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The Floating Press - Richard Wilson

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18 pages

English

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In this fascinating tale from the height of science fiction's golden age, the inhabitants of Earth become vessels that are colonized by a telepathic species of aliens on the prowl for an exciting new world to conquer. It's a compelling look at twentieth-century life from an outsider's perspective.

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Science fiction

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Publié par	The Floating Press
Date de parution	01 octobre 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781776592852
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0064€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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THE INHABITED
* * *
RICHARD WILSON

*
The Inhabited First published in 1953 Epub ISBN 978-1-77659-285-2 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77659-286-9 © 2013 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
The Inhabited
*
Two slitted green eyes loomed up directly in front of him. He plungedinto them immediately.
He had just made the voyage, naked through the dimension stratum, andhe scurried into the first available refuge, to hover there, gasping.
The word "he" does not strictly apply to the creature, for it had nosex, nor are the words "naked," "scurried," "hover" and "gasping"accurate at all. But there are no English words to describe properlywhat it was and how it moved, except in very general terms. There areno Asiatic, African or European words, though perhaps there aremathematical symbols. But, because this is not a technical paper, thesymbols have no place in it.
He was a sort of spy, a sort of fifth-columnist. He had some of thecharacteristics of a kamikaze pilot, too, because there was no tellingif he'd get back from his mission.
Hovering in his refuge and gasping for breath, so to speak, he triedto compose his thoughts after the terrifying journey and adjusthimself to his new environment, so he could get to work. His job, asfirst traveler to this new world, the Earth, was to learn if it weresuitable for habitation by his fellow beings back home. Their worldwas about ended and they had to move or die.
He was being discomfited, however, in his initial adjustment. Hisfirst stop in the new world—unfortunately, not only for his dignity,but for his equilibrium—had been in the mind of a cat.
*
It was his own fault, really. He and the others had decided that hisfirst in a series of temporary habitations should be in one of thelower order of animals. It was a matter of precaution—the mind wouldbe easy to control, if it came to a contest. Also, there would be lesschance of running into a mind-screen and being trapped or destroyed.
The cat had no mind-screen, of course; some might even have arguedthat she didn't have a mind, especially the human couple she livedwith. But whatever she did have was actively at work, feeling thesolid tree-branch under her claws and the leaves against which hertail switched and seeing the half-grown chickens below.
The chickens were scratching in the forbidden vegetable garden. Thecat, the runt of her litter and thus named Midge, often had beenchased out of the garden herself, but it was no sense of justice whichnow set her little gray behind to wriggling in preparation for herleap. It was mischief, pure and simple, which motivated her.
Midge leaped, and the visitor, who had made the journey betweendimensions without losing consciousness, blacked out.
When he revived, he was being rocketed along in an up-and-down and atthe same time side-ward series of motions which got him all giddy.With an effort he oriented himself so that the cat's vision becamehis, and he watched in distaste as the chickens scurried, scrawnywings lifted and beaks achirp, this way and that to escape themonstrous cat.
The cat never touched the chickens; she was content to chase them.When she had divided the flock in half, six in the pea patch and sixunder the porch, she lay down in the shade of the front steps andreflectively licked a paw.
The spy got the impression of reflection, but he was baffledly unableto figure out what the cat was reflecting on. Midge in turn licked apaw, rolled in the dust, arched her back against the warm stone of thesteps and snapped cautiously at a low-flying wasp.