Part 4

“The cold is one of our greatest dangers,” the professor told Taggert. “Out here in space the cold is absolute. There is nothing to reflect or retain the heat from the sun’s rays. Even if the gyrostats should stop, the disk is powerful enough to keep the _Sphere_ from falling back into the Earth, or on any other planet if we lightened it by throwing out excess weight as we neared the planet where gravitation would be much stronger than it is at this distance. We have enough food to last us for weeks. But we must have warmth. Should our current fail us we should be in danger of freezing to death. Fortunately we have a petrol heater for emergencies.”

“Oy, and me with my overcoat at home!” wailed Taggert, in mock consternation, backing up close to the heater.

By this time the Earth had shrunk greatly. No longer did it constitute the greater part of their view. Suddenly a ribbon of fire appeared along its western rim! Steadily it widened, lighting up the _Sphere_ brilliantly. Then the explanation of this phenomenon dawned upon them. The _Sphere_ was carrying them beyond the Earth’s shadow into view of the sun, whose pleasant, warm rays shone cheerfully through the windows, buoying up their spirits considerably.

* * * * *

As the time passed the Earth appeared smaller and smaller. Its farther edge, still obscuring a slice of the sun, produced much the same effect as a partial eclipse of the sun by the moon when seen from the Earth. The physical features of the Earth were no longer visible against the glare of the sun. It simply looked like a black disk, slightly larger than the moon.

About this time their self-invited companion seemed a good deal perplexed over something. He stood shifting his weight from one foot to the other with a look of comical mystification on his ruddy countenance.

“What’s the matter, old man?” asked Robert, much amused at Taggert’s curious antics. “Cootie?”

“Something wrong here,” giving a little hop.

“I’ll admit you show symptoms of it, young man,” remarked the professor, dryly.

“Feel kind of lightish. Maybe I’m going to become an angel when we get a little higher,” went on the redhead, still engrossed in his private calculations.

“Come to think about it,” said Robert, standing up, “I feel somewhat that way myself. It must be contagious.” They both looked toward Professor Palmer keenly, as if expecting him to show similar symptoms.

The professor laughed long and heartily, until the pair became convinced that there was something wrong with him, too.

“Well, boys, it’s this way,” he said at last; “the farther away from the Earth we get, the weaker its attraction for us becomes. Of course you feel lighter--you _are_ lighter--and that’s not all. Before we reach Mars, we shall all weigh nothing. We’ll be floating around in here like toy balloons.”

“That’s a fact,” said Robert after a moment’s reflection. “But I hadn’t thought of it until now.”

“Well, you fellows can swim around like goldfish if you want, but I’m going to find an anchor,” declared Taggert, looking round for a likely object of promising bulk and solidity.

“No use,” replied Professor Palmer. “When you float, everything else that is loose floats, too.”

Taggert scratched his red head thoughtfully.

“All right, then,” he said finally, in mock despair, “float it is; we’ll all play tag.”

A little while later the sun appeared unobstructed. The Earth had shrunk so small this time that it could no longer be seen on account of its close proximity to the sun. Well beyond it the moon hung serenely, though considerably reduced in size. Seen from this angle it was now nearer half than full. Oddly enough, in all directions the heavens presented the same appearance as when seen from the Earth at night, though the sun shone brightly upon the _Sphere_.

“But why?” Taggert wanted to know, looking in perplexity toward the blazing sun and then at the stars twinkling in cold, brilliant splendor.

“On the Earth we were enveloped by a layer of bluish atmosphere many miles deep in which minute particles of dust are suspended,” explained Professor Palmer. “When the rays of the sun shine through this, it produces the luminous, azure sky with which we are so familiar. It is this brilliancy in the Earth’s atmosphere during the day that makes the stars invisible. Out here, with no envelope of atmosphere or dust particles, there is nothing to produce a luminousness to outshine the stars.”

“Guess it’s all okeh,” mused Taggert, doubtfully, gazing out into the black sky, which lacked even the softening indigo of our terrestrial nights.

* * * * *

The stowaway proved a welcome recruit. For instead of dividing the twenty-four hours into two watches, they could now have three, of eight hours each.

The trip had settled down into dull monotony. One condition, however, partly relieved the tedium. This was the ever decreasing weight of their bodies. The adventurers found walking a novel sensation. A giddy feeling possessed them, and there was an unsteadiness in their gait which was difficult to control, resulting in a comical semblance of semi-intoxication.

It was the more reckless and experimental reporter who discovered and demonstrated proudly that he could step the entire length of the chamber, with little effort. Robert and the professor quickly and easily duplicated his feat, but he continued blithely to remind them at intervals of his initial discovery. From that time he supplemented his experiments by jumping up and touching the ceiling, and other gymnastics, proclaiming each noisily to the amusement of his new companions. He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely and to have entirely forgotten his original idea regarding an anchor.

