thing into as to make that again would they their upon the Vorkuls. Having the cost and being to pay it, the themselves upon their objectives.
Here were no of space, only the limited to their small through the ether. Instead there were all the and by hundreds of of warrior-scientists; all the power of being produced by the of a nation. But for the opened in the circle by the attack, they would have been invulnerable, and, as they were by the ends of what should have been an ring, the took toll.
The heptagons, and as they were, and by as well, and their under the impact of beams. Sullenly green wall-screens and as the Vorkulian and dissipators, as they were, more and more to overload; for there were being against them from the entire of the stronghold. Every and to the intellect, by the full power of the city, was out against the in bars, bands, and of incandescence. Nor was alone. Armor-piercing of size and weight were hurled—diamond-hard, drill-headed which and upon impact. High-explosive shells, of gas, and the and radio-dirigible of scientific war—all were with hand, as fast as the be served. But for thrust, for ray, for projectile, the Brobdingnagian of the Vorkuls gave to the hexans.
The material of the was the only of the action of its contents, and now, that by the of the fortress, that corrosive, liquid in to the and added its to the scene. For that touched into yellow flame, gave off clouds of lurid, vapor, and disappeared. But through yellow haze, through frequencies, through clouds of gas, through rain of metal and through of the two ground onward, their every upon the fast-receding ends of the fortress. Their and and into the the and exploded, and like straws, the walls, projectors, and of earth. Their terrible in, softening, fusing, metal, short-circuiting connections, life ahead of the point of attack; and, along by the beam, there around the of the city two Saturnalia of destruction—uninterrupted, of and sizzling, shrieking, multi-colored of to a of incredible.
But the not those of energy, and soon one screen down. Giant the green metal walls, of and them. Faster and the a shapeless, mass, its metal away in of brilliance; then it in one blast as some enemy a part. The did not pause waver. Many of its would go down, but it would go on—and on and on until every had or until the last Vorkulian had been annihilated.
In one of the heptagons, one the full of the armament, Kromodeor as his his hands. Finding his screens lifeless, he to the and to the room of the Chief Power Officer, where he Wixill his controls.
"Are we out?" asked Kromodeor, tersely.
"All done," the Chief Power Officer replied. "We have power left, but we cannot use it, as they have our screens and are our walls. Two out of seven chances, and we one of them. We are still on the band, over across on the Second's board, but we won't last long...."
AS he spoke, the under them, and only their quick and powerful tails, in about the bars, saved them from being to death against the as the was end over end by a force. With a crash it came to upon the ground.
"I wonder how that happened? They should have us out or us," Kromodeor pondered. The Vorkuls, with their powerful, bodies, were by the of that fall.
"They must have had a whole of on us when our out—they us half-way across the city, almost into the gate we first," Wixill replied, studying the of the in the one small screen still in action. "We aren't very badly—only a that they are starting to already. When the and them so that we can use power again, we'll go back."
But they were not to their place in the attack. Through the in the still-glowing walls, were in streams, with the of their natures, on by the of the knowledge of and total destruction. Hand-weapons roared, flashed, and sparkled; and against bones; and about six-limbed which and with powerful hands and claws. Fiercely and the Vorkuls fought, but they were by hundreds and only one outcome was possible.
Kromodeor was one of the last to go down. Weapons long since exhausted, he his from about a and toward a storeroom, only to be cut off by a of enemies. Throwing himself a shaft, he toward a projector-locker, in the part of one of the great star's points, the in pursuit. He the door open, and while of were his body, he the he had sought. He pressed the contact, and of the entire passage clear of life. Weakly he to go out into the aisle, but his to do the of his will and he there, feebly.
In the power room of the a officer to another, who was advice.
"Vorkuls? Bah!" he snarled, viciously. "Our is finished. Die we must, but we shall take with us the one enemy, who above all others needs destruction!" and he the Vorkulian into the air.
As the upward, the door of a and Kromodeor in a corner, his out.
"WELL, that it! That's a ... I...." Stevens' failed him and he to Brandon, who was still narrow-eyed into the plate, the of the city.
"They've got something, all right—you've got to hand it to them," Brandon replied. "And we we something about and physical in general. Those have more than we will know. Just one of those take the whole I-P fleet, as we are now, any breakfast, just for setting-up exercises. We've got to do something about it—but what?"
"It's okay—whatever you say. There may be an out somewhere, but I don't see it," and Stevens' matched his words.
Highly scientists both, they had been that which all the science of the and themselves immeasurably.
"Only one thing to do, as I see it," Brandon cogitated. "That's to keep on going out, the way we're now. We'd call a of war, to out a line of action."
2 (return)
In order to avoid all upon the memory of the reader, all titles, etc., have been in the possible English equivalent, of in an of the word. This particular officer has no upon Tellurian vessels. He is the second in of a Vorkulian fortress, his being to all of power.—E. E. S.
