CHAPTER X
Flight through Outer Space
When the
flying saucer scare started, in 1947, few reputable astronomers
publicly admitted a chance for interstellar space flight. But there has
been a gradual change in the last two or three years. One proof of this
came in February, 1951, when Dr. William Markowitz, a Naval
Observatory astronomer, discovered a strange object in our solar
system.
The day
after the discovery Thomas R. Henry, the conservative science editor of
the Washington Star, discussed the object with Dr. Markowitz and
other Naval Observatory astronomers. In an article based on their
views, Mr. Henry made this statement:
"Although highly improbable, the possibility cannot be denied that the
new-found object is a space ship launched from some planet outside the
solar system."
Later
Dr. Markowitz concluded that the strange object was a peculiar type of
asteroid with a unique orbit. But the fact remains that experienced
astronomers and a careful science editor admitted the possibility of
interstellar flight.
Other
prominent astronomers have now publicly stated that the universe may
hold many inhabited planets. One of these is Dr. Carl F. von Weizacker,
noted University of Chicago astrophysicist.
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"Billions upon billions of stars," Dr. von Weizacker has said, "may each
have their own planets revolving about them. It is possible that these
planets would have animal and plant life on them similar to the earths."
Our
progress toward space travel has changed the minds of many engineers and
scientists who once called this a fantastic dream. We have made long
strides since the pioneering rocket tests of Dr. Robert H. Goddard which
began back in the twenties. Most of this progress has been made in the
last five years. Perhaps it was only coincidence, but our intensive
drive for space travel did not begin until after the first flood of
saucer reports.
Within a
few months the Defense Department mapped serious plans for a moon rocket
and an artificial satellite. In 1948 Secretary James Forrestal publicly
announced the first steps.
"The
Earth Satellite Vehicle Program, which is being carried out
independently by each military service, has been assigned to the
Committee on Guided Missiles for coordination. . . . Well-defined areas
of research have been allocated to each of the three military
departments."
Another
hint of the government's interest was given by General Curtis Le May,
when he asked Congress for Air Force research funds covering these
items: "Flight and survival equipment for ultra-atmospheric operations,
including space vehicles, space bases, and devices for use therein."
We are
still several years from our first space flight. While a moon rocket
could be built now, it would be a crude device compared with the space
ships which have been planned. One reason is that we are waiting for
atomic power. Also, rocket designers have almost outstripped the
research scientists. This was frankly admitted last February by the
chief of the rocket section at the Naval Research Laboratory.
"Present
plans for space travel," he said, "and designs for space ships are based
on a meager store of scientific
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knowledge. Before we
can attempt to transport human beings in a ship, we must produce a
practical, reliable, unmanned satellite. To do this we need better, more
efficient rocket power plants . . .
"We need
more research on fuels, on high-temperature metals, and methods for
cooling the inner walls of rocket motors and the outer skins of
high-speed airframes."
However,
we have learned some of the answers, using improved V-2s and other
rockets. Powered by liquid fuels, a Wac-Corporal unit, fired at high
altitude from the nose of a V-2, has climbed about 250 miles, reaching a
speed of 5,000 m.p.h. Eventually rockets driven by atomic-powered jets,
or perhaps a now-unknown propulsion system, will escape the earth's
gravity and fly into free space.
In the
frigid cold of the earth's shadow, space-ship cabins will have to be
heated. But in sunlight, crews will have to be protected from the
intense solar heat: even in our supersonic test planes, which fly at
less than 100,000 feet, cockpits must be air-cooled. To safeguard crews
in airless space, a balance must be found between the extreme cold on
the shaded side of a ship and the tremendous solar heat on the exposed
side. Methods now considered include combinations of black and white
painting, and a slow, controlled rotation of the entire space ship.
Already,
chemical air-purifying systems have been planned for crew compartments.
Tests indicate that crews and passengers will breathe oxygen and helium,
eliminating the danger from nitrogen bubbles.
After
scores of rocket flights, engineers have developed complicated control
and recording instruments which withstand the shock of terrific
acceleration. The first crude inertial controls of the V-2 have been
replaced by new devices which detect the slightest variation in speed.
Gyroscopes a thousand times more accurate than those used in aircraft
are ready for space-ship use, and automatic navigation equipment
designed for guided missiles is being adapted for space rockets.
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To learn
what human beings can stand in space, Air Force and Navy space-medicine
experts have made hundreds of tests. One series, made with the Air
Force decelerator sled at Muroc Air Force Base, shows that humans can
stand far more gs than was once believed. (One g is the normal pull of
gravity.)
In these
tests the G-sled, driven by rockets down a 2,000-foot track, swiftly
reaches a top speed of almost 200 miles an hour. Near the end of the
track it is halted by a powerful braking system—or, in the latest type,
by a scoop lowered into a trough of water. When stopped in the shortest
possible time, the force produced is at least 50 gs.
Major
John P. Stapp, Air Force medical officer in charge of the tests, has
taken 45 gs, facing forward on the sled. An even higher number can be
taken by a human guinea pig facing backward during the abrupt stop.
"The
highest tolerance has not yet been reached," says Major Stapp. "I
believe it is much greater than ordinarily thought possible."
More
exact tests are now being made with a centrifuge— a cockpit like chamber
whirled at the end of a long trussed beam. During these experiments a
pilot's reactions are automatically photographed; they can also be
relayed by television to a control room. By timing him as he works out
various problems, at different rotation speeds, observers learn how many
gs he can take without mental lag and confusion.
It has
been found that a pilot lying prone in the centrifuge can take four to
five gs for almost ten minutes, and this is the average force expected
in a space-ship take-off.
More
elaborate centrifuges, simulating control and navigation rooms of
space
ships, have already been planned. Crews will be trained, under varying
gs, in every step from take-off to navigating in free space, before
they
make their first flight.
Actual
tests with mice and monkeys have shown what our spacemen can expect
during launchings and even in
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free space. Some of
the details have been supplied to me from the Aero Medical Laboratory at
Wright-Patterson Field.
Monkeys,
enclosed in "capsules" with an oxygen supply, were fitted with medical
instruments to show blood pressure, heartbeat, and rate of breathing.
During the upward flight automatic radio equipment signaled all changes
to Aero Medical men on the ground and no unusual effects were noted.
All the
monkeys lived through the ascent to maximum altitude, but four were
killed when their parachutes failed. The fifth landed safely, still
enclosed in its capsule, but died from the desert heat before it could
be found.
These
experiments also showed Aero Medical men the effects of "zero gravity"
or weightlessness, which spacemen will encounter when they escape the
pull of the earth. One test, automatically photographed, showed the mice
floating in their rotating drum, as the rocket started back to earth.
For two or three minutes the rocket's downward speed equaled the pull of
gravity, so that the mice were weightless.
When
they were examined, after parachutes landed their drum, they showed no
ill effects from having been "gravity free." Also, the photographs
showed that a normal mouse was as much at ease inverted as when standing
upright.
Probably
humans will suffer no more serious effects, but there will be several
odd complications, perhaps some uncomfortable sensations.
Once a
spaceman is weightless, any careless movement may send him bumping into
hard objects—falling upward, sidewise, or sailing the length of his
compartment. If he raises his hand suddenly to scratch his nose, the
lack of gravity resistance may result in a knockout blow—or at least a
disconcerting jolt.
When he
breathes, the exhaled carbon dioxide will stay in front of his face, to
be breathed in again, unless the
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air is constantly
circulated. Because the human body is a closed system—unlike a
plant—spacemen will be able to eat and drink without gravity. But
drinking, for example, will not be simple. If a space-ship passenger
spilled milk from an ordinary glass, the liquid would be suspended in
mid-air. To prevent this, spacemen will probably use nippled bags.
Likewise, any loose object—a knife, fork, dish, or anything not fastened
down—will float wherever it is placed. Frequently used equipment will
have to be secured with clamps, or magnetized to cling to metal
sections. Ordinarily sharp objects, like eating utensils, will have to
have rounded tips or edges to prevent accidental stabs or cuts.
Just how
long our future spacemen can endure the weightless state is a question.
It may produce effects which will require designers to create an
artificial gravity.
By
putting jet planes into a "ballistics trajectory"—a course slowly but
continually moving downward, like a falling shell—space-medicine
researchers have been able to get "zero gravity" for up to 30 seconds.
Pilots and crewmen in this weightless condition have described
uncomfortable sensations, although they could think clearly.
On long
space flights, this unnatural state may become mentally unbearable, even
if it does not cause actual "space sickness."
There
may be several ways of creating artificial gravity so that our spacemen
will feel normal even in outer space. One way, suggested by Dr. J. C.
Bellamy in 1950, would be to build a rotating space ship. Since then the
same idea has been explored by Dr. Wernther von Braun, creator of the
V-2, and also scientists of the British Interplanetary Society.
This
type of space ship, which the English call the 'living wheel," would
consist of a huge spoked device with crew's quarters in the hollow rim.
The centrifugal force caused by rotation would provide an artificial
gravity, so that crewmen would walk normally on a curved floor at right
angles to the hub of the wheel.
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Before
large space ships can be built, we must produce some light-weight,
heat-resistant metal. It may be an alloy combining the lightness of
titanium, a silver-gray metal now mined near Quebec, with a
heat-resistant metal similar to rhenium. Or some now-unknown alloy may
be discovered before space ships go into production.
Judging
from present progress, the first satellite will be launched in less than
five years. It may be a two- or three-stage rocket, fired from a desert
base, or it may be carried aloft by a giant jet transport, to give it an
initial take-off speed with less fuel waste.
In
either case it will be guided—by ground trackers or by robot
controls—into its preselected orbit around the earth. As it circles the
globe, automatic radio and television transmitters will relay
information to Ground Control, showing various instrument readings and
also pictures of the earth taken from the rocket.
After a
time the satellite may be brought down gradually to lower altitudes, to
see how slowly a space ship must reenter our atmosphere without
dangerous overheating.
On a
later test flight, if not the first, probably monkeys and mice will be
sent up in capsules or drums, with automatic devices attached to signal
physical reactions to Ground Control. During gravity-free flight, some
animals might be released into a larger space, so that ground observers
could watch the results of prolonged weightlessness.
When
everything possible has been learned from these tests, the first manned
satellite will take off.
For the
first few minutes the crewmen will lie strapped on their G-couches,
while robot controls guide the space ship upward. At the selected
altitude either the robot or the crewmen will turn the ship into its
orbit, where it will coast endlessly until a landing is desired.
If von
Braun's plan is followed, the satellite will circle the globe every two
hours, at right angles to the earth's axis. On each circuit, radar and
telescopes will be able to scan a strip about 1,000 miles wide. By
circling at right
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angles to the
earth's rotation, every spot on the globe will be observed during a
24-hour period.
