Floating Men

My first glimpse of a human being of the 25th Century was obtained through a portion of woodland where the trees were thinly scattered, with a dense forest beyond.

I first glimpsed a human being of the 25th century through a sparse patch of woodland. Beyond it stood a dense forest.

I had been wandering along aimlessly, and hopelessly, musing over my strange fate, when I noticed a figure that cautiously backed out of the dense growth across the glade. I was about to call out joyfully, but there was something furtive about the figure that prevented me. The boy's attention (for it seemed to be a lad of fifteen or sixteen) was centered tensely on the heavy growth of trees from which he had just emerged.

I had been wandering aimlessly and hopelessly, thinking about my strange fate. Then I noticed a figure cautiously backing out of the dense growth across the glade. I was about to call out joyfully, but something furtive about the figure stopped me. He appeared to be a boy of fifteen or sixteen. The boy was staring tensely at the dense trees he had just come out of.

He was clad in rather tight-fitting garments entirely of green, and wore a helmet-like cap of the same color. High around his waist he wore a broad, thick belt, which bulked up in the back across the shoulders, into something of the proportions of a knapsack.

He wore rather tight-fitting clothes, all green, and a helmet-like cap of the same color. A broad, thick belt sat high around his waist. In back, it bulged up across his shoulders to about the size of a knapsack.

As I was taking in these details, there came a vivid flash and heavy detonation, like that of a hand grenade, not far to the left of him. He threw up an arm and staggered a bit in a queer, gliding way; then he recovered himself and slipped cautiously away from the place of the explosion, crouching slightly, and still facing the denser part of the forest. Every few steps he would raise his arm, and point into the forest with something he held in his hand. Wherever he pointed there was a terrific explosion, deeper in among the trees. It came to me then that he was shooting with some form of pistol, though there was neither flash nor detonation from the muzzle of the weapon itself.

As I took in these details, a bright flash and a loud blast came from just to his left. It sounded like a hand grenade. He threw up an arm and staggered slightly, moving in a strange, gliding way. Then he recovered and cautiously moved away from the explosion. He crouched slightly, still facing the densest part of the forest. Every few steps, he raised his arm and pointed something in his hand into the forest. Wherever he pointed, a tremendous explosion erupted deeper among the trees. I realized he was firing some kind of pistol, though there was no flash or sound from the muzzle itself.

After firing several times, he seemed to come to a sudden resolution, and turning in my general direction, leaped—to my amazement sailing through the air between the sparsely scattered trees in such a jump as I had never in my life seen before. That leap must have carried him a full fifty feet, although at the height of his arc, he was not more than ten or twelve feet from the ground.

After firing several times, he seemed to make a sudden decision. He turned in my general direction and leaped. To my amazement, he sailed through the air between the scattered trees. I had never seen a jump like it. He must have traveled a full fifty feet, though he was no more than ten or twelve feet above the ground at the highest point of his leap.

When he alighted, his foot caught in a projecting root, and he sprawled gently forward. I say "gently" for he did not crash down as I expected him to do. The only thing I could compare it with was a slow-motion cinema, although I had never seen one in which horizontal motions were registered at normal speed and only the vertical movements were slowed down.

When he landed, his foot caught on a root sticking out of the ground, and he fell gently forward. I say "gently" because he did not crash down as I expected. It reminded me of a slow-motion movie. But I had never seen one where horizontal movements happened at normal speed and only vertical movements were slowed down.

Due to my surprise, I suppose my brain did not function with its normal quickness, for I gazed at the prone figure for several seconds before I saw the blood that oozed out from under the tight green cap. Regaining my power of action, I dragged him out of sight back of the big tree. For a few moments I busied myself in an attempt to staunch the flow of blood. The wound was not a deep one. My companion was more dazed than hurt. But what of the pursuers?

I suppose my surprise slowed my thinking. I stared at the figure lying on the ground for several seconds before I noticed blood oozing from under his tight green cap. Once I could act again, I dragged him behind the big tree, out of sight. I spent a few moments trying to stop the bleeding. The wound wasn't deep. My companion was more dazed than hurt. But what about the pursuers?

I took the weapon from his grasp and examined it hurriedly. It was not unlike the automatic pistol to which I was accustomed, except that it apparently fired with a button instead of a trigger. I inserted several fresh rounds of ammunition into its magazine from my companion's belt, as rapidly as I could, for I soon heard, near us, the suppressed conversation of his pursuers.

