“Nevertheless we are a surface-evolved race, and can’t be healthy nor happy if we stay underground all the time. Now there is a war on and we’ve been driven underground for eight or nine months. The war is going against us. As it stands now, we have lost control of the surface and my race is being reduced to the status of hunted vermin,
“You see, we aren’t fighting human beings. I don’t know just what it is we are fighting-maybe beings from outer space. We don’t know. They attacked us several places at once from great flying rings the like of which we had never seen. They burned us down without warning. Many of us escaped underground where they haven’t followed us. They don’t operate at night either-seem to need sunlight to be active. So it’s a stalemate-or was until they started gassing our tunnels.
“We’ve never captured one and consequently don’t know what makes them tick. We examined a ring that crashed, but didn’t learn much. There was nothing inside that even vaguely resembled animal life, nor was there anything to support animal life. I mean there were no food supplies, nor sanitary arrangements.
Opinion is divided between the idea that the one we examined was remotely controlled and the idea that the enemy are some sort of non-protoplasmic intelligence, perhaps force patterns, or something equally odd.
“Our principal weapon is a beam which creates a stasis in the ether, and freezes ’em solid. Or rather it should, but it will destroy all life and prevent molar action-but the rings are simply put temporarily out of control. Unless we can keep a beam on a ring right to the moment it crashes, it recovers and gets away.
Then its pals come and burn out our position.
“We’ve had better luck with mining their surface camps, and blowing them up at night. We’re accomplished sappers, of course. But we need better weapons. That’s what I sent Howard after. I’ve got two ideas. If the enemy are simply some sort of intelligent force patterns, or something like that, radio may be the answer.
We might be able to fill up the ether with static and jam them right out of existence. If they are too tough for that, perhaps some good old-fashioned anti-aircraft fire might make them say ‘Uncle.’ In any case there is a lot of technology here that we don’t have, and which may have the answer. I wish I had time to pass on some of our stuff in return for what I’m taking with me.”
“You are determined to go back, Robert?”
“Certainly. It’s where I belong. I’ve no family here. I don t know how to make you see it. Doc, but those are my people-that is my world. I suppose if conditions were reversed, I’d feel differently.’
“I see,” said Helen, “you’re fighting for the wife and kids.” ”
He turned a weary face toward her. “Not exactly. I’m a bachelor over there, but I do have a family to think about; my sister is in command of the attack unit I’m in. Oh, yes, the women are in it-they’re little and tough, like you, Helen.”
She touched his arm lightly. “How did you pick up this?”
“That bum? You remember we were on the march. We were retreating down that ditch from a surface raid. I thought we had made good our escape when all of a sudden a ring swooped down on us. Most of the detachment scattered, but I’m a junior technician armed with the stasis ray. I tried to get my equipment unlimbered to fight back, but I was burned down before I could finish. Luckily it barely grazed me. Several of the others were fried. I don’t know yet whether or not Sis got hers. That’s one of the reasons why I’m in a hurry.
“One of the other techs who wasn’t hit got his gear set up and covered our retreat. I was dragged underground and taken to a dressing station. The medicos were about to work on me when I passed out and came to in the Professor’s study.”
The doorbell rang and the Professor got up to answer it. Helen and Robert followed him. It was Howard, bearing spoils.