slowly floated on the West. The top of a horseshoe was accurately drawn
on the clear blue sky. Having thrown the head up, Hans sharp-sightedly peered in
horseshoe, but suddenly stumbled and fell. Someone’s laughter, guttural, melodious
dialect. Hans was faced by Indians in the blankets full of holes thrown on
half-naked body. Hans smiled. Indians smiled in reply, having bared
white teeth. Indians showed a hand on top of a horseshoe and on ice under
legs. Yes, yes. Hans stood gaping. With consciousness of the fault nodded and
rose. Indians passed and several words, possibly shouted following
warning about something. Four Blacks carried by a huge log on shoulders.
“Mechanization!” – Hans grumbled. It stepped aside and, having leaned to
to wall of the timbered lodge smelling of a fresh pine directed again
eyes on horseshoe top. The ends of forks were connected thin as thread,
platform. Over it there passed antenna wires.
“Well certainly, it is meteorological observatory and radio station.
For flight it is necessary to study atmospheric conditions of Stormer-city…”
Suddenly Hans saw the black point falling down. It moved with most
tops, along a strip, without separating from it.
“Here it that! It appears, a horseshoe not only radio – and a meteorological station,
but also laboratory for test of the falling bodies”.
The black point reached to the bottom, got on a curve, flew on
to it, from dispersal flew up on the second strip of a horseshoe, rose up,
departed down, again up and so continued to shake as a pendulum “with
damped oscillations”. When at last the point stopped in the middle
curves, Hans saw that it is a trolley. Perhaps, there, inside
there are people. It is good to rock on such swing! Yes it and
it is necessary. Weeds on the rocket – too take-off and falling. Take-off from Earth in
“sky”, falling from “sky” on the planet… “Yes, we have to study influence
zero gravity on an organism…” Hans already almost ran to a horseshoe. But it all
still was far. He saw how the cabin left the person and almost run
went to office which was occupied by Collins.
Having been out of breath, Hans ran up to the massive concrete basis of a horseshoe.
The trolley already crept up as an elevator cabin. Hans Wsbezhal on a planked footway on
concrete platform also examined a horseshoe curve. Couple of rails. Radius
curves – fifteen meters. If height is three hundred meters, then take-off and
falling have to proceed the whole fifteen seconds. Not bad. But, devil
take! With a height of three hundred meters curve radius fifteen are
the overload because of centrifugal force on a curve in forty turns out
time. Will flatten out, perhaps…
Under the platform rang out, roared, and Hans saw how one strip
huge horseshoe drives off from another. Radius of a curve increased to
sixty meters. “That is another matter. Now the overload will be all in
ten times. Approximately the same that is tested by us when sliding sledge with
abrupt hill”.
Again rumble and noise of motors of a construction. Radius was reduced to twenty
meters. “If only to me not to be late to roll down with this flight…” Hans
hurried to enter the building over which elevator cables lasted. Showed
to the metis in a cervine jacket the blue ticket. The metis nodded and silently waved
hand towards an elevator cabin. Hans entered, the cabin trembled, and rise
began.
Hans as if rose in the balloon. Before it” opened again
weigh Stormer-city. Soon because of the ridge the ocean seemed. On
the North, the East and the South the Andes were piled up.
The elevator stopped. Hans left a cabin on the open area. Faugh!
Here is even colder. And what furious wind! But eagle outlook. On
to the wide platform which from below seemed the thread connecting “legs”
huge tuning fork, anemometers, barometers were installed a weather vane,
thermometers… Wind burns down the person. It is rather to the box! The fat man meets. Nods
head, as to the old acquaintance. Vinkler already warned by phone.
Of course, it is possible to examine and go down.
In the middle of the room there is a trolley above the hatch, ready to falling. Door
it is open. Hans looks inside, enters: the door behind it slams.
Here is warmer. On a ceiling – an electric bulb. There are no windows. A floor is covered
linoleum. The wall at a door is forced by boxes in which are located
experimental animals, birds, insects. The same boxes stand at a wall
at the left. At a wall opposite to a door – scales. To the fourth wall it is attached
hammock. Near a hammock stand three the deep convenient screwed on a floor
chairs with belts, as by planes, in a corner – spring scales the person
designs, on an iron core – the dial with the arrow noting
change of weight.
“Scales are spring, – Hans notes. – It is clear: cups of ordinary scales
will not change the situation, whatever freight lay on one and another
to cup
