Ersatz Eternal - A. E. Van Vogt, ebook, CALIBRE SFF 1970s, Temp 1
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A.E. Van Vogt
ERSATZ ETERNAL
Grayson removed the irons from the other's wristsand legs . "Hart!"
hesaid sharply.
The young man on the cot did not stir. Grayson hesitated and then
deliberatelykicked the man. "Damn you, Hart, listen to me!I'm releasing
you- just in case I don't come back "
John Hart neither opened his eyes norshowed any awareness of the
blowhe had received. He lay inert; and the only evidence oflife in him
wasthat he was limp, not rigid. There was almost nocolor inhis cheeks .
His black hair was damp and stringy.
Grayson said earnestly, "Hart, I'm goingout to look for Malkins.
Remember, he left four days ago, intendingonly to be gone twenty-four
hours."
When there was no response, the older man started toturn away , but
hehesitated and said, "Hart, if I don't come back, you must realize where
weare, This is a new planet, understand. We'venever been here before.
Our ship was wrecked, and the three of us camedown in a lifeboat, and
whatwe need is fuel. That's whatMalkins went out tolook for , and now
I'm going out to look forMalkins ."
The figure on the cot remained blank. And Graysonwalked reluctantly
outthe door and off toward the hills. He had no particular hope.
Three men were down on a planet God-only-knew-where - and oneofthose
manwas violently insane.
As he walked along, he glanced around himin occasional puzzlement.
The scenery was very earthlike: trees, shrubs, grass, and distant
mountainsmisted by blue haze. It was still alittieodd that when they
hadlandedMalkins and he had had the distinct impression that they were
comingdown onto a barren world without atmosphere and without life.
A soft breeze touched his cheeks. The scentof flowers was in the
air. He saw birds flitting among the trees, and once he heard asong that
wasstartinglylike that of a meadow lark.
He walked all day and saw nosign of Malkins . Nor was there any
habitationto indicate that the planet had intelligent life. Just before
duskhe heard a woman calling his name.
Grayson turned with a start, andit was his mother, looking much
youngerthan he remembered her in her coffin eight years before.She came
up, and she said severely, "'Billie, don't forget your rubbers."
Grayson stared at her with eyes that kept twisting away in disbelief.
Then, deliberately, he walked over and touched her. Shecaught his hand,
andher fingers were warm and lifelike.
She said, "I want you to go tell your father that dinner is ready."
Grayson released himself and stepped back andlooked tensely around
him. The two of them stood on an empty, grassy plain. Far inthe distance
wasthe gleam of asilvershining river.
He turned away from her and strodeon into the twilight. When he
lookedback, there was no one in sight. But presently a boy wasmoving in
stepbeside him. Grayson paid noattention at first, but presently he
stolea glance at his companion.
It was himself at the age of fifteen.
Just before the gathering night blotted out any chance of
recognition, he saw that a second boy was now striding along beside the
first.Himself, aged about eleven.
Three BillGraysons , thought Grayson. He began to laugh wildly.
Then he began to run. When helooked back , he was alone. Sobbing
underhis breath, he slowed to a walk, and almost immediately heard the
laughterof children in the soft darkness. Familiar sounds, yet the impact
ofthem was stunning.
Grayson babbled at them, "All me, at different ages. Get away! I know
you'reonly hallucinations."
When he had worn himself out, whenthere was nothing left to his
voicebut a harsh whisper, he thought, Only hallucinations? Am I sure?
He felt unutterably depressed and exhausted. "Hart and me," he said
aloudwearily, " we belong in the same asylum."
Dawn came, cool; and his hope was that sunrise would bring anend to
themadness of the night. As theslow light lengthened over the land,
Grayson looked around him in bewilderment. He was on a hill, and below him
spreadhis home town ofCalypso ,Ohio .
He stared down at it withunbelieving eyes , and then, because it
lookedas real as life, he started to run toward it.
It was Calypso, but as it had been when he was a boy.He headed for
hisown house. And there he was; he'd know that boyof ten anywhere. He
calledout to the youngster, who took one look at him, turned away, and
raninto the house.
Grayson lay down on the lawn, andcovered his eyes. "Someone," he
toldhimself "something is taking pictures out of my mind and making me
seethem."
It seemed to him that if he hoped to remain sane - andalive - he'd
haveto hold that thought.
