Captain Future 02 - Calling Captain Future (Spring 1940) (22 page)

“So that is what you call your pitiful collection of prisoners?” Captain Future said scathingly. “You keep them frozen in the same gas you used when you raided the observatory, do you? It’s a thing worthy of your criminal mind.”

The bitter contempt in his voice seemed to sting the arch-plotter.

“My mind is great enough to win lordship of the System for me, against all your efforts!” Doctor Zarro declared. “Yes, even now on every one of the nine worlds, terrorized people are rioting and forcing the Government to yield all its powers to me! To me, to the only person in the system who can turn aside the approaching dark star!”

“You needn’t keep up your boasting wiit,”th me,” Captain Future said cuttingly, “I know the core of your plot. I know the secret of the dark star.”

“You know?” exclaimed Doctor Zarro, seeming startled.

“Yes, I know,” Curt said grimly.
“I know that the dark star does not really exist at all — that it too, is only a gigantic illusion!”

DOCTOR ZARRO stared amazedly down at him. Roj uttered a cry.

“Didn’t I tell you this redhead was the devil? He’s ferreted the whole secret out!”

“Is it true, Chief?” cried Otho from his helpless trussed position nearby.

“It’s true — that dark star which looks so huge in the heavens doesn’t exist,” Curt answered. “Out there in space is some kind of ship or craft which for weeks has been approaching the System, and which carries apparatus that creates a great illusion similar to the illusion which camouflages this world — a huge, real-looking
image
of a dark star.

“That huge image is unreal and immaterial, except to the eye. Therefore it has no mass. When the System astronomers could not measure any mass of the dark star, they could hardly believe their measurements. It seemed so incredible such a huge body would be without mass. That fact cast doubt on all their measurements.

“But the check I had Kansu Kane make of the fixed stars around the dark star settled the matter in my mind,” Curt concluded, “If the dark star had any mass, it would have deflected the rays from those stars by the Einstein effect of gravitation on light, and the stars would have seemed displaced. But they were not displaced, hence the dark star was wholly without mass. That meant it could only be an image of some sort — an illusion deliberately created to terrorize the System!”

Doctor Zarro replied to this softly.

“You are clever, Future — cleverer even than I had thought. If you guessed all that, why did you not go out and destroy the dark star illusion?”

“The Brain was in deadly peril here, and I meant to rescue him first.”

Doctor Zarro laughed harshly. “Your loyalty to your comrade will cost you dear. For the ship which produces the dark-star image is rushing on toward the System, and the terrified System peoples who see the monster dead sun coming ever closer are at this moment overturning their Government.”

The dark prophet chuckled. “And when that Government has been overturned and power has been yielded to me, I will only need to turn that image-ship away from the System, and then tell the System peoples that I saved them by turning aside the dead sun that would have destroyed them. And I can use my powers of illusion to keep myself in power indefinitely, by again terrifying the System with illusory perils should there be any future revolt against me!”

“Your
powers of illusion?” Curt Newton repeated contemptuously. “You never invented this secret of illusion. These Stygians developed it, long ago. You are an Earthman who somehow persuaded these people to become your allies and give you the illusion-secret for your own use.”

“Perhaps, since you know so much, you know the secret of how the illusions are produced?” Doctor Zarro said mockingly.

“I THINK I do,” Curt answered coolly. “They are created by a force-field that tampers with the reflection of light A man looks like a man to my eyes because the light-rays which strike him are reflected off him according to the simple laws of reflection, and bring my eye-retinas the picture of a man. But if the light-rays striking that man are warpedly reflected from a force-field around him, as they would be from a rock instead of a man, that man will look to my eyes like a rock instead of a man.

“That’s the secret, isn’t it? The illusion-machines worn by the Stygians which make them look like Earthmen, the machine you wear yourself to disguise yourself, the great machine here that camouflages Styx, and the one out on that ship that creates the dark star illusion, all work on that principle, don’t they? They all project a force-field which warps the reflection of light according to pre-controlled patterns, and so creates an entirely unreal illusion?”

“Your reputation has not been exaggerated, Captain Future,” said Doctor Zarro, with a ring of genuine admiration in his voice. “You’ve fathomed the illusion secret from scanty data, correctly.”

