Smith, E E 'Doc' - Lensman 01 - Triplanetary

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of both those galaxies became possessed of planets.

There is much evidence to support the belief that it was not merely a

coincidence that so many planets came into being at about the same time

as the galactic inter- passage. Another school of thought holds that it was

pure coincidence; that all suns have planets as naturally and as inevitably

as cats have kittens.

Be that as it may, Arisian records are clear upon the point that before

the two galaxies began to coalesce, there were never more than three solar

systems present in either; and usually only one. Thus, when the sun of the

planet upon which their race originated grew old and cool, the Arisians

were hard put to it to preserve their culture, since they had to work against

time in solving the engineering problems associated with moving a planet

from an older to a younger sun.

Since nothing material was destroyed when the Eddorians were

forced into the next plane of existence, their historical records also have

become available. Those records-folios and tapes and playable discs of

platinum alloy, resistant indefinitely even to Eddore's noxious atmosphere

agree with those of the Arisians upon this point. Immediately before the

Coalescence began there was one, and only one, planetary solar system in

the Second Galaxy; and, until the advent of Eddore, the Second Galaxy

was entirely devoid of intelligent life.

atmosphere a foul and corrosive fog. Eddore was and is unique; so differ-

ent from any other world of either galaxy that its very existence was inexpli-

cable until its own records revealed the fact that it did not originate in nor-

mal space-time at all, but came to our universe from some aliens and horri-

bly different other.

As differed the planets, so differed the peoples. The Arisians went

through the usual stages of savagery and barbarism on they way to Civili-

zation. The Age of Stone. The Ages of Bronze, of Iron, of Steel, and of

Electricity. Indeed, it is probable that it is because the Arisians went

through these various stages that all subsequent Civilizations have done

so, since the spores which burgeoned into life upon the cooling surfaces, of

all the planets of the commingling galaxies were Arisian, not Eddorian, in

origin. Eddorian spores, while undoubtedly present, must have been so

alien that they could not develop in any one of the environments, widely

variant although they are, existing naturally or coming naturally into being

in. normal space and time.

The Arisians - especially after atomic energy freed them from physi-

cal labor- devoted themselves more and ever more intensively to the explo-

ration of the limitless possibilities of the mind.

Even before the Coalescence, then, the Arisians had need neither of

space-ships nor of telescopes. By power of mind alone they watched the

their perfect memories every detail of everything that happened; in the

hope that, as ages passed, either they or their decedents would be able to

develop a symbology and a methodology capable of explaining the then

inexplicable phenomenon. Carefree, busy, absorbedly intent, the Arisian

mentalities roamed throughout space-until one of them struck an Eddorian

mind.

* * *

While any Eddorian could, if it chose, assume the form of a man,

they were in no sense man-like. Nor, since the term implies a softness and

a lack of organization, can they be described as being amoeboid. They

were both versatile and variant. Each Eddorian changed, not only its

shape, but also its texture, in accordance with the requirements of the mo-

ment. Each produced extruded members whenever and wherever it

needed them; members uniquely appropriate to the task then in work. If

hardness was indicated, the members were hard; if softness, they were

soft. Small or large, rigid or flexible; joined or tentacular - all one. Filaments

or cables; fingers or feet; needles or mauls - equally simple. One thought

and the body fitted the job.

memories of their one "parent".

And if it is difficult to describe in words the physical aspects of the

Eddorians, it is virtually impossible to write or to draw, in any symbology of

Civilization, a true picture of an Eddorian's - any Eddorian's mind. They

were intolerant, domineering, rapacious, insatiable, cold, callous, and bru-

tal. They were keen, capable, persevering, analytical, and efficient. They

had no trace of any of the softer emotions or sensibilities possessed by

races adherent to Civilization. No Eddorian ever had anything even re-

motely resembling a sense of humor.

While not essentially bloodthirsty - that is, not loving bloodshed for its

own sweet sake - they were no more averse to blood-letting than they were

in favor of it. Any amount of killing which would or which might advance an

Eddorian toward his goal was commendable; useless slaughter was

frowned upon, not because it was slaughter, but because it was useless

and hence inefficient.

And, instead of the multiplicity of goals sought by the various entities

of any race of Civilization, each and every Eddorian had only one. The

same one: power. Power! P-O-W-E-R!!

Since Eddore was peopled originally by various races, perhaps as

similar to each other as are the various human races of Earth, it is under-

standable that the early history of the planet while it was still in its own

"push-button" wars employing engines of destruction against which the only

possible defense was a fantastic thickness of planetary bed-rock.

Finally, unable either to kill or to enslave each other, the compara-

tively few survivors made a peace of sorts. Since their own space was

practically barren of planetary systems, they would move their planet from

space to space until they found one which so teemed with planets that

each living Eddorian could become the sole Master of an ever increasing

number of worlds. This was a program very much worthwhile, promising as

it did an outlet for even the recognizedly insatiable Eddorian craving for

power. Therefore the Eddorians, for the first time in their prodigiously long

history of fanatical non-cooperation, decided to pool their resources of mind

and of material and to work as a group.

Union of a sort was accomplished eventually; neither peaceably nor

without highly lethal friction. They knew that a democracy, by its very na-

ture, was inefficient; hence a democratic form of government was not even

considered. An efficient government must of necessity be dictatorial. Nor

were they all exactly alike or of exactly equal ability; perfect identity of any

two such complex structures was in fact impossible, and any difference,

however slight, was ample justification for stratification in such a society as

theirs.

