Meteor and Other Stories Read online

  Hymorell had been very cautious and clever. He must have seen the extra wires to the time-switch, and had cut them. But in the cupboard under the stairs I found the trap he had left for me. He had used a switch that was operated by a change in the temperature, so that it turned on as the house became cooler in the evening. It was a clever little arrangement, using the powder out of the revolver bullets. Near the powder were paper and old clothes covered in oil. I would have been burned to death within minutes.

  I started to think and plan once more. During the war someone had invented an underground bomb that did not explode until the seventh enemy lorry had gone over it. It gave me an idea and I worked hard on it for two days. My new trap was much harder to find and avoid than anything either of us had used before. I was very pleased with it, and even more pleased when I succeeded in transferring myself again.

  I managed to stay awake for three days, but then I had to sleep. I slept for fourteen hours - and woke up in the same place. That was excellent. I couldn’t believe he would wait so long before trying to transfer me. My last trap must have worked. As time went by, I began to feel more relaxed and then more confident that I was safe. I began to plan what I should do with an endless life ahead of me as a citizen of this other world. I did not intend to do nothing as the other people did. I told Samine how I felt.

  ‘Yes,’ she admitted, I know. For my first two bodies I felt the same. You are so young, Terry.’ She sat looking at me a little sadly.

  It was then that I realized my feelings for Samine had changed. For the first time I saw beyond her perfect shape and young beauty. Inside, she was old and tired - her age was far beyond my reach. The energy of my youth had amused and attracted her. Now she was tired of it and of me. I fell out of love with her the moment I realized this. I must have stared at her for a long time.

  ‘You don’t want me any more,’ I told her. Ii don’t amuse you any longer. You want Hymorell.’

  ‘Yes, Terry,’ she said quietly.

  For the next few days I thought deeply about what to do. I had never liked her world. It was weak and dying. Loving Samine had been the only pleasant part - and that had now vanished. I felt trapped, and horrified by a future of several lifetimes. Perhaps, after all, it was better that life came to an end. I was terrified by the thought of existing almost endlessly …

  But my worry was not necessary. I am in no danger of existing for ever. I went to sleep feeling very depressed in the great green building, and when I woke, I found myself in this hospital.

  How Hymorell did it I don’t completely understand. I suspect that, like me, he had become tired of the game we’d been playing. So he looked for a way for both of us to escape. I think he built an ordinary transfer machine, and used it together with the one he had invented for transferring across time. With these two machines he managed a triangle of changes. I assume that Hymorell returned safely to his own body, and a weak-minded patient from this psychology hospital was transferred to my wheel-chair.

  When I realized what had happened, I wrote at once enquiring about Terry Moreton. I signed the letter with the name I am given here, and claimed that I had known Terry in the past. I learned that he was dead. He had been killed by an electric shock while he was experimenting with some radio equipment. This had happened three hours after I had woken to find myself in this place.

  My position here is difficult. If I pretend to be Stephen Tallboy, I am a weak-minded creature with no legal right to leave the protection of this hospital. If I claim to be Terry Moreton, the doctors say that I am living in a fantasy world of my imagination. I have little chance of recovering my property, but I think I shall be able to show myself normal enough to be released.

  If I can obtain my freedom, I shall be in a better situation than I was before. I shall have a complete body that works well, and I should be able to use it to live successfully in a world I understand. So I think I gain more than I lose.

  However, I am Terry Moreton.

  *

  … As you will realize, the patient’s imagination has created a well-developed fantasy. If there is nothing more seriously wrong with him, we shall without doubt be able to release the patient some time in the near future.

  However, we think you ought to know two things that cannot be explained. One is that, although the two men have never met, Stephen Tallboy knows in surprising detail the facts of Terry Moreton’s private life. Another is that, when we arranged a meeting between Stephen Tallboy and some of Terry Moreton’s friends, he immediately called them by their names and knew all about them. They were amazed by this, and they protest that he does not look like Terry Moreton in any way -though they add that his way of speaking reminds them of Terry Moreton.

  I attach to this letter full legal proof that the patient is indeed Stephen Tallboy. If there are any new developments, we shall, of course, inform you.

  Yours truly, J. K. Johnson (Head of Psychology)

  THE END

  *** This book was produced as a study piece for English classes ***

  GLOSSARY

  airlock a small room with an airtight door at each end and a very small insect that lives in an organized society anti-slavery laws laws to stop people buying, selling, and

  owning other people as slaves bark (v) to give the sharp, hard cry that a dog makes battery a container (of varying sizes) for storing and supplying

  electricity (e.g. a torch battery) bully (n and v) a person who hurts or frightens a weaker person

  buzzing (n) a steady humming sound, as made by some insects chess a game for two people, played on a board with sixteen