It was the sixth day after Grayson's departure. Aboardthe lifeboat ,
John Hart stirred and opened his eyes. "Hungry," he said aloudto no one
inparticular. He waited he knew not for whatand than wearily sat up,
slippedoff the cot, and made his way to the galley. When he had eaten, he
walkedto the lock-door, and stood for a long time staring out over the
earthlikescene that spread before him. It made him feel better, vaguely.
He jumped abruptly down to the ground and beganto walk toward the
nearesthilltop. Darkness was falling rapidly but it did not occurto him
toturn back.
Soon the ship was lost in the night behind him.
A girlfriend of his youth was the first to talk to him. Shecame out
ofthe blackness.and they had a long conversation. In the end they
decidedto marry
The ceremony was immediately completed by a minister who droveup in
acar and found both families assembled in a beautiful home in the suburbs
ofPittsburgh. The clergyman was an old man whomHart had known in his
childhood.
The young couple went toNew York City and toNiagara Falls for their
honeymoon, then headed byaere -taxi forCalifornia to make their home.
Suddenly there were three children, and they owned a hundred-thousand-acre
ranchwith a million cattle on it, and there were cowboys who dressed like
moviestars,
For Grayson, the civilization that spranginto full -grown existence
aroundhim on what had originally been a barren, airless planet had
nightmarishqualities. The people he met hada life expectancy of less
thanseventy years. Children were born in nine months andten days after
conception.
He buried six generations of onefamily that he had founded. And
then, one day as he was crossing Broadway - inNew York City - the small
sturdiness, the walk, and the manner of a man coming from the opposite
directionmade him stop short.
"Henry!" he shouted. "HenryMalkins !"
"Well, I'll be - Bill Grayson."
They shook hands, silentafler thefirst excited greeting. Malkins
spokefirst. "There's a bar around the corner."
During the middle of the seconddrink John Hart's name came up.
"A life force seeking form used his mind' said Grayson
matter-of-factly. "It apparently has no expression of its own. It tried to
useme -" He glanced atMalkins questioningly.
The other man nodded. "And me!" he said,
"I guess we resisted too hard."
Malkinswiped the perspiration from his forehead. "Bill," he said,
"it'sall like a dream. I get married and divorcedevery forty years. I
marrywhat seems to be a twenty-year-old girl. In a few decadesshe looks
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A.E. Van Vogt
ERSATZ ETERNAL
Grayson removed the irons from the other's wristsand legs . "Hart!"
hesaid sharply.
The young man on the cot did not stir. Grayson hesitated and then
deliberatelykicked the man. "Damn you, Hart, listen to me!I'm releasing
you- just in case I don't come back "
John Hart neither opened his eyes norshowed any awareness of the
blowhe had received. He lay inert; and the only evidence oflife in him
wasthat he was limp, not rigid. There was almost nocolor inhis cheeks .
His black hair was damp and stringy.
Grayson said earnestly, "Hart, I'm goingout to look for Malkins.
Remember, he left four days ago, intendingonly to be gone twenty-four
hours."
When there was no response, the older man started toturn away , but
hehesitated and said, "Hart, if I don't come back, you must realize where
weare, This is a new planet, understand. We'venever been here before.
Our ship was wrecked, and the three of us camedown in a lifeboat, and
whatwe need is fuel. That's whatMalkins went out tolook for , and now
I'm going out to look forMalkins ."
The figure on the cot remained blank. And Graysonwalked reluctantly
outthe door and off toward the hills. He had no particular hope.
Three men were down on a planet God-only-knew-where - and oneofthose
manwas violently insane.
As he walked along, he glanced around himin occasional puzzlement.
The scenery was very earthlike: trees, shrubs, grass, and distant
mountainsmisted by blue haze. It was still alittieodd that when they
hadlandedMalkins and he had had the distinct impression that they were
comingdown onto a barren world without atmosphere and without life.
A soft breeze touched his cheeks. The scentof flowers was in the
air. He saw birds flitting among the trees, and once he heard asong that
wasstartinglylike that of a meadow lark.
He walked all day and saw nosign of Malkins . Nor was there any
habitationto indicate that the planet had intelligent life. Just before
duskhe heard a woman calling his name.
Grayson turned with a start, andit was his mother, looking much
youngerthan he remembered her in her coffin eight years before.She came
up, and she said severely, "'Billie, don't forget your rubbers."
Grayson stared at her with eyes that kept twisting away in disbelief.
