INTRODUCTION
"Nemobius Fasciatus" was published in Más Allá #7, Dec 1953 and was illustrated by Olmos. It is the second of three stories that make up "The Crimes of the LIO" series. We recommend reading the first entry in the series, "Protonickel" (#6, Nov 1953) before reading this and the third entry, "Nyctalopes" (#8, Jan 1954).
For further information on this era of Argentine science fiction, see Rachel Haywood Ferreira's "Más Allá, El Eternauta, and the Dawn of the Golden Age of Latin American Science Fiction (1953-59)" and "How Latin America Saved the World and Other Forgotten Futures".
For complete scans of Más Allá, including the illustrations, see: https://ahira.com.ar/revistas/mas-alla-de-la-ciencia-y-de-la-fantasia/
NEMOBIUS FASCIATUS
In truth, clouds again gathered over El Petiso Trapisóndez's head the day Nogler decided to review his employees' timecards.
That day, a Monday morning, Nogler (the director of the LIO, that is, Liero No. 1) realized that Puntualini didn't exactly live up to his surname.
El Flaco Puntualini, one of the "craniums" of the laboratory, was an expert in electronics.[Translator's note: "Flaco", thin, weak.] His friends said he was so thin that as a child he could have lived comfortably in a furnished aspirin tube; but what he had in thinness he more than compensated for by his impunctuality, which was his greatest defect. In reviewing his card, Nogler discovered that El Flaco was systematically late for work, and sometimes so late that he didn't show up at all.
"That's Puntualini's 'flaco' side. But what isn't?" he thought angrily. "We'll have to put the brakes on him."
He immediately called him into his office via intercom.
El Flaco arrived smiling as always, but when he saw Nogler's face, his internal adrenaline secretion increased, that is to say, he became afraid.
- "Are you adhering to the timezone in Santiago, Chile? Maybe you're respecting the time from '81? Or are you still using a clepsydra to keep track of time?" [Translator's note: Argentina's modern time zone was standarized in 1894. El Observatorio de Marina was established in 1881 to provide accurate time to ships in the Port of Buenos Aires.]
Puntualini was going to defend himself by responding that the public transit system was extremely poor, but just in time, he remembered that he lived only half a block from the laboratory, and preferred to remain silent.
Nogler, seeing that he did not respond, decided he'd apply maximum castigation to him, and said:
- "From now on and until it's corrected, you'll be working as an assistant under El Petiso Trapisóndez's orders, designing and building his infrared noctivisors."
Work under the orders of El Petiso! Siberia, Dachau, Devil's Island and other such places of recreation were preferable.
But Puntualini was prideful: he decided not to ask for clemency and accepted his sentence.
Furthermore, any request would've been useless, since it's well known that on Monday mornings, as was the case here, directors and managers are influenced by mysterious astral currents that make them immune to any requests for kindness or clemency.
* * *
PUNTUALINI left the office and was greeted by the entire gang of lieros, who, as always, were already aware of everything that happened, thanks to the good offices of Gladys, the director's personal secretary. Gladys, apart from being an impressive beauty, was the perfect transceiver, that is, she immediately retransmitted, amplified and modulated everything received through her boss's desk; but, of course, asking for the maximum discretion.
Manuelski approached Puntualini and wanted to console him.
- "Don't worry. You know about that one time where one of El Petiso's assistants lasted almost a week. Of course, there were three holidays in between and he finally committed suicide; but his motives in doing so were never fully explained, so perhaps it was for some other reason."
Oscar affectionately patted Puntualini on the back, saying:
- "In three months, you'll have a legal address in the asylum; and then..."
He was interrupted by the shrill voice of El Petiso, who from the other end of the laboratory shouted:
- "Let's see, Puntualini; quickly and effectively, straighten my work desk up for me. And I've already told you that..."
Three terrible months passed for Puntualini, and while he was working on the infrared project, he began to see everything in an 800 millimicron wavelength; that is to say, he saw everything in red. Perhaps he was under the influence of El Petiso. And the hatred he already felt for him swelled in crescendo.
To free himself from this obsession over El Petiso, he went to see a company of giants in a famous foreign circus; but, despite attending three consecutive performances, he didn't notice much in the way of improvement.