  ‘chessmen’ for each player compartment one of several separate enclosed places, into

  which a larger area has been divided course the direction or route followed by a ship or an aeroplane

  crew all the people working on a ship, an aeroplane, etc. dome a roof or building that is shaped like half a circle earth (What on earth …?) used for emphasis, to show puzzlement, surprise, anger, etc. electricity the supply of electric power used for lighting, heating, driving machines, etc. evil wicked, very bad

  exclaim to cry out suddenly in anger, surprise, pain, etc. explosive (n) a substance (e.g. that used in bombs) that is able to explode fantasy a belief in something that is unreal, invented by the imagination

  fire-tube a weapon used by the Globe people, which has the power to kill

  fuel anything (wood, coal, oil, etc.) burned to produce heat or power

  globe a round object with the shape of a ball

  gravity the force that pulls everything towards the centre of the

  Earth or any other large object head-over-heels rolling or spinning in a complete circle hissing (n) a sound like that of a long V, as made by steam escaping through a small hole interest rate the percentage (e.g. 10%, 15%) at which money is paid regularly to somebody who has put their money in a bank, company, etc. lens a piece of glass with curved surfaces magnetic with the power of electrical attraction, as when two metals are pulled towards each other meteor a lump of metal or rock that flies through the sky from outer space monster an unnatural creature of huge size movement (as in Women’s Freedom Movement) a group of people working together for the same purpose naked not wearing any clothes

  orbit the path followed by a planet, star, moon, etc. round another body, e.g. the Earth’s orbit round the sun

  outhouse a small building for tools, etc. outside the main building

  plain (n) a large area of flat land, without hills or valleys planet a body (e.g. Earth, Mars, Jupiter) in space that moves around a star (e.g. the sun) public address system a system of microphones and

  loudspeakers used to make announcements to a lot of people

  (e.g. on a plane or ship) race (n) a large group of people who share the same physical characteristics, e.g. skin colour, shape of eyes and nose revolver a small, hand-held gun from which several bullets can be fired very quickly salany a word invented by John Wyndham, meaning a very long period o
f time sergeant a police officer below an inspector space (also outer space) the area beyond the Earth’s atmosphere in which all other planets and stars exist sting (v) to hurt somebody with a sharp, poisonous point, as an insect does

  universe all existing things, including the Earth and its creatures, and all stars, planets, etc. in space victory success in a war, battle, competition, etc.

  Meteor and Other Stories

  ACTIVITIES

  Before Reading

  Read the introduction on the first page of the book, and the back cover. What can you guess about these stories? For each story, choose one idea - either because you think it is likely, or because it appeals to you. Explain the reasons for your choice.

  In the story Meteor, the smooth round metal ball is in fact…

  a secret weapon, which has fallen by accident from a rocket.

  a meteor from outer space, containing poisonous gases.

  a spaceship from a distant planet, containing living creatures.

  a spaceship from Mars, containing two Martian children.

  In the story Dumb Martian, the ‘dumb Martian’ …

  is a more intelligent being than many humans from Earth.

  is an amazingly stupid creature.

  can only speak the Martian language.

  is the name of a robot sent to explore the planet Mars.

  In the story Survival, the characters can only stay alive by …

  living in cities built deep underground.

  fighting a desperate war against a different life-form.

  killing and eating each other.

  eating artificial food grown in laboratories.

  In the story Body and Soul,…

  a woman gives up her soul in exchange for a beautiful body.

  humans travel in spirit to other planets, leaving their bodies ‘parked’ on Earth and returning to them after their journey.

  a soul takes over a new body when its old body dies.

  the characters travel through time for thousands of years.

  ACTIVITIES: While Reading

  Read the story Meteor as far as the five black dots on page 13. The humans and the Fortans see, hear, and experience things very differently. Whose viewpoint is given in each note below? Then use the notes to write sentences comparing the two viewpoints.

  a metal mountain, the largest thing ever built

  a hissing noise, and later a faint buzzing noise

  a very wide level plain and a square sun

  a great black monster, with two pointed ears

  the brick wall of the outhouse

  spiders and other insects

  fierce grey creatures, builders of the tunnels

  Before you finish reading Meteor, how do you expect the story to end? Choose one of these ideas, or think of your own.

  The Fortans take over the planet Earth.

  The humans find the Fortans and destroy them like insects.

  Some Fortans find a safe shelter and begin to build a new civilization, but the story leaves them with an uncertain future.

  The Fortans survive, and adapt so rapidly to life on Earth that they soon become as cruel and aggressive as humans.

  Read Dumb Martian down to the bottom of page 35. Who said this, and to whom? What were they talking about?

  ‘What! Me marry a Martian?’

  ‘You’ve never lived here, have you?’

  “I wish I’d brought one.”

  ‘You can do it when you try, you see.’

  ‘My face isn’t rubber like an Earth face.’

  ‘You’re interfering with things that aren’t your business.’

  ‘Well, now she can read, she’ll discover the truth.’

  Before you finish reading Dumb Martian, can you guess the answers to these questions?

  Is Alan Winter really dead? Or is he hiding somewhere and planning to return unexpectedly to rescue Lellie?

