The Forest Men Attack

Many times during the months I remained prisoner among the Hans I had tried to develop a plan of escape, but could conceive of nothing which seemed to have any reasonable chance of success.

During the months I was a prisoner among the Hans, I often tried to plan an escape. But I couldn't think of a plan that seemed to have a reasonable chance of success.

While I was allowed almost complete freedom within the confines of the city, and sometimes was permitted to visit even the military outposts and disintegrator ray batteries in the surrounding mountains, I was never without a guard of at least five men under the command of an officer. These men were picked soldiers, and they were armed with powerful though short-range disintegrator-ray pistols, capable of annihilating anything within a hundred feet. Their vigilance never relaxed. The officer on duty kept constantly at my side, or a couple of paces behind me, while certain of the others were under strict orders never to approach within my reach, nor to get more than forty feet away from me. The thought occurred to me once to seize the officer at my side and use him as a shield, until I found that the guard were under orders to destroy both of us in such a case.

I was allowed almost complete freedom within the city. Sometimes I was even allowed to visit military outposts and disintegrator ray batteries in the surrounding mountains. But I always had a guard of at least five men, commanded by an officer. These men were handpicked soldiers. They carried powerful but short-range disintegrator-ray pistols that could annihilate anything within a hundred feet. They were always alert. The officer on duty stayed at my side or a couple of paces behind me. Some of the other guards had strict orders to stay out of my reach but never more than forty feet away. Once, I considered seizing the officer beside me and using him as a shield. Then I found out that the guards had orders to destroy us both if I did.

So in this fashion I roamed the city corridors, wherever I wished. I visited the great factories at the bottom of the shafts that led to the base of the mountain, where, unattended by any mechanics, great turbines whirred and moaned, giant pistons plunged back and forth, and immense systems of chemical vats, piping and converters, automatically performed their functions with the assistance of no human hand, but under the minute television inspection of many perfumed dandies reclining at their ease before viewplates in their apartment offices in the city, that clung to the mountain peak far above.

In this way, I roamed the city corridors wherever I wished. I visited the great factories at the bottom of the shafts that led to the mountain’s base. There, great turbines whirred and moaned, and giant pistons plunged back and forth, with no mechanics tending them. Vast systems of chemical vats, pipes, and converters worked automatically, without help from human hands. But many perfumed dandies watched them closely by television. The dandies reclined comfortably before viewplates in their apartment offices in the city, which clung to the mountain peak far above.

There were just two restrictions on my freedom of movement. I was allowed nowhere near the power-broadcasting station on the peak, nor the complement of it which was buried three miles below the base of the mountain. And I was never allowed to approach within a hundred feet of any disintegrator ray machine when I visited the military outposts in the surrounding mountains.

There were only two limits on my freedom of movement. I was not allowed near the power-broadcasting station on the peak. I was also forbidden near its counterpart, buried three miles below the base of the mountain. When I visited the military outposts in the surrounding mountains, I was never allowed within a hundred feet of any disintegrator ray machine.

I first noticed the "escape tunnels" one day when I had descended to the lowest level of all, the location of the Electronic Plant, where machines, known as "reverse disintegrators," fed with earth and crushed rock by automatic conveyors, subjected this material to the disintegrator ray, held the released electrons captive within their magnetic fields and slowly refashioned them into supplies of metals and other desired elements.

I first noticed the "escape tunnels" one day when I went down to the lowest level of all. That was where the Electronic Plant was located. There, automatic conveyors fed earth and crushed rock into machines known as "reverse disintegrators." The machines exposed the material to the disintegrator ray and held the released electrons captive in their magnetic fields. They slowly reshaped the electrons into supplies of metals and other desired elements.

My attention was attracted to the tunnels by the unusual fact that men were busily entering and leaving them. Almost the entire repair force seemed to be concentrated here. Stocky, muscular men they were, with the same modified Oriental countenances as the rest of the Hans, but with a certain ruggedness about them that was lacking in the rest of the indolent population. They sweated as they labored over the construction of magnetic cars evidently designed to travel down these tunnels, automatically laying pipe lines for ventilation and temperature control. The tunnels themselves appeared to have been driven with disintegrator rays, which could bore rapidly through the solid rock, forming glassy iridescent walls as they bored, and involving no problem of debris removal.

