Han Electrono-Ray Science

At this period the Hans of Nu-Yok had only one airship equipped with their new armored repeller ray, their latest defense against our tactics of shooting rockets into the repeller rays and letting the latter hurl them up against the ships. They had developed a new steel alloy of tremendous strength, which passed their rep ray with ease, but was virtually impervious to our most powerful explosives. Their supplies of this alloy were limited, for it could be produced only in the Lo-Tan shops, for it was only there that they could develop the degree of electronic power necessary for its manufacture.

At this time, the Hans of Nu-Yok had only one airship equipped with their new armored repeller ray. It was their latest defense against our tactics. We fired rockets into their repeller rays, which hurled the rockets up against their ships. The Hans had developed an extremely strong steel alloy that let their rep ray pass through easily. But the alloy was virtually impervious to our most powerful explosives. Their supplies were limited because the alloy could be produced only in the Lo-Tan shops. Only there could they generate the electronic power needed to manufacture it.

This ship shot out toward our lines just as the last of the groundships turned turtle and was blown to pieces. As it approached, the rockets of our invisible and widely scattered gunners in the forest below began to explode beneath its rep ray plates. The explosions caused the great ship to plunge and roll mightily, but otherwise did it no serious harm that I could see, for it was very heavily armored.

The ship shot toward our lines just as the last groundship overturned and blew apart. As it approached, our hidden gunners fired rockets from scattered positions in the forest below. The rockets exploded beneath the ship’s rep ray plates. The explosions made the great ship plunge and roll violently. But it was very heavily armored, and I could see no other serious damage.

Occasionally rockets fired directly at the ship would find their mark and tear gashes in its side and bottom plates, but these hits were few. The ship was high in the air, and a far more difficult target than were its rep ray columns. To hit the latter, our gunners had only to gauge their aim vertically. Range could be practically ignored, since the rep ray at any point above two-thirds the distance from the earth to the ship would automatically hurl the rocket upward against the rep ray plate.

Occasionally, rockets fired directly at the ship hit it, tearing gashes in its side and bottom plates. But these hits were few. The ship was high in the air and much harder to hit than its rep ray columns. To hit the columns, our gunners only had to aim at the right height. They could almost ignore the distance. At any point more than two-thirds of the way from the earth to the ship, the rep ray would automatically hurl the rocket upward against the rep ray plate.

As the ship sped toward us, rocking, plunging and recovering, it began to beam the forest below. It was equipped with a superbeam too, which cut a swathe nearly a hundred feet wide wherever it played.

As the ship sped toward us, rocking, plunging, and recovering, it began firing its beam at the forest below. It also had a superbeam that cut a path nearly a hundred feet wide wherever it struck.

With visions of many a life snuffed out below me, I surrendered to the impulse to stage a single-handed attack on this ship, feeling quite secure in my floating shell of inertron. I nosed up vertically, and rocketed for a position above the ship. Then as I climbed upward, as yet unobserved in my tiny craft that was scarcely larger than myself, I trained my telultroscope on the Han ship, focussing through to a view of its interior.

Imagining the many lives being snuffed out below me, I gave in to the urge to attack the ship alone. I felt quite safe in my floating shell of inertron. I pointed straight up and rocketed toward a position above the ship. As I climbed, the Han had not yet spotted my tiny craft, which was barely larger than I was. I aimed my telultroscope at the Han ship and focused it to see inside.

Much as I had imbibed of this generation's hatred for the Hans, I was forced to admire them for the completeness and efficiency of this marvelous craft of theirs.

Though I had absorbed much of this generation's hatred for the Hans, I had to admire them. Their marvelous craft was so complete and efficient.

Constantly twirling the controls of my scope to hold the focus, I examined its interior from nose to stern.

I kept adjusting the controls on my scope to keep it focused as I examined the interior from nose to stern.

It may be of interest at this point to give the reader a layman's explanation of the electronic or ionic machinery of these ships, and of their general construction, for today the general public knows little of the particular application of the electronic laws which the Hans used, although the practical application of ultronics are well understood.

