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Show Lifk Oh Mars Continued from page 18 Martian maidens leaped and ran like goddesses to strip the city, Karis said. "Anything of value and all the records were taken underground. Mars was already in a high state of civilization so you will find nothing primitive here. "Over there to the right used to be an airport where you can still see the shells of some of our ancient jet aircraft. Oh yes, Martians used to fly a great deal. When we went underground aviation was abandoned because our underground transport system was so much more efficient. The only flying aircraft machines we use now are a fleet of duct-fafrom which the engineers observe the progress of the polar melts. But they are assigned to pumping stations near the poles. One of the great belts of vegetation extended on both sides of the abandoned city as far as they could see. It was these fields, the explorers learned, which Earths astronomers had called "canals. "One thing we havent thoroughly understood, McKay said, "is just how your water cycle works. I can see thatTlwm the snow in the polar zones melts you pump the water to the cities. But how do you return the water to the atmosphere so new snow can fall at the poles? "Why, its quite simple, Karis said. "Under each of these fields there are porous tile pipes. Into them our great cities pump their sewage and interior condensation. You see, they must get rid of exactly the same amount of water as we supply to them. Otherwise they would soon be flooded. Well, the waste water is absorbed by the roots of the plants and drawn up into the stems and leaflets. This moisture escapes into our parched atmosphere, and strong winds of autumn carry it to the poles. There it is precipitated as snow, and in the spring the snow melts. The water is caught in big basins and flows through conduits to reservoirs situated all over the planet. The men had been sitting on one of the overturned columns, when a sudden shadow darkened the sun. Karis looked up quickly. "It is one of our dust storms, he said. "I think we should return now so we are back in the city before it strikes. n ered the entire complex of Martian science, technology and history. Detailed descriptive blueprints and pictures were microfilmed for easy storage on the return rocket, Goddard, so that Earths scientists could study and evaluate their findings later. he felt less pressed, McKay increased Now thatbroadcast time to Earth. From messages relayed to him by their orbiting interplanetary passenger ship, Oberlh, Earth was insatiable in its appetite for every scrap of information he could send. And the most insistent of Earth's demands teas that the expedition bring back some of the marvelous Martians. This teas a subject McKay had not discussed with any of his Martian hosts. He tried it out on Karis one afternoon when they were on their way to the sports stadium to watch an athletic event. "How would you like to come back to Earth with us, Karis? he said. "I should like that very much, the Martian said. "But I would not suggest it until you expressed the wish yourself. "Were having lunch with Ansanto, the head of your Academy of Science, tomorrow, McKay said. "Ill bring it up "Ansanto will be pleased, Karis said, as they left their car and joined a stream of Martians moving toward the stadium. They entered the great oval amphitheater and found their seats. McKay looked around the packed bleachers, then down at the young men and women who would be competing in a program of field events. Their tanned bodies were almost naked and beautifully knit. Karis explained that athletic superiority combined with physical symmetry made up tln. the Martian ideal. "We strive to develop the whole body to achieve perfection in our men, he said. "It is true of our women, too. McKay could believe they had succeeded. He watched the contests in growing wonder as the athletes jumped, threw weights and ran faster than he had ever seen before. He knew that the feeble Martian gravity had a $t to do with it, but it still astonished him to see a handsome young Martian maiden with the body of a goddess soar more than 40 feet to win the broad jump. Looking around the stadium at the spectators dressed in their Grecian costumes and raising their "Ahs of approval, he could imagine himself back in Earths Golden Age in Greece when the Olympic games were young. Making notes for tomorrows broadcast to Earth, McKay wrote: "We were impressed by the inner pride and enthusiasm with which the women presented their perfections. Despite their costumes, which verged upon nudism, there was not the slightof the sensual est suggestion of that which on Earth so frequently accompanies exposure of the female body. These women had beautiful bodies and they exhibited them in athletic excellence with no other purpose. over-emphas- is morning McKay went to the station of transplanetary system with Karis, and of those supersonic subway cars for took one they small a town beneath the moss fields of Laroni, Lacus Lunae. It turned out that Laroni was largely inhabited by artists, writers and philosophers whose individualities were expressed in what was, for Mars, a wide variety of decorative schemes and ings in their dwellings. McKay was much impressed by Ansantos breadth of mind and extensive historical knowledge as they talked during luncheon. He realized that here was a man with a perspective on the development of the planet such as few possessed. After luncheon, the Earth-ma- n lost no time in proposing that the return flight include three Martians to be chosen by the Academy. Next Already they could feel the wind the X jL rising as they tractor and started back. Swirls of dust eddied across the plain, and they saw Ross looking anxious behind his space helmet as they approached the plateau. The geologist had found an easier route up the jagged side, and there was no trouble getting back to the summit hatch. As they emerged on Plaza 15 and drove the tractor to the freight elevator, Pete Sterling laughed suddenly. "I must be going Martian, he said. "Iv? just realized Im glad to be underground. The fact was that they had all come to feel very much at home in the subterranean life. of Mars. As the weeks sped by, McKay felt a great sense of accomplishment in the amount of information they had stored in their notebooks. Their research had cov reddish-yello- Ansanto' s benign countenance We have been hoping there could be such an invitation," he said quickly. Yes, of course, Martians will go with you. You have reborn in us the spirit of adventure." They discussed the type of men best suited for the Earth journey. "I lighted. w In the movie Curl Jurgens (I.) portrays Wernher von Braun (above) Tlie von Braun story on film Dr. Wernher von Braun, who will assume his new duties as director of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in July, has received a rare honor from Hollywood. Next fall Columbia Pictures will release a film, "I Aim At The Stars, based on the life of Americas No. 1 missile expert. Readers of "Life On Mars, incidentally, may have wondered about the names of the two space ships, Oberth and Goddard. Both are named after men who played inspirational roles in Dr. von Brauns life: Hermann Oberth, von Brauns, old mathematics teacher, and Robert Hutchings Goddard, pioneer American rocketeer. leave that to you, sir, McKay said, "but it would give us great pleasure if Karis might be one of the three. Ansanto looked at the young Martian in some surprise. "Karis is not a scientist, he began, "and yet t yes, I think Karis must go with you. He reflects the thoughts of our people. He smiled at Karis. "We shall discuss at the Academy our other two space pioneers. Their names will be announced at the dinner we plan in your honor before you leave us. The time was growing short now, but Continued on page 22 1 THIS WEEK Mogoxin Mqy 8, 1960 |