The air ship began to take away the screw height.
– We fly to the solar region which once was called Turkestan – Li told. – There we get solar energy. But it is not the only power source. If I began to describe to you all ways of getting of energy by us, you should listen not one days. It is enough to tell that we left coal long ago, it remained too little. It seems, there is no more force of nature which we would not use. We get energy, using wind work. We subdued volcanic forces, terrestrial magnetism and terrestrial electric currents forced to work. To we serve atmospheric electricity. Even a thunder-storm which has no time with horror worshipped as terrible god, we harnessed on service to mankind. Sea waves, sea inflows and otliva – our workers-athletes. I do not speak about water engines any more. We measure culture height by the number of the consumed kilowatts now. And, I think, it is the most right and exact measuring instrument. We overtake all boundless amount of the energy received by us in the central accumulators and from there we extend on radio in all corners of our countries: on the Earth’s surface, into the sky where our ships, fly to ocean depth for our underwater vessels and even under the earth. Well, here we, apparently, also arrived – Li told.
Our air ship softly fell, and I left a cabin. As the ship interior was well lit, I involuntarily blinked the eyes from a bright sun. It hurt the eyes to pain. I was in the south. But this light as though became brighter, is more dazzling.
– Put on dark glasses – Li told, giving points. – You did not get used to this lighting.
Having put on glasses, I saw that the sun, how many the huge mirrors reflecting it blinded me not so much. These mirrors had the form of the truncated cone. On its axis the boilers surrounded with a glass case were located. Special adaptation with the clockwork turned mirrors after the sun.
– You see how all this is simple – Li told. – The mirrors put at an angle collect sunshine in one focus and heat water to a boiling point. Steam turns out It puts electrical machines in action, and energy as I told you, is broadcast.
People in the same suits, as well as he, neither the person, nor an exterior not differing from it approached Li. Li spoke with them about difficult technical questions, throwing words and terms, unclear for me.
When we remained one, I asked:
– You talked probably to engineers. But where workers? I would like to look at them.
Li took of me an amazed look.
– Workers? What such special workers you look for? All of us are workers. One of us knows a little more, another is less, one is more talented, another less, here and all difference. But more true, perhaps, to tell that we have all – engineers. Because each of our workers knows more, engineers of your century thought.
With undisguised surprise I looked at work of these “engineers”. Here nobody shouted, disposed, everyone knew the role, all worked in coordination as musicians in orchestra without conductor.
– You are surprised with this “kontsertnost”? – asked me Li. – Yes, there is a small secret here. Of course, here the large role is played by a simple habit to collective work. Remember at least bees who are able to work so amicably, without interfering with each other. But our situation is slightly more difficult. When we should perform urgently the work demanding participation of working masses we use transfer of a thought on distance. Invisible you “conductor” directs and coordinates actions of certain workers and weight in general.
– Transfer of a thought on distance?
– In it there is nothing surprising. Ale spoke, as in your time already knew that any thought is followed by the radiation of electromagnetic waves. We developed in ourselves high sensitivity to perception of these waves. And by means of transfer of a thought on distance we managed to create ideal labor “artels”.
– But whether the personality suppresses it?
– In you the individualist did not die off yet – smiling, Li answered. – We have no contradictions between the personality and society. Everything that is useful for society, is useful for the personality. Time will come – continued thoughtfully Li – and energy of a thought will replace with itself radio. At least, in the field of exchange of thoughts. We sometimes and now resort to this way of a talk.
– What intolerable heat! – I told, choking with heat.
– Let’s go down to adits, there you freshen up – offered Li.
– Shakhty? – I asked.
– And here you will see – Li mysteriously answered.
And we went down on sloping gallery on the wide platform which is underground.
– You get into the elevator, it will be rather.
The elevator transferred us to depth of two tens meters.
Having gone out of the elevator, I saw that I am in the middle of a huge round hall with a high vaulted ceiling. Soft light filled in this to the hall. Extensively from it there were wide tunnels.
We went deep into one of these tunnels leaving afar. I with pleasure inhaled clean fresh air. The tunnel all extended, and at the end of it I saw something, forced me to stop from surprise. It seemed, I see a mirage in the desert. Before us the huge tropical garden grew. Among magnificent, juicy vegetation fountains streamed. Paths were strewed with golden sand. In the middle of a garden the quiet lake of extraordinary pure blue water was based. The great number of birds flew between trees, filling air with chatter and a rustle of wings. And over all this is blue bed curtains of the sky or glass – I could not define it – with huge sun in the middle.