There resulted, among other things, the hyper-spatial tube and the fully

inertialess drive - the drive which was, millions of years later, to be given to

Civilization by an Arisian operating under the name of Bergenholm. Another

result, which occurred shortly after the galactic interpassage had begun,

was the eruption into normal space of the planet Eddore.

"I must now decide whether to make this space our permanent

headquarters or to search farther," the All-Highest radiated harshly to his

Council. "On the one hand, it will take some time for even those planets

which have already formed to cool. Still more will be required far life to de-

velop sufficiently to form a part of the empire which we have planned or to

occupy our abilities to any great degree. On the other, we have already

spent millions of years in surveying hundreds of millions of continua, with-

out having found anywhere such a profusion of planets as will, in all prob-

ability, soon fill both of these galaxies. There may also be certain advan-

tages inherent in the fact that these planets are not yet populated. As life

develops, we can mold it as we please. Krongenes, what are your findings

in regard to the planetary possibilities of other spaces?"

The term "Krongenes" was not, in the accepted sense, a name. Or,

rather, it was more than a name. It was a key thought, in mental shorthand

- a condensation and abbreviation of the life-pattern or ego of that particular

Eddorian. "Not at all promising, Your Supremacy," Krongenes replied

under any circumstances admit that any race, anywhere, had ever ap-

proached or ever would approach the Eddorians in any quality whatever;

and second, because, as is routine in all dictatorships, disagreement with

the All-Highest did not operate to lengthen the span of life.

"Very well. We will now confer as to . . . but hold! That thought is not

one of ours! Who are you, stranger, to dare to intrude thus upon a confer-

ence of the Innermost Circle?"

"I am Enphilistor, a younger student, of the planet Arisia." This name;

too, was a symbol. Nor was the young Arisian yet a Watchman, as he and

so many of his fellows were so soon to become, for before Eddore's arrival

Arisia had no need of Watchmen. "I am not intruding, as you know. I have

not touched any one of your minds; have not read any one of your

thoughts. I have been waiting for you to notice my presence, so that we

could become acquainted with each other. A surprising development, truly-

we have thought for many cycles of time that we were the only highly ad-

vanced life in this universe . . ."

"Be silent, worm, in the presence of the Masters. Land your ship and

surrender, and your planet will be allowed to serve us. Refuse, or even

hesitate, and every individual of your race shall die."

"Worm? Masters? Land my ship?" The young Arisian's thought was

pure curiosity, with no tinge of fear, dismay, or awe. "Surrender? Serve

peculiar - what an extraordinary-psychology!"

"Die, then, worm, if you must have it so!" the All-Highest snarled, and

launched a mental bolt whose energies were calculated to slay any living

thing.

Enphilistor, however, parried the vicious attack without apparent ef-

fort. His manner did not change. He did not strike back.

The Eddorian then drove in with an analyzing probe, only to be sur-

prised again - the Arisian's thought could not be traced! And Enphilistor,

while warding off the raging Eddorian, directed a quiet thought as though

he were addressing someone close by his side

"Come in, please, one or more of the Elders: There is a situation

here which I am not qualified to handle."

"We, the Elders of Arisia in fusion, are here." A grave, deeply reso-

nant pseudo-voice filled the Eddorians' minds; each perceived in three-

dimensional fidelity an aged, white bearded human face. "You of Eddore

have been expected. The course of action which we must take has been

determined long since. You will forget this incident completely. For cycles

upon cycles of time to come no Eddorian shall know that we Arisians exist."

Even before the thought was issued the fused Elders had gone qui-

etly and smoothly to work. The Eddorians forgot utterly the incident which

even I can perceive... " He paused, overcome by his thought.

"That which you perceive, youth, is but a very small fraction of the

whole. We did not attempt to slay them because we could not have done

so. Not because of squeamishness, as you intimate, but from sheer inabil-

ity. The Eddorian tenacity of life is a thing far beyond your present under-

standing; to have attempted to kill them would have rendered it impossible

to make them forget us. We must have time . . . cycles and cycles of time."

The fusion broke off, pondered for minutes, then addressed the group as a

whole:

"We, the Elder Thinkers, have not shared fully with you our visualiza-

tion of the Cosmic All, because until the Eddorians actually appeared there

was always the possibility that our findings might have been in error. Now,

however, there is no doubt. The Civilization which has been pictured as

developing peacefully upon all the teeming planets of two galaxies will not

now of itself come into being. We of Arisia should be able to bring it even-

tually to full fruition, but the task will be long and difficult.

"The Eddorians' minds are of tremendous latent power. Were they to

know of us now, it is practically certain that they would be able to develop

powers and mechanisms by the use of which they would negate our every

effort - they would hurl us out of this, our native space and time. We must

have time . . . given time, we shall succeed. There shall be Lenses . . . and

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ofboththosegalaxiesbecamepossessedofplanets.Thereismuchevidencetosupportthebeliefthatitwasnotmerelyacoincidencethatsomanyplanetscameintobeingataboutthesametimeasthegalacticinter-passage.Anotherschoolofthoughtholdsthatitwaspurecoincidence;thatallsunshaveplanetsasnaturallyandasinevitablyascatshavekitt...

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Smith, E E 'Doc' - Lensman 01 - Triplanetary

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