“One thing I would like to know,” Curt said calmly, “is how you managed to induce the Stygians to become your allies and give you their secret — if you don’t mind telling.”

Curt was playing for time. He had heard Doctor Zarro say that the Stygians were displeased with his methods. He was hoping for a chance to appeal to the Stygian rulers against this plotter who was using their science to terrorize the System.

Doctor Zarro laughed. “I don’t mind telling you that, since the game is in my hands now. I came to this world, drawn by old Plutonian legends of a time when a great race dwelt on one of the moons — a time when Styx was not water-covered. I penetrated the camouflage-illusion and landed here and was captured by the Stygians.

“They treated me well enough, for they are a peaceful race who hate war and killing. I learned why they had camouflaged their world. They were afraid of the Earthmen. They had seen the pioneering, colonizing Earthmen streaming out through the System toward Pluto, and feared these newcomers would invade and conquer their ancient moon-home. So, for safety, they used their secret of illusion to make Styx look like a water-covered world, and so Earthmen never came here.

“When I learned this, Captain Future, I saw my chance for power — a chance such as no man had ever had before. I played upon the fears of the Stygians. I told them that sooner or later the Earthmen would penetrate their camouflage and would invade Styx, and conquer them and enslave them. I told them their only chance for safety was to help me gain power over the whole System — then they, my friends, would always be safe. They were convinced by my arguments, and gave me the illusion-secret, and helped me build ships. One ship, containing a great illusion-generator, we sent out into outer space to create the dark-star image that would terrify the System. The other ships, manned by Stygians who had learned my language and who were disguised by illusion as Earthmen, formed my Legion of Doom. The Stygians built this great televisor broadcaster for me, and I —”

Captain Future, pretending to listen closely to the boasting of Doctor Zarro, had in reality been listening for something else. Now he heard it — Stygians approaching from outside the building.

HIS hopes bounded. If he could appeal to the Stygian rulers, make them see their folly in aiding the dark doctor —

But Roj had heard too. The dwarf ran to the door, then came flying back, his vicious face livid.

“That red-haired devil has kept you talking on purpose to delay!” Roj yelled to Doctor Zarro. “And now Limor is coming!”

“The Stygian king?” Doctor Zarro was apparently instantly alarmed. “Captain Future mustn’t have a chance to speak to him. Quick, into the cases with them!”

Curt’s hopes sank. The dwarf and the giant Kallak were already snatching up his trussed form and dumping him into one of the empty glassite cases.

As the door of the case slammed upon him, Curt scrambled furiously to free himself of the net. It had been a little loosened by the movement and he was beginning to free himself, when there was a hissing of gas into the case as Roj turned a valve.

Captain Future felt the pungent gas enter his nostrils — and then freezing cold gripped him and all powers of movement left him. He could not stir a muscle. He was still conscious, still able to see and hear, but he might as well have been a frozen statue.

Otho, squirming, swearing and fighting, was tossed into a neighboring case. The android froze motionless too as the deadly gas filled his case.

“What about this robot?” Roj cried, pointing to the great metal figure of Grag, lying bound in many metal nets. “He doesn’t breathe, so the gas won’t affect him!”

“I think I can put him out of commission,” muttered Doctor Zarro, bending over the helpless, giant metal figure with an atom-pistol. “He must have an electrical nervous system —”

The gun in Doctor Zarro’s hand spat a blast of atomic fire that the dark prophet aimed at the joint in Grag’s metal neck.

The scorching blast of force penetrated the joint. Grag’s wild struggles suddenly ceased, his photo-electric eyes went dark. Curt realized that the robot’s electric nerve-wires had been cut.

“That does for him,” panted Doctor Zarro, straightening.

“Here’s Limor,” warned Roj.

A tall Stygian, his leather harness encrusted with jewels, was entering the room, followed by a small retinue.

The hollow eyes of the Stygian king, Limor, surveyed the lifeless robot and then Captain Future and Otho in their cases.

“More prisoners?” the Stygian ruler exclaimed to Doctor Zarro, in stumbling, slurred Earth-speech. “I do not like this. It is wrong to hold all these people in that terrible living death. My people only used that secret gas for therapeutic purposes.”