It was, therefore, completely natural and logical that he thought of eliminating him. But how could he do so without arousing suspicion?
Electronics were completely ruled out. Everyone knew about his expertise in this area. He'd have to find a different method, but controlled for this proposed purpose.
Controlled? Conditioned? Conditioning?...
The dendrites in Puntualini's brain connected, and the response came immediately.
Pavlov's reflexive conditioning!
* * *
PUNTUALINI was active; he already had the idea, and, drawing strength from 'flaqueza' (he didn't have any other), he put his hands to work without wasting any time.[Translator's note: "flaqueza", "flaco" in noun form.] He quickly transformed the basement of his house into a laboratory for physiological experiments and bought a beautiful sheepdog that he named Fusible.
- "Trapisóndez was a crabby dog, he should die ribbed like a dog bitten by a rabid dog," thought Puntualini. This seemed like a tongue twister, but in reality it was a part of El Flaco's idea.[Translator's note: "crabby, ribbed, rabid", "cascarrabias, rabiando, rabioso"] And El Flaco began to rehearse with Fusible night after night.
Several weeks passed, and one summer night Puntualini was in his basement laboratory wafting the fragrant aromas from the garden that entered through the open window.
"A beautiful tropical night," he thought satisfied, but poor Fusible wouldn't agree.
The animal was tied to a special frame by thick straps, and its hind legs rested on receptacles containing acidulated water, from which thin metal cables emerged.
Puntualini took his long amber cigarette holder out of his mouth and examined it carefully. The small cut made with a micro mill was almost invisible, but it was enough to transform the harmless cigarette holder into a mysterious whistle. Yes, in reality, it functioned like a Galton whistle: forcefully blowing through it produced sounds of more than 20,000 cycles per second, inaudible to human ears, but not to dogs... Ultrasonic!!
Puntualini murmured:
- "He's had enough rest now; I'll get the current going on Fusible again and see if he jumps up."
He pressed the switch that electrified the containers of acidulated water, and simultaneously blew loudly on the inaudible whistle.
Feeling the current, the poor dog, enraged, ferociously jumped on the rag dummy and immediately tore it to pieces between his powerful teeth.
El Flaco, satisfied, said to himself:
- "Yes, it's already time to try it without applying current."
He blew into the cigarette holder again, but without pressing the switch, and the result was the same: the animal jumped, bit and tore with uncontrollable fury.
Reflexive conditioning! The preliminary phase had already been accomplished: the dog, hearing the ultrasonic tone without having to receive electric current, frantically pounced on the dummy, sinking its fangs into it and crushing it like a mouse.
* * *
The plan to kill or injure El Petiso was very simple. One of these days he'd invite him over to his house with another friend. Under some pretext, he'd leave El Petiso alone in the garden with the dog. He would take his other companion into the living room, from where he could comfortably observe El Petiso through the window. At an opportune moment, he would take out his cigarette holder to smoke; but, as it would be somewhat obstructed, he would forcefully blow through it to unclog it, and then...
The plan seemed perfect. They would blame poor Fusible. Rabid, no doubt.
Puntualini skillfully untied the straps that secured the dog, and it curled up meekly at his feet.
Yes, he would blow his whistle and order death through the window. The thought seemed to please Puntualini, who instinctively looked out the basement window.
Something of enormous size came crashing through the window. Puntualini looked terrified. He tried to flee. It was too late! Fusible jumped on him like a tiger and seized his throat!...
The cricket, which then entered through the same window, fluttered around for a while, emitting its high-pitched audible chirps and the corresponding ultrasonic pitch, and then went back out into the garden.
El Petiso Trapisóndez was saved again.
* * *
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Nemobius fasciatus (the field cricket) emits audible sounds at 8,000 and 11,000 cycles per second; it also emits ultrasonic harmonics of the former at 16,000, 22,000 and 36,000 cycles per second. The intensity of the emission is very strong. Ultrasonic measurements have been made 30 cm from the insect, which gave values of 90 db, or 10-7 W/cm2. (Der Ultraschall. L. Bergmam).
Galton's whistle, perfected by Edelman, emits ultrasonic frequencies up to 40,000 cycles per second. It was used for physiological experiments.
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