Inventors -- Fiction; Science fiction; Short stories
"The receiver picks up the image as a television receiver does, except
again in three dimensions. The matter is not duplicated because the
transmitter strips down the object within it as it transmits.
"Now the question that has been raised by some scientists about the
transmission of animate objects is whether the 'soul' or 'life force'
can be transmitted. I consider this question ridiculous, and will prove
it so. It is my contention that such 'life force' is not a thing apart
from the physical shell."
The matter transmitter was a large closed cylinder on one side of the
room. The receiver was a similar cylinder on the other. Both were
raised slightly from the floor.
As sort of _hors d'oeuvre_, Dr. Angstrom transmitted a large chunk of
lead across the room, then a glass jar. In each case, the object was
placed in the transmitter and a moment later removed from the receiver
across the room. There was no possible way for it to have been moved
across the intervening space except by broadcast transmission.
"As you see," said Dr. Angstrom, "I have eliminated the necessity for
a switch by building the switch into the door of the transmitter. As
soon as the door is closed, transmission occurs. Now we shall send our
animate object."
He untied the goat and, with some difficulty, hauled the animal by its
collar to the transmitter. There the goat balked and Dr. Angstrom,
having got its head through the door, got behind it and shoved
heartily, hanging onto the edge of the door so he could shut it quickly
when the goat was inside.
As goats will, the goat suddenly changed its mind and leaped into the
transmitter. Caught off balance, Dr. Angstrom fell in after it--and the
door, given a last frantic jerk, slammed on them both.
There were gasps of horror and alarm from the scientists, but I held
up my hand to calm them.
"There's no danger, gentlemen," I said. "It's just as well this way. I
happen to know that Dr. Angstrom's next step, after proving to you with
the goat that animate objects could be transmitted, was to prove that
human beings also could be transmitted. He planned to be his own first
subject."
With serene confidence, I went to the receiver and threw open the door.
Just as I had anticipated, the goat leaped out, unharmed, followed by
Dr. Angstrom.
"I told you animate objects could be transmitted successfully," said
the goat triumphantly.
"Baa!" said Dr. Angstrom, and began eating the tablecloth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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