In case
of war, guided H-bomb missiles could be launched from this base and
aimed by radar at any target on earth. The space base could also serve
as a control-point for long-range missiles launched from the earth
itself.
But the
satellite's peacetime uses will be equally important. At this airless
height astronomers will be able to see the stars more clearly; new
discoveries about the universe will soon follow. Crews can warn the
earth of approaching hurricanes and send data for accurate weather
forecasting.
Living
aboard for days, weeks, perhaps months, the crew will learn many things
of value in planning long space flights. It will be a strange existence,
even though radio and television programs will give crewmen a comforting
contact with the earth.
There
will be one danger—that a meteor might penetrate the sealed ship. Tiny
meteors, speck-size, will vaporize on the "meteor bumper"—a thin,
metallic nose shield-even though they hit at a speed of from 20 to 50
miles per second. The larger types, which are rare, would tear through
the double walls—even a meteor half an inch in diameter could penetrate
the cabin. Crews will be trained to throw emergency patches over such a
hole and to rebuild cabin pressure swiftly, meantime using their space
suits' oxygen supply.
However,
astronomers have calculated that such disasters would be very
unlikely—a space ship would probably travel for months without being
endangered. Meteor showers will be plotted in advance to avoid extra
hazard and once a space ship is in free space radar is expected to give
warning of any dangerous object that may be approaching. It will take
only an infinitely small change in course, probably automatic, to miss a
collision.
After a
satellite has been operated long enough to give crewmen experience, the
next step will be a flight to the
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moon. A new type of
propulsion may make it possible to launch a manned rocket directly from
the earth. But at present, von Braun and other rocket experts expect to
construct space ships at satellite bases, with all the materials, fuel,
and supplies carried up from the earth in three-stage freight rockets.
Actual
construction will be done by engineers in space suits, already tested by
the Air Force and the Navy. Floating in space, they will assemble the
prefabricated ships, using reaction-flasks of carbon dioxide to push
them from one spot to another.
Because
of the moon's short distance from us, about 239,000 miles, the flight
will be relatively easy. The first trip may be only a mapping
expedition, by camera, radar, and visual observation. Or the crew may
first make these checks and then land.
For the
landing the crew will turn the ship around, descending stern-first.
Once in this position, they will let down slowly, by a gradual decrease
in jet thrust. Since the moon has no atmosphere, there will be no air
resistance to heat up the ship.
Using
space suits, the pioneers will set up a small base and make radio
contact with the earth. Crews from other ships will later expand the
base. Underground, air-conditioned shelters will be built as a
protection against the daytime heat and the minus 214 degrees cold of
the long moon night. Atomic furnaces will probably be used to supply
heat, power, and light, as space-freighters bring in equipment,
furnishings, and food from the earth.
The moon
base will be doubly important. Guided missiles could be launched easily
because of the moon's small gravity—only one sixth that of the earth.
Once in free space, they could be guided by radar to any target on our
globe. And because of the moon's small gravity, it will be a main
take-off base for interplanetary flights. By taking on just enough fuel
for a moon flight, space ships leaving the earth can carry larger loads
of passengers and supplies.
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When
they reach the moon, they can take on a full fuel load, and still take
off easily, with the moon's pull only one sixth that of the earth.
Unlike
the earth-moon trip, flights to other planets will involve complicated
navigation. Mechanical brains, like the present Goodyear L-3 GEDA, will
work out the course, figuring when and where to intercept the target
planet's orbit.
Probably
Mars will be first solar planet to be explored. At its nearest approach,
Mars is 35 million miles from the earth. Venus, at its nearest, is
closer—25 million miles. But Mars, according to many astronomers, is the
most likely to have intelligent life, and several peculiar incidents in
the last three years seem to increase the probability.
The most
important evidence is linked with the mysterious explosion on Mars in
1949. The strange blast was seen on December 9 by the noted Japanese
astronomer, Tsuneo Saheki. Since Saheki has specialized in observing
Mars since 1933, his report carried weight with world scientists.
According to Saheki, the explosion caused a brilliant glow for several
minutes. This was followed by a luminous yellowish-gray cloud 40 miles
high and 700 miles in diameter. After ruling out all other
explanations, Saheki suggested it had been an atomic explosion.
Such a
blast could be from two causes, Saheki said—a volcanic eruption or an
artificial atomic explosion. If the latter, then it could only have been
set off by highly advanced beings. In this case it could have been a
test of some atomic weapon even more powerful than the H bomb —or it
could have been an accident.
If it
was an artificial explosion, there are three possibilities. It might
have been caused by a Martian race; a race from another planet could
have settled on Mars recently; or spacemen from outside our solar
system might be using Mars as an operating base during their
investigation of the earth.
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Since
the 1949 explosion, strange blue clouds have been seen above Mars by
Walter H. Haas, director of the Society of Lunar and Planetary
Observers—also by other astronomers. The cause of the clouds is a
mystery.
Beside
this recent activity, there are other unanswered questions about Mars.
The most important concerns the long-disputed canali on the red planet,
discovered by Giovanni Schiaparelli in 1877. Though Schiaparelli did not
claim these "channels" were artificial, he did not deny the possibility
that they were canals built to link the melting polar icecaps with
water-starved areas on Mars.
Since
then, many scientists have accepted this answer, among them Percival
Lowell, who established Lowell Observatory in Arizona and studied the
red planet for over 30 years. During this time Lowell discovered a
precise network of over 600 canali—which he was convinced were
waterways. Lowell's theory, stated in his three books,* was that Mars is
a dying planet, with the melting icecaps it’s only remaining source of
water. The Martians, Lowell believed, had built the canal network and a
series of pumping stations in a gradually losing battle to perpetuate
their race.
In
addition to this, several astronomers have reported seeing odd
geometrical symbols on Mars. To be visible from the earth, they would
have to be gigantic. The most logical explanation is that the Martians
were attempting to signal the nearest inhabited planet, perhaps in the
hope of being saved from their slowly approaching doom. But even the
existence of the symbols is denied by many competent observers.
However,
the possibility that Mars is inhabited—at least temporarily—is serious
enough to make it the first one explored.
During
the flight robot calculators and automatic star-trackers will keep the
ship on course. And by the time a
* Mars and Its Canals; Mars as the Abode
of Life; The Evolution of Worlds.
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Mars voyage is
possible; a new method of navigation should be practical—radio
astronomy.
In the
last few years’ astronomers using radio-telescopes —giant parabolic
reflectors with amplifying systems—have been hearing mysterious radio
"signals" from the Milky Way and beyond. Their source is unknown.
At first
scientists believed the peculiar transmissions came from hot objects of
great magnitude, which they named "radio stars." But astronomers have
been unable to identify them with any luminous objects.
In a
recent report Dr. Grote Reber, Bureau of Standards authority on cosmic
radiation, stated that such powerful radio waves could not be caused by
any star, or group of stars'. He admitted he was puzzled by the signals,
which combine to form an odd hissing sound.
"These
mysterious radio transmissions," said Dr. Reber, "are one of the biggest
questions in science today. We're not sure of their origin or what they
mean."
In
England two British scientists, Drs. R. Hanbury Brown and C. Hazard,
have tracked some of the signals to the galaxy Andromeda. But like Dr.
Reber, they do not attempt to explain the meaning, though they believe
some unknown phenomenon may be the cause.
Inevitably, it has been suggested that the signals may be "scrambled"
messages between inhabited planets, or between some planet and its space
ships. It is also possible that some of the signals come from
interplanetary navigation beacons fixed in space, or located on small
celestial bodies which our telescopes will not pick up.
Message-scrambling is a familiar practice here on earth, but though
Bureau of Standards scientists have recorded the signals on tape, no one
has been able to separate the strange hissing into code or intelligible
sounds.
So far,
about 200 signal sources have been located in space. Whether natural or
artificial, their locations are so precise that they could be used for
accurate cross-bearings. Our future spacemen will undoubtedly use the
signals to
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check their courses,
especially on long flights such as the journey to Mars.
As our
first space ship to Mars swings into the red planet's orbit, its crew
will begin long-range observations with telescopes and radar. If it
seems to be inhabited, they would have to make a cautious survey before
getting too close.
Either
the crew will launch one or more small manned craft, or they will send
down remote-control devices with cameras and television "eyes," such as
we now use in radio-controlled drones. Meantime, radiomen on the ship
will listen in for voice or code transmissions from Mars. If any are
heard, the crew will record them and try to decipher their meaning.
To avoid
alarming the Martians, the explorers would at first keep their observer
units at a fairly high altitude. If they were not fired on or chased by
Martian aircraft, the crew would begin a lower-altitude survey. In this
preliminary check they would naturally photograph or televise any
aircraft or space-ship bases, the planet's defenses, cities, and
industries.
If
Martian pilots tried to intercept the observer units with ordinary
aircraft, the units could be easily maneuvered out of danger by remote
control. But if the Martians also had space ships, the earth crew would
have to retrieve its units—or possibly abandon them—and escape into
outer space. Later they might steal back for night observations by radar
and infrared devices.
After
this first survey, the space-ship crew might return to the earth, or
they might remain in Mars' orbit and report their discovery by radio. If
the Martians seemed to be a possible menace to the earth, other space
ships might be sent for a check-up en masse.
Provided
the Martians did not have space ships, the explorers from earth could
land on Mars' two small moons and set up operating bases. The outer
moon, Deimos, is about 10 miles in diameter, while Phobos, the nearer
one,
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is a little larger.
Their small size and lack of gravity would create problems, but they
might serve as temporary bases.
It might
take a long time to survey all the important areas of Mars. Deciphering
their radio signals—assuming there were any—might take even longer,
especially if broadcasts were in several different languages like those
on earth. Because of this, a steady surveillance might go on for several
years, before we could be sure of the Martians' reaction to our space
ships.
If the
long survey showed they were not hostile and that they were beings of a
type we wished to know, we would undoubtedly prepare for contact. The
first step would probably be an attempt at communication by radio, light
signals, or by dropping messages.
It could
take months to make our aims understood, and it might be impossible.
Even if normally peaceful, the Martians might be terrified by our space
ships; fearing invasion, they could interpret our peaceful messages as
trickery and resist any attempt at landing. Or, after landings, our
possible difference in appearance might set off panic and cause a
desperate attack. In the end we might have to give up all efforts at
conciliation and leave the Martians to their own devices.
Our
explorers, of course, might find the Martians a dangerously hostile
race. If our civilization were far ahead of theirs, we could still leave
them alone, with safety. But if they had atomic weapons and space ships,
or were nearing this stage, the earth governments would face a fateful
decision.