The tunnels caught my attention because, unusually, men were busy going in and out. Almost the entire repair force seemed to be concentrated there. They were stocky, muscular men, with the same modified Oriental faces as the rest of the Hans. But they had a ruggedness that the rest of the indolent population lacked. They sweated as they built magnetic cars, evidently designed to travel down the tunnels. The cars would automatically lay pipes for ventilation and temperature control. The tunnels themselves appeared to have been bored with disintegrator rays. These rays could bore rapidly through solid rock, leaving glassy, iridescent walls without creating debris that needed to be removed.

I asked San-Lan about it the next time I saw him, for the officer of my guard would give me no information.

I asked San-Lan about it the next time I saw him, because the officer in charge of my guard wouldn't tell me anything.

The supreme ruler of the Hans smiled mockingly.

The supreme ruler of the Hans smiled mockingly.

"There is no reason why you should not know their purpose," he said, "for you will never be able to stop our use of them. These tunnels constitute the road to a new Han era. Your forest men have turned our cities into traps, but they have not trapped our minds and our powers over Nature. We are masters still; masters of the world, and of the forest men.

"There is no reason you shouldn't know their purpose," he said, "because you will never be able to stop us from using them. These tunnels are the road to a new Han era. Your forest men have turned our cities into traps, but they have not trapped our minds or our power over nature. We are still masters of the world and of the forest men.

"You have revolutionized the tactics of warfare with your explosive rockets and your strategy of fighting from concealed positions, miles away, where we cannot find you with our beams. You have driven our ships from the air, and you may destroy our cities. But we shall be gone.

"You have changed the way wars are fought with your explosive rockets and your strategy of attacking from hidden positions. You fight from miles away, where we cannot find you with our beams. You have driven our ships from the air, and you may destroy our cities. But we will be gone.

"Down these tunnels we shall depart to our new cities, deep under ground, and scattered far and wide through the mountains. They are nearly completed now.

"We will travel down these tunnels to our new cities, deep underground and scattered throughout the mountains. The cities are nearly complete now.

"You will never blast us out of these, even with your most powerful explosives, because they will be more difficult for you to find than it is for us to locate a forest gunner somewhere beneath his leafy screen of miles of trees, and because they will be too far underground."

"You will never blast us out of these, even with your most powerful explosives. They will be harder for you to find than a forest gunner is for us to locate beneath miles of leafy trees. And they will be too far underground."

"But," I objected, "man cannot live and flourish like a mole continually removed from the light of day, without the health-giving rays of the sun, which man needs."

"But," I objected, "people can't live and thrive like moles, always shut away from daylight. They need the sun's health-giving rays."

"No?" San-Lan jeered. "Wild tribesmen might not be able to, but we are a civilization. We shall make our own sunlight to order in the bowels of the earth. If necessary, we can manufacture our air synthetically; not the germ-laden air of Nature, but absolutely pure air. Our underground cities will be heated or refrigerated artificially as conditions may require. Why should we not live underground if we desire? We produce all our needs synthetically.

“No?” San-Lan sneered. “Wild tribesmen might not be able to, but we are a civilization. We’ll make our own sunlight whenever we need it, deep underground. If necessary, we can make our own air. Not Nature’s germ-filled air, but absolutely pure air. We’ll heat or cool our underground cities as needed. Why shouldn’t we live underground if we want to? We make everything we need ourselves.

"Nor will you be able to locate our cities with electronic indicators.

"You won't be able to locate our cities with electronic indicators either.

"You see, Rogers, I know what is in your mind. Our scientists have planned carefully. All our machinery and processes will be shielded so that no electronic disturbances will exist at the surface.

"You see, Rogers, I know what you're thinking. Our scientists have planned carefully. All our machinery and processes will be shielded so that no electronic disturbances reach the surface.

