Nexus - 0503 - New Times Magazine-pages

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"On our planet there is no life once the body is destroyed, but screens about the walls lighted with scenes of life on the we are fortunate in having a life-span five times your own. Some planet of these strange visitors. The exalted one pressed live even longer, but they are the gifted ones. We have no disease buttons and pulled levers on the instrument panel as he explained on our planet, but the thing which causes many to die is the great the scenes, or "frames" as he termed them. blackness that covers our planet when we pass a certain cluster of "In the first frame you will see a view of the surface of our celestial bodies on our trip around the great central body. This planet, in one particular area. If you watch closely, you will see has been our reason for living underground and sealing all surface —_ how the elevated landing fields come up from below with the openings against penetration of a strong gas which troubles us at massive towers and elevator shafts. Many of our cities are not "Is there a life after death?" A t this point the lights dimmed and the dais revolved, as such times." connected by underground passageways, and therefore major trav- "How do you account for the appari- el is carried out on the surface by tions and ghosts that people claim to 1 . . the small craft." ; seer will surpri ‘earn th It will surprise you to learn that eae plained each frame, he "It will surprise you to learn that ept his eyes focused upon me. beneath the surface of your planet, far beneath the surface of your planet, My head continued to throb and down in cavernous cities, live creatures far down In cavernous cities, live my eyes burned, though I was so wat ae able to make themselves invisi- creatures that are able to make fascinated by the experience I e when they come to the surface. . oa almost forgot the discomfort. They roam the surface of your planet themselves invisible when they Soon a second frame appeared. quite frequently and like to cause fright come to the surface." This showed an underground city. to cover their stealing of certain things which they take back with them." "What would you say is the cause of It was magnificent, lighted like daylight by some unknown source. Buildings were connect- the dreaded disease of cancer we have on Earth?" ed by transparent tubular roadways, supported only by the build- "The advent of your gasoline-propelled vehicles is a main fac- ings they connected. Small vehicles moved in both directions in tor." the centre portions of these tubes and people walked on both "Will there ever be a cure?" sides. "Yes, your learned men will develop a cure." The next frame depicted a building resembling a vault or tomb. "Could you show me some scenes of life on your planet?" An inside view showed walls containing drawers or trays. In "I had hoped you would express curiosity about this, but I first | opened trays appeared objects which looked like ostrich eggs. wanted you to feel free to ask about your own." These, I was told, were the future generations of the planet, hatched by controlled system whenever the blackness approached and caused many deaths. I learned, too, they were also hatched to replace any persons dying of accident. Another frame exhibited a large underground firing range where several people practised the use of a peculiar firearm. It was a silver, tubelike device with several buttons on the handle. As the men pressed the buttons, large fireballs shot out the end and burned through huge sheets of metal placed some distance away. I was told this was one of their weapons. But of the firing, this impressed me most: after the fireball pierced the thick metal, it would make a loop and slowly return through the air until it once again entered the 'gun' from which it had been fired! The ball returned in a kind of slow motion. This evidently recharged the tubes, for, once the ball had returned, it was fired again. I asked further questions. "Is this your most powerful weapon?" "No, it is not. We have a weapon that is even too horrible to show to you." "Could you tell me a little of its nature?" "It is a ray with a long range which burns up everything in its path." "Have you ever used this weapon in a warlike manner?" "Only to ward off invaders that try to do us harm." "What is the food on your planet? Do you have plants and ani- mals?" "We live mainly on a fungus kind of growth similar to your mushrooms. We grow many varieties, of different food values. We also consume many types of shell-covered water creatures. Large plants which grow near our bodies of water bear delicious fruit. From this we make many of our food products." The author's rough sketch of one of the three men. The eyes "If you have water on your planet, why is it necessary for you glowed like two flashlight bulbs. to take water from our seas?" "It will surprise you to learn that beneath the surface of your planet, far down in cavernous cities, live creatures that are able to make themselves invisible when they come to the surface." The author's rough sketch of one of the three men. The eyes glowed like two flashlight bulbs. 72 * NEXUS APRIL - MAY 1998