Free 2 - Blades of Mars by Edward P. Bradbury Page A

difficulties, of course -
the bag must be airtight for a start. From it we suspend ropes attached to a
cabin - that will be the thing in which we ride...'
                   By the time I had finished talking and
sketching, the intelligent men of Mendishar believed me and largely understood
me - which was remarkable considering they came from a society which was mainly
non-technical. Once again I had experienced the robust open-mindedness of the
Martian who, on the whole, can be taught any concept in a very short time if it
is explained to him in sufficiently logical terms. They were an old race, of
course, and had the example of the earlier, highly-civilised races - the Sheev
and the Yaksha - to show them that what often seemed impossible need not
necessarily be.
                   Enthusiastically, we returned through the
underground chambers selecting the things we needed.
                   I was not at all sure that the right gas would
be found in the banks of containers that occupied several of the rooms. 1 took
my life in my hands and began to sniff a little of each gas. The containers had
valves which still worked perfectly.
                   Some of the gases were unfamiliar, but none
seemed particularly poisonous, though one or two made me a trifle dizzy for a
short time.
                   At last I found the set of containers I
needed. They contained a gas with the atomic number 2, the symbol He, atomic
weight 4.0023, a gas which took its name from the Greek word for the sun -
Helium. Non-inflammable and very light, it was what I had been seeking - the
perfect gas for filling my balloon! The search became intensive after I had
ascertained that the basic things we needed were there - the light fabric, the
gas, the ropes. Next I began to inspect the motors we
had found. I did not take them to pieces since I guessed they had some kind of
nuclear base - that the power came from a tiny atomic
engine. But I did find out how they operated and saw that they would be very
simple to harness to propellers.
                   There were no propellers, however - nothing
that would serve as propellers. These would have to be made, somehow.
                   Our next great discovery was of a machine that
could be keyed to run out sections of the tough, light synthetic material of
which so much of the place was built.
                   The machine was large and evidently connected
to some unseen reservoir.
                   Ii was a boon to us. On a panel in front one
made a careful drawing of the part wanted. This had to be done like a plan -
side-view, top-view and front-view. The size of the required piece was
selected, buttons were pressed and, within, minutes, the part came out into a
pan lying beneath the main machine.
                   We could have as many propellers as we needed
- indeed, we could have our cabin custom-built, too. I wished then that I might
have more time to saunter around this fantastic underground city and discover
just what powered it, what synthesis of elements produced the super-strong
plastic, how the machine worked ... I resolved to return as soon as I could,
bring with me men who could be trained to work with me on a project that would
have as its ultimate end the wresting of all the city's secrets from it, the
correlation of information, the analysis of machines and materials.
                   When that came about, a new age would dawn on
Mars!
                   Meanwhile we worked hard, transporting all the things we needed into the domed hall where, apart from
anything else, we were close to the water supply.
                   We also found dehydrated food in air-tight
containers. This food was tasteless but nourishing.
                   As the balloon began to take shape our spirits
rose higher and higher.
                   During this time we did