They
could try to avert interplanetary war by displaying our advanced space
weapons, at the same time offering peaceful cooperation. If this were
refused, they could bomb the Martian space bases and atomic weapon
plants and end the threat.
The same
program, with the same chances for peace or war, would apply to Venus,
other solar-system planets, and possibly to planets of the nearest star
systems.
How long
it will take to fly to Mars, Venus, and other
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planets is still
conjecture. The distances are known, but the propulsion method is not.
With liquid fuels, now used in rockets, some space-travel planners
figure on a speed of 25,000 miles an hour. High as this may sound; it is
far too low for space travel on a large scale. A round trip to Mars
would take about three years, including an enforced stopover—a
space-ship crew would have to wait until the earth was in the proper
position before taking off for the long trip back.
Eventually, atomic-energy propulsion, mass conversion of energy, the use
of electromagnetic fields, or some now-unknown method will make it
possible to accelerate to fantastic speeds. Once in free space, where
there is no resistance, a space ship can—theoretically—approach the
speed of light, which is 186,000 miles per second. A few scientists
believe even this is not the limit; Blarney Stevens, in his "Identity
Theory," presents a reasoned case for higher speeds. But most prominent
scientists accept Einstein's formula which sets the speed-of-light
limit.
Though
it may take centuries, many space planners believe we—or rather our
descendants—will some day get close to the speed of light in the longer
space voyages. Even at one half this speed trips within our solar system
would become amazingly short.
But
flights to stars outside our solar system, even at almost the speed of
light, would take many years—unless Einstein's theory of special
relativity provides a loophole, as some scientists believe. Alpha
Centauri, for example, is 4.29 light-years from the earth; a round trip,
without stopping or allowing time to accelerate and decelerate, would
take 8.58 years. A one-way trip to Wolf 359, which was mentioned in the
1949 Project Sign report, would take over eight years, including
acceleration time. Even longer periods would be required to reach other
"nearby" stars, including Sirius, 9.11 light-years distant; Alpha Canis
Minoris, 10.22; and Kruger 60, which is 12.62 light-years away.
There
are a dozen other bright stars within this time
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range. At least two,
the binary stars 61 Cygni and 70 Ophiuchi, are known to have planets.
Possibly one of them, or a planet revolving around one of the other
stars, may have intelligent life equal—or even superior—to our own.
But the
very thought of such long flights is appalling in terms of our life
span. An earthling of 24 would return from Wolf 359 a middle-aged man, a
stranger to his own globe. A traveler to Kruger 60 would spend over 25
years in space before he returned home.
Many
years ago Magellan and his crew spent lonely years circumnavigating the
globe. But they could break the monotony, dropping anchor in sheltered
harbors. Few people on earth would accept unbroken years in space, even
if they were sure of a safe return.
However,
Einstein's theory of special relativity does provide a loophole. It is
known as the "time dilatation factor." According to this theory, a space
ship's travel time would shrink as it approached the speed of light, and
the actual elapsed time would be far less than that at the point of
departure.
Incredible as it may seem, the theory of time dilatation is accepted by
numerous reputable scientists and space-travel planners. Other
scientists, including Dr. Menzel, agree to the theory for one-way space
flight, but insist that the return trip offsets the shrinkage in time.
One of
the most thorough discussions of time dilatation may be found in the
July, 1952, issue of the Journal of the British Interplanetary
Society. It was written by Dr. L. R. Shepherd, the society's
technical director and one of England's leading scientists.
After
stating the formula involved, Dr. Shepherd adds that the time dilatation
effect has been proved experimentally by observations on
m-mesons
passing through the earth's atmosphere.
To
illustrate the principle, Dr. Shepherd assumes that a traveler, X, makes
a round trip to Procyon, 10.4 light-years from the earth, while an
observer, Y, remains here
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to record the
elapsed time. To simplify matters, Dr. Shepherd makes this a
nonstop-trip and also disregards time for acceleration and
deceleration—on such a long voyage they would not be important factors.
For this
space trip Dr. Shepherd uses a travel velocity of .990 c (the speed of
light). In this case, as he shows by the formula of special relativity,
the time recorded by X is one seventh of that measured by Y, the earth
observer.
As a
result, says Dr. Shepherd, Y records X's return 21 years later, while to
X the elapsed time is only three years. Unfortunately, as Dr. Shepherd
admits, X's family and all his friends would be 18 years older than he
was. Except for this, time dilatation would seem to be an encouraging
factor leading to eventual long-range space travel.
Utterly
fantastic though it may sound, time dilatation may be proved in some
far-distant space flight—just as Einstein's much-maligned early formula,
E = mc2, was finally proved true that fateful day at Alamogordo, when
the first A bomb was exploded.
If it
proves a fallacy, then only a greatly increased life span will make it
possible for earthlings to reach the far-distant stars. Journeys to our
neighboring star system will not be impossible for determined explorers,
but the long years involved would be a barrier to regular flights . . .
When I
finished this summary of our own space-travel plans, one fact stood out
clearly. If we had come this far in the ten years since the first V-2
rocket, some other race with an earlier civilization could long ago have
passed this point.
Reversing the picture of our own space-travel plans indicated several
obvious facts. This unknown race had solved all the technical problems
of propulsion, heat-resistant metals, and cabin-conditioning of whatever
atmosphere they breathed.
From the
precise survey operations of the discs, it was clear that these space
beings had perfected remote control.
185
There was also
evidence that they had equipped the discs with some types of television
scanners or cameras or both. And judging from reports by Controller
Harry Barnes and other trained observers, whoever guided the discs could
hear and understand our radio transmissions.
In
navigation these outer-space creatures probably had developed radio
astronomy to a high point, using the mysterious transmissions we had
heard for accurate triangulations.
If by
any chance the discs were piloted, then these beings were entirely
different from earthlings—able to withstand tremendous g-forces that
would kill a human. Regardless of that, it was plain they were highly
trained, super intelligent creatures able to plan and carry out a long
survey of a strange planet apparently without mishap. From the manner in
which the survey had been conducted, perhaps they had had experience in
exploring other inhabited planets.
Reversing the expected reactions of Martians indicated the probable
thinking of these unknown space beings. If they used humanlike logic,
they would make exactly this kind of reconnaissance. Their aims, like
ours in any future exploration of an inhabited planet, would be to learn
what the earth race was like, how far we were advanced scientifically,
and whether or not we could menace them in any way. After that they
would decide on the next step.
And
there I began to run into a blind alley.
There
were several possible motives for the saucer reconnaissance, but none
stood out as the probable answer. To narrow it down I would have to dig
deeper.
Since
the Air Force denied any idea of the motives, the only way was to search
for clues in all the authentic sighting cases. I had already analyzed
them as to saucer types, methods of operation, and certain other items.
But a new check, searching mainly for the purpose, might turn up
something I'd overlooked.
186
The
cases were laid out on my desk, and I was about to start work, when the
phone rang. It was Jim Riordan.
"Have
you read See's interview with General Samford?" he asked me.
"I saw
the AP story on it," I said. "But the Air Force is a little sore about
that article. Chop told me they didn't interview General Samford
directly—it was supposed to be labeled a hypothetical interview based on
public statements he'd made."
"Well,"
said Riordan, "it gives the impression the Air Force is starting to
plant the outer-space idea."
"Some
Air Force people think the evidence should be given out," I told him.
"But they don't want it hung on Samford this way."
"I get
it," said Riordan. "Look, you said you'd show me some other ATIC
reports. When can we get together?"
"It just
happens I've got them out on my desk. How about tonight around 8?"
"That's
OK, I’ll see you then," said Riordan.
After he
hung up, I read over the AP story on See's article:
"The Air
Force says it has no evidence that beings from some other world have
visited this planet. But the Air Force also says it would be
unreasonable to deny that such a thing could happen. The Air Force
released its statement in reply to a question from the magazine See
which wanted to know whether visitors from outer space had landed on the
earth from flying saucers.
"The Air
Force reply, in part, says:
"'As
limited as man is in his knowledge and understanding of the universe
and its many forces, it would be foolhardy indeed to deny the
possibility that higher forms of life existed elsewhere. It would be
similarly unreasonable to deny that intelligent beings from some other
world were able to visit our planet, at least to travel in our
atmosphere.
“‘However, the Air Force desires to reiterate emphatically
187
that there is
absolutely no evidence to indicate that this possibility has been
translated into reality.'"
Picking
up the phone again, I dialed Liberty 5-6700, the Pentagon's number. When
I got Al, I mentioned the Air Force answer to See.
"That's
hardly on the level," I said. "You've got plenty of evidence—and don't
give me that 'no bodies, no wreckage' routine."
Al
laughed; it sounded a little forced. He didn't bother to comment on what
I'd said.
"I was
going to call you later," he said. "I've a couple of ATIC reports in
here for you."
"Any new
angles?"
"Yes, in
both of them. They're the two Japan sightings you asked me to clear."
I told
him I'd be in; the reports might throw some light on the purpose of the
saucer survey.
When I
saw Al, I asked him the latest on the Utah pictures. He went through
the cigarette trick, fiddling with his lighter, apparently making up his
mind what to say.
"The
Navy's confirmed ATIC's analysis," he finally admitted. "And the
official showing is practically approved."
I
whistled. "Al, I never thought it would go through. By this time next
week—"
"Hold
on," he said, "it'll take longer than that. We've got to work out the
public statement."
"Why
would it take that long? You said it was all set."
Al
didn't look at me.
"Several
people have to pass on it. You know, channels-service red tape."
"Oh,
sure," I said. "But the showing is OK'd?"
"As of
now, yes."
Maybe it
was, I thought as I left, but that didn't mean it would stick. From Al's
evasive manner it was obvious a first-class battle had developed over
the showing.
The
silence group might win after all.
188
CHAPTER XI
Clues to the Riddle
Before
Riordan came that evening, I looked over the two sightings Al had
cleared. The first Intelligence report covered the rotating lights
report which Riordan had mentioned. Though the saucer had been sighted
by several air crews and tracked by ground radar, the detailed report
was made by Colonel Curtis Low, commander of the fighter escort wing in
Japan. (As Colonel Low was mentioned in a news dispatch which briefly
described the incident, I am using his right name.)
The
Intelligence officer who interrogated Colonel Low had been seriously
impressed by the wing commander's account.
"The
pilot reporting," he said, "has held responsible command assignments for
some time. The accuracy of his statements was consistent despite
repetitive interrogation. His sequence of times, locations, and
descriptions did not vary at any time. He is stable and thoroughly
reliable. There were no activities of a meteorological nature or any
inversion which could account for these sightings . . . This is a
graphic description of an object falling definitely into the family of
UFO."