But even this soon ceased to be a diversion and the three of them finally settled down as best they could, to look over the various latest editions of the newspapers which Professor Palmer had brought along. These all contained articles about their venture, and furnished quite interesting sidelights to the daring adventurers themselves.

“Here’s a cheerful fellow who has figured out that it will take us two years to cover the thirty-odd million miles to the Martian deserts,” announced Taggert from a precarious perch on the back of a chair with his feet on the seat. Ever since his initial gymnastics he had evinced a preference for birdlike attitudes.

“That’s nothing; here’s one that makes it five years,” contributed Robert cheerfully. “What does your paper say, professor?”

“The lowest estimate has it seven months. We, who know more of the _Sphere’s_ powers than any of them, had figured on about a month; but at the rate we are going now, and faster every second, we ought to reduce our own estimate by half.”

Taggert heaved a sigh of undisguised relief.

“Gosh, professor, that was close. I began to have bright visions of yours truly alongside a harp.”

“No telling what you’ll find yourself alongside when we pull into Mars,” remarked Robert encouragingly.

“I’d rather be by a plate of ‘ham and’ right now than anything else,” answered the scribe. “You gents made me miss my nightly feed.” He felt in his coat pockets and presently fished out a cake of chocolate.

“Why in bedlam didn’t you say so sooner?” admonished Robert, getting up and making his way wobblingly toward a locker. “You might not believe it, but we’ve got a regular restaurant here. I can fill your order right now.”

“Haven’t got a chicken run on board, too?” bantered the reporter.

“Young man, while you and your brethren were busily writing why we would never reach Mars, we were preparing to do it in the right way,” broke in the professor.

“We not only have a substantial supply of fresh eggs put up in silicate of soda for preservation, but cheese, ham, coffee and a number of other good things that you might not have suspected.”

“And you’re going to turn loose a hungry stowaway scribe on all that?” asked Taggert.

“Certainly,” chorused Robert and the professor.

“Do you think we are going to let you starve?” added Robert. “You know we’ve got no undertaker handy.”

“Oh, thanks, thanks!”

A spirit stove was pulled out from a niche in the wall, and presently a generous slice of ham and a couple of eggs were sizzling in the frying pan. An appetizing aroma filled the chamber, causing Taggert to sniff the air hungrily.

“I call this handsome, now,” he commented, gratefully. “I always was a lucky stiff, though, just let me know when I can save your lives or something and I’ll be there.”

This simple repast was supplemented by a round of quickly brewed bouillon.

With their stomachs satisfied a feeling of drowziness came over them all. Taggert stoutly insisted upon standing first watch, but Robert was adamant in his refusal. He explained that it was important that he maintain watch over the machinery for the first shift until the most likely period for development of mechanical trouble was passed.

Professor Palmer also offered to take the first watch, but owing to Robert’s greater familiarity with the mechanism he allowed himself to be prevailed upon. First, however, he carefully inspected the heavens, correcting the _Sphere’s_ course by various constellations, as it had swung a few points away from its objective.

The sun glared in at the windows at the back end of the chamber. The blinds were drawn, darkening the interior to facilitate sleeping. Professor Palmer and Taggert spread the pallets of bedding obtained out of one of the storerooms, and settled themselves to rest.

Through the long hours Robert maintained his lonely vigil.

The machinery continued its musical purr uninterrupted. Once he started the dynamo for a while, causing the temporary opening of a sleepy eye or two. He wished to keep the batteries charged to fullest capacity until they were well on their way, after which their velocity through space could be maintained with a very little expenditure of current.

The prolonged excitement of the past weeks, particularly of the last few days, together with loss of sleep, proved too much for Robert. Several times he caught himself dozing. Lulled by the hum of the machinery, he finally slipped off into oblivion.

Grotesque and confused dreams followed one after the other through his uneasy slumber in seemingly endless fantasy, causing him to mutter incoherently. These finally gave way to a curious vision of a conjured Martian landscape.

Huge cacti and other polypetalous growths formed a dense, forbidding background. As he looked about him it seemed that they had formed a menacing circle round him, which appeared to grow smaller and smaller. Hideous dark growths pushed their thorny leaves up through the loose sand round the edge of the circle, writhing into distorted shapes.

Desperately but fruitlessly his eyes sought some escape from the shrinking circle. The dark wall presented an impregnable barrier. How he had come there he did not know.

Suddenly he was startled by a rustling of the stiff foliage. The agitation of its tops heralded the approach of some being. He momentarily expected to see some dreadful _thing_ leap out from the forbidding jungle--just what, he knew not!

Then, to his intense relief and astonishment, a girl of rare, exotic beauty emerged. Her eyes were like the cool depths of a shaded brook, her really golden-hued hair a delight, the perfection of her soft-clad figure goddesslike. Yet she repelled rather than attracted.

