Life in a Thousand Worlds Part 10

The last moments of my stay were spent in the largest structure of this whole world, the central building of education. From this structure endless lines of power and influence are maintained all through the territorial divisions of Airess.

I studied this unusual plan of education and viewed with delight the ponderous portion of this imposing edifice. At last I bid farewell to all these mute instructors and, looking skyward, fixed my mind on the sh.o.r.es of another world.

CHAPTER X.

Floating Cities.

Almost everyone is familiar with Ursa Major, or the Great Dipper, that lies in such bold relief in the region of the northern heavens, and that apparently revolves around Polaris, the North Star.

The nearer of the two stars that help to form this famous Dipper and that point toward Polaris, is called Dubhe by our astronomers. This star and its interesting solar system next claimed my attention.

From Earth I had often looked with admiring wonder at the starry firmament, and during many an evening I had drawn the imaginary lines from star to star outlining the Great Dipper, commencing with the end of the handle and finis.h.i.+ng with the star just named at the outer edge, or rim.

As I came near to Dubhe, I scanned the surrounding skies and was surprised to find that the whole semblance of my dipper was lost.

Instead of lying in a plane, these stars were widely separated, so far that a billion miles gives no fair hint of the distance.

Many new stars, previously invisible, now shone in great glory so that the whole celestial field presented new aspects. Far away I looked toward our Sun; it sparkled like a tiny star, and none of the planets of our Solar System were visible.

I paused not at Dubhe, but sped onward to one of the busy worlds that revolve around it, which I shall call Plasden. This is two hundred times as large as our world, and "slin" covers seven-eighths of its surface.

Slin is a liquid much resembling water and serves practically the same purpose.

Plasden is truly a wonderful water world. Its inhabitants are not confined to the under-water life like those found in Stazza, neither are they strictly compelled to remain in the atmosphere, although that is their normal condition. The Plasdenites can sustain life under water, but only with discomfort. They have three times as many ribs as we possess, and between them are openings into which air or water enters for life sustentation. These flabby ribs slowly rise and fall continuously and involuntarily.

I would describe the upper portion of their bodies, but they would seem so contrary to our ideas of beauty that I will pa.s.s on by saying that to my eye, now trained in the larger school of interstellar harmonies, these Plasdenites are lovely and lovable human creatures. They have reached a high state of civilization and, being gifted with the spirit life, they are still forging ahead toward perfection, unconsciously competing with their fellow spirits in millions of worlds.

Plasden is an old planet. Human beings have lived thereon for thirty thousand years, and consequently, ages ago, the land area became so densely populated that there was not enough room to accommodate the increasing millions. This perplexing problem was solved in a very peculiar manner by an experiment on the part of a wealthy Plasdenite, who, seven thousand years ago, took advantage of the extremely light mineral products of this world and built for himself a floating mansion which covered about ten acres according to our measurements.

This fairy palace was floated on the great oceans from one continent to another, propelled by the wind and controlled by a series of motors.

After a few years he returned to his native sh.o.r.e and conceived the idea of building around his palace a water village. All foundations were made of strong aluminum-like substance mixed with molten granite which, upon hardening, formed a compound of marvelous lightness and durability. With painstaking care and unceasing energy the water village was transformed from a fanciful dream into a tangible reality, and in process of time one section after another was added until a veritable city floated on the bosom of the deep.

But this is only a brief description of a marvelous accomplishment. I did not pause to mention the factories and mills that were attached to this city, nor have I told you that in less than one thousand years after this first water city was finished, there were floating, on the oceans of Plasden, no less than two hundred cities of various sizes, each a manufacturing center devoted to one or more lines of industry.

The majority of these cities moved in harmony in a world-wide course, requiring about one year or four hundred of our days to complete a single circuit. As was their prototype, so they were propelled by a series of motors and a splendid sail system. At times the wind did the greater part of the work, and again the full force of the motors was required.

Let me ask you to get on board one of these cities, and take one year's journey in a few minutes.

For instance, take one of the vehicle cities, composed of one hundred factory buildings and three thousand dwellings, all built of non-combustible materials.

The city is now in the harbor of a great port, and all the merchantmen who live nearest to this port have been informed that the vehicle city would arrive about midweek and remain four days. What a busy time follows after the floating city is fastened to its moorings! Inhabitants go on solid ground to do their trading. Dealers make large purchases and place extensive orders.

It should be stated that the mail and telegraph systems between the continents and all these floating cities are well nigh perfect. Fast lines of mail steamers follow one another around the same course pursued by these floating cities, and pa.s.sengers can go to or from any of these moving abodes to any part of any continent whenever they wish; so that if a dealer wishes a vehicle of special design, he can send his order by mail to any one of the six vehicle cities and have it completed by the time the floating city arrives at his port. If the community receiving the order cannot complete the work in time, the order is sent with one of the mail steamers to the next vehicle city in line.

The ma.s.sive city starts its journey and in one day it floats to the coaling stations. Here it takes on board an ample supply of fuel and proceeds along the regular course, making no stops until it reaches the mineral station where it takes a new supply of the various kinds of metals necessary for manufacturing and for all other purposes.