Then, deliberately, he walked over and touched her. Shecaught his hand,
andher fingers were warm and lifelike.
She said, "I want you to go tell your father that dinner is ready."
Grayson released himself and stepped back andlooked tensely around
him. The two of them stood on an empty, grassy plain. Far inthe distance
wasthe gleam of asilvershining river.
He turned away from her and strodeon into the twilight. When he
lookedback, there was no one in sight. But presently a boy wasmoving in
stepbeside him. Grayson paid noattention at first, but presently he
stolea glance at his companion.
It was himself at the age of fifteen.
Just before the gathering night blotted out any chance of
recognition, he saw that a second boy was now striding along beside the
first.Himself, aged about eleven.
Three BillGraysons , thought Grayson. He began to laugh wildly.
Then he began to run. When helooked back , he was alone. Sobbing
underhis breath, he slowed to a walk, and almost immediately heard the
laughterof children in the soft darkness. Familiar sounds, yet the impact
ofthem was stunning.
Grayson babbled at them, "All me, at different ages. Get away! I know
you'reonly hallucinations."
When he had worn himself out, whenthere was nothing left to his
voicebut a harsh whisper, he thought, Only hallucinations? Am I sure?
He felt unutterably depressed and exhausted. "Hart and me," he said
aloudwearily, " we belong in the same asylum."
Dawn came, cool; and his hope was that sunrise would bring anend to
themadness of the night. As theslow light lengthened over the land,
Grayson looked around him in bewilderment. He was on a hill, and below him
spreadhis home town ofCalypso ,Ohio .
He stared down at it withunbelieving eyes , and then, because it
lookedas real as life, he started to run toward it.
It was Calypso, but as it had been when he was a boy.He headed for
hisown house. And there he was; he'd know that boyof ten anywhere. He
calledout to the youngster, who took one look at him, turned away, and
raninto the house.
Grayson lay down on the lawn, andcovered his eyes. "Someone," he
toldhimself "something is taking pictures out of my mind and making me
seethem."
It seemed to him that if he hoped to remain sane - andalive - he'd
haveto hold that thought.
It was the sixth day after Grayson's departure. Aboardthe lifeboat ,
John Hart stirred and opened his eyes. "Hungry," he said aloudto no one
inparticular. He waited he knew not for whatand than wearily sat up,
slippedoff the cot, and made his way to the galley. When he had eaten, he
walkedto the lock-door, and stood for a long time staring out over the
earthlikescene that spread before him. It made him feel better, vaguely.
He jumped abruptly down to the ground and beganto walk toward the
nearesthilltop. Darkness was falling rapidly but it did not occurto him
toturn back.
Soon the ship was lost in the night behind him.
A girlfriend of his youth was the first to talk to him. Shecame out
ofthe blackness.and they had a long conversation. In the end they
decidedto marry
The ceremony was immediately completed by a minister who droveup in
acar and found both families assembled in a beautiful home in the suburbs
ofPittsburgh. The clergyman was an old man whomHart had known in his
childhood.
The young couple went toNew York City and toNiagara Falls for their
honeymoon, then headed byaere -taxi forCalifornia to make their home.
Suddenly there were three children, and they owned a hundred-thousand-acre
ranchwith a million cattle on it, and there were cowboys who dressed like
moviestars,
For Grayson, the civilization that spranginto full -grown existence
aroundhim on what had originally been a barren, airless planet had
nightmarishqualities. The people he met hada life expectancy of less
thanseventy years. Children were born in nine months andten days after
conception.
He buried six generations of onefamily that he had founded. And
then, one day as he was crossing Broadway - inNew York City - the small
sturdiness, the walk, and the manner of a man coming from the opposite
directionmade him stop short.
"Henry!" he shouted. "HenryMalkins !"
"Well, I'll be - Bill Grayson."
They shook hands, silentafler thefirst excited greeting. Malkins
spokefirst. "There's a bar around the corner."
During the middle of the seconddrink John Hart's name came up.
"A life force seeking form used his mind' said Grayson
matter-of-factly. "It apparently has no expression of its own. It tried to
useme -" He glanced atMalkins questioningly.
The other man nodded. "And me!" he said,
"I guess we resisted too hard."
Malkinswiped the perspiration from his forehead. "Bill," he said,
"it'sall like a dream. I get married and divorcedevery forty years. I
marrywhat seems to be a twenty-year-old girl. In a few decadesshe looks
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