Then, indeed, it seemed as if the doors of paradise had opened. Gone was the aloofness of the moment before. She was smiling--at him.

But even as he took a first eager step toward her and she toward him, a mist seemed to come between them. The amazing loveliness of her faded into the drab desert background. He was alone!

Strange to observe, the threatening jungle was no more. Before his bewildered gaze a trackless desert swept from horizon to horizon. Then this, too, faded.

9

How long he had slept he did not know, but he was awakened suddenly by a blow in the face!

In a flash he was wide awake. His hands groped out in front of him, coming into contact with a smooth, metallic surface. He seemed to be lying on the floor, and immediately formed the conclusion that he had fallen off his chair while sleeping.

As he endeavored to rise to his feet the floor began to recede from him slowly! It was then that he remembered the steadily decreasing attraction of the Earth as the _Sphere_ shot farther and farther away into space. He quickly concluded that the “floating” stage had been reached. The _Sphere_ would be maintaining its established momentum just like a planet which hurtles through space century after century, impelled by its original momentum by reason of the complete absence of any obstruction in space to hinder it; and of course their bodies followed serenely with the _Sphere_ in its interior. They were as a component part of it--little worlds of their own.

As the metal surface continued to recede from him, he suddenly discovered that the engines and dynamo were missing! Yet the steady purr of the gyrostats was plainly, reassuringly audible. Then abruptly the solution of it all dawned upon him. He had fallen on to the _ceiling_--not the floor!

Suddenly a realization of his danger confronted him. He was drifting slowly toward the gyrostats! Should he be caught in their racing mechanism his body would be whipped into shreds!

Desperately he strove to jerk his body over into a convenient position to assist him in grasping one of the four perpendicular rods surrounding the gyrostats. With nothing to brace himself against, his efforts were strangely akin to those of a cat falling through the air, though, for lack of practise, they were not nearly so adept. Luckily they sufficed to turn his body over facing the gyrostats. Fortunately too, one of the uprights was within reach. He clutched this as a drowning man clutches a tossed rope, and the danger was over.

He lowered himself breathlessly to the floor. For the first time he noticed that he was perspiring freely.

“Close shave, that,” he muttered, mopping his face nervously. “Have to rig a guard around this.”

He looked sharply toward where the professor and the reporter had lain. Strangely enough they were still in the same spot. Then he became aware that there was still a slight pull toward the floor. The Earth had not yet entirely released its hold upon the _Sphere_ even though it had long since ceased to be visible to them. Evidently he had made some abrupt move in his sleep with sufficient force to send him slowly upward to the ceiling against the dwindling force of terrestrial gravity.

* * * * *

The following days were interesting ones for the adventurers, but inconvenient--though amusing.

With the passage of each day the Earth’s attraction for them became weaker until finally it was completely neutralized by the counter attraction of Mars.

This point was reached by the ninth day out, when, according to Professor Palmer’s reckonings, the _Sphere_ had traversed more than half the distance between the two worlds.

Ordinary movement about the compartment became an impossibility. Walking was an accomplishment of the past. In order to move from one end of the chamber to the other it became necessary merely to place a hand against the wall and push. Immediately they were propelled across the room through space as if suspended by a well-oiled trolley conveyor. The chief requisite was a careful sense of direction and control of strength exerted. Otherwise they were apt to find themselves precipitated roughly into one corner, against the ceiling, or headlong into the whirring machinery.

The reckless Taggert was frequently the cause of much merriment, because of his careless or awkward antics. Once he brought their hearts into their mouths by narrowly missing the smashing of a window pane when his shoulder was brought up sharply against the glass. After that even he exercised extreme caution in his movements.

It became necessary to lash each other to some stationary object for protection so that they could sleep safely. When on watch, Robert was obliged to keep hold upon some stable part to maintain any single position for a time.

The managing of fluids was at once ludicrous and exceedingly difficult. The mere task of drinking a cup of coffee called for more skill than the biting of an apple in a tub of water at a Halloween party. One was apt to have more of the beverage applied externally than internally.

A cup of fluid could be kept safely intact only by a centrifugal motion, as by whirling it round in a circle, bottom outward. Otherwise, at the critical moment the contents would drift off in an irregular, pulsating sphere, like a soft little world of its own held together merely by the slight affinity of its molecules.

A scheme of drinking through a tube from a covered bucket by means of a hole drilled through the cover proved fairly successful and became temporarily the vogue.

During the first of these days the _Sphere_ evinced a tendency to revolve slowly and at random because the delicate but sensitive stabilizer could no longer find a central point of gravity. Here, then, was a grave danger confronting them; for with the growing inclination of the _Sphere_ to revolve at random it became apparent that they would not be able to hold it to any one course. This because, as the _Sphere_ revolved, it would be necessary to constantly shift the direction of the disk; and thus it would be almost impossible to continue constantly with accuracy. Consequently they were facing the possibility of drifting about in space through eternity!