– In this underground city there live employees of our solar station – Li told. – Isn’t that so, good corner? So it is pleasant to much here that they spend underground all the free time, enjoying silence, a cool, fine air and a sunlight which is transferred by system of mirrors here. Radio screens allow them to see everything that happens in the world on the Earth’s surface. Their rooms differ in nothing from my white lodge. If we have time, I will show you a remarkable aquarium, a zoo…
Li’s words were interrupted with some roar which was distributed over our heads. Li pricked up the ears.
– We go rather on a surface, there something happened – he told.
We quickly rose and left rather entered the hot furnace of bright beams of the Turkestan sun.
At the same moment I saw a strange thing: on a clear sky the small black cloudlet was suddenly formed directly over our heads.
Suddenly dazzling even in beams of the sun the lightning cut through a cloud and, having slashed on the sky, struck in the mirror collector of sunshine. I involuntarily bent down from the followed thunderclap. Splinters of a mirror scattered as a golden shower, in different directions.
– Rated sportsman! – Li cried.
But people already knew what to do. Did not pass also minutes as in different places from under the earth crowds of people with various tools began to be shown. It seemed as if someone dug out a huge ant hill and all ants came to light.
I never had to see that people worked with such speed and organization. They were not less than several honeycombs, and nevertheless neither shouts, nor orders were heard. Everyone kept at a distance, worked as a part of well harmonious car. Nobody disturbed anybody. Neither vanities, nor crush. One bore spare mirrors, others moved apart step-ladders, others sorted splinters. Did not pass also several minutes as solar installations were corrected, the garbage and the remains of mirrors are carried away. People left under the earth, and anything else did not remind of destruction. I was delighted with this extraordinary organization and involuntarily remembered Li’s words about the orchestra directed by the invisible conductor by means of thought radiation.
– However what has happened?, From where this unexpected thunder-storm? – I asked Li when everything settled.
– Work of Americans – Li answered. – They condense atmospheric electricity at distance and cause a thunder-storm. Obviously, we had a temporary break of an air obstacle somewhere. Enemies also used it to put destructions to our power plants. But another time they will not manage it. Recently I put storm rated sportsmen. Unfortunately, they were not applied still, considering, as the air obstacle quite protects us.
I did not notice how Ea approached us. She told Li that spies are caught that in the last fight they destroyed two of our ships, but at the same time died also.
– And then … – Ea bent to the ear of Li and whispered something. I was surprised to this excessive precaution.
Li nodded it and, having addressed me, said also in low tones:
– Now we act.
Then he added, having a little raised the voice:
– The moment is too serious. Extra care is necessary. We go.
In the sky as far as there were enough eyes flocks of birds were visible. It was possible to think that somewhere crows were flown to a lodging for the night from all over the world. But it were not birds, and the air ships among which there was also ours.
– Atlantic Ocean! – Li shouted, trying to outvoice noise of wind behind walls of our shell.
Atlantic Ocean? Whether long ago we were in Turkestan? Resolutely, these people won against time.
The picture developed below forced me to scream from surprise. All seashore was filled by extraordinary beings who could be taken for the terrible died-out animals. It were some strange fresh-water and air animals. Though they were similar at each other, one of them, having reached the region of the low coast, plunged into waves and, obviously, continued the way under water, others floated on a water surface, others flew over the ocean.
– Isn’t that so, it reminds a picture of the primitive world? The herd of terrible pangolins goes on a watering place! These are our fighters. They equally well feel on water, under water and in air.
They were thousands, perhaps, hundreds of thousands. And thousands of the air ships flew in air. “What destructive war! – I thought. – At such number of participants in one day millions of people can die”.
– How many the person contains your army? – I asked Li.
– You wanted to ask probably how many kilowatt? – he answered with a question.
I looked at it bewildered.
– These tools of destruction conceal in themselves billions of kilowatts of energy. And people? Seventy three persons, considering also us.
– But allow who operates all these vehicles?
– These cars have no people. The small number of the people making all our “army” operates the movement of cars at distance, on radio.
– So, means?.
– Means, it will be more war of cars, than people. “That at whom the equipment is higher” will win – so, apparently, spoke also in your time?
In this the world, new to me, I absolutely lost idea of time. Winning against huge speeds of movement against space, these people won also against time. I could not define how many minutes or hours our flight over the ocean continued. Flying at reckless speed, we as though wanted to catch up with the sun. Its last beams still gilded high clouds over us when Li told:
– We fly up to coast of America.