The
action began in the early evening of December 29,
189
1952. At about 7:30
p.m. an Air Force radar base in northern Japan received a call from a
B-26 crew.
"We've
just sighted a UFO. It looks like a cluster of lights—red, white, and
green."
Moments
later the Air Force radar men picked up the UFO. But because of the
B-26's low speed, no interception could be made. At 7:45 an F-94 pilot
radioed in, reporting the same type of device. The call was overheard by
Colonel Low, who was flying his F-84 jet fighter at 27,000 feet
Three
minutes later the wing commander sighted the strange machine, easily
identified by its red, white, and green fights. He called Ground Control
and was asked to try an interception.
As he
climbed, Colonel Low switched off his lights. The object's lights did
not change—proof that it was no canopy reflection. Keeping his own
lights off to avoid detection, Low climbed to 35,000 feet. When he got
closer, he saw that the saucer's lights were revolving in a
counterclockwise direction—a steady rotation between eight and 12 times
a minute.
Beside
the shifting colors, Low could see three fixed shafts of white light
shining outward. Apparently one part of the machine was rotating, but
the change of colors was puzzling. At times the saucer was one solid
color, white, green, or red. In between, the wing commander saw brief
combinations—red-white, red-green, and green-white. But the three white
beams remained constant.
After
watching the device for a moment longer, Colonel Low opened his F-84 to
full power. Racing in at over 500 miles an hour, he tried to close the
gap. Apparently his unlighted plane was not seen for a second or two.
Then the saucer increased its speed. Gradually pulling away, it
disappeared in 30 seconds.
Five
minutes later, circling at 35,000 feet, the wing commander saw the
machine again. As before, it was at his level, but now moving parallel
with the F-84. This time, as a test, Colonel Low left his fights on when
he tried to
190
close in.
Immediately turning west, the strange craft speeded up, so swiftly that
it vanished in five seconds.
Eleven
nights later, on January 9, 1953, another machine with similar rotating
lights was sighted over Japan and tracked by radar. With the permission
of Intelligence, Colonel Low mentioned both cases to war correspondents,
withholding the details I have just given.
"Don't
dismiss these as the reports of a few imaginative people," he warned the
reporters. "These were corroborated sightings by trained pilots and
radar operators."
When
Riordan arrived, I showed him the report.
"I
didn't know about the second case," he said. He read the description
again. "These must be a new type—I never heard of them until Colonel Low
reported this one."
"No,
they're not new. One was sighted in 1950, over South Dakota. It was
tracked by CAA control tower men, and a Weather Bureau observer got a
good look with his theodolite. Also it was seen by the crew of an
airliner. Then last July an Air Force jet pilot chased one over
Michigan, and that same week people in two Michigan counties reported
identical saucers—machines with rotating red, green, and white lights."
"I can't
figure that," said Riordan. "What do you make of it?"
I told
him about the rotating-disc theory.
"It may
explain why the lights revolve," I added. "But they must be actual
lights, and the same for the fixed white beams—the machine Colonel Low
saw didn't show the usual overheating effects. The first time it
probably didn't speed up fast enough, and the second time it's possible
it disappeared so quickly that he probably wasn't able to notice."
Riordan
stopped to fill his pipe.
"You
know, they might be trying to signal us," he said as he lit up.
"Maybe.
But you'd expect the lights to blink if it was some kind of code."
191
"Unless
that combination had some special meaning they're trying to put over."
"This IR
doesn't give any hint of that." I picked up the second ATIC report.
"Here's another Japan case. See what you think of it."
The
report, sent in as an IR, had been written in the first person by
Lieutenant David C. Brigham, a young Air Force pilot from Rockford,
Illinois. It read as follows:
"At
11:20 hours, March 29, 1952, I was flying a T-6 north of Misawa. GCI was
running an intercept on me with a flight of two F-84's. One of them
overtook me, passing starboard at approximately 100 feet, and ten feet
below me. As he pulled up abreast, a flash of reflected sunshine caught
my eye. The object which had reflected the sunshine was a small, shiny
disc-shaped object which was making a pass on the F-84.
"It flew
a pursuit curve and closed rapidly. Just as it would have flown into his
fuselage, it decelerated to his air speed, almost instantaneously. In
doing so, it flipped up on its edge at an approximate 90-degree bank. It
fluttered within two feet of his fuselage for perhaps two or three
seconds. Then it pulled away around his starboard wing, appearing to
flip once as it hit the slipstream behind his wing-tip fuel tank.
"Then it
passed him, crossed in front, and pulled up abruptly, appearing to
accelerate, and shot out of sight in a steep, almost vertical climb. It
was about eight inches in diameter, very thin, round, and as shiny as
polished chromium. It had no apparent projections and left no exhaust or
vapor trails. An unusual flight characteristic was a slow, fluttering
motion. It rocked back and forth in 40-degree banks, at about one-second
intervals throughout its course."
Riordan
put down the report.
"That
beats me," he said. "How the devil could an eight-inch disc fly, let
alone maneuver like that?"
192
"It
could have been spinning and he didn't notice it. It had the typical
flutter—"
"You
mean the electromagnetic deal again?"
"It's
the only answer I can think of. The thing must have been a small
remote-control observer type."
"But
that little!" protested Riordan.
"Well,
you know we've built some pretty tiny remote-control units for drones
and guided missiles. With these new transistors in place of vacuum
tubes, they'll be even smaller. And anybody intelligent enough to build
flying discs would be way ahead of us."
"Yes, I
guess you're right."
"If that
report gets you," I said, "take a look at these."
Riordan
went through the most dramatic cases, ending with the Gulf of Mexico
sighting. His eyebrows shot up when he read the mother ship's final
speed.
"Wow—over 9,000 miles an hour! That's almost unbelievable."
"I just
got another report showing the same thing. It's from an ionosphere
observatory—" I showed him the name, which the officials had asked me
not to publish. "They track the lower ionosphere layers by radar, and it
records any changes on a chart. One night they were tracking the E
layer, over 50 miles up, and suddenly the radar picked up a terrific
disturbance. The needle jumped all over the chart. Some experts analyzed
the tracing later and they said that a solid object, flying a straight
course, had passed over the station at between nine and ten thousand
miles an hour."
Riordan
shook his head.
"What's
more," I said, "it bears out Smith's theory. The chart showed the
ionosphere in a violent commotion, apparently upset by some powerful
electrical force. It didn't get back to normal for over 30 minutes, and
any air turbulence from the thing's passage should have died down long
before that."
"This
business is beginning to worry me," muttered
193
Riordan. "I'm
absolutely convinced the things are from outer space. But what are they
up to?"
"If
anybody knows, I haven't been able to find out. Until lately I've always
believed they were friendly. I still think it's an odds-on bet."
"Just
because they haven't attacked us is no proof," Riordan said grimly. "If
they're friendly, why haven't they landed?"
An
airliner roared over the house in a low approach to Washington Airport.
I waited until it was quiet again.
"They
may not think its safe," I said. "They see our jets trying to intercept
the discs—maybe they think we're just naturally hostile."
"They
could radio us and talk it over—say what they want. They must know our
language by this time. You told me that this Washington Airport
controller, Barnes, thought they heard him talk to the pilots and—"
Riordan paused. "Say, I wonder why Barnes didn't try calling them one of
those nights."
"I asked
him that. He said there was so much going on he just never thought of
it. He told me if he had called, and somebody answered him, his hair
would’ve stood on end. Of course, they might not have wanted to reply. I
think that's the logical explanation for their silence. Though it's
possible they couldn't answer."
"What do
you mean?" demanded Riordan.
"They
may not even talk."
Riordan
stared at me through his pipe smoke.
"You
haven't fallen for that super insect idea? It was in some Englishman's
book—"
"I
know—Gerald Heard's Is Another World Watching? No, I don't mean
that. But a humanlike race might develop without using audible speech.
They might make sounds higher in the spectrum, so that we couldn't hear
them. There are such sounds—dogs hear some we don't catch. Or their
speech sounds may be so different that they can't
194
master our words,
even though they might understand the language after studying it a long
time."
There
was a silence while Riordan thought it over. Then he grimaced.
"Somehow, all I can think of is those crazy-looking drawings of
Martians. If we knew what planet they come from, it might give us a
lead—you think they really could be from Mars?"
"They
may be operating from there, without being Martians. I've collected some
educated guesses as to what planet it might be, if it's in our solar
system—wait a minute and I'll show you the stuff."
While I
was getting the file, a boat whistle sounded hoarsely from out on the
Potomac. Riordan swung his lanky frame around, looked down the hill at
the lights of a tug and two barges. He turned back somberly.
"Things
like that make all this business unreal. There's a tug making, say, ten
knots, and we sit up here talking about something flying over 9,000
miles an hour."
"And
that 9,000 wouldn't be anything in free space," I said. "Well, here's
one item on Mars—it's Project Sign's statement in their April, '49,
release. It's short, but it covers the ground. I’ll read you the main
points.
“‘Astronomers are largely in agreement that only one member of the solar
system beside earth is capable of supporting life. That is Mars. Even
Mars, however, appears to be relatively desolate and inhospitable, so
that a Martian race would be more occupied with survival than we are on
earth.. Intelligent beings, if they do exist there, may have protected
themselves by scientific control of physical conditions. This might be
done, scientists speculate, by the construction of homes and cities
underground where the atmospheric pressure would be greater and thus
temperatures reduced. The other possibilities exist, of course, that
evolution may have developed a being who can withstand the rigors of the
Martian climate, or that the race, if it ever did exist, has perished.’"
195
Riordan
grunted. "In other words, they're guessing just like we are."
"It's
all anybody can do. But you can figure the odds. Venus seems the next
best bet—it might even be on top. In size it's almost a twin of the
earth. It's always covered with clouds, so astronomers can't see the
surface. But they've figured the cloud temperature at 140, in daytime,
so it must get pretty hot on the ground."
Then I
read the Air Force comment:
"The
possibility of intelligent life also existing on the planet Venus is not
considered completely unreasonable by astronomers. The atmosphere of
Venus apparently consists mostly of carbon dioxide with deep clouds of
formaldehyde droplets, and there seems to be little or no water. Yet
scientists concede that living organisms might develop in chemical
environments which are strange to us. Venus, however, has two handicaps.
Her mass and gravity are nearly as large as earth (Mars is smaller) and
her cloudy atmosphere would discourage astronomy, hence space travel.'"
Riordan
brushed this last aside.
"If we
can escape the earth's gravity, they could do it there, too. And they
might use radio astronomy instead of telescopes. But what in hell would
a man—well, call it a man—what would he look like, growing up in that
atmosphere?"
"Probably a lot different from us. They'd almost have to be."