“It is necessary, Limor,” Doctor Zarro told the king earnestly. “These people would destroy my great plan if they were free. Once the plan has succeeded, once I rule the whole System as I soon shall, then all these prisoners will be released.”

CAPTAIN FUTURE, hearing that, felt bitter disbelief. He knew well how little the plotter ever meant to free them.

“It is not only the prisoners — you have killed two men, an Earthman and a Plutonian;” Limor said troubledly. “We are a civilized race, we Stygians, who abhor bloodshed. I am almost sorry that ever I acceded to your plan, since it has brought murder with it.”

“The killings were an accident,” Doctor Zarro said smoothly. “There will be no more, for I hate bloodshed as much as you do. But remember, Limor, that unless my plan succeeds, there will be much bloodshed on this moon when the Earthmen invade it and conquer your people. Yes, they will destroy all of you except those they keep as slaves!”

“I know — it must be true, since you, an Earthman yourself, say so,” admitted Limor. He sighed heavily. “The necessity compels us. But I wish that it were all done.”

“It will be done soon. Within hours, the System peoples will acknowledge my rule,” Doctor Zarro replied eagerly. “Then, as head of the System Government, I shall be able to prevent the Earthmen from ever coming to this moon.”

Limor and his retinue, with a last troubled glance at the frozen prisoners in the Hall of Enemies, departed.

Doctor Zarro stepped up to the case in which Curt was imprisoned, and laughed harshly at him.

“You were clever to stall for time, Captain Future — but not quite clever enough,” he mocked.

Curt could make no answer, could not wink an eyelash even. He could only star stonily back.

But his mind was seething. If he had had a chance to talk to Limor, he might have won over the Stygian king!

“Doctor, look here!” Roj called excitedly from the televisor. “I’ve picked up a newscaster — listen!”

In the televisor screen appeared a Martian newscaster, shouting excited bulletins.

“ — whole System is in a mad turmoil of panic as the dark star comes closer, for all can look up and see it now. Mobs are reported storming Government Tower on Earth, demanding that Doctor Zarro be voted full powers by the Council.

“James Carthew, the President, has issued a last-minute plea to the System. He says: ‘I beg the people of the nine worlds not to give way to terror. Doctor Zarro cannot turn a dark star aside — no man can. I plead with the System peoples to refrain from giving away their liberty to this would-be dictator, and to rely on Captain Future, who even now is working to solve this mystery.’

“But even the name of Captain Future can’t quiet the terror of the peoples now!” the newscaster continued.

“Here’s a flash — Venus and Mercury have just instructed their Council members to vote full power to Doctor Zarro! Another flash — Uranus is reported to have instructed its Council members also to cast their vote for Doctor Zarro, alleging that he is the last hope of saving the System. When the Council meets in fateful session a few hours from now —”

DOCTOR ZARRO switched off the televisor and straightened, his tall, disguised figure trembling with exultation.

“We’ve won, Roj!” he cried. “The Council is going to yield me full power when it meets. I — I — the master of every world from Mercury to Pluto!”

Then Curt saw the plotter get a grip on himself, and heard him address the dwarf sharply.

“We’ll take a ship and speed out to the illusion-ship in outer space at once! Then as soon as the Council votes me power, we’ll start turning the ‘dark star’ aside a little to show the System peoples that I will be able to avert the danger.”

“Shall we leave Kallak here to guard the Hall of Enemies?” Roj cried, glancing at Captain Future’s case.

“There’s no need — there’s not a single way in which any of them can escape from those cases,” Doctor Zarro declared. “And the Stygians are around the building anyway. Come on!”

Captain Future, sitting frozenly, saw the tall black prophet and his two followers hasten out of the building. A few moments later he heard the roar of a space cruiser taking off outside.

Captain Future felt an agony of spirit. He had failed the System peoples when they needed him most. The plot of Doctor Zarro was succeeding, and he was powerless to prevent it as though he had been dead.

For he was dead, to all purposes, he and Joan and Otho and the Brain, and even Grag. All of them, unable to move or speak or do anything at all but think, prisoned here in the inescapable living death.