No Life of Their Own and Other Stories by Clifford D. Simak
Author:Clifford D. Simak
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2016-01-19T21:39:05+00:00
Message from Mars
Originally named âMartian Lilies,â this story, which was apparently written in late 1939 or early 1940, was rejected by Amazing Stories, Astounding Science Fiction, and another magazine not named in Cliffâs journals before being accepted by Planet Stories late in 1942. The magazine paid Cliff a hundred dollars, and the story appeared its fall 1943 issue. In a way, readers can view this story as a reversal of the plot of H. G. Wellsâs War of the Worlds, as well as an extension of the idea underlying the Superman comic books (I know Cliff read Wells, but thereâs no evidence that he ever read the Superman comics). But the most important thing about âMessage from Marsâ is that it contains, appropriately, the seeds of the later Simak novel All Flesh Is Grass.
âdww
I
âYouâre crazy, man,â snapped Steven Alexander, âyou canât take off for Mars alone!â
Scott Nixon thumped the desk in sudden irritation.
âWhy not?â he shouted. âOne man can run a rocket. Jack Rileyâs sick and there are no other pilots here. The rocket blasts in fifteen minutes and we canât wait. This is the last chance. The only chance weâll have for months.â
Jerry Palmer, sitting in front of the massive radio, reached for a bottle of Scotch and slopped a drink into the tumbler at his elbow.
âHell, Doc,â he said, âlet him go. It wonât make any difference. He wonât reach Mars. Heâs just going out in space to die like all the rest of them.â
Alexander snapped savagely at him. âYou donât know what youâre saying. You drink too much.â
âForget it, Doc,â said Scott. âHeâs telling the truth. I wonât get to Mars, of course. You know what theyâre saying down in the base camp, donât you? About the bridge of bones. Walking to Mars over a bridge of bones.â
The old man stared at him. âYou have lost faith? You donât think youâll go to Mars?â
Scott shook his head. âI havenât lost my faith. Someone will get there ⦠sometime. But itâs too soon yet. Look at that tablet, will you!â
He waved his hand at a bronze plate set into the wall.
âThe roll of honor,â said Scott, bitterly. âLook at the names. Youâll have to buy another soon. There wonât be room enough.â
One Nixon already was on that scroll of bronze. Hugh Nixon, fifty-fourth from the top. And under that the name of Harry Decker, the man who had gone out with him.
The radio blurted suddenly at them, jabbering, squealing, howling in anguish.
Scott stiffened, ears tensed as the code sputtered across millions of miles. But it was the same old routine. The same old message, repeated over and over again ⦠the same old warning hurled out from the ruddy planet.
âNo. No. No come. Danger.â
Scott turned toward the window, stared up into the sky at the crimson eye of Mars.
What was the use of keeping hope alive? Hope that Hugh might have reached Mars, that someday the Martian code would bring some word of him.
Hugh had died ⦠like all the rest of them.
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