I looked at it and saw that, against usage, he was excited.
– Day came – he told – when the destiny of the world is decided. – Whether we will die or our enemies will die, but the globe will not be divided into two half any more. But I am sure that they will die. We cannot die because for us – the future, and they – the last gloomy page of the past.
Li did not manage to tell this phrase, as well as I already distinctly saw the American coast.
Some more moments, and our ships already flew over the coast, crept out of the ocean, quickly covering with the bulky black bodies the low coast. The place was desert. We flew much more quietly, and I could consider a gloomy landscape well. The coast of otly rose and passed into the extensive plain which regions vanished in a haze of the approaching evening. “The quite good base, is where to be developed – I thought. – But why there is no enemy? We, obviously, took them unawares”.
Searchlights flashed, and at once over the plain “blue day” came. Bright blue light lit distances, and I saw a strange thing: because of the far wood slowly as elephants, moved some beings reminding huge centipedes… They went to the deep cleft crossing the plain.
– These are bridges – Li told. – Obviously, already learned about our arrival.
– Bridges? Walking bridges?
– Old piece – Li answered. – At us you unless had not to see? Their foundations are mobile as legs. These legs people, of course, operate. Operate from far away. And bridges go and become into place…
And bridges are silent, efficiently continued the procession, reached a crevice and began carefully as the horse lowering legs in water to grope the soil. The same minute I noticed that legs of “live bridges” are extended, grow, will not grope a bottom yet. Thus they get over through crevices until the forward end of the bridge lays down on the opposite side. And the bridge is ready. Did not manage to adjust bridges a crossing as the huge tanks creeping on the ground, and the sky appeared from behind the wood as a cloud of a locust, became covered by aircrafts.
We went down on the earth. Our air ship was placed in a deep crevice. Li spread out before himself the card of fight. It was the special, shining card where all picture of fight was reflected. At the same time on the card there were hardly noticeable buttons.
Fight was started.
However, the word “fight” did not approach what I saw. Some fight of elements was an ego. In the sky the air ships collided as two thunderclouds. These clouds vomited from themselves fire sheaves. The ships faced, crashed in spills and fell to the ground heavy rain of metal splinters and the shining rain of the melted metal. The mad round dance turned steel birds in a pursuit one after another, a tornado rose above clouds, fell almost to the earth, were carried away by a whirlwind aside and again came back. The clouds of steel birds spilling fragments on the earth thinned and again were condensed from the new flown ships. It was are innumerable, there was no end.
What happened on the earth was not less terrible, amazingly, fantastically. Unexpectedly for me amphibious tanks released huge claws from steel bodies and rushed at each other as huge ants or without restraint angry scorpions. They “stung” each other fire streams, to pieces tore steel claws steel bodies, scattering metal fragments far around. Did not pass also hour as on the place of the smooth plain the whole heap of fragments, ashes, pieces of the melted Metal grew. But this mountain lived, teemed as an ant hill. Tanks broke through the courses in this mountain, everywhere looking for the opponent.
The fact that in all this spontaneous fight, in all these cars there was no person was most surprising. In the field of battle not human blood, and the melted metal was shed, not heaps of meat, but steel fragments rolled. Li was right. It was in true meaning of the word war of cars. People somewhere sat, sat in the distance and directed cars which as though became living beings.
I saw one of these living beings animating dead cars before myself. It was Li.
He already regained self-control. At least, it was externally quiet. Having inclined over the card flickering fosforichesky light he watched closely the events in the field of battle, somehow understanding all this confusion of the spots flashing according to the card, shadows and beams, from time to time gave someone short orders to a loud-hailer and continuously pressed the keys strengthened on the card. I saw how from each its touch dark specks move on the card, and peering into a periscope – as packs of the ships and dense ranks of tanks, повинуясь to his hand, move diversely. If not this periscope, then, looking at Li, it was possible to think that he is busy with a game in chess.
“Eventually, this war is not so terrible – I thought, without introducing aloud the idea not to prevent Li. – And, perhaps, it is more humane than former wars. Here not people, and cars perish”.
– But behind cars there are people, their life and wellbeing.
Who told it – Li or I thought aloud? That minute I could not realize it. I looked at Li. His face frowned. He nervously squeezed lips and several times pressed the same button. But she, probably, did not act. I looked in a periscope and saw that our tanks stand on one site as paralyzed, and enemy strenuously exterminate them.
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