I took the weapon from his hand and examined it quickly. It was much like the automatic pistol I was used to, except that it apparently fired with a button instead of a trigger. I quickly loaded several fresh rounds from my companion's belt into the magazine. I soon heard his pursuers speaking quietly nearby.

There followed a series of explosions round about us, but none very close. They evidently had not spotted our hiding place, and were firing at random.

A series of explosions followed around us, but none were very close. Apparently, they had not spotted our hiding place and were firing at random.

I waited tensely, balancing the gun in my hand, to accustom myself to its weight and probable throw.

I waited tensely, balancing the gun in my hand to get used to its weight and how it would likely handle.

Then I saw a movement in the green foliage of a tree not far away, and the head and face of a man appeared. Like my companion, he was clad entirely in green, which made his figure difficult to distinguish. But his face could be seen clearly. It was an evil face, and had murder in it.

Then I saw movement in the green leaves of a nearby tree, and a man's head and face appeared. Like my companion, he was dressed entirely in green, making him hard to see. But I could see his face clearly. It was an evil face, with murder in it.

That decided me. I raised the gun and fired. My aim was bad, for there was no kick in the gun, as I had expected, and I hit the trunk of the tree several feet below him. It blew him from his perch like a crumpled bit of paper, and he floated down to the ground, like some limp, dead thing, gently lowered by an invisible hand. The tree, its trunk blown apart by the explosion, crashed down.

That made up my mind. I raised the gun and fired. My aim was bad because the gun had no kick, though I had expected one. I hit the tree trunk several feet below him. The blast blew him from his perch like a crumpled piece of paper. He floated down to the ground like a limp, dead thing, gently lowered by an invisible hand. The explosion blew the tree trunk apart, and the tree crashed down.

There followed another series of explosions around us. These guns we were using made no sound in the firing, and my opponents were evidently as much at sea as to my position as I was to theirs. So I made no attempt to reply to their fire, contenting myself with keeping a sharp lookout in their general direction. And patience had its reward.

Another series of explosions went off around us. Our guns made no sound when fired. My opponents apparently had no more idea where I was than I did where they were. So I didn't return fire. I just kept a sharp lookout in their general direction. My patience paid off.

Very soon I saw a cautious movement in the top of another tree. Exposing myself as little as possible, I aimed carefully at the tree trunk and fired again. A shriek followed the explosion. I heard the tree crash down; then a groan.

Soon, I saw cautious movement at the top of another tree. Keeping myself as hidden as possible, I aimed carefully at the trunk and fired again. A shriek followed the explosion. I heard the tree crash down, then a groan.

There was silence for a while. Then I heard a faint sound of boughs swishing. I shot three times in its direction, pressing the button as rapidly as I could. Branches crashed down where my shells had exploded, but there was no body.

There was silence for a while. Then I heard the faint swishing of branches. I shot three times in that direction, pressing the button as fast as I could. Branches crashed down where my shells had exploded, but there was no body.

Then I saw one of them. He was starting one of those amazing leaps from the bough of one tree to another, about forty feet away.

Then I saw one of them. He was starting one of those amazing leaps from one tree branch to another, about forty feet away.

I threw up my gun impulsively and fired. By now I had gotten the feel of the weapon, and my aim was good. I hit him. The "bullet" must have penetrated his body and exploded. For one moment I saw him flying through the air. Then the explosion, and he had vanished. He never finished his leap. It was annihilation.

I quickly raised my gun and fired. By now I had gotten a feel for the weapon, and my aim was good. I hit him. The "bullet" must have entered his body and exploded. For a moment, I saw him flying through the air. Then came the explosion, and he vanished. He never finished his leap. He was annihilated.

How many more of them there were I don't know. But this must have been too much for them. They used a final round of shells on us, all of which exploded harmlessly, and shortly after I heard them swishing and crashing away from us through the tree tops. Not one of them descended to earth.

I don't know how many more of them there were. But this must have been too much for them. They fired one last round of shells at us, but all the shells exploded harmlessly. Shortly afterward, I heard them swishing and crashing away through the treetops. Not one of them came down to the ground.