"You
know that Sutton monster story?" said Riordan. "When I first heard of
it—well, let that wait. What about the other planets?"
"Jupiter's not a likely prospect," I said, looking at the file. "Its
temperature is around minus 220. Also, the planet's a lot larger than
the earth, so its gravity pull is over two and a half times stronger. If
you were on Jupiter, you'd weigh close to 600 pounds. You'd have a hard
time lifting your feet. And a space ship would have to get up terrific
196
speed to escape that
gravity pull, though I suppose it's possible."
"There's
one point there," Riordan cut in. "Anybody from Jupiter would be used to
heavy gs. We can take up to 50 gs for a second or so. Maybe they could
take 100 over a longer time, enough to stand those turns and climbs the
discs make."
"Could
be," I said. 'But they’d have trouble if they landed on the earth. It'd
be like a human on the moon— they'd have to be weighted down to walk
normally. And that holds for Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn, too. From
their size, they all must have strong gravity. But they're too cold for
our kind of life—somewhere between minus 300 and 400."
Riordan
started to thumb through the Pluto and Mercury folders.
"I can
save you time," I said. "Pluto's nearer our size, but astronomers don't
know much about it. It's so far from the sun it's always in darkness,
and it's probably near absolute zero in temperature. Mercury is just the
opposite. It's so near the sun that one side roasts. The other's always
turned away, so it must be freezing."
"Don't
some of those planets have moons?" asked Riordan, as I lit a cigarette.
I flicked out my match and nodded.
"Yes,
several of them. Jupiter's got two, Saturn nine, Uranus four—or maybe
it's five—and Neptune and Mars have a couple apiece. But some of them
are pretty small. Even the bigger ones probably wouldn't be any better
than their planets—that is, to live on. That doesn't mean they—the
planets, I mean—couldn't have intelligent life on them."
"You
know any scientific background on that? Not this science-fiction stuff,
but the big-dome guys."
There've
been several books. I've got a couple—" I brought over my copy of
Life on Other Worlds, by Dr.
197
H. Spencer Jones,
England's Astronomer Royal, and read a marked paragraph.
“‘It is
conceivable that we could have beings, the cells of whose bodies
contained silicon instead of the carbon which is an essential
constituent of our cells, and of all other living cells on the earth.
And that because of this essential difference between the constitution
of those cells, and the cells of which animal and plant life on the
earth are built up, they might be able to exist at temperatures so high
that no terrestrial types of life could survive.'"
"It
sounds crazy," said Riordan, "but when you stop to think, the medicos
have frozen some kinds of germs and it didn't kill them. Same for
boiling them in water, too, I’ve, heard. So I guess it could be true.
But the idea of beings like that with brains like ours—it's hard to
swallow."
I put
down the book.
"There's
one consolation. Creatures used to some queer atmosphere couldn't
survive here without space suits."
Riordan
gave me a questioning look.
"Oh, you
think that's maybe why they haven't landed? I don't see that that helps
much—they could use space suits to attack us or just hit us without
landing." He hesitated. "I started to ask about that Sutton monster
story. What was ATIC's conclusion?"
"They swear they
didn't analyze it, but I'm positive they did check into it." I told him
what I knew about the case, and Riordan shook his head dubiously.
"It
sounds as if there was something to it. Not a monster —I still can't see
that—but it might have been a robot of some kind, the way they described
it. What about that other story—the Florida scoutmaster deal?"
"So far
ATIC hasn't made any report."
"You
think he really saw something alive in that turret, or just imagined
it?"
"I don't
know. If Ed Ruppelt's report was on the level, ATIC didn't seem to take
much stock in it."
"I don't
either," Riordan said bluntly. Then he added
198
with a wry face,
"Maybe it's because I don't want to admit some freak from space could be
smarter than I am."
"Sure, I
feel the same way. Just the same, it's possible. And remember this; we'd
look as queer to them as they would to us. But don't let the monster
idea worry you. Whoever's back of the saucers may be a lot like us—maybe
even identical."
Riordan
looked startled.
"How do
you figure that?"
"Well,
astronomers say there are millions of other suns. Some top men, like von
Weizacker, think it's likely many of them have solar-system planets.
Take our own system. Out of nine planets, one is inhabited—the earth.
That's 11 per cent. Cut it down to one hundredth of a per cent, out in
space, and there'd still be a lot of inhabited planets in the universe."
"That
doesn't mean any of them would be like the earth."
"Why
not? Astronomers say they're all made up of the same elements, maybe in
different proportions. By the law of averages, some are bound to be like
the earth, with the same atmosphere. Evolution would produce the same
land of planets, animals, and people—or approximately the same. Maybe
the only difference between us and the saucer people is that they're
farther advanced, because their civilization began sooner."
"I hope
you're right," Riordan said soberly. "At least we might be able to
reason with our own kind. But wait a minute—think of the distances."
"Their
planet doesn't have to be so far away." I told him about the nearest
star system.
Riordan
looked at me incredulously.
"But,
holy smoke, the nearest one's over four light-years from us. You don't
really believe anybody'd make a space trip that long?"
"Yes, if
their life span was longer than ours. Some race on another planet may
have wiped out all diseases—they
199
may live several
hundred years. Our own doctors are predicting that we'll do it some
day, and we've almost doubled our life span in the last two centuries."
Riordan
knocked the ashes from his pipe. I could see him turning the idea over
as he opened his tobacco pouch.
"That
could be the answer," he said. "If they lived, say, 500 years, a trip of
several years wouldn't seem so tough."
"It
doesn't have to be the answer. There's another explanation."
"What's
that?"
"Hang
onto your hat," I said. Then I told him about the time dilatation
theory.
"Brother!" said Riordan. "Now we've really gone off the deep end."
"OK, it
sounds screwy. I'll admit I don't understand it. But other big
scientists beside Einstein accept it. If you want to check the figures,
I've got an article here by a British astrophysicist—"
"I'll
take your word for it." Riordan swung around and stared out into the
night. "I wish I hadn't heard all this stuff. Those Intelligence reports
prove the things are interplanetary, but they don't give any idea why
we're being spied on. I was better off when I thought the saucers were
bunk, back in '47."
"That's
what some Air Force officers think—that people are better off not
knowing, at least until they find out the motive."
Riordan
jerked around in his chair.
"But
Intelligence must have a damned good idea what's back of all this."
"They
say not. That's why I've got all these cases out here. I've already
analyzed them for other angles, but I wasn't looking for motives. So I'm
going to recheck—"
"Let me
help you," Riordan said quickly. "I've got the next two days free."
"We can
probably do it in one. It'll be a big help—"
"Never
mind the thanks," said Riordan. "To be brutally
200
frank, this is for
me and mine. I want to know what this thing's going to mean to us, while
there's still time to do something about it."
After
Riordan left, I thought over his last remark. Probably millions of
Americans would feel the same way. There'd be some, of course, who'd
rather not know, if the answer proved to be bad.
Next
morning, before Riordan arrived, I got out my sighting map and the
analysis of saucer types. In the type breakdown all the sightings had
been divided into day and night reports, then subdivided according to
shape, size, color, speed, and maneuvers, with radar reports serving as
a double check on visual estimates of performance.
It was a
long analysis, and to save time for the motive check-up I underlined the
main points for Riordan to look over:
Daytime sightings:
Type 1.
Mother ships, large rocket or "cigar-shaped" machines usually reported
at very high altitudes. Sizes estimated by trained observers, from 600
feet to more than 1,000 feet in length; some indications they may be
much larger. Color, silvery. Speed recorded by radar, over 9,000 m.p.h.,
with visual estimates of more than 20,000. No violent maneuvers
reported.
Type 2.
Disc-shaped machines of at least three sizes.
A. Large discs, 100 feet or more
in diameter.
B. Medium-sized discs, with
reports averaging about 50 feet in diameter.
C. Small discs, estimated from
eight inches in diameter up to several feet.
Color of
all discs, metallic silver except when showing the effects of
overheating. Radar-clocked speeds, over 7,000 m.p.h., with visual
estimates of more than 11,000. Maneuvers: Abrupt turns, climbs, and
reversals, with very swift acceleration.
Type 3.
Rocket or "cigar-shaped" machines, much smaller than mother ships,
reported at fairly low altitudes.
201
Sizes
estimated from 100 to 200 feet in length. Described as having a fiery
exhaust, especially when accelerating. Color, metallic silver. Recorded
speed, about 900 m.p.h.; visual estimates, over 1,500. Maneuvers: Less
violent turns and climbs than the discs, and no reported reversals.
Night
sightings:
Type 1. No positive visual reports, but
accurate radar tracking of mother ships.
Type 2. Discs of various sizes, with
estimates less accurate because of darkness and the blinding effect of
the discs' glow when seen at fairly close range. Colors, from pink to
white-hot heat, sometimes combined with corona effect; also, corona
effects predominating, at high altitudes, apparently when discs were not
overheating.
Type 3. Rocket-shaped machines, similar
to the daytime Type 3, with the same fiery exhaust, speeds, and
maneuvers.
Type 4. A machine with rotating
red-green-white lights and fixed white beams. May be a rotating disc
type. Recorded speed, well over 1,000 m.p.h. Speeds estimated by
competent pilots, more than 1,500.
Type 5. Bright green "fireballs,"
reported mainly over New Mexico. Shape and size unknown. Described as
moving silently, at meteor speed, but—unlike meteors—on a straight
course. Sometimes reported as exploding silently, over uninhabited areas
of the Southwest.
For
radar confirmation ATIC had given me their official analysis:
"In 35%
of all radar tracking of UFO's, radar observations were confirmed
visually as maneuvering objects or lights. Night radar trackings
outnumbered day cases, 65% as against 35%. The analysis shows UFO speed
from zero (hovering) up to fantastic speeds. In 60% of the cases, only
one UFO was tracked; in 40%, there were several objects, sometimes
sizable formations or groups. About 80% of the tracking was done by
radar men at ground bases,
202
or aboard ship. The
remaining 20% was done by aircraft crews or pilots in flight."
When
Riordan arrived, I was working on the map, marking points where saucers
had recently been seen. He helped me finish, then looked over my type
breakdown.
"What's
the highest speed ever reported?" he asked.
"About
42,000 miles an hour," I said. "But it didn't have any radar
confirmation."
"Must
have been some wild guess," Riordan said skeptically.
"No, two
CAA control tower men at Terre Haute made the estimate. They saw this
saucer go streaking over the airport and they figured the arc it
traveled in a given time. The 42,000 figure was what they worked out if
the saucer was over 3,000 feet high—and they were sure it was. They got
confirmation on the sighting. A private pilot and his wife saw the same
thing when it went over the atomic energy plant at Newport, Indiana.
