"We have heard of this device, above London. They say that it was powered by light, but this is surely fantastic. Can it be true? Also, they tell us that the Sikh is still alive and played some part in this affair. I must confess that I do not know what to think. And now these fireballs in the sky! Our element is all in uproar, it would seem. What next? Whatever next?"
-Robur, in private correspondence with Luftkapitan Mors,
August 12th, 1898
A red planet appeared on a tapestry.
There were several smaller red dots floating in a black circle embraced by a crescent moon impaled by a large sword. The various colored symbols portraying the solar system as a spectrum of yellow and red circles mixed with multicolored planets.
the strangest thing about that carpet was its pattern. It was threadbare enough to all conscience in places, yet the design still lived in solemn, age-wasted hues, and seemed much like a star map done by a scribe who had lately recovered from delirium tremens as anything else. In the centre appeared a round such as might be taken for the sun, while here and there, "in the field," as heralds say, were lesser orbs which from their size and position could represent smaller worlds circling about it. Between these orbs were dotted lines and arrow-heads of the oldest form pointing in all directions, while all the intervening spaces were filled up with woven characters half-way in appearance between Runes and Cryptic-Sanskrit. Round the borders these characters ran into a wild maze, a perfect jungle of an alphabet through which none but a wizard could have forced a way in search of meaning, but it appeared to be at least partially in either hiragana or Katakana Japanese but only a mere four letters could be identified and was written backwards, partially an alien script, and finally a cursive form of hebrew. An educated guess would be that each section of the carpet contained a different script. The brown border and the greenish circle surrounding the center may have been the extraterrestrial language.
At the center of the largest circle stood a man garbed in grey robes. Onboard his decorated flying carpet the figure travelled across the canyons of a red desert.
July, 1898.
As the man and his carpet descended into the pitch blackness of the canyon, it quickly transformed into a Cave. There were rock formations that arched to form bridges and pillars of smoke that shot off in and twisted in many directions. In the distance were two blue lights.
The Planet Mars.
Chapter One: Phases of Deimos
The carpet floated down gently, barely touching the ground. The robed figure came into the light shining down on the cavern. Aside from his robes he wore on his face a metallic golden equivalent to the gas mask. He took a step off and rolled up the carpet which flopped at its ends. Another figure stepped outward. A deep inhuman voice spoke in an alien guttural language.
The newcomer was a large green skinned figure. His legs up to his pelvis were taller than the man. He had a metal belt buckle with many swords and daggers in their hilts. A larger sheaved sword was taller than him. He had a curved golden axe. One of his hands grabbed the handle of the hilted sword. Another arm grabbed a spear that stretched out even taller than the alien. Another arm hanged at his side. Another hand was clenched and resting on his hip. A green cloak was draped over his head, shielding the face from view. It blew in the Martian wind. Along the arms were metal bracelets. The four armed giant was fifteen feet tall. His spear was possibly forty feet long and the face...
The man spoke in the same language. He had learned Martian by telepathic means, which some of the green race possessed.
The Martian stood like a statue. The wind blew to expose the creature's face.
There was no hair on their bodies, which were of a very light yellowish-green color. In the adults, as the Man had learned, the color deepened to an olive green darker in the male than in the female. Further, the heads of the adults were not so out of proportion to their bodies as in the case of the young.
The iris of the eyes were blood red, as in Albinos, while the pupil was dark. The eyeball itself was very white, as were the teeth. These latter added a most ferocious appearance to an otherwise fearsome and terrible countenance, as the lower tusks curve upward to sharp points which ended about where the eyes of earthly human beings were located. The whiteness of the teeth was not that of ivory, but of the snowiest and most gleaming of china. Against the dark background of their olive skins their tusks stood out in a most striking manner, making these weapons present a singularly formidable appearance."
The Martian wore a helmet under his hood and pointed with gritted teeth behind him. He spoke to the man who understood and the word "Hither." He turned and the man followed. They marched across the sand dunes of the desert of Mars towards two rock structures.
the two entered the narrowing path. Two arms shot out to point and words were spoken. As they climbed to the top of a hill. There were hundred of tents decorating the space within the canyon. Many more of the giant martians were present along with several reptilian beasts with a single horn and mouths which showed large teeth with tongues that hung at the side like that of a dog. These beasts were called Thoats. They had four legs on either side; a broad flat tail, larger at the tip than at the root, and which it held straight out behind while running; a gaping mouth which split its head from its snout to its long, massive neck.