Now I had time to give some attention to my companion. She was, I found, a girl, and not a boy. Despite her bulky appearance, due to the peculiar belt strapped around her body high up under the arms, she was very slender, and very pretty.

Now I had time to pay attention to my companion. I realized she was a girl, not a boy. She looked bulky because of a strange belt strapped high around her body, just under her arms. But she was very slender and very pretty.

There was a stream not far away, from which I brought water and bathed her face and wound.

There was a stream nearby. I brought back some water and washed her face and wound.

Apparently the mystery of these long leaps, the monkey-like ability to jump from bough to bough, and of the bodies that floated gently down instead of falling, lay in the belt. The thing was some sort of anti-gravity belt that almost balanced the weight of the wearer, thereby tremendously multiplying the propulsive power of the leg muscles, and the lifting power of the arms.

Apparently, the belt explained the long leaps, the monkey-like jumps from branch to branch, and the bodies that floated gently down instead of falling. It was some kind of anti-gravity belt that almost balanced the wearer's weight. This greatly increased the pushing power of the leg muscles and the lifting power of the arms.

When the girl came to, she regarded me as curiously as I did her, and promptly began to quiz me. Her accent and intonation puzzled me a lot, but nevertheless we were able to understand each other fairly well, except for certain words and phrases. I explained what had happened while she lay unconscious, and she thanked me simply for saving her life.

When the girl regained consciousness, she looked at me as curiously as I looked at her. She immediately began asking me questions. Her accent and the way she spoke puzzled me a lot. But we could understand each other fairly well, except for certain words and phrases. I explained what had happened while she was unconscious, and she thanked me simply for saving her life.

"You are a strange exchange," she said, eying my clothing quizzically. Evidently she found it mirth provoking by contrast with her own neatly efficient garb. "Don't you understand what I mean by 'exchange?' I mean ah—let me see—a stranger, somebody from some other gang. What gang do you belong to?" (She pronounced it "gan," with only a suspicion of a nasal sound.)

"You are a strange exchange," she said, looking curiously at my clothes. Apparently, she found them funny compared with her own neat, practical clothes. "Don't you understand what I mean by 'exchange?' I mean, ah, let me see, a stranger, somebody from some other gang. What gang do you belong to?" (She pronounced it "gan," with only a hint of a nasal sound.)

I laughed. "I'm not a gangster," I said. But she evidently did not understand this word. "I don't belong to any gang," I explained, "and never did. Does everybody belong to a gang nowadays?"

I laughed. "I'm not a gangster," I said. But she apparently didn't understand the word. "I don't belong to any gang," I explained, "and I never have. Does everyone belong to a gang these days?"

"Naturally," she said, frowning. "If you don't belong to a gang, where and how do you live? Why have you not found and joined a gang? How do you eat? Where do you get your clothing?"

"Of course," she said, frowning. "If you don't belong to a gang, where and how do you live? Why haven't you found and joined a gang? How do you eat? Where do you get your clothes?"

"I've been eating wild game for the past two weeks," I explained, "and this clothing I—er—ah—." I paused, wondering how I could explain that it must be many hundred years old.

"I've been eating wild game for the past two weeks," I explained. "And these clothes, I... uh..." I paused, wondering how to explain that the clothes must be hundreds of years old.

In the end I saw I would have to tell my story as well as I could, piecing it together with my assumptions as to what had happened. She listened patiently; incredulously at first, but with more confidence as I went on. When I had finished, she sat thinking for a long time.

In the end, I saw that I had to tell my story as best I could. I filled in the gaps with my own assumptions about what had happened. She listened patiently. At first she was skeptical, but she grew more confident as I went on. When I finished, she sat thinking for a long time.

"That's hard to believe," she said, "but I believe it." She looked me over with frank interest.

"That's hard to believe," she said, "but I believe it." She looked me over with open interest.

"Were you married when you slipped into unconsciousness down in that mine?" she asked me suddenly. I assured her I had never married. "Well, that simplifies matters," she continued. "You see, if you were technically classed as a family man, I could take you back only as an invited exchange and I, being unmarried, and no relation of yours, couldn't do the inviting."

"Were you married when you fell unconscious down in that mine?" she asked suddenly. I assured her I had never married. "Well, that makes things simpler," she continued. "You see, if you were officially classified as a family man, I could only take you back as an invited exchange. But I couldn't invite you, because I'm unmarried and not related to you."