Even if the CAA guys were way off, it's obvious the saucer was one of
the fastest ever sighted. My hunch is that it was a lot higher than
3,000—probably a mother ship that came down lower than usual."
"This
Type 3—the smaller cigar-shaped saucer—have you got many confirmed
reports on that?"
"Well,
there was the Eastern Air Lines case, near Montgomery, and the
Indianapolis rocket ship last July. Another one was seen at
Watsonville, California, by the town police and two deputy sheriffs.
They said it was cigar-shaped, flying low and leaving an exhaust trail.
Later some people saw it at a couple of other California towns. There
have been several foreign cases, and the 1949 Project Sign summaries
mentioned quite a few."
Riordan
nodded.
"I guess
it's definitely a separate type, then." He read over the night sighting
list. "Those green fireballs—I haven't heard much about them."
"The
stories on that broke while you were in Korea. It
203
has puzzled the
astronomers—at least some have publicly admitted it's got them stumped.
One of them is Dr. Peter Millman; he's Canada's top astrophysicist.
Another is Dr. Lincoln La Paz, down at the New Mexico Institute of
Meteorics. La Paz has been studying the green fireball deal, and he says
they're not any kind of meteor he ever heard of."
"Why
not?" said Riordan.
"For one
thing, they don't make a sound. Also, they go straight, and meteors take
a curved course. And La Paz says they wouldn't come that often if they
were meteors— for a while, they were coming thick and fast. It's been
going on since December, 1948." '
"Just in
New Mexico?"
"No,
they've been sighted in the East, and down in the Caribbean. But the
Southwest seems to get most of them. One funny thing, no fragments have
ever been found. Ordinary meteors usually leave some trace when they
explode, if you look long enough. But the Air Force search parties
haven't found a thing."
Riordan's black eyes flicked over at me.
"Then
the Air Force takes it seriously?"
"Enough
to set up a special project—they called it 'Project Twinkle.'" I told
him about the three theodolite stations established at Vaughn, New
Mexico, to get accurate triangulations on the green fireballs. Oddly
enough, the mysterious objects were never seen by the men at Vaughn,
though they were constantly reported over the rest of the Southwest. But
when the project was moved to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, the
investigators had better luck. Several of the bright green balls were
tracked up to the moment of explosion, at a speed of about 40,000 miles
an hour. But searches over a wide area, under the explosion points, all
proved in vain.
"What
did they finally decide?" Riordan asked me.
"I don't
know. The report's still secret."
"That
doesn't look very good," Riordan said slowly.
204
"They must have been
pretty worried in the first place, to set up a special project. And then
to sit on the answer—"
"There's
something odd about it, all right. Project Sign investigated the green
fireballs, too, but they omitted most of the cases in the 1949
summaries; I just happened to spot a reference to them in another
section. And the red spray cases don't sound good, either."
"The red
spray cases? That's a new one to me."
"They
happened back in '48. The things came down to 200 feet and exploded—" I
started to get out the Project Sign summaries, then changed my mind.
"Let's wait on that until we finish checking the map. Seeing those
cases now might give you a wrong slant on the whole picture."
Riordan
eyed me narrowly.
"I don't
like the way you said that. If you mean what I think, it's bad news."
205
CHAPTER XII
Friends or Foes?
It
doesn’t have to be bad news, I told Riordan. I think it may depend on
us. Anyway, let's check the things the saucers seem most interested in.
Maybe you'll spot some clue I've missed."
"Have
you plotted any foreign sightings?" asked Riordan, as I spread out the
United States map.
"No, but
they show the same pattern."
Riordan
bent over the map, which showed the following key locations:
1.
Atomic energy plants at Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Hanford, and smaller
plants such as Newport, Indiana. The most frequent observations were
over the Los Alamos area.
2. U.
S. Air Force Bases as follows: Davis-Monthan and Williams, Arizona;
Fairfield-Suisan, Hamilton, George, March, Muroc, and Travis,
California; the Air Defense Command Headquarters, Colorado Springs;
Patrick, Florida; Hunter, Moody, and Robbins, Georgia; O'Hare, Scott,
and Chanute, Illinois; Andrews, Maryland; Westover, Massachusetts;
Selfridge, Michigan; Keesler, Mississippi; Offutt, Nebraska; Grenier,
New Hampshire; Holloman, Kirtland, and Walker, New Mexico; Mitchel, New
York; Pope, North Carolina; Lockbourne and Wright-Patterson,
206
Ohio; Tinker,
Oklahoma; Greenville, South Carolina; Rapid City, South Dakota;
Carswell, Ellington, Kelly, Randolph, Laredo, and San Marcos, Texas;
Langley Field, Virginia; McChord, Washington.
(In
addition to these, as I told Riordan, UFO's have been sighted over or
near American bases in Alaska, the Canal Zone, Greenland, Germany,
Hawaii, Japan, and Korea.)
3.
Naval bases and Navy and Marine Corps air stations at: Alameda, El Toro,
and San Diego, California; Jacksonville and Key West, Florida; Atlantic
City and Lakehurst, New Jersey; Tongue Point, Oregon; Beaufort, South
Carolina; Norfolk and Quantico, Virginia.
4. The
high-altitude rocket-testing base at White Sands, New Mexico, where
discs circled or paced rockets in flight.
5.
Aircraft plants in California, Kansas, Washington, and Texas, where most
of the industry is concentrated.
6. Most
of the major cities of the United States. The complete list is too long
to use, but it includes important cities in almost every state, such as:
New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, Kansas City,
Minneapolis and St. Paul, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Portland,
Santa Fe, Des Moines, Baltimore, New Orleans, and Birmingham.
"There
are some important sightings which don't show on that map," I told
Riordan, "I didn't pinpoint all the spots where saucers have approached
or circled planes, because it would look as though they were ground
sightings. But there have been hundreds of those reports, as you know."
"Yes,
and they've taken some close-range looks at the ground war in Korea,
too. About the cities—what do the saucers seem to be checking?"
"There's
been only one detailed report—the Washington case. When no airliners
were near, the saucers flew over the White House, the Capitol, Andrews
Field, the aircraft plant at Riverdale, and the Navy Yard. One or two
circled
207
the airway radio
beacons. Of course, they were all over the area, but those seemed to be
the main points of interest. Whenever an airliner took off or approached
the airport, several saucers would dart over as if for a closer look.
"Most of
the cities where they've hovered or circled have defense industries, a
big airport, or defense bases, so it's hard to tell just what they were
looking at. One thing, they don't seem much interested in ground
transportation; though there have been a few cases of saucers following
trains. And several times I've seen unconfirmed reports of discs buzzing
cars on highways. Some sounded like fakes, but there was one, last July,
near Enid, Oklahoma, where the police said the driver was still shaking
when he made the report."
"And I
suppose his friends made a fool out of him," Riordan said tartly.
"Probably. Well, that's the general setup. Of course, saucers have been
seen at dozens of other places, but these are the ones where they've
made repeat visits or shown special interest."
Riordan
stood up, moved restlessly around the room.
"Maybe
I'm a pessimist," he muttered. "But with all those repeats at atomic
plants, and checking on our planes and air defenses—well, it looks as if
they're getting ready for an attack."
"I know
it looks bad. But it's still just circumstantial evidence."
"Many a
man's been hung on less," retorted Riordan. He took out his pipe, shoved
it back into his pocket. "You say the pattern's about the same in other
countries?"
"Except
for the atomic energy angle and I couldn't check on that. Probably the
saucers have looked over Russia's A-bomb plants, too, but only a few UFO
reports have leaked through the Iron Curtain. I do know that two saucers
circled the uranium mines in South Africa, some time back. And several
were seen over Australia just after Britain exploded its first A bomb
there. But there have
208
been enough reports
to show that foreign air defenses and planes have gotten a close
going-over. It's worried several countries enough to have them start
investigations."
"Yes,
you told me," said Riordan.
"But
they haven't given out any official case reports that I know of. I've
got a few unofficially. In one British case, a rotating disc chased a
Meteor jet over Topcliffe Airdrome. And down in the Belgian Congo an
air service fighter chased two saucers that were looking over an air
base. There've been dozens of foreign airliner reports. Around February
of '51, an East African Airways crew and some of the passengers saw a
long, rocket-shaped saucer— the pilots estimated the length at about 200
feet. There was another case, farther back, in Australia, where
everybody on an airliner signed affidavits describing a rocket-shaped
ship they'd seen."
"I guess
it's world-wide, then. I thought at first they were concentrating on
us."
"I think
they are, now. Probably because we've got the lead in A bombs and we
look like the strongest nation."
Riordan
shook his head moodily.
"That's
what bothers me, Don. It looks as though they're measuring us for a
knockout. And those green fireballs— if they're not meteors there’s only
one possible answer."
"I know.
Guided missiles launched from space."
"What
else could they be? It would be simple enough to drop them from one of
the big ships and guide them in by radar."
"You're
not the only one who thinks it's the answer. I know one astrophysicist
who says they may be warnings for us to lay off making A bombs—that's
because most of them came in over New Mexico."
"That
may be true. It's obvious they weren't trying to hit any bases or
cities. With radar they wouldn't miss."
"No,
they've already proved they can come as close as they want. Not with the
green missiles—I'm talking about the red spray cases."
209
"What
happened?" said Riordan.
"It was
a queer business. I was surprised that Project Sign let it get
out—you'll find it listed as Case 225 in the 1949 summaries. One night,
back in '49, a strange reddish light was sighted at Albuquerque, where
they'd also been seeing the green fireballs. The saucer came in at about
500 feet, then it suddenly dropped down to 200 feet and exploded in a
red spray."
Riordan
sat up quickly.
"Did it
hurt anybody?"
"No,
just scared a few people. It wasn't directly over the city. A pilot told
me later it was out near the airport."
"Lucky—it could have set off a panic."
"Here's
the part that clinches it. This happened on three other nights—same
place, same hour."
"This is
the worst thing you've told me," Riordan said slowly. "It's bad—damned
bad."
"I don't
like it, either. The things were guided there and exploded by remote
control—there's no doubt about it. Of course, they could have been flash
bombs for UFO cameras higher up, but I can't see it."
"Neither
can I," said Riordan. "I happen to know there'd been several daytime
sightings at Albuquerque—so why should they bother with night pictures,
and four times at that?"
"All
right, I admit it was some kind of small flying bomb being used in a
test."
"And if
they can guide a small one in that accurately," said Riordan, "they
could put a big one—probably an A bomb—over any place they wanted to
hit. It's plain as the nose on your face—those were ranging tests, for
close-up control. The Air Force must know it, too."
