Cosmic Engineers (REFORMATED) by Clifford D. Simak

Author:Clifford D. Simak [Simak, Clifford D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Short Stories
ISBN: 9780417057309
Publisher: Mandarin Books
Published: 1982-04-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

HALF the city was in ruins, swept and raked by the stabbing rays that probed down from the upper reaches of the atmosphere, blasted by hydrogen and atomic bombs that shook the very bedrock of the planet and shattered great, sky-high towers of white masonry into drifting dust. Twisted wreckage fell into the city from the battle area, great cruisers reduced to grotesque metal heaps, bent and burned and battered out of all semblance to a ship, scorched and crushed and flattened by the energy unloosed in the height of battle.

“They have new weapons,” said the Engineer. “New weapons and better screens. We can hold them off a little longer. How much longer I do not know.”

In the laboratory, located in the base of one of the tallest of the skyscrapers in the great white city, the Engineers and the Earthlings had watched the battle for long hours. Had seen the first impact of the fleets, had watched the first dogfight out at the edge of atmosphere, had witnessed the Hellhounds slowly drive the defenders back until the invaders were within effective bombardment distance of the city itself.

“They have a screen stripper,” said the Engineer, “that is far more effective than anything we have ever seen. It is taking too much of our ships’ energy to hold up their screens under this new weapon.”

In the telescopic screen a brilliant blue-white flash filled all the vision-plate as a bomb smashed into one of the few remaining towers. The tower erupted with a flash of blinding light and disappeared, with merely the ragged stump of masonry bearing mute testimony to its once sky-soaring height.

“Isn’t there anyone who can help us?” asked Kingsley. “Surely there is someone to whom we might appeal.”

“There is no one,” said the Engineer. “We are alone. For thousands of light years there are no other great races to be found. For millions of years the Hellhounds and the Engineers have fought, and it has always been those two and just those two alone. Thus it is now. Before, we have driven them off. Many times have we destroyed them almost to the point of anihilation that we might hold their cosmic ambitions under proper check. Now it seems they will be the victors.”

“No other race,” said Gary, musing, “for thousands of light years.”

He stared moodily at the screen, saw a piece of twisted wreckage that had at one time been a ship crash into the stump of broken tower and hang there, like a bloody, smoke-blackened offering tossed on the altar of war.

“But there is,” he said. “There is at least one great race very near to us.”

“There is?” asked Caroline. “Where?”

“On the other universe,” said Gary. “A race that is fully as great, as capable as the Engineers. A race that should be glad to help us in this fight.”

“Great suffering snakes,” yelped Herb, “why didn’t we think of that before?”

“I do not understand,” said the Engineer. “I agree they are a great race and very close to us.

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