Like its master, it was entirely devoid of hair, but was of a dark slate color and exceeding smooth and glossy. Its belly was white, and its legs shaded from the slate of its shoulders and hips to a vivid yellow at the feet. The feet themselves were heavily padded and nailless, which fact had also contributed to the noiselessness of their approach, and, in common with a multiplicity of legs, is a characteristic feature of the fauna of Mars. The highest type of man and one other animal, the only mammal existing on Mars, alone have well-formed nails, and there are absolutely no hoofed animals in existence there.
Everyone stopped what they were doing. All eyes were on the sole human, who simply continued on his path. Finally, the man and his alien companion ended a temple. The number of guards decreased except for one which sat by a large hookah like device. There was stone statues of four armed warriors holding proud shields, small daggers, and twisting swords. The martian spoke and pulled away the curtain.
At the center of the large war tent adorned with various tapestries stood a human man. Smoke emerged and even concealed his face. It bellowed from a large pot. The Martian kneeled back out of the tent, peaking his head in one last time, asking if anything else was needed. A human hand was raised and flattened as a non verbal command. The creature spoke and his head retreated behind the curtain. The two human shapes were left alone.
The owner of the war tent sat with legs spread. He pushed himself up. Face still concealed by the smoke and then walked through the cloud, to reveal he was at least human. The newcomer removed his gas mask, which amplified the noise of his breathing. A hand was brought up and the hood was pulled down. The face seen was a man with blonde hair. The face of his host was of a taller black haired man.
"John"
The two shook hands. "John" The host had an english accent.
"Gullivar. Good to see you again."
He had hints of a southern American accent.
Gullivar:And you. This is the most dressed I've seen your people.
John: Yes its true the Martians of Barsoom prefer to go naked. It's this region. There are too many sandstorms. With the war going on everyone carries weapons at all times. How are your people? ready to move?
John politely turned away to pour himself and his new ally a drink of a green liquid.
Gullivar:Well, I've got about five hundred of the Hither people camped down the canyon. I marched from their settlement in the ancient ruins of Varnal, earlier today.
John:hmm. Varnal. The Green City,huh?
Gullivar:yes...or what's left of it. Of course, it dates from the Kane dynasty, thousands of years before the Hither settled it.
John handed him a glass.
Gullivar: Kane was supposedly from "Negalu" the third planet, wasn't he?
Gullivar took the glass and began taking a long sip.
Gullivar: Thanks. this smells great. The hither's drinks taste like Turpentine.
John: Negalu? That's an older name for Jasoom which is what the people of Marsoom call Earth.
Gulliver's head was raised.
Gullivar: You don't think Michael Kane was...?
John: One of us? No. Not all those centuries ago. The earth-sounding name is probably a coincidence. Then again we didn't know about Frederick and without him we wouldn't have known about the invasion. What happened to him?
Gullivar:The invaders came down as meteors. Him and Princess Suhlamia tried to use some sort of portal to take everyone to earth, but then the rebellion happened. I think they left to Venus instead and took the yellow, red and blue martians with them.
John:Not all of the red martians...Wait? A Portal to earth?
Gullivar: Yes. A few races like the Sorns had the chance to invade earth long ago but voted against it. Sadly that technology no longer exists.
John: Jesus. Any other earthmen of Mars we didn't know about?
Gullivar: Well there are also tales of a craft called the Astronaut and a tall martian claiming to be from earth, but that region of the planet had inhabitants who refused to believe life existed anywhere else. They were torn apart by the Molluscs. Then there's Nic-Nac...I don't know a thing about him.
John:So it seems we're the last ones. I suppose we better make it count.
The two toasted glasses and walked towards a large map.
John: We ought to think about making our move soon. The Sorns have promised a legion from the North. Coming from Southeast and Southwest, we'll have the mollusks in a pincer.
Gullivar: Good. Perhaps we can drive those alien leeches away forever.
His expression changed.
Gullivar: Incidentally, John, I'm terribly sorry to hear about the princess...