  What will happen to Duncan’s and Lellie’s relationship?

  Do you think Lellie suspects Duncan of arranging Alan’s death, and if so, will she say anything to Duncan or keep silent?

  Will Lellie take her revenge on Duncan, and if so, how?

  Read Survival down to the bottom of page 61. Complete these sentences in your own words.

  The Captain thought Alice Morgan was a quiet little thing, but the Pilot…

  The spaceship’s side-rockets would not work, which meant…

  The spaceship would not go on into outer space because …

  The Captain was deeply shocked when Alice …

  Before you finish reading Survival, how much can you guess about the rest of the story?

  What is Alice’s reason for demanding more food?

  Will starvation cause the next deaths, or something else?

  What will they do when they run out of food?

  How many survivors will the rescue spaceship find?

  Read Body and Soul down to the bottom of page 95, and answer these questions.

  What made Sally break off her engagement to Terry?

  What kind of world did Terry find himself in when he woke up from his drugged sleep?

  How did Terry learn Samine’s language?

  What was happening to the human race in Samine’s time?

  How many bodies had Samine lived in?

  Why did Hymorell want to exchange bodies with Terry?

  Why was Hymorell able to exchange bodies with Terry?

  Why did Terry and Hymorell try so hard to kill each other?

  Before you read to the end of Body and Soul, how do you think the two main characters are feeling at this point? Choose from these ideas.

  If Terry manages to return to the future, he will …

  love Samine more and more deeply as time passes.

  do anything to avoid returning to his legless body.

  become terrified at the thought of an almost endless life.

  Samine will …

  offer to return with Terry to his world.

  decide in the end that she prefers Hymorell to Terry.

  not be there the next time Terry manages to transfer.

  How do you think the story will finish?

  Will Terry and Hymorell just go on battling until one of them manages to kill the other, or is there another solution? If so, what might it be, and who will think of it? (There is a clue in the letter at the beginning of the story.)

  ACTIVITIES

  After Reading

  1 At the end of Meteor, imagine that Onns and a few friends escaped. Here is Onns’s next entry in his diary. Put the sentences in the best order to make a paragraph of eleven sentences, and choose one suitable linking word for each gap.

  Muin very bravely shot and killed this white monster, then three of the huge creatures came thundering towards us.

  I can hardly bear to remember the last horror.

  It is now two days Muin led us into open country, we found a forest of tall green plants, five times our

  height.

  Something - I cannot describe it - came down from the sky picked up Muin, taking him from our sight.

  I and a few others reached safety in the tunnels, we wish now we had died with our friends, what future can any of us hope for in this mad, evil world?

  Each day we went out to explore the forest a little further, today disaster hit us I fear we are near the end.

  We were hurrying back to the tunnels a cloud of killer dust hit us, within seconds hundreds of us were dead.

  We could find no shelter in this forest, at night we returned to the tunnels to sleep and rest.

  It is hard to explain what happened next.

  A minute later, , Muin returned to us, falling out of the sky crashing to the ground, killed him instantly.

  First, we were attacked by a great, long-haired white monster, made the most terrifying noises at us.

  Did Lellie get away with it? At the end of Dumb Martian, the Company Agent investigated Duncan Weaver’s death and sent a report on it to his boss. C
hoose one suitable word to fill each gap.

  Agent’s Report

  Just before Weaver was due to to Mars, his dead body was outside the dome by his young wife. Her statement

  follows this report,does not really explain the strange in which her husband died. Weaver was not a pleasant man and I suspected him of treating his wife badly, it is quite possible that she caused his death. However, there is no evidence to support my suspicions, and I recommend that the company takes no further interest in this matter. Duncan Weaver will be missed.

  Statement by Lellie Weaver

  My husband had some kind of accident while he was working outside the dome, but I do not know what. I had a headache and had gone to bed early, so I knew nothing about it until it was too late.

  Earlier, my husband had said he had to check something on the container . He may have shut the outer door of the airlock by accident and was unable to open it, and perhaps it went wrong with his space-suit battery he was trying to cut a in the wall to get back . When I woke up, I went look for him and saw his floating outside the window. Then I called Jupiter IV on the radio for help.

  At the end of Survival, what do you think happens next? Choose some ideas from this list, and write another ending for the story.

  Alice shoots the Captain, but the other two men escape.

  By now Alice is quite mad and cannot understand that she no longer needs to shoot people for food.

  Back on the rescue ship the officers think of plans to save Alice without getting shot themselves - broadcasting a radio message into the Hunter, telling Alice not to shoot, or throwing in some food which has been drugged.

  The three men get the gun away from Alice and explain who they are. Alice bursts into tears of relief and joy. She seems quite sane and no mention is ever made of the human leg bone.

  Alice shoots all three of the rescuers and starts eating them.

  When Hymorell in Body and Soul made the final transfer back into his own body, what did he and Samine say to each other? Complete Hymorell’s part of the conversation in your own words.