Then perchance it pa.s.ses a city or two that is lying in dock for trade purposes. The next stop will be at one of the several tropical stations where a fresh supply of fruits is purchased and a number of vehicles sold or delivered.

After this the city pa.s.ses several apparel cities moored to an immense dock, taking on board large bales of a cotton-like substance used in making texture.

So continues the interesting journey along a safe route mapped out centuries before. Storms arise, of course, but what harm can they do except to send the ponderous waves das.h.i.+ng against the bulwarks of the city and rock it gently, all of which becomes so familiar that no one thinks of these things as serious barriers to the floating-city life.

Perhaps in one tour of four hundred days thirty stops are made. You may wonder how these huge floats are stopped and started. This is accomplished by a series of border propellors which can be put into service at any time if speed is desired or contrary winds are encountered.

These cities have done much to civilize the darker races of Plasden. The manufacturing floats, coming into contact with the sh.o.r.es of all lands, naturally have an uplifting influence on its peoples, some of whom go on board to learn trades.

The latest novelty of Plasden is a music city owned by one man and built most beautifully. Its size is comparatively small and it is equipped with motors of double power enabling it to proceed with considerable speed as compared with the c.u.mbersome, heavier floats. This city is built for business as well as for pleasure.

These Plasdenites enjoy an invention in the form of a machine that renders music when acted upon by air, and, at certain times, also by water. It is inspiring to listen to these Siren strains as the music city pa.s.ses another floating abode.

Excursion parties go on this music city and remain at one or another of its famous hotels as long as they wish.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Floating Palace and a Floating City.]

The most refined feature of this water life is seen in the floating mansions, of which there are many thousands. These are built in such a manner that the wildest storms of the ocean can do no more than set the mansion a rocking, for the structures that venture far away from sh.o.r.e are very large, and surrounded by many acres of attachments.

It is delightful to live in one of these water mansions, go to any chosen harbor, remain as long as desired and, taking your choice of countries, dwell among the icebergs or in the tropical regions. People of delicate health can s.h.i.+ft to any climate and change location as often as desired. This style of retired life is now the most popular of all in this peculiar world of Plasden.

The educated people are a very bright cla.s.s; they have made great progress in manufacturing. This implies a long list of notable inventions in every branch of industry. It is strange that these brilliant inventors never paid attention to air travel. However, they have perfected submarine navigation to a nicety that would be teasing to the infant efforts that we have thus far made.

The people of this far away orb have greatly surpa.s.sed us in controlling and utilizing the three distinct forces which are quite similar to electricity, and these are the wizard forces that furnish the power used to drive the motors and engines, not only of the floating cities, but also of the fixed abodes.

By a comparative study I ascertained that we have over six thousand inventions for which they have no parallel, and Plasden has nearly twenty thousand to which we have nothing similar. What an inspiring study all these facts furnished! But my s.p.a.ce forbids enlargement. I believe, however, that if our world remains a few thousand years more, we will have learned more secrets than the experts of Plasden know to-day, although they have had a start of many thousand years over us.

There are very few worlds where the devotional spirit has reached a higher level than in Plasden. The truths of the Creator are preached and practised with a far more pleasing result than is prevalent on Earth.

Satan has found his way to this planet and has organized his forces into sworn legions against whom the armies of righteousness are waging relentless warfare.

The main secret of Plasden's high morality is found in the fact that the civil governments insist on moral laws and a careful observance of them. One blushes with shame at the looseness and laxity with which the greater munic.i.p.alities of our Earth are governed, and all this under the shadow of our schools and church spires.

Centuries ago the good people of Plasden learned how to co-operate when they desired to win in a struggle against iniquity. I would give my life-blood if I could transport this secret in such a way as to make it effective on the Earth.

In our world we have before us a most humiliating spectacle. If an effort is made to extirpate some form of sin that has taken audacious root in the soil of our moral life, one reform element or denomination fights with the other until the hoe is so broken that there is nothing left wherewith to dig out the miserable roots of the obnoxious weed.

Thus do we spend our energies opposing one another instead of fighting the Devil.

O, for the Plasden power of unity, before which any species of corruption can be crushed out that is opposed by the forces of righteousness!

We have succeeded, to a bitter extreme, in getting the church and state separated from each other so far that the latter scarcely ever gets a glimpse of the former, and we stand by priding ourselves in the absolute divorce. Then we have also succeeded in getting the different creeds separated by chasms so wide that it is impossible to make a combined attack against a common foe. However, these separations between sects are gradually disappearing, and over the lessening gaps the hands of a more Christian fellows.h.i.+p are being extended.

The Devil, wiser in his generation than the children of light, long ago united his trained forces in defense of his iniquitous schemes, and thus he is permitted for a season to sit on the throne of power and wield his black wand over the civil realm, thereby licensing iniquity, protecting vice, and spreading his dark designs over the commonwealths of the world.

We look forward to the time when the moral and spiritual forces of our world will reach the Plasden unity. May this be accomplished without struggling along for another century!