Mars (Planet) -- Fiction; Martians -- Fiction; Science fiction; Space travelers -- Fiction
Now that we were in the neighborhood of a globe capable of imparting
considerable weight to all things under the influence of its attraction
that peculiar condition which I have before described as existing in
the midst of space, where there was neither up nor down for us, had
ceased. Here where we had weight "up" and "down" had resumed their old
meanings. "Down" was toward the centre of Mars, and "up" was away from
that centre.
The Two Moons of Mars.
Standing on the deck, and looking overhead as we swiftly ploughed our
smooth way at a great height through the now imperceptible atmosphere
of the planet, I saw the two moons of Mars meeting in the sky exactly
above us.
Before our arrival at Mars, there had been considerable discussion among
the learned men as to the advisability of touching at one of their moons,
and when the discovery was made that our provisions were nearly exhausted,
it had been suggested that the Martian satellites might furnish us with
an additional supply.
But it had appeared a sufficient reply to this suggestion that the moons
of Mars are both insignificant bodies, not much larger than the asteroid
we had fallen in with, and that there could not possibly be any form of
vegetation or other edible products upon them.
This view having prevailed, we had ceased to take an interest in the
satellites, further than to regard them as objects of great curiosity
on account of their motions.
The nearer of these moons, Phobos, is only 3,700 miles from the surface
of Mars, and we watched it travelling around the planet three times in
the course of every day. The more distant one, Deimos, 12,500 miles away,
required considerably more than one day to make its circuit.
It now happened that the two had come into conjunction, as I have said,
just over our heads, and, throwing myself down on my back on the deck
of the electrical ship, for a long time I watched the race between the
two satellites, until Phobos, rapidly gaining upon the other, had left
its rival far behind.
Suddenly Colonel Smith, who took very little interest in these
astronomical curiosities, touched me, and pointing ahead, said:
"There they are."
Rejoining the Fleet.
I looked, and sure enough there were the signal lights of the principal
squadron, and as we gazed we occasionally saw, darting up from the vast
cloud mass beneath, an electric bayonet, fiercely thrust into the sky,
which showed that the siege was still actively going on, and that the
Martians were jabbing away at their invisible enemies outside the curtain.
In a short time the two fleets had joined, and Colonel Smith and I
immediately transferred ourselves to the flagship.
"Well, what have you done?" asked Mr. Edison, while others crowded around
with eager attention.
"If we have not captured their provision train," said Colonel Smith, "we
have done something just about as good. We have foraged on the country,
and have collected a supply that I reckon will last this fleet for at
least a month."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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