GENESIS!
By R. R. WINTERBOTHAM
Renzu was mad, certainly! From Venus' lifeless
clay he dreamed of moulding a mighty race; a
new Creation, with himself as God!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Planet Stories Summer 1941.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
The unreal silence of outer space closed in about The Traveler. Infront of the huge atom-powered space rocket hung the sun's dazzlingdisc and behind the pale, silver face of the earth echoed the light.Captain Vic Arlen was a god in the heavens; Dave McFerson, theengineer, was a demi-god. And what was Harry Renzu? It was hard tocall a great scientist a devil.
There was Gheal—neither god nor devil, only a poor, hideous,half-human slave that had been brought with Renzu to the earth from aprevious expedition to Venus. Captain Arlen quit trying to classifyhimself and his passengers. They were neither gods nor devils. Not evenmen, taking the group as a whole.
An ominous chill seemed to reach through the beryllium hull of the shipfrom outer space, caressing Arlen's backbone. A faint cry sounded inthe passageway that led to the sleeping quarters behind the controlroom.
The captain tripped the controls into neutral. The acceleration wascomplete and from now until the braking rockets were fired, the craftwould follow its carefully calculated orbit.
Again came the cry, a groan of pain and a moaning sob. The captainstrode into the passage.
"Gheal!" he called, recognizing the Venusian's hoarse voice. "Gheal!What's the matter?"
A repetition of the cry was the only answer. The passageway was open,but the sobs seemed to be coming from the cabin of Harry Renzu, thescientist who had chartered the moon rocket for his second expeditionto Venus.
The captain paused before the cabin door, listening. The cry came againand he pushed open the door.
The hideous Venusian was on the floor, looking upward with his twolight-sensitive eye-glands at Renzu, who stood over him with anupraised cane.
Gheal's rubbery, lipless mouth was agape, revealing his long, sharpteeth. He had raised one of his long, rope-muscled arms to catch thedescending blow. His hairless, leathery body trembled slightly withpain.
"You dumb, dim-witted chunk of Venusian protoplasm!" Renzu snarled ashe brought the cane crashing over the monster's shoulders. "When I wanta thing done, I want it done!"
Arlen pushed into the room and seized Renzu's arm before the scientistcould strike again.
"Hold on, Renzu!" Arlen commanded, pushing the scientist back andseizing the cane. "Lay off! Can't you treat this miserable wretch withdecency?"
Renzu's face flushed angrily. His deep-set eyes burned with fury.
"This is none of your affair!" Renzu snapped. "Go back to your businessof running this ship. I didn't hire you to run my business."
"This may be your expedition," Arlen replied stubbornly, "but whilewe're in space, I'm the captain of this ship and my orders are to beobeyed. My orders are to give this Venusian beast humane treatment."
A whimpering sob broke from the throat of the brute on the floor.
Renzu sullenly twisted his arm loose from the captain's grasp. Heappeared more calm now.
"You are right, Arlen," he said. "Your orders are to be obeyed. But youaren't a scientist. You don't know Gheal. He's not like the animals weknow on the earth. He has to be beaten."
"Not while we're in space. I won't stand for it.