Ivan Yefremov - Andromeda (A Space-Age Tale)

The red lines slowed down their movements, the screen went dark and then lit up again. A dully lit plain could scarcely be discerned in the twilight with mushroom-shaped structures dotted here and there. Near the front a gigantic (judging by the extent of the plain) blue circle with an obviously metallic surface gleamed coldly. One above the other two huge discs, convex on both sides, hung directly over the centre of the blue circle. No… they were not hanging but were slowly rising higher and higher. The plain vanished and only one of the discs remained on the screen; it was more convex below than above and there were crudely spiral ribs on both sides.

“Is it they… is it they?” exclaimed both scientists, almost together, thinking of the perfect similarity of this image with the photographs and drawings of the spiral disc the 37th Cosmic Expedition had found on the planet of the iron star.

Another whirl of red lines and the screen went dead. Renn Bose waited, afraid to take his eyes off the screen for even a second. The first human eye to see something of the life and thoughts of another galaxy! The screen, however, did not show any further signs of life. Junius Antus spoke from the side-screen of the TVP.

“The transmission has broken off. We cannot wait any longer because we are using too much of Earth’s power resources. The whole planet will be astounded. We must ask the Economic Council for reception hours outside the regular programme at intervals more frequent than at present, but that will only be possible in a year’s time, after so much has been spent on the dispatch of Lebed. Now we know that the spaceship on the black planet is from there. If Erg Noor had not found it we should never have understood what we have seen.”

“And that disc came from there? How long did it fly?” asked Renn Bose, as though talking to himself.

“It has been flying dead for about two million years through the space that divides our two galaxies,” answered Junius Antus, sternly, from the screen. “It flew until it found refuge on the planet of star T. Those spaceships are apparently built to land automatically despite the fact that for thousands and thousands of years no living hand has touched their mechanism.”

“Perhaps they live a long time?”

“But not millions of years, that would contradict the laws of thermodynamics,” answered Junius Antus, coldly. “Even though it is of enormous size the spiral disc could not contain a whole planet of people… or intelligences. As yet our two galaxies cannot reach each other, cannot exchange messages….”

“They will,” declared Renn Bose, confidently, said good-bye to Junius Antus and returned to the cosmoport whence the spaceship Lebed had just flown off.

Darr Veter, Veda Kong, Chara and Mven Mass stood somewhat apart from the two long rows of people who had come to see the ship off. All heads were turned in the direction of the central building. Noiselessly a wide platform swept past them accompanied by waving hands and shouts of greeting, something that people only permitted themselves in public on very special occasions. The twenty-two members of Lebed’s crew were on the platform.

The vehicle drew up against Lebed. At the tall retractable lift stood a number of people in white overalls, the twenty members of the ground crew, mostly engineers working at the cosmoport: all of them had tired, drawn faces. During the past twenty-four hours they had checked all the expedition’s equipment once more and had tested the reliability of the ship with the tensor apparatus.

In accordance with a custom that had been introduced with the first Cosmic expeditions the Chairman of the Commission reported to Erg Noor who had again been appointed commander of the spaceship and of the expedition to Achernar. Other members of the commission placed their insignia on a bronze plate bearing their portraits which was handed to Erg Noor; after this they moved away to one side and those who had come to bid farewell to the crew surged round the ship. The people drew up in front of the travellers, permitting their relatives to reach the small platform of the lift that was still vacant. Cinema cameramen recorded every gesture of the parting crew, a last memory of them to be left on Earth.

Erg Noor noticed Veda Kong when she was still some distance away: he thrust the bronze certificate into his wide astronaut’s belt and hurried to the young woman.

“It’s good of you to have come, Veda!”

“How could I not come!”

“For me you are a symbol of Earth and my past youth!”

“Nisa’s youth is with you for ever!”

“I won’t say I’m not sorry about anything because it wouldn’t be true. I’m sorry, first of all, for Nisa, my companions and myself…. The loss is too great. On this last time on the planet I’ve learned to love Earth in a new way, more strongly, simply and unconditionally.”

“But you’re going, nevertheless. Erg?”

“I must. If I were to refuse I should lose Earth as well as the Cosmos.”

“The greater the love the greater the deed.”

“You’ve always understood me perfectly, Veda. Here’s Nisa. I’ve just been admitting nostalgia to Veda.”

The girl with the shock of red curls lowered her eyelashes: she had grown thinner and looked like a boy.

“I never thought it would be so hard. You’re all of you so good… so pure… so beautiful… to leave you, to tear one’s body away from Mother Earth….” The astronavigator’s voice trembled. Veda instinctively drew the girl towards her, whispering the mysterious words of feminine comfort.

“In nine minutes the hatches will be closed,” said Erg in a soundless voice, his eyes fixed on Veda.

“It’s a long time yet!” exclaimed Nisa simply and with tears in her voice.

Veda, Erg, Veter and Mven Mass like others present were surprised and grieved that they could find no words to say. There was nothing with which to express their feelings in face of a magnificent deed that was to be performed for the sake of those who did not yet exist and who would come many years later. Those who were leaving and those who were staying behind knew everything. What more could be said?

What wishes, jokes or promises could affect the hearts of people who were leaving Earth for ever to plunge into the void of the Cosmos?

Man’s second system of signals proved to be imperfect and gave way to the third. Profound glances expressing passionate feelings that could not be transmitted verbally were met in tense silence or were engaged in making the most of El Homra’s wretched landscape.

“Time!” came Erg Noor’s metallic voice like the snap of a herdsman’s whip — the people hurried to board their ship. Veda, sobbing quite openly, pressed Nisa tightly. For a few seconds the two women stood cheek to cheek, their eyes tightly closed while the men exchanged parting glances and handshakes. The lift had already taken eight of the astronauts into the black oval of the hatch. Erg Noor took Nisa by the hand and whispered something to her. The girl blushed, broke away and ran to the spaceship. She turned round before stepping into the lift and met the big eyes of an unusually pale Chara.

“May I give you a kiss, Chara?” she asked in a loud voice.

Chara did not answer but jumped on to the lift platform, trembling all over, put her arms round the girl astronaut, then, without a single word, jumped down again and ran away.

Erg Noor and Nisa went up together.

The crowd stood motionless as the lift stopped for a moment opposite the black hatch in the brightly illuminated hull of Lebed and two figures, a tall man and a graceful girl, stood side by side receiving Earth’s last greetings.

Veda Kong clenched her fists and Darr Veter could hear her joints cracking.