Captain Future 25 - Moon of the Unforgotten (January 1951) by Edmond Hamilton Read Free Book Online Page B

frowned. “The nearest star is a long way out of our course. I hate to lose time going there for copper.”
    The ship was traversing a rather empty region of the galaxy, and the nearest star with planets was several light-years on their left.
    “Maybe there’s a dark star somewhere nearer than that,” suggested Simon Wright. “Take a look around with the spectro-telescope, Grag.”
    Grag went to the instrument and for some minutes carefully swept space with it. He suddenly uttered a satisfied exclamation.
    “We’re in luck! There’s a ‘rogue planet’ only a few billion miles away from us, and almost in our course.”
     
    ROGUE PLANET
    A “rogue planet” was the name given to wandering planets of the void not attached to any star-system. The Futuremen had encountered many such solitary, wandering worlds which unguessable cosmic disasters had torn loose from their parent suns and set raving alone.
    Curt at once shifted the course of the Comet toward the unseen “rogue” world. It soon bulked up ahead of them in the blaze of the galaxy’s stars, a planet of medium size. It had atmosphere, and there was an odd pearly glow of light about it.
    They landed in that soft, dawn-like glow upon a rolling, grassy plain. Their instruments showed that the atmosphere was oxygenated and had a warmth as surprising as the sourceless light.
    “Queer looking planet,” Curt commented, puzzledly. “Well, we’ve no time for exploring. We’ll just scout around until we find some copper and then get on our way.”
    They emerged into the soft, warm air. They needed no space-suits, but Curt carried an instrument capable of locating copper deposits by means of a principle of atomic resonance.
    The instrument showed nothing. He looked around at the silent landscape and then pointed to some low hills westward.
    “We’ll try those hills. If there’s copper there, the resonator will locate it.”
     
    WISH FULFILLMENT
    The Futuremen started forward, striding across the grassy plain in the soft glow.
    “I was hoping we’d find something edible here — I’m tired of synthetic rations,” complained Otho. “I could go for a juicy Jovian marsh-apple right now.”
    The words were no sooner out of his mouth, than an incredible thing happened. There was a swirl of mist close by them and suddenly a squat, many-branched tree came magically into existence.
    It was an unmistakable Jovian marsh-apple tree. And it was loaded with pale, heavy fruit.
    “Imps of Space!” yelled Otho, recoiling. “Do you others see it too?”
    “It wasn’t there a minute ago — it just appeared out of nothing!” stammered Grag.
    Curt Newton had swiftly drawn his proton-pistol. He was looking around in sharp alarm.
    “That tree can’t be real!” he exclaimed. “It’s an illusion of our minds. That means that we’re being somehow hypnotically attacked.”
    “Hang it, the thing looks real enough,” Otho protested. He stepped forward, jerked one of the big marsh-apples off a twig, and sank his teeth into it. He looked up, stupefied. “It is real! And it’s good.”
    He reached to pick another of the fruits. But, as he made the motion, the tree abruptly dissolved into mist and was gone.
    “It’s gone again!” Grag shouted. “Chief, what does it mean?”
    The Brain spoke sharply. “There’s some fantastic power at work on this world. I think we’d better leave here at once.”
     
    CAPTAIN FUTURE PROVES STUBBORN
    But Captain Future’s stubborn streak was aroused. “I still think it was just a trick of illusion. And we’re going to get copper here before we go.”
    “That marsh-apple was no illusion — it was real and solid,” Otho insisted.
    “Say, maybe this is a Wishing World, of some kind?” Grag suggested eagerly. “Maybe all you have to do is wish for something here and you get it?”
    “Don’t be childish,” Curt said acidly.
    “I’m going to try it, anyway,” Grag persisted. “I wish — I wish I had a diamond as big as my