Juan Pedro Edmunds - "Discovery" (1956)

INTRODUCTION

Juan Pedro Edmunds was a Mexican author, cited by Rachel Haywood Ferreira to be the only Mexican author to appear in the Argentinian magazine Más Allá. "Discovery" is the only story credited under his name, which appeared in the April 1956 issue of Más Allá (#35), and was illustrated by Olmos.

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/

DISCOVERY

SUSPENDED in the blue-black of the stratosphere, the exploration spacecraft floated above the vast spheroid of the unknown planet, like a gigantic celestial finger raised in a sign of admonition.

Suddenly a discolored flame erupted from the exhaust, and with barely a murmur from its powerful engines, the ship executed a slow maneuver in the air, descending gently and landing tail-first on the unknown soil of the planet.

For some time, there was no movement. The spaceship, like a fantastic tower raised above the plain, reflected the weak reddish light of the sunset in the glow on its hull. Amid the profound ancient silence that reigned in that unknown world, the loud creaking and clicking sounds produced by the metal mass as it cooled resounded with increasing violence.

All of a sudden, a small motor began to hum inside the ship, and the heavy valve of an airlock in the lower part of the main hull opened. Through the black mouth of the airlock, a sort of metallic globe fitted with glass windows appeared, which descended lightly and silently, supported by two strong cables, until it touched the ground.

After a brief pause, during which not only the microcosm of the ship seemed to be waiting, but also all of that recently discovered world, the elevator door folded back, revealing two grotesque and extraordinary, bulky figures in thick atmospheric suits with enormous, transparent plastic helmets that completely covered their heads.

As if afraid of advancing and setting foot on land, thus so easily breaking the charm of the millennia of mystery or oblivion enclosed in the unknown planet, the two visitors from extreme space remained motionless for a while inside the elevator, looking at the sterile desert landscape of the new world that awaited them.

The land was flat, inhospitable, without trees, without elevation. Its monotonous plain extended uninterruptedly around the ship, until it was lost in the thick fog that covered the horizon and advanced slowly, carried by an imperceptible breeze. In the distance, the only variation in that uniform landscape that could be seen was the placid waters of a great lake or dead sea.

The faint crepuscular light was already fading, and only the glow of the stars remained to illuminate the panorama. The silence of that seemingly dead world was like a heavy blanket descending upon the two adventurers, crushing them, depressing them.

- "Did you notice that one detail?" - Wilyas's rough and humorous voice broke the silence - "This planet's much smaller than ours. You see? You can observe the curvature with the naked eye."

- "You're right" - Pers answered him seriously, fixing his gaze on the tranquil waters of the lake, which gleamed like a cape of obsidian under the illumination of the stars. - "Come on!" - he continued in a decisive tone. - "We have to do it."

The two of them stepped out of the elevator and onto the ground, the first to do so (was it possible?) in the entire history of the universe. Their heavy magnetic boots sank into the light ground, and they felt like the muscles in their bodies possessed much more strength than usual, due to the low gravity. They adjusted their enormous helmets, put a hand on their pistols, and stood for a moment listening and looking around them.

* * *

There was nothing to be heard. The plain and the lake remained devoid of any sign of life. A gust of mist, driven by the light breeze, passed over their feet, covering the ground.

It was the meeting of two worlds: one unknown, perhaps old, perhaps new; the other, well-known, modern, familiar, with its advanced technology that had discovered everything, invented everything already, completely eliminating the unknown, the hidden, and leaving nothing to the imagination. The two newcomers were the representatives of that old, familiar world, who with their cold, analytical gaze, came to tear the mysterious veil away, that had until then covered this new world. They were the advance troops of a civilization who came to conquer another little piece of the universe, discovering all its secrets and converting it into a dry shell of what it once was. They came under the banner of civilization to destroy enchantments, legends and dreams.

- "It seems to be quite desolate," Wilyas said, scanning the landscape. "What monstrous beings await us here?"

Pers smiled dryly. "I think you've read too many science fiction stories," he replied. "Perhaps there's no life on this planet. At least, judging by the silence, that's probably the case."

- "It's very possible," Wilyas admitted, "but there is some plant life. If I'm not mistaken, those dark patches over there to the left must be patches of grass or lichen."

- "We'll soon see," Pers replied. They began to walk towards the lake: two strange and grotesque figures in the bidimensional world of the plain, cautiously moving away from the imposing mass of the ship, which remained enshrouded in silence and gave no sign of any activity.

- "There's some elevation over there. Looks like a mountain range," said Wilyas, signalling with the metallic fingers of his glove to the dark mass of a hill or plateau that rose in the distance in the darkness.

- "Yes," Pers replied, "but let's go this way first. I see to find out if the lake contains water, and if so, whether or not it's potable. I'd imagine it should contain water, as there's not a lot of gravity here and the temperature's not high enough to allow large deposits of other substances in a liquid state."

- "Don't you think it'd be better to look for a source of fresh water in those mountains?" Wilyas asked. "It's more likely that..."

With an angry gesture, Pers pressed a button on the small transceiver's control panel he wore on his chest. Instantly, Wilyas stopped talking and began to howl in anguish, trying to hold his head with both hands through the thick transparent helmet. He staggered like a drunk, bending and straightening his body, then fell to his knees on the ground.

Pers pressed the transmitter's button again.

- "Let's go!" he said coldly. "I want to get to the lake without wasting any more time."

He resumed his march without noticing whether his companion was following him or not.