"Project
Sign didn't give any hint of what they thought. In fact, they left the
case out of the actual summaries. But when they released the report it
carried a secret analysis by the Air Weather Service—a check to see if
balloons could explain any of the flying saucer sightings."
210
"Don't
tell me they tried to call this an exploding balloon —four times in the
same place?"
"No,
they admitted it couldn't be. But that's how I found out what Case 225
was—and also how I got my lead on the green fireballs."
"You say
they omitted those cases, too, from the Project report?"
"That's
right. Here, I’ll show you."
I got
out the copy I'd typed—the Air Force had released just one report. In
the Project analysis section, six case numbers were followed by
blanks—Numbers 223, 225, 226, 227, 230, and 231. Why the secret Air
Weather Service analysis had been released, when it showed these omitted
cases, had never been explained.
"That
was right after my first article in True," I told Riordan. "They
were in a hurry, trying to offset it, and I guess somebody slipped up."
"Just
another snafu," he said. "What's AWS say about the green fireballs?"
"They
called them green flares then. Here's Case 223— it says the object was
definitely a green flare, seen near Albuquerque. The next one, Case 224,
was listed in the Project section, but they don't say a word about any
green flare. They just show that something was seen at Las Vegas on
December 8, 1948, and then say to compare it with Case 223, which they
omitted."
Turning
to the Air Weather Service comment, I read it to Riordan:
"Case
224. Description exactly as that in 223, only at an altitude of 13,500
feet. Seen 2 ½ hours after scheduled balloon release time. Winds at
levels from 10,000 to 15,000 feet, WNW, while flare was reported
traveling at very high speed in WSW direction. Very accurate
observations made by two FBI agents. Definitely not a balloon."
"Very
bright deduction," Riordan said sarcastically.
"They
had to say that, Jim, even though they knew the
211
balloon answer was
ridiculous. I told you it was AWS's job to say yes or no on balloons."
"OK—it
just sounded silly." Riordan picked up the report and silently read the
other AWS comments, which were as follows:
"Case
226. Sighted one hour after release time at Albuquerque. Same green
flare as in previous five or six cases, and moving into the wind from
east to west. No balloon . . . Case 227. Read report of incident.
Definitely not a weather balloon. Serves as a guide to interpretation of
223, 224, 225, and 226 . . . Case 230. Exactly as described in 223, etc.
Definitely no balloon . . . Case 231. Another glowing green flare just
as described above."
Riordan
put his finger on the "guide to interpretation" line.
"That's
the tip-off. Even then, they must have known those were guided missiles.
That's what scared them into setting up Project Twinkle."
"It
looks that way. But it still doesn't prove the saucer people are
hostile."
"Are you
crazy?" demanded Riordan. "It can't add up to anything else. You
admitted the red spray things were ranging bombs under remote control."
"Yes,
and I'm convinced the green fireballs are guided missiles. But those
tests began four years ago. If an attack was all they had in mind,
they'd have hit us long before this."
"What
else could they possibly—"
The
phone cut Riordan off. When I picked it up I heard a familiar voice.
"This is
W. B. Smith. I've been here several days, but this is my first chance to
call you about a talk. I know its short notice, but this is my last day
in Washington."
"All
right, I can meet you in about an hour."
"Good.
I'm at the Shoreham Room 422-F."
When I
explained to Riordan, he nodded.
212
"Maybe
you'll get a new angle. Anyway, I've seen enough for one day. I still
say its bad news."
"Well
hash it over next time. There may be an out."
Riordan
shook his head.
"I think
you're kidding yourself—you just don't want to face it."
Driving
out to the Shoreham, I thought over Riordan's remark. Maybe I was
kidding myself. But there was one answer, which I'd just begun to see,
that left a chance for a peaceful contact.
When I
saw Smith, he looked the same as when I'd first met him, except for a
sprinkling of gray in his black hair. But his manner was more sober as
he told me the developments in Canada.
"My
government is now taking the saucers seriously," he said. "The Defense
Research project is secret, but I can tell you this. They're analyzing
reports very carefully, and so is RCAF Intelligence. Several of our best
scientists are helping on the technical aspects—they stopped scoffing
after the sightings early in 1952."
A little
later he told me his own project was also analyzing saucer reports,
passing on their conclusions to the Defense Research unit.
"Since
your project's under wraps," I said, "you can't tell me what the
conclusions are. But what about your private opinion?"
"The
same as before," said Smith. "After seeing all the new evidence, I'm
more convinced than ever."
A few
days before, I had read a news story about a flying saucer which the
AVRO Aircraft Company was supposed to be building. According to the
report, it was expected to have a top speed of about 1,500 miles an
hour. When I asked Smith about it, he nodded.
"Since
the newspapers have the story, I can tell you it's true. AVRO is
building a new type of plane—revolutionary, in fact. I think it will
make present types obsolete, but that's all I can say."
213
Then he
suddenly saw what I had meant.
"It
hasn't anything to do with our rotating disc experiments. It doesn't
use electromagnetic propulsion." "Those disc tests are under security, I
suppose?" Smith smiled apologetically.
"Yes,
I'm sorry. We re still working on the disc problem, but that's all I can
say. However, it might pay you to study Einstein's Unified Field Theory.
You know it unites the forces of electricity, magnetism, and gravity in
a single formula."
"It's
just Greek to me. But I can see it may be the key to the discs'
operation. By the way, are your radio monitors still listening for
strange signals?"
"Yes,
when they aren't busy with other work. However, they haven't caught any
peculiar messages."
Smith
opened his brief case and looked at some typed notes.
"Here's
an experiment we tried. It explained something that puzzled some of our
officials. You know how often a strange light will be reported by only a
few people, out of thousands in a city? Naturally, some skeptics thought
this proved such reports must be hoaxes. My group had a pet theory about
it, so we made a test at Ottawa."
To carry
it out, Smith said, they fastened a 500,000 candle-power aircraft flare
inside an aluminum cone, suspending the cone under a large weather
balloon so that the light would shine on the bottom of the gas bag. The
flare itself would be hidden from the ground.
"We
waited for a night when the wind would carry the balloon over a certain
part of the city—an area where there was a night baseball game and two
drive-in theaters. At 5,000 feet a delayed-action fuse set off the
flare. All you could see was the glow on the under part of the balloon.
The effect was striking, as if a lighted disc had suddenly appeared in
the sky. We expected switchboards to be flooded with calls."
Smith
paused and looked at me whimsically.
214
"There
wasn't a single call that we know of. It's obvious why so few people see
the saucers. Very few ever bother to look at the sky."
"Maybe
you Canadians are just less excitable. That Indianapolis sighting last
July was at 5,000 feet and it raised the devil."
"But
that had rapid movement to catch the eye," said Smith. "Our balloon was
moving very slowly."
"Any
other tests like that?" I asked him.
"No
public ones, but we're considering a 24-hour radar watch."
When I
asked where he thought the saucers came from, Smith hesitated.
"I’ll
give you this as my personal opinion. There's some evidence that they
are operating from Mars. You know about the atomic explosion which
Saheki reported, and the blue clouds seen since then?"
"Yes,
I've seen the reports."
"There's
another factor," said Smith. "The last time Mars approached the earth, I
worked out a prediction. There were several sightings at the time I'd
calculated. Of course, that's far from proof. But I think Mars will bear
close watch. It may be the saucers' originating planet, or it may be
serving as an operating base for some race outside our solar system."
"The
moon could be another base," I suggested. "Some amateur astronomers have
reported seeing lights in two or three craters."
I don't
know of any official confirmation," said Smith. "It would be more
logical to use the other side of the moon, which we never see. It would
be an ideal operating base; they could reach the earth and return in a
very short time."
For the
next hour we switched to developments in the United States. I told Smith
what I had learned, except for the Utah pictures.
"With
all that evidence," he said, "your Air Force
215
Intelligence must be
convinced the saucers are interplanetary."
"I think
they are. How about RCAF Intelligence—and your other project officials?"
"I'm
afraid I can't answer that. Of course, you can draw your own
conclusions."
"They
must have seen the same kind of evidence," I said.
Smith
smiled faintly.
"From
what you've told me, I think that's a safe deduction."
"What I
was hoping for," I said, "was some opinion on the motive back of all
this." I told him about the analysis Riordan and I were making.
"Now
that I can answer," said Smith. "We haven't any conclusion as to the
motives. It's my personal opinion that the saucer race hasn't made a
final decision. I think it's obvious that all the survey data is being
analyzed, so that they can decide what to do about us. Possibly it's
being done by robot devices—the race must be far advanced in
cybernetics. They could feed all the information to a robot predictor,
so that it could indicate our probable future actions—whether we'd be
dangerous to contact, or a menace when we get out into space. That's
pure speculation, of course. The creatures may even be having
difficulty in understanding the earth races—they might be
super-intelligent in some ways and lacking in others."
"If we
only knew what they want," I muttered.
"There's
one hopeful thought," said Smith. "They may be so intellectually
advanced that they consider war barbaric. In that case, if they decide
we're not a menace but are too primitive by their standards, they may
simply go off and leave us alone.
"Suppose, for instance, some of our pilots discovered a lost
civilization down in the Amazon country. We'd investigate from the air
to see how far advanced they were before risking direct contact. If they
were a century or two behind us, with sectional wars going on, we'd
possibly
216
leave them
alone—unless they had something we wanted badly. But they might be only
a decade or two behind us. In that event we'd at least keep a close eye
on them in the future; I personally think we'd try to communicate with
them, let them know there were other civilized nations, and start
trading with them. But if for any reason they were a danger to the rest
of the world, we'd have to bring them under control, by reason—or threat
of force."
"It's an
odd coincidence," I said as I stood up to go, "I used the same
'reversing' idea—but I applied it to Mars, figuring what we'd do if we
found it was inhabited."
"It
would be the same general situation," agreed Smith. "We're using human
logic, however, and these beings may reason in an entirely different
manner. They could be highly intelligent and yet coldly materialistic.
In that event they would be ruthless in achieving their ends."
"Like
the Communists," I said.
"Yes—perhaps raised to the nth degree. But I lean to the other belief,
that they may have outlawed war except as a last resort. At least I
fervently hope so."
At the
door I asked him one last question.
"Do you
know of any defense, if they should attack?"
Smith
quietly shook his head.
"I think
we would be quite helpless."
Going
down in the elevator, I looked at my watch. It was almost midnight. We
had talked more than three hours. Though I hadn't learned as much as I'd
hoped, one thing seemed certain. The Canadian investigators must be
convinced, like Smith, that the saucers were interplanetary. Smith had
a scientist's religious regard for facts. If the RCAF and the two
projects had unearthed any different evidence, he wouldn't hesitate to
change his mind.