"And then, from our underground cities we will emerge at leisure to wage merciless war on your wild men of the forest, until we have at last done what our forefathers should have done, exterminated them to the last beast."

"And then we will emerge from our underground cities whenever we choose. We will wage merciless war on your wild men of the forest. At last, we will do what our forefathers should have done. We will exterminate them down to the last beast."

He thrust his jeering face close to mine. "Have you any answer to that?" he demanded.

He shoved his mocking face close to mine. "Do you have an answer to that?" he demanded.

My impulse was to plant my fist in his face, for I could think of no other answer. But I controlled myself, and even forced a hearty laugh, to irritate him.

I wanted to punch him in the face because I couldn't think of any other answer. But I held back and even forced a hearty laugh to irritate him.

"It is a fine plan," I admitted, "but you will not have time to carry it through. Long before you can complete your new cities you will have been destroyed."

"It's a good plan," I admitted, "but you won't have time to carry it out. You'll be destroyed long before you can finish your new cities."

"They will be completed within the week," he replied triumphantly. "We have not been asleep, and our mechanical and scientific resources make us masters of time as well as the earth. You shall see."

“They’ll be finished within the week,” he replied triumphantly. “We haven’t been idle. Our mechanical and scientific resources make us masters of time as well as the earth. You’ll see.”

Naturally I was worried. I would have given much if I could have passed this information on to our chiefs.

Naturally, I was worried. I would have given a lot to pass this information on to our chiefs.

But two days later a mighty exultation arose within me, when from far to the east and also to the south there came the rolling and continuous thunder of rocket fire. I was in my own apartment at the time. The Han captain of my guard was with me, as usual, and two guards stood just within the door. The others were in the corridor outside. And as soon as I heard it, I questioned my jailer with a look. He nodded assent, and I did what probably every disengaged person in Lo-Tan did at the same moment, tuned in on the local broadcast of the Military Headquarters View and Control Room.

But two days later, I felt a surge of joy. From far to the east and south came the continuous, rolling thunder of rocket fire. I was in my apartment at the time. The Han captain of my guard was with me, as usual, and two guards stood just inside the door. The others were in the corridor outside. As soon as I heard the rocket fire, I looked at my jailer with a question in my eyes. He nodded. Then I did what probably everyone in Lo-Tan who was free to do so did at that moment. I tuned in to the local broadcast from the Military Headquarters View and Control Room.

It was as though the side wall of my apartment had dissolved, and we looked into a large room or office which had no walls or ceiling, these being replaced by the interior surface of a hemisphere, which was in fact a vast viewplate on which those in the room could see in every direction. Some 200 staff officers had their desks in this room. Each desk was equipped with a system of small viewplates of its own, and each officer was responsible for a given directional section of the "map," and busied himself with teleprojectoscope examination of it, quite independently of the general view thrown on the dome plate.

It was as if the side wall of my apartment had dissolved. We looked into a large room or office with no walls or ceiling. Instead, the room was enclosed by the inner surface of a hemisphere. This was a vast viewplate that let people in the room see in every direction. About 200 staff officers had desks in the room. Each desk had its own set of small viewplates. Each officer was responsible for a particular directional section of the "map." Each examined it with a teleprojectoscope, independently of the general view displayed on the dome plate.

At a raised circular desk in the center, which was composed entirely of viewplates, sat the Executive Marshal, scanning the hemisphere, calling occasionally for telescopic views of one section or another on his desk plates, and noting the little pale green signal lights that flashed up as Sector Observers called for his attention.

The Executive Marshal sat at a raised circular desk in the center. The desk was made entirely of viewplates. He scanned the hemisphere, occasionally calling for telescopic views of one section or another on his desk plates. He also watched the small, pale green signal lights that flashed when Sector Observers called for his attention.

Members of Strategy Board, Base Commanders of military units, and San-Lan himself, I understood, sat at similar desks in their private offices, on which all these views were duplicated, and in constant verbal and visual communication with one another and with the Executive Marshal.