John:...what have you heard?
Gullivar: Only that she was taken.
John: She still lives.
Gullivar's eyes widened.
John: A Gathol army officer believed that he could appease the invaders by sacrificing the great, John Carter, Earthmen and Warlord of Mars and Dejah Thoris, the Princess of Mars, the Sarmaks would spare him. I escaped with some of my companions but the Princess remains is still captured. It allowed me to see for myself their compound. Now is the time to strike when we have enough of an army.
Gullivar: How do you know she is not dead?
John: I saw it. A row of martians like cattle. They were about to kill the Princess but instead they took her to be examined.
Gullivar: Then we'd be get moving. I can have the Hither's up over the canyon wall within minutes.
John: Fine. That should make out attack simultaneous with that of the Sorns.
The two shook hands.
John: Good luck, Gullivar. May Ares be with you.
Carter put on a helmet and Gullivar put on his gas mask and picked up the carpet.
John: So that's the flying carpet. I've only heard about them in stories.
Gullivar: It's a little different from the old ones. It wrapped me up in itself and took me here. I've gotten better at controlling it.
The two stepped out of the tent. The large martians saluted with two of their arms on the same side. Stepping out into an area, Gullvar unfurled the carpet and it floated. He climbed and sat onboard. Finally he shook hands with John, who put a supportive hand on his shoulder. As the carpet took off, Gullivar turned and gestured. John raised a clenched fist in salute. He then turned sharply to turn to a Martian who saluted wit his left side while his right hands pulled his Thoat into the room, ready to be ridden. The creature was slightly different than its brethren to better distinguish it from others. It was black with big red eyes and had four legs along with four insect like appendages which shot outward from the sides. Dust was snorted out of the beast's nostrils. John boarded his steed and saluted to his guards, shouting in the Martian language. The Martians saluted. They wore green capes while some had their cheeks exposed. He turned to see his armies riding Thoats approaching. he raised his blade and spoke the language again, then turned in place and spun his sword in the air. The army rode their beasts up the Martian cliffside, and then over the top and onto the plains. Orders were barked between Carter and the Martian commander Tars Tarkas.
The canyons on Mars could be miles deep, which is why the Martians and the Thoats had to climb up them, rather than around them. Climbing the valley walls like this was probably only possible because of Mars' lower gravity.
On his time on mars, John had two children: Carthoris, prince of Helium, and Tara, princess of Helium, a hero and heroine in their own right off on their own adventures. He could rest easy knowing that they were safe and capable enough should the invaders had made such a move on them as they had their mother. He assured himself that Dejah Thoris would be rescued. He gritted his teeth. He is John Carter: Warlord of Mars.
And as they reached the peak the cliffside seemed narrower. In the distance at the top of a hill he could see the Humanoid shape of what he could only guess to be Gullivar, who raised his won blade, turned back and commanded an army which John knew to be the Hither, though with their robes and in shape they could be mistaken for human, specifically Arabs given their Turbanlike headwear. In the middle of the narrow plain was a large cylinder. The armies of the green martians of Barsoom came to a halt. John raised his hand telling them nonverbally to hold their position. Another Martian shouted to the others. The massive lid began to move, smoke of dust from the rusted lid was emitted. It began to slowly move with a loud scraping sound. It was like the sound of moving a clay pot. It slid off and came crashing down to the crowd, causing a small earthquake, kicking up a massive cloud of dust that engulfed the army.
There was a deafening silence as everyone waited.
A large machine came crashing down with a deafening sound,. Crushing several martians and their steeds and sending others screaming and flying through the air but also concealing itself in kicked up dust. John saw something stirring within the shadow: greyish billowy movements, one above another, and then two luminous disks-like eyes. Then something resembling a little grey snake, about the thickness of a walking stick, coiled up out of the writhing middle, and wriggled in the air. A big greyish rounded bulk, the size, perhaps, of a bear, was rising slowly above its concealment. As it bulged up and caught the light, it glistened like wet leather. Eyes drifted upward to gaze upon the attacked. It was a large craft with three mechanical legs that led upwards to a mechanical head.