Wilyas stood up, shook his head, and quickly ran after him until he managed to catch up.

- "Forgive me, explorer," he said in a submissive voice. "I said it without thinking."

Pers instructs him without turning his head.

- "Instinctive obedience is an integral part of discipline, and the success of any exploration is dependent on discipline; therefore every aspiring explorer must be obedient and disciplined."

* * *

THEY continued walking in silence towards the edge of the lake.

- "I'm going to probe the atmosphere," Pers said suddenly, stopping again. "If it allows for normal breathing, we can take off our helmets."

- "With this cold, I think I'll stay as I am" - Wilyas smiled and patted the transparent globe that covered his head. "Uncomfortable but warm."

Pers, without answering, took a small plastic box from one of his voluminous pockets, fitted with a luminous dial and several graduated knobs attached to its cover. He made some adjustments to the knobs and studied the dial.

- "There's no chance," he said. "It's a very strange atmosphere, and it contains a measurable percentage of poisonous gases. We'd asphyxiate in a few minutes if we tried to breathe it. There we have it, that's why there are no signs of animal life on this planet. Perhaps there's aquatic life, but I don't think it would be very developed. Algae and amoebas would be the most advanced forms of life. This is a primitive world, born dead."

They began to walk again. The cold was intense; it penetrated through the plastic and metal fabrics of their thick spacesuits.

- "With your permission, I'd like to quicken my pace," said Wilyas, rubbing his arms to get the blood flowing.

- "I think that's a good idea," replied the other. "We need some physical exercise after being cooped up in the ship for six months."

The two of them began to run in tandem. Their heavy boots sank into the muddy ground, raising a small shower of dirt behind their rapid feet as they flew over the ground. They bent and straightened their legs effortlessly; each step they took was an enormous leap. Their bodies felt light, airy, as if they were in a vacuum.

Wilyas laughed, elated by the ease with which he moved his powerful body.

- "How marvelous!" he cried. "If I could run like this normally, I'd go into athletics. I'd be a champion, a phenomenon!"

- "No doubt," Pers replied dryly.

With some difficulty, they stopped walking when they reached the lake shore. Their breathing had become slightly labored.

Pers knelt down on the edge of the lake and extracted a second small plastic device from another of his pockets, with several metal cables hanging from it. Bending over the water, so that the ends of the cables were submerged, he made some adjustments to the control knobs and studied the luminous dial.

- "Good, that's one less problem" - he said after finishing these magical maneuvers - "This water is potable" - and he stood up again, putting the analyzer in his pocket.

- "Thank goodness," said Wilyas, who was following the operation with great interest. "Let's see if luck will be as favorable to us regarding the problem of finding food."

- "I think there's no hope for that," Pers replied, "but we have a year's supply of rations on the ship, and if we supplement these with the products of the artificial cultures that the biologist grows, there will be absolutely no problem."

He pressed a button on his transceiver and Wilyas saw that he was still moving his lips in conversation, but he didn't feel anything else. He must be reporting to the commander on the events of the exploration they conducted, he thought, without being surprised in the least.

While waiting for his companion to finish speaking, Wilyas began to walk slowly along the lake shore, under the huge inverted canopy of the star-studded night sky. To his left, the silent, deserted terrain stretched out to the horizon like a vast brown carpet, and to his right lay the calm basaltic waters of the lake. All was quiet and peaceful.

* * *

Suddenly he stopped and, bending down, began to scrutinize something he saw on the ground. Then he quickly stood up, turned his head towards his companion and began to call out to him:

- "Explorer, explorer, come here... come here..."

- "Don't shout," Pers' even voice replied. "Distance doesn't affect volume."

Running at full speed, he made three or four enormous leaps and arrived at his subordinate's side.

- "What's wrong?" - he asked.

- "Look," Wilyas said, pointing with his hand, a slight note of excitement in his voice. "They seem to be little bugs; little bugs of light."

- "Certainly," said Pers, crouching down and watching some lumiscent spots moving around on the ground at his feet. "Some species of firefly, no doubt."

- "Ouch!" Wilyas suddenly cried, slapping his calf hard with his hand.

- "What's wrong with you?" Pers asked, astonished.

- "Something bit me. Ouch! There it goes again. Damn, they're attacking me! Look!"

Pers reached for the flashlight attached to his belt and shone it on the spot where his feet were planted. He let out a gasp of surprise when he and his companion were surrounded by a swarming mass of miniscule beetle-like insects that were flying and crawling all around them.

At that precise instant, he felt a sharp sting on his leg. Stifling a curse under his breath, rapidly standing straight, he pressed the contact button on his transmitter and said hurriedly:

- "Hello, ship! Beacon, please! Beaa... con... !"

A second later, a brilliant beam of light, illuminating the entire scene with the intensity of a small sun, burst forth from the highest point of the spaceship, shining its bright light on the two explorers, who stood out in view like two grotesque monsters performing a strange ritual dance.

- "Good heavens!" Wilyas cried, waving his arms and beating himself like a maniac. "It's an anthill! Look!"

Sure enough, Pers' horrified eyes revealed that he and his companion were in the midst of a vast nest or hive of the little insects, teeming with thousands running and flying about them. Startled, like those who accidentally step on an ordinary anthill, Pers and Wilyas began to paw and stamp frantically, crushing hundreds of the insects with each step, leaving them crushed among the devastated branches of the huge nest.

They destroyed the city of Bahía Blanca in five minutes.