Wanted—7 Fearless Engineers!Tremaine, Frederick Orlin
Science
Wanted—7 Fearless Engineers!
Tremaine, Frederick Orlin
Science fiction
When Barrow called them to the main cabin, they came grudgingly, then
slowly the expressions changed. Smiles appeared on their faces, and
their heads moved with sheepish nods of assent.
"We're fools, and you all know it. We were happy in the domes, happier
than we ever were in our lives before. We didn't appreciate it and
longed to return to the earth. We wanted to leave, yet had everything
there to live for. We had comfort, every pleasure, and more friends than
we can possibly have on our own world. _I feel ashamed!_
"Right now we _wish_ that we were back in our own apartments, and might
as well admit it. The earth is not what we want, _we want the domes_!
They are _home_!!!
"The best thing for us to do, now that we are on the way to the earth,
is establish commerce.
"We can create friendship between the planets, but we are natives of
Jupiter! Our interests will always be with the dome people. We have
almost become part of that race, and they have given us everything in
return. They even gave us our freedom when we wanted it. _We belong
there!_"
Ten years more passed, and John Barrow was beginning to help with his
father's work. Vacationing in Jupiter's domes had become so popular on
the earth that they were building another city to accommodate the
tourist trade. It was the third to be added to the original six.
Merchant ships were constantly discharging goods from the earth, and
carrying back rare metals.
Space ships from the earth, designed after the original Jupiter ship,
were searching the little known planets for minerals. Domes were being
built on three of the smaller globes, and pioneering humans migrated to
new worlds. There was danger, yes, but also fame and fortune for the
hardy people who would inhabit them.
The earth had changed a lot, since the visit of the space ship. They had
adopted the principle of controlling gravity, and tremendous structures
were the result. New buildings were several times as large as the
greatest structure of ten years before. Both planets had benefited from
the friendship, and both were happier as a result.
As Dick Barrow's mind ran over these facts, he smiled and spoke aloud to
himself. "And all of this in twenty years--it seems incredible!"
"What did you say, dear?" asked Dolores.
Dick smiled as he glanced at her. "It's nothing. I was just thinking.
Remember the night you fell in front of my table in the hotel? And I
thought it was _accidental_--you scheming gold-digger!"
The ruler of the domes ducked when his wife threw her book--but she
didn't throw it very hard.
THE END
FOOTNOTES:
[1] This gravity power was derived from huge weights swung on an axis
that could be faced toward any point in the universe, and the slightest
pull resulted in force that was exerted on the fuel. The explosive
mixture remained at constant pressure, creating a smooth driving medium.
Discharge of the fuel under high compression resulted in greater power
than could be obtained in any other way.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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