It may be useful to explain the ships' electronic or ionic machinery and general construction in simple terms. Today, the public knows little about how the Hans applied electronic laws in these ships. The practical applications of ultronics, however, are well understood.

Back in the Twentieth Century I had, like literally millions of others, dabbled a bit in "radio" as we called it then; the science of the Hans was simply the superdevelopment of "electricity," "radio," and "broadcasting."

Back in the twentieth century, like literally millions of others, I had experimented a little with "radio," as we called it then. The science of the Hans was simply a highly advanced development of "electricity," "radio," and "broadcasting."

It must be understood that this explanation of mine is not technically accurate, but only what might be termed an illustrative approximation.

You should understand that my explanation is not technically accurate. It is only an approximation meant to illustrate the idea.

The Hans' power-stations used to broadcast three distinct "powers" simultaneously. Our engineers called them the "starter," the "pullee" and the "sub-disintegrator." The last named had nothing to do with the operation of the ships, but was exclusively the powerizer of the disintegrator generators.

The Hans' power stations used to broadcast three distinct "powers" at the same time. Our engineers called them the "starter," the "pullee" and the "sub-disintegrator." The sub-disintegrator had nothing to do with operating the ships. It powered only the disintegrator generators.

The "starter" was not unlike the "radio" broadcasts of the Twentieth Century. It went out at a frequency of about 1,000 kilocycles, had an amperage of approximately zero, but a voltage of two billion. Properly amplified by the use of inductostatic batteries (a development of the principle underlying the earth induction compass applied to the control of static) this current energized the "A" ionomagnetic coils on the airships, large and sturdy affairs, which operated the Attractoreflex Receivers, which in turn "pulled in" the second broadcast power known as the "pullee," absorbing it from every direction, literally exhausting it from surrounding space. The "pullee" came in at about a half-billion volts, but in very heavy amperage, proportional to the capacity of the receiver, and on a long wave—at audio frequency in fact. About half of this power reception ultimately actuated the repeller ray generators. The other half was used to energize the "B" ionomagnetic coils, peculiarly wound affairs, whose magnetic fields constituted the only means of insulating and controlling the circuits of the three "powers."

The "starter" was much like the "radio" broadcasts of the Twentieth Century. It operated at a frequency of about 1,000 kilocycles, with nearly zero amperage but a voltage of two billion. Inductostatic batteries properly amplified this current. The batteries developed the principle behind the earth induction compass and applied it to the control of static. The current energized the "A" ionomagnetic coils on the airships. These large, sturdy coils operated the Attractoreflex Receivers. The receivers then "pulled in" the second broadcast power, known as the "pullee". They absorbed it from every direction, literally exhausting it from the surrounding space. The "pullee" came in at about half a billion volts, but with very heavy amperage. The amperage was proportional to the receiver's capacity. It also came in on a long wave, at audio frequency. About half the power received ultimately operated the repeller ray generators. The other half energized the specially wound "B" ionomagnetic coils. Their magnetic fields provided the only means of insulating and controlling the circuits of the three "powers."

The repeller ray generators, operating on this current, and in conjunction with "twin synchronizers" in the power broadcast plant, developed two rhythmically variable ether-ground circuits of opposite polarity. In the "X" circuit, the negative was grounded along an ultraviolet beam from the ship's repeller-ray generator. The positive connection was through the ether to the "X synchronizer" in the power plant, whose opposite pole was grounded. The "Y" circuit travelled the same course, but in the opposite direction.

The repeller ray generators ran on this current and worked with "twin synchronizers" in the power broadcast plant. Together, they created two rhythmically variable ether-ground circuits of opposite polarity. In the "X" circuit, the negative pole was grounded along an ultraviolet beam from the ship's repeller-ray generator. The positive pole connected through the ether to the "X synchronizer" in the power plant. The synchronizer's opposite pole was grounded. The "Y" circuit followed the same path, but in the opposite direction.

The rhythmic variables of these two opposing circuits, as nearly as I can understand it, in heterodyning, created a powerful material "push" from the earth, up along the violet ray beam against the rep ray generator and against the two synchronizers at the power plant.