Two large dark-coloured eyes were regarding them steadfastly. The mass that framed them, the head of the thing, was rounded, and had, one might say, a face. There was a mouth under the eyes, the lipless brim of which quivered and panted, and dropped saliva. The whole creature heaved and pulsated convulsively. A lank tentacular appendage gripped the edge of the cylinder from which it emerged, another swayed in the air.
Those who have never seen a living Martian can scarcely imagine the strange horror of its appearance. The peculiar V-shaped mouth with its pointed upper lip, the absence of brow ridges, the absence of a chin beneath the wedgelike lower lip, the incessant quivering of this mouth, the Gorgon groups of tentacles, the tumultuous breathing of the lungs in a strange atmosphere, the evident heaviness and painfulness of movement due to the greater gravitational energy of the earth-above all, the extraordinary intensity of the immense eyes-were at once vital, intense, inhuman, crippled and monstrous. There was something fungoid in the oily brown skin, something in the clumsy deliberation of the tedious movements unspeakably nasty.
Fortunately, John Carter had grown accustomed to being surrounded by monsters, but this was different.
It was a Tripod.
A monstrous tripod, higher than many houses, striding over the Martian ridden Thoats, and smashing them aside in its career; a walking engine of glittering metal, striding now across the landscape; articulate ropes of steel dangling from it, and the clattering tumult of its passage mingling with the riot of the thunder. A flash, and it came out vividly, heeling over one way with two feet in the air, to vanish and reappear almost instantly as it seemed, with the next flash, a hundred yards nearer. Can you imagine a milking stool tilted and bowled violently along the ground? That was the impression those instant flashes gave. But instead of a milking stool imagine it a great body of machinery on a tripod stand...
Seen nearer, the Thing was incredibly strange, for it was no mere insensate machine driving on its way. Machine it was, with a ringing metallic pace, and long, flexible, glittering tentacles (one of which gripped a young martian and its Thoat) swinging and rattling about its strange body. It picked the dirt clean of martians as it went striding along, and the brazen hood that surmounted it moved to and fro with the inevitable suggestion of a head looking about. Behind the main body was a huge mass of white metal like a gigantic fisherman's basket, and puffs of green smoke squirted out from the joints of the limbs as the monster swept by.
John: GET DOWN!
There were shouts in the Barsoom language. John could roughly translate them as things such as "Shit!" "Look out!" and "oh, Fuck!"
The device fired a pod like a torpedo towards the army. It exploded into a fast growing black smoke. Many of the Martians and their steeds let out a bloodcurdling scream and fell down dead with mouths hanging open. Several of the mounted martians ran away from the fast growing mist. Carter spoke with a commander. He looked up to see a figure riding towards him on a flying carpet. He recognized who it was as he flew closer and became audible.
Gullvar: JOHN! John, down to the south-east, they had a tripod waiting!They...
He turned to look at the threat. John did the same and saw the object eviscerating an entire squad, cutting a swath through the army with a device called a heat beam which vaporized all foes in its path.
Gullivar:O-Oh god. Here too?
John turned back to his friend. The smoke was beginning to dissipate. The battlefield was littered with the corpses of the Thoats, some of which laid on their backs with their legs up. Another squad was moving away in retreat.
John:Afraid so. The mollusks are using their black smoke. What about the Hither's ray-cannon? Can't we at least cripple them?
Gullivar: The Tripod was on us before we could remove its Dus-Tarpaulin. John, we have to fall back...
One of the surviving Martians of Barsoom next to Carter pointed with one of his arms to the horizon. Carter understood his words as: "By the Gods, we're saved!"
John:Wait a minute. Maybe not...
Another Martian shouted something which sounded like that was either a triumphant "LOOK!" or the phrase: 'I've heard It actually hurts to look at them.'
The sand was raging, making it hard to see anything within the cloud of red dust. Lights began to appear in the in the sea of red. Lights which floated around. Then the shapes came into view.
The Sorns were one of three species of Malacandra, another region of Mars like that of Barsoom. There were the Hrossa: the poets and farmers; the Pfiltriggi: the artisans; and finally the Sorns: the scholars and philosophers.
They were spindly and flimsy things, twice or three times the height of a man...so crazily thin and elongated in the leg, so top-heavily pouted in the chest, such stalky, flexible-looking distortions of earthly bipeds. They were about six feet high and having round, erect heads, and large eyes in flinty sockets. They were nonetheless beautiful to behold, as if looking at abstract art, appearing as long, twisting human silhouettes.