Their predicament might have been likened in a way to that of a sailing vessel caught in the doldrums; but in the _Sphere’s_ case there appeared to be no chance of relief. Curiously enough, this problem had not occurred to Robert and Professor Palmer in their preparations for the journey. In fact, to their minds, there seemed no possible solution.

Even Taggert’s hitherto unfailing good spirits deserted him as the three gloomily faced the dreadful prospect of slow death through starvation or suffocation. The fact that they were millions of miles from the Earth in the midst of a great black void did not make their fate any easier to consider.

Professor Palmer now divided his time between frequent corrections in the _Sphere’s_ wavering course toward Mars, and the writing of the log.

“Who knows,” he remarked resignedly to his companions, “some other more successful adventurers may attempt this venture some time. There is just a chance in a billion that they may find the _Sphere_ and this document; or the _Sphere_ may finally gravitate back to the earth.”

Almost constantly he watched and guided the _Sphere_ on its intricate course, insisting upon doing the major part of this difficult task, which only his expert knowledge of the heavens made possible to such a degree of accuracy. But even he was beginning to find it almost impossible to keep the _Sphere_ on its true course, as it continued to swing more and more widely from its former stability. Loss of sleep and the terrific strain were beginning to tell upon his iron constitution. It was clear to all three that theirs was a losing struggle. The professor’s faint hope that they could decrease their distance from Mars sufficiently to establish a substantial stability upon its attraction faded more and more as gradually the little _Sphere_ began to swoop in ever-increasing deviations from its course.

Realizing with sinking heart the hopelessness of the situation, Professor Palmer endeavored to conceal the sureness of their fate from Robert and Taggert. But they sensed it intuitively and each bravely sought to steel himself against the realization of the end.

The thought of conserving their energy by stopping the gyrostats occurred to Robert. For with gravitation virtually equalized from all directions, their operation was scarcely of any assistance at this point.

And then came the thought that caused his heart to halt an instant in its beat. Could it be that both the professor and he overlooked the one possible solution? Was it too late?

“Fool--fool!” he expostulated bitterly as he realized the opportunity that had all but slipped away from them by his failure to think of the solution sooner.

“Robert!” cried Professor Palmer, fearing for his mind. “What is it?”

“Can you hold her to the course steadily for a minute?” Robert almost shouted in his excitement, not having heard the professor’s question.

Professor Palmer suddenly realized with a flash of hope that Robert had thought of a possible way out of their predicament.

“Yes, yes,” he answered eagerly. His waning strength and alertness rallied temporarily under the inspiration of hope. His tired eyes became as keen as ever as he carefully nursed the drunkenly rolling _Sphere_ back to its course and managed with supreme skill to steady it there for several seconds consecutively.

“How long, boy?” he cried hoarsely in desperation, gripping his voice as he realized that he could not balance the _Sphere_ accurately on its course more than a few seconds longer. He felt his control slipping. Too bad--too bad. The boy had had the idea, and he had failed--failed. He felt suddenly broken, as a very old man. His gray head nodded wearily. Too bad!

“Professor--professor,” someone was whispering huskily. He recovered from his lapse of semi-consciousness as he felt a hand placed nervously upon his shoulder. He turned to see Robert’s eager young face behind him, smiling! That might mean--but he hesitated even to hope, stifling its ray of comfort almost before it came to him. He waited dully for Robert to go on.

“We are holding our course now,” went on Robert, controlling his voice with an effort. “See?” he pointed to the glittering heavens visible through the observation windows.

Instead of the dizzily swerving canopy of lights with which they were already too familiar, the stars hung stationary.

“How did you do it, Robert?” gasped the professor. As he spoke he was suddenly aware that the gyrostats had stopped!

“You see, it came to me like a flash,” explained Robert, “that it all hinged on velocity. If the disk was suddenly shut off--covered--the _Sphere_ would at once cease to be pulled around in various directions. Instead it would then rush ahead only in the direction in which it was last moving when the disk’s power was shut off. Beyond the forces of gravitation and with nothing but void on all sides, we would shoot forward forever until stopped by nearing some planet.”

“Of course, of course,” murmured the professor. “Why didn’t I think of that before? Dunce that I am!”

“That is why I asked you to try to hold the _Sphere_ in its course for a little bit--long enough to maintain its momentum toward Mars, when I would stop the wavering interference of the disk. First, I stopped the gyrostats. Then, as I clicked the shutters to cover the disk’s face, the _Sphere_ became simply a dead weight already launched with terrific velocity toward our goal. With the influence of the gyrostats removed, the heaviest or bottom side of the _Sphere_ became the head of our velocity. Result--the eccentric revolutions of the _Sphere_ ceased at once. We have established a temporary stability of our own--velocity.”