Free Captain Future 16 - Magic Moon (Winter 1944) by Edmond Hamilton Page B

that warning as he stared in pretended wonder with the others at the enlarging world ahead.
    “But there isn’t anything on it but water,” exclaimed Ron King, astonished. “The whole planet is ocean.”
    The Perseus, its bow rockets thundering to brake its fall, dropped in past the big moon, Triton, and hovered above the heaving, shoreless sea. In the pale light of sunrise, the watery wastes stretched featureless to the distant horizons. They could glimpse great fish leaping high out of the waves to escape black, reptilian pursuers.
    “There isn’t a speck of land on this whole world,” marveled Lura Lind.
    “There are some islands in the northern hemisphere,” corrected Jim Willard. “That’s where the human Neptunians live. But we’re not going there.”
    “Where are we going to land then?” asked Ron King anxiously.
    Lo Quior grinned at them. “We’re not going to land at all. We’re going right down to the bottom of this sea.”
    A little outcry of alarm went up from the group at this disconcerting information. Curt Newton made his own voice the most fearful.
    “Now quiet down, folks,” ordered Jeff Lewis bluntly. “There’s no danger whatever in the Perseus going down to the bottom. A space-ship is built to keep air in, and it will keep water out just as well. And our rocket-tubes are fitted with baffles so we can navigate underwater.”
    The Perseus struck the waves and sank beneath their surface. Instantly the space-ship was encompassed by an eerie green gloom. The waters were all about them, pressing against the glassite walls through which they stared.
    The ship continued to sink. The green hue of the water, seen through the ports, darkened. But they could make out a multitude of strange fish and sea-creatures outside the walls, which had been attracted by their lights.
    Then the Perseus began to navigate cautiously above the weird forests of the ocean floor, moving in widening circles. The muffled throbbing of the baffled rockets was loud in their ears.
    “We’re looking for a city of the seafolk,” Jim Willard explained. “There’s supposed to be one in this region.”
    “What if they don’t like the idea of our visiting them to make scenes?” asked Jon Valdane doubtfully.
    “They’ll be all right,” said Davis. “They’re not exactly human, but they’re semi-civilized and friendly now.”
     
    THE lights caught two monstrous ursals engaged in a ferocious underwater struggle. Then as the two creatures separated and fled from the brilliance, a sharp cry came from the bridge room.
    “Submarine city two miles ahead.”
    A moment later, the bow-rockets blasted and then the Perseus sank downward toward an open glade in the weird polyp-forest.
    They all strained their gaze ahead in an endeavor to make out the outlines of the submarine city. But only a dim glimpse came to their watching eyes through the dusky water of a distant mass of black, cubical buildings surrounding a central pyramid. Then they lost all sight of the distant city as the space-ship sank down into the glade in the forest, and landed in the ooze.
    Jeff Lewis now went into action.
    “Get the suits ready, Jim,” he barked. “Lo Quior, you’ve got the cameras fixed for underwater work, haven’t you? Get them ready to take out. And remember, every technician is to carry an atom-gun.”
    The indefatigable producer herded his troupe down to the main airlock of the lower deck. There Jim Willard issued the sea-suits they were to wear.
    The suits were simply space-suits with glassite helmets, but they had been especially strengthened and made more rigid to withstand the crushing weight of waters. Curt Newton, as he started donning his, saw Joan Randall climbing into hers. She had previously signified her intention of accompanying the undersea party. It had been Captain Future’s idea that she should, as he had explained to her in the only chance he had had to speak with her secretly.
    But Curt Newton was disconcerted to