As nearly as I can understand it, the rhythmic variables of these two opposing circuits interacted through heterodyning. This created a powerful material "push" from the earth, up along the violet ray beam. The push pressed against the rep ray generator and the two synchronizers at the power plant.

This push developed molecularly from the earth-mass-resultant to the generator; and at the same fractional distance from the rep ray generator to the power plant.

This push developed molecularly from the earth-mass-resultant to the generator, and at the same fractional distance from the rep ray generator to the power plant.

The force exerted upward against the ship was, of course, highly concentrated, being confined to the path of the ultraviolet beam. Air or any material substance, coming within the indicated section of the beam, was thrown violently upward. The ships actually rode on columns of air thus forcefully up-thrown. Their "home berths" and "stations" were constructed with air pits beneath. When they rose from ordinary ground in open country, there was a vast upheaval of earth beneath their generators at the instant of take-off; this ceased as they got well above ground level.

The upward force against the ship was, of course, highly concentrated within the path of the ultraviolet beam. Air or any other material caught in the indicated section of the beam was thrown violently upward. The ships actually rode on columns of air forced upward in this way. Their "home berths" and "stations" were built with air pits beneath them. When they took off from ordinary ground in open country, the earth beneath their generators heaved up violently. This stopped once the ships rose well above the ground.

Equal pressure to the lifting power of the generator was exerted against the synchronizers at the power plant, but this force, not being concentrated directionally along an ultraviolet beam, involved a practical problem only at points relatively close to the synchronizers.

The generator exerted pressure on the synchronizers at the power plant equal to its lifting power. But this force was not concentrated along an ultraviolet beam. It posed a practical problem only relatively close to the synchronizers.

Of course the synchronizers were automatically controlled by the operation of the generators, and only the two were needed for any number of ships drawing power from the station, providing their protection was rugged enough to stand the strain.

Of course, the generators automatically controlled the synchronizers. Only two synchronizers were needed for any number of ships drawing power from the station, provided their protection was strong enough to withstand the strain.

Actually, they were isolated in vast spherical steel chambers with thick walls, so that nothing but air pressure would be hurled against them, and this, of course, would be self-neutralizing, coming as it did from all directions.

Actually, they were isolated in huge, spherical steel chambers with thick walls, so only air pressure would strike them. Of course, the pressure would cancel itself out because it came from all directions.

The "sub-disintegrator power" reached the ships as an ordinary broadcast reception at a negligible amperage, but from one to 500 "quints" (quintillions) voltage, controllable only by the fields of the "B" ionomagnetic coils. It had a wave-length of about ten meters. In the dis ray generator, this wave-length was broken up into an almost unbelievably high frequency, and became a directionally controlled wave of an infinitesimal fraction of an inch. This wave-length, actually identical with the diameter of an electron, that is to say, being accurately "tuned" to an electron, disrupted the orbital paths and balanced pulsations of the electrons within the atom, so desynchronizing them as to destroy polarity balance of the atom and causing it to cease to exist as an atom. It was in this way that the ray reduced matter to "nothingness."

The "sub-disintegrator power" reached the ships like an ordinary broadcast, at negligible amperage. But its voltage ranged from one to 500 "quints" (quintillions). Only the fields of the "B" ionomagnetic coils could control it. It had a wavelength of about ten meters. In the dis ray generator, this wavelength was broken up into an almost unbelievably high frequency. It became a directionally controlled wave with a wavelength of an infinitesimal fraction of an inch. This wavelength was identical to the diameter of an electron. In other words, it was precisely "tuned" to an electron. It disrupted the orbital paths and balanced pulsations of the electrons within the atom. This desynchronized the electrons and destroyed the atom's polarity balance, causing it to cease to exist as an atom. In this way, the ray reduced matter to "nothingness."

This destruction of the atom, and a limited power for its reconstruction under certain conditions, marked the utmost progress of the Han science.

Destroying the atom, and partly rebuilding it under certain conditions, was the greatest achievement of Han science.