Path Into The Unknown by Unknown Author

Author:Unknown Author
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-04-16T16:00:00+00:00

He paused and Lidin could be heard giving instructions to somebody, probably Toomer: . . . Take an alcohol cylinder and go round sprinkling them with alcohol. Then set fire to them . .

I'll try to be brief,’ began Malyshev. The results of the chemical tests show that the composition of these Hies is rather unusual; oxygen and nitrogen together with very small quantities of calcium, hydrogen and carbon. From this we can deduce that the flies represent some unknown, non-albuminous form of life. If so, then there is hardly any danger of their spreading infection, and then, of course, it is a discovery of primary importance. I want to lay particular stress on this last fact, as Comrade Lidin’s only thought is how to destroy them. That is an erroneous approach to the problem.’

‘If only we could get hold of some spiders,’ said Lidin dreamily . . . ‘Some good old garden-spiders . . .’

' We know nothing about them yet,’ went on Malyshev. ‘Neither what they feed on, nor how they multiply. But I think there is every reason to suppose that . . .’

‘I don’t understand one thing,’ interrupted Toomer. I killed dozens of them, squashed them with my feet, but I can’t find a single dead fly.’

'Don’t waste your time looking for one,’ said the navigator. ‘It’s absolutely useless.’

‘Why?’

Victor Borisovich noticed that the door had again opened slightly. The piece of paper fluttered as if it were trying to jump over the coaming, and fell back helplessly on the floor.

‘I’ll tell you all about it later,’ he said. ‘Later, when everything is over.’

Victor Borisovich went to the door, closed it, and returned to the table. The captain tapped the table slightly with his hand.

‘Attention!’ he snapped. I have decided to clear the ship of flies.’

‘How?’

‘We shall put on space-suits, raise the pressure inside the ship by using our reserve of liquid hydrogen, and open the hatches . . .’

‘Good Heavens!’ muttered the navigator.

‘. . . We shall let space into our ship, and then all this rubbish will be thrown out by the force of the compressed hydrogen.’

‘Not a bad idea,’ said Lidin.

Toomer dropped into an armchair and stretched out his legs.

‘But we won’t get rid of the spores like that,’ he said.

‘I think there are no more spores left on the ship,’ complained Malyshev-. ‘They have all developed into flies.’

‘We shall get rid of these creatures at last,’ said Lidin, ‘of these damned, nasty, devilish . . .’

‘I say,’ interrupted Victor Borisovich, ‘I think I have it at last.’

He went over to the door, stopped and touched the sheet of paper that lay by the coaming.

‘What is it?’ asked Toomer.

‘Right,’ said Stankevich, ‘we shall go and fetch the vacuum suits. Lidin, you will help Malyshev with his suit.’

‘All the flies will get frozen to death,’ chuckled Lidin. He was terribly anxious for the flies to be frozen.

Victor Borisovich looked around him. All the walls were black. Black velvety festoons were hanging from the ceiling. The floor was covered with dry rustling pulp.

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