I understood that members of the Strategy Board, military unit Base Commanders, and San-Lan himself had similar desks in their private offices. All these views were duplicated on their desks. They were in constant voice and visual communication with one another and with the Executive Marshal.

The particular view which appeared on my own wall fortunately showed the east side of the dome viewplate and in one corner of my picture appeared the Executive Marshal himself.

Fortunately, the view on my wall showed the east side of the dome viewplate. The Executive Marshal himself appeared in one corner of the picture.

Although I was getting a viewplate picture of a viewplate picture, I could see the broad, rugged valley to the east plainly, and the relatively low ridge beyond, which must have been some thirty miles away.

Although I was seeing a viewplate image of another viewplate image, I could clearly see the broad, rugged valley to the east. Beyond it was a relatively low ridge, which must have been about thirty miles away.

It was beyond this, evidently far beyond it, that the scene of the action was located, for nothing showed on the plate but a misty haze permeated by indefinite and continuous pulsations of light, and against which the low mountain ridge stood out in bold relief.

The action was evidently taking place beyond this, far beyond it. For the plate showed only a misty haze filled with continuous, indistinct pulses of light. The low mountain ridge stood out sharply against the haze.

Somewhere on the floor of the Observation room, of course, was a Sector Observer who was looking beyond that ridge, probably through a projectoscope station in the second or third "circle," located perhaps on that ridge or beyond it.

Of course, somewhere on the floor of the Observation room, a Sector Observer was looking beyond that ridge. The observer was probably using a projectoscope station in the second or third "circle." The station was perhaps on the ridge or beyond it.

At the very moment I was wishing for his facilities the Executive Marshal leaned over to a microphone and gave an order in a low tone. The hemispherical view dissolved, and another took its place, from the third circle. And the view was now that which would be seen by a man standing on the low distant ridge.

Just as I was wishing I had his equipment, the Executive Marshal leaned toward a microphone and quietly gave an order. The hemispherical view dissolved, and another view from the third circle appeared. It showed what a man standing on the low ridge in the distance would see.

There was another broad valley, a wide and deep canyon, in fact, and beyond this still another ridge, the outlines of which were already beginning to fade into the on-creeping haze of the barrage. The flashes of the great detonating rockets were momentarily becoming more vivid.

There was another broad valley, really a wide, deep canyon. Beyond it lay another ridge, whose outline was already fading into the spreading haze of the barrage. The flashes of the huge exploding rockets were growing brighter by the moment.

"That's the Gok-Man ridge," mused the Han officer beside me in the apartment, "and the Forest Men must be more than fifty miles beyond that."

"That's the Gok-Man ridge," said the Han officer beside me in the apartment. "The Forest Men must be more than fifty miles beyond the ridge."

"How do you figure that?" I asked curiously.

"How do you figure that?" I asked curiously.

"Because obviously they have not penetrated our scout lines. See that line of observers nearest the dome itself. They're all busy with their desk plates. They're in communication with the scout line. The scout line broadcast is still in operation. It looks as though the line is still unpierced, but the tribesmen's rockets are sailing over and falling this side of it."

"Because clearly they haven't broken through our scout lines. Look at the line of observers closest to the dome. They're all busy with their desk plates. They're in communication with the scout line. The scout line is still broadcasting. It looks as though the line hasn't been breached, but the tribesmen's rockets are flying over it and landing on this side."

All through the night the barrage continued. At times it seemed to creep closer and then recede again. Finally it withdrew, pulling back to the American lines, to alternately advance and recede. At last I went to sleep. The Han officer seemed to be a relatively good-natured fellow, for one of his race, and he promised to awake me if anything further of interest took place.

The barrage continued all night. At times it seemed to move closer, then pull back again. Finally, it withdrew to the American lines, then began moving forward and back again. At last, I fell asleep. The Han officer seemed fairly good-natured for one of his race. He promised to wake me if anything else interesting happened.

He didn't though. When I awoke in the morning, he gave me a brief outline of what had happened.

He didn't, though. When I woke up in the morning, he briefly explained what had happened.

It was pieced together from his own observations and the public news broadcast.

It was put together from his own observations and the public news broadcast.