The rescued could only stare with open mouths. Gullivar's expression was concealed by his mask.
Gullivar: Sorns. My god. I've never even glimpsed one before...
John: They live on the higher areas of Mars where there is less air and the Barsoom do not go. It appears they've saved us. If they can bring down the Tripods, the Hither Cannon can blast through the Mollusc encampment's outer shell. Come on Gullvar! It's now or not at all!
The Sorns walked like men on stilts. The Tripod that had given John so much trouble came crashing down. Gullivar floated above the Hither. A thin, slight, fair race clad in robes and armed with swords and ray guns. several quickly removed the tarp over the Hither Cannon. Several Barsoom soldiers pried open a hatch like opening on the Tripod and pulls out a sword and a dagger in two of its arms and leaped into the hole with a warrior's roar. Tentacles could be seen emerging before the four armed soldier leaped in and green blood sprayed like a fountain from within. The Sorns slowly walked by while the Barsoom soldiers and Thoats charged led by John. The Hither Cannon fired a blue beam, destroying the clay wall surrounding the cylinder embedded in the ground. The power of three armies charged inside, w which was a vast desert littered by what appeared to be massive Mollusc shells scattered about.
As they approached the massive makeshift complex. The multicolored army of Green, White, and black aliens merged together.
John:Damn. Their out ring's deserted and the inner fortifications are stronger. Getting through them could take weeks.
Gullvar removed his mask.
Gullivar: Not entirely deserted. What's that creature over there, in the cage.
They entered an open area with an oval shaped cage.
John: I don't know it's...
With two Sons hovering above the imprisoned alien, the species became clear.
John: Oh god. I think it's a captured Son. The Mollusks have performed flesh-mechanics on it. They've given it wings.
Indeed they had and they appeared to be that of angels.
Gullivar looked around.
Gullvar: What's over there?
There was a small dwelling. John felt the edges.
John: Hmm...Possibly some sort of campaign hut. This black building material...what exactly is it?
Gullivar: I've heard the Molluscs secrete it themselves. They...
He spotted three small blue cubes.
Gullivar: Good god. John, Look here.
He grabbed and held up a blue cube which contained an image of the Earth.
Gullivar:Th-They're some kind of photograph cube, but the images within...There's one of me.
It seemed to be an image of him in uniform back when he first wished to go to Mars.
Gullivar: And there's you and the Princess.
In the image they appeared to be engaged in an intimate moment as Carter was lured to the bed by the reclining Princess.
Gullvar:A-and there's one of Earth...
John: Gullivar! Over here!
He walked over and spotted a strange crystalline oval shape which displayed different images.
Gullivar: Incredible. A glass egg with moving pictures!
John: But what is this place? It's not America.
Gullivar: No. i think its somewhere in England. Wait a minute that's.
A Barsoom Martian spoke to John, guiding his attention away. Gullivar continued to stare. The bust had a long curvy nose, and what appeared to be a bullet hole embedded within it. The view was clearly by a window. Voices could be heard.
"Holmes. I cannot fathom why you've chosen to keep such a memento to Moran's attempt to murder you."
"Mr. Dear Watson. Professor James Moriarty was responsible for my death, false as it may have been. Moran was responsible for my rebirth. It is only fitting that I should have mementos to the both of them."
"Well the bust makes sense. Its the same one you used to thwart your own assassination at Moran's hands. Quite a clever trick placing it by the window so that he'd see it and fire upon it as he did."
"hmm. yes."
"But what about that...odd device by the window?"
"Ah. You mean the Crystal Egg."
"Yes. Is that some sort of elegant paper weight."
"No. Watson. This device has been used by my late arch nemesis Professor Moriarty on several occasions."
"Oh and how would such a device be used?"
"The Professor posed as a shop owner named and would sell the device to those who had wronged him. They would then claim to see Martians within the device. I believe a form of the technology of motion pictures was utilized."
"Martians?"
"oh...um...creatures from the planet Mars. According to the victims large Molluscs with wings."
At this Gullivar, while still listening came to the belief that the invaders had been using Flesh Mechanics. Perhaps to grant themselves wings.