As I
went through the Shoreham lobby I could hear a dance band playing in the
Palladium Room. I glanced in at the gay crowd on the floor. What would
they feel if they suddenly learned the truth about the saucers?
Maybe
they'd take it more quietly than I expected. But
217
at best it would
have a permanent effect on their lives . . .
The next
morning about 10 Chop phoned from the Pentagon. He told me he had
cleared some January cases I'd asked for.
"What's
the latest on the Utah film?" I asked. Knowing the backstage fight
against it, I expected to hear bad news. But Al surprised me.
"It's
definitely settled. There's going to be a press showing."
"Boy,
things will pop now! I'll be right in."
"OK. I
may be tied up with Colonel Adams and the others for a while, but I'll
leave the reports on my desk. If you're free, we can have lunch
together."
When I
got to the Pentagon, Al hadn't come back from the conference, so I
looked over the ATIC reports.
The
first was dated January 6, 1953. In the early-morning hours a saucer
with red, green, and white lights had been sighted at Dallas. A CAA
tower controller, a Weather Bureau observer, and other witnesses had
given Intelligence detailed reports, but none of them had seen the
lights rotate. Occasional blue and orange color effects made it hard to
classify the saucer as any distinct type. Apparently it had been at a
high altitude, where corona effects could be expected. Since ATIC had
not finished its analysis, there was no final conclusion.
Clipped
to this first Intelligence report was a memo Al had written:
"Note
that Air Force pilots in Japan sighted a UFO with red, green, and white
rotating fights, on January 9. This was also the date when the
V-formation of blue-white UFO's was sighted over Santa Ana. The attached
news items may interest you; I'm asking ATIC if they looked into the
sightings."
The news
stories showed five saucer reports. Two had occurred on January 11. Near
Canton, Ohio, two gleaming discs had been sighted by civilian witnesses,
and at Kerryville, Texas, an oval-shaped device, glowing orange-red,
218
had caused a
peculiar interference with local television reception. From the 22d to
the 24th, saucers had been seen at three places in California. Two
brightly glowing UFO's had flown swiftly over Richmond; a formation of
silvery discs had been sighted at Pomona, and an oval-shaped
metallic-looking saucer was reported by pilots at Palmdale.
On
January 29, the ATIC reports showed, there had been two military
sightings. One was at Santa Ana, where a Marine Corps jet pilot vainly
tried to intercept an orange-red disc. The second, another fruitless
chase, took place near Millinocket, Maine, where the crew of an F-94
spotted a silver-gray oval-shaped machine flying at 23,000 feet. After
they gave up trying to catch it, the saucer was sighted by two jet
pilots from another squadron. By then it was at a higher altitude.
Without
reporting it to GCI, the two pilots debated, by radio, whether they
should try to intercept the strange machine. Unknown to them, part of
their conversation was taken down by a radioman at a nearby Air Force
base.
"Do you
see that thing above us?" one pilot asked. "It sticks out like a sore
thumb."
"If I
were going to chase it," said the other pilot, "I'd drop my wing tanks
first."
Evidently the two men had decided against an interception. The
listening radioman didn't catch all their discussion, but he heard one
revealing remark.
"I’ll
never admit I saw the thing," one pilot said emphatically.
Plainly,
some airmen remembered the "crackpots and bars" blast by Colonel Watson,
though the Air Force had tried to offset it. I wondered how many other
sightings had gone unreported.
When Al
came back from the conference, he seemed a little tense.
"We've
been working on the statement," he said. "Some of the PIO's and
Intelligence are getting jittery."
"I don't
blame them. When s the showing?"
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"In
about a week."
We went
out to the main cafeteria, and after we sat down Al told me about the
statement.
"The
wording's just about set. It starts something like this— 'The color film
you are about to see was taken by Warrant Officer Delbert C. Newhouse,
seven miles north of Tremonton, Utah.' Then it tells how he saw 12 to 14
bluish-white objects and knew they weren't aircraft—well, you know the
rest."
"Does it
give the analysis details?"
Al
nodded.
"It
tells how ATIC and Navy worked out the speeds, using the resolving power
of the lens and other tests—also that the maneuvers are too tight for
any known aircraft. It follows the original draft pretty closely—the one
Dewey Fournet wrote."
"Then it
ought to be straight dope, since he's the top UFO investigator here."
"He
was." Al hesitated. "He's been put on inactive duty."
"Why?"
"Oh—his
time was up, I guess."
"It
sounds queer to me. Didn't he start this press-showing deal?"
"Well—he
fought for it. Dewey's always wanted to give the public the facts."
"What's
been changed from Fournet’s draft?"
"Just a
few words here and there," Al said evasively. "It ends up saying the Air
Force won't speculate on what the things are, but the analysis shows
they weren't conventional objects like aircraft, balloons, or birds.
Naturally, with those speeds and maneuvers, they couldn't be."
"What
else?" I said.
"That's
all."
"Good
Lord, Al, the Air Force can't leave it at that. The press and everybody
else in the country will be howling for the answer."
220
“I know
that," Al said unhappily. "Well just have to say we don't know."
"You do,
and the Reds will probably jump in and claim the saucers are theirs.
Then you'll be in a sweet mess."
"They
could have done so long ago, if they wanted to."
"But the
Air Force kept saying the saucers weren't real. Once you admit they are
real, and also say you don't know what they are, you're practically
inviting the Soviet to claim they're Russian weapons."
"We
could knock it down if the Reds said that. We could have some top
engineers and rocket people go on the air and prove they couldn't be
Russian. If necessary, we could give them the Gulf of Mexico and Oneida
cases and anything else they'd need—"
"Then
why not come right out and admit the saucers are interplanetary?"
"That's
absolutely out. There's enough opposition even to showing the film."
On the
way back to the press branch, I asked Al if he would clear the Utah
sighting for me, including the basic facts on the film.
"I'm
doing a book, using the ATIC cases," I told him.
"All
right, I'll clear it, since you already knew about it."
"Can you
give me a memo? I don't have my clearance list* with me—I’ll add the
Utah case later, and you can initial it."
"OK, if
you want it that way."
On the
way home I kept thinking of the Air Force statement. I felt sure it
wouldn’t work. The press showing would be dramatically played up in
radio bulletins and in papers all over the country. In a matter of hours
the Pentagon would be under tremendous pressure. Even if the Soviet
didn’t claim the saucers as a secret weapon, using the Norwegian story
as proof, public demands for an explanation would be overwhelming. In
the end the
* See Clearance List, Appendix II, pp.
255-259.
221
Air Force would have
to admit what the evidence showed —that the saucers must come from outer
space.
Regardless of any initial hysteria it was bound to have an impact on
many phases of life—religion, business, the struggle with Russia, and
even the smaller things in our daily lives.
On the
religious effect, I already had some opinions.
"It
would strike at the heart of Christianity," one minister had told me.
"What would we tell our people—that these other races had their own
religions, or were also Christians? If we say the latter, they will ask
if Christ was born and crucified on these other planets, so that those
races also could know God. The very idea is grotesque-Christ's life here
would lose all its divine meaning."
There
was no doubt that some fundamentalists would have their faith shaken.
But other ministers had told me the effect would not be so serious.
"There
are many ways in which other planet races could learn of God," said one
of them. "The truth could be brought to them without repeating Christ's
sacrifice on earth."
The
Catholic Church, too, accepted this possibility. The doctrine had been
stated by the Very Reverend Francis J. Connell, Dean of Catholic
University's School of Sacred Theology, in Washington.
"It is
well," said Father Connell, "for Catholics to know that the principles
of their faith are entirely reconcilable with even the most astounding
possibilities of life on other planets."
Enlarging on the doctrine, Father Connell had even listed four types of
creatures which might exist on other planets, ranging from near-divine
to evil geniuses.
The
effect on our military program was easier to guess. Under public
pressure, Congress was sure to rush huge appropriations for space-travel
research, with emphasis on weapons against a possible saucer attack. The
struggle between Russia and America would probably be reduced,
222
if the Politburo
were convinced the saucers were a threat. The Soviet might even join us
in world-wide defense measures.
The
effect on business was less predictable. Realtors might be swamped by
people anxious to move from cities or away from defense areas. There
might be a wild buying splurge, a boom in night-club and amusement
business, with the hysterical slogan of "enjoy life while you can." If
scare buying got out of hand, banks might be closed until public fear
died down.
On the
other hand, the news might cause only a few days' excitement, especially
if the government hammered away at the saucers' lack of hostility. Even
if the spacemen's motives were admitted as possibly hostile,
eventually we would accept that danger as we have accepted the risk of
being A-bombed.
But the
initial impact, when the news first broke, was still a question. If
there was a panic, it would probably come in those first few hours.
When I
reached home, I got out some sighting reports which showed witnesses'
reactions. One hint came from Mrs. L. G. Planty, a plane-spotter who saw
a saucer at Massena, New York.
"It was
eerie red in color and frightening," she told reporters. Other
Massenans had seen the red disc as it passed above a drive-in theater.
Most of them were merely curious; only two of three had been alarmed.
In
Indiana a state policeman had described a "dogfight" between several
saucers. "It was so weird I hesitate even to talk about it."
Another
comment came from W. B. Harris, a fire department radio dispatcher who
saw a UFO at Dallas.
"I wish
I'd never seen it," said Harris. "It was too fantastic."
E. W.
Chambers, the WRC engineer who saw the Washington discs, used almost the
same words.
223
"I'm
sorry I ever saw them. I keep worrying about what it means."
There
were a few witnesses who had felt no fear. One was Saul Pett, an AP
writer who sighted an orange-red saucer over New Jersey.
"I
wasn't frightened at all," said Pett, "because the thing looked so
peaceful and serene. There wasn't any appearance of menace.”
Letters
from readers of my book and articles gave me another cross-section. Most
of those who had seen saucers were soberly concerned, though only a few
admitted any fear. Some showed the effect of certain scare stories
published since '47. One of these stories reported that a nurse and a
salesman, driving along a desert road, had been kidnapped by spacemen.
Another described how a private plane had been stopped dead, suspended
in mid-air, apparently under study by a saucer crew. A third
fear-provoking story was built on the theory published by AMPRO
Laboratory Associates, which suggested that spies from Saturn were
circulating on earth, working for our downfall after a saucer invasion.
It was
plain the foundation had been laid for nationwide hysteria. It might
have been avoided—but that was water over the dam. The only hope now, it
seemed to me, was to trust the American people and quietly tell them the
facts.
For over
five years they had heard suggestions that the saucers came from space.
If they were not prepared now, they never would be.
There
would be some hysteria, no matter how and when the news was broken. But
after the first alarm, probably most of the country would settle down
and soberly face the problem.
Maybe I
was wrong—but somehow I felt the American people could take it.
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