"Well that does sound insane."
"Yes I'm afraid so. The royal Astronomer Sir Nevil Stent and some other unnamed fellow they're still attempting to identify. Stent has made a full recovery though he's now become obsessed with studying the planet Mars."
"Has anything come of it?"
"Well he's identified what he believes to be Volcanoes on the planet Mars. However I wouldn't put it passed him to hesitate to claim the volcanic eruptions were the work of Martians. After his humiliation in a great hoax about ten years ago which ruined his reputation in which he attempted to pass of a Deep Sea Squid as a Martian.
Gullvar:Volcanic Eruptions?
The sounds of the Barsoom language were heard. Gullivar ran off.
Gullvar: What did he say?
John: He said there's Thunder coming from beyond the inner compound walls. He says it sounds like it could blow at any moment.
The Barsoomiam shouted the word "look" in Martian.
A large burst of dust emerged from the inside of the Cylinder and the base formed around it. Many of the three races of Mars retreated, fearing it to be another chemical weapon. An object like a large bullet shot out from within, leaving a large pillar of smoke as the cylinder shot into the atmosphere.
In the year before he was brought to Barsoom of 1865. John had heard of the Baltimore Gun Club's unorthodox method of attempting to reach the moon, by shooting themselves at it like with a massive cannon constructed in Tampa Town, Florida called the Columbiad Cannon. The insane operation was incomplete at the time of his accidental travel through Astral Projection to the Red Planet. He had heard of Zeta Beam technology used for travel and how it had many names such as "Bifrost" and "Warp Pads". He had thought the same may have happened to him but strangely enough his body remained on earth in a state of suspended animation, but covered in dust.
All the races were pointing to the sky.
Gullivar: It's some sort of Artificial Meteor! They're shooting it out into space! Perhaps they're going! Perhaps they're leaving Mars alone!
John: I don't know. Something about this bothers me... God damn there goes another one.
And sure enough there was another...and another.
Gullivar: They're refugee ships! They're finally abandoning Mars after all these years!
John frowned. Gullivar was less experienced than him. He had only one adventure to his name, while Carter had many and his wife and children were having adventures of their own. He knew appearances could be deceiving.
The tow headed inside. The Sorns were freeing several of their own imprisoned race from containment. They had clearly been tortured. Some were dead.
Gullivar: They took some of the Sorns with them, least that's what the survivors say.
John saw her. being helped dup by the green Martians.
John:Dejah!
"John..."
She was scantily clad but her body was littered with scars and injuries. The two embraced and kissed passionately. The Green Martians of Barsoom cheered. His fears were for the moment subsided.
Dejah: Please Forgive me.
John: For what?
Dejah: For being captured.
John:There is nothing to forgive.
There was an explosion. Gullivar ran to John and Dejah.
Gullvar: John! We've destroyed the Cannons.
All three looke dup to the sky to see ten figures floating away out of view.
John: 10 capsules.
Gullivar: A retreat?
John: oh god...
His eyes widened.
Gullivar: What is it?
John: That's an armada. Gullivar. They're not retreating. They're invading.
Gullivar: Invading what?
John: Those cubes. That Egg. They know about us. They know where we come from...Jasoom...Earth.
A look of horror came across his face. His hands grabbed Gullivar's shoulders.
John:THEY'RE GOING TO EARTH!
"Across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us."
— H. G. Wells (1898), The War of the Worlds
In Space the stars twinkled. Then a woman's heel came crashing down, splashing into the water and sending ripples. We are all of us in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.
A group of people had assembled to surround something. Behind the crowd a carriage arrived, bearing the initials V.R. and the crown. The door opened.
Allan Quatermain removed his hat and stepped out.
Captain Nemo stepped out, the tallest among them.
Dr. Henry Jekyll tugged at his collar nervously.
Mina Harker stepped out. A proper expression on her face.
Griffin stepped out. He wore glasses and his face was bandaged.
Mina led the group. The Constables pushed the crowd away, creating a path for the Five. they all came to the object which had caused all the commotion which cast a bright green light upon them. Griffin let out a puff of smoke. Jekyll was nervous. All the other men had stern expressions.
The sight in question was a newly made large crater. From within came the bright green light.