Warning from the Stars | Page 4

human beings, if you'll pardon the expression. But here,
it causes a ghastly carnage, so ghastly it sickens me even to think about

it for a second.
The incredible thing is that the people here could stop Earth from firing
another shot if they wished to, and at 24 hours' notice, but their
philosophy is totally opposed to force, even when it means their own
destruction. That will give you an idea of the kind of people they are.
(Here they say that Einstein was on the fringe of discovering the theory
involved when he died, but was having trouble with the mathematics.
Remember how Einstein always complained that he was really a poor
mathematician?)
But with atomic warfare threatening to break out on Earth at any
minute, they have got to do something.
This is what they plan to do--this is what they are going to do.
Starting within a few hours after you receive this message, a mass
removal of key scientists will begin. They will take 20, 30, or
40--roughly equal numbers from both sides--every few hours as
technical conditions allow. That will go on until East and West agree to
drop this whole mad weapons race. It will be done quietly, peacefully.
Nobody will be hurt except by a fluke. But if needs be, they will lift
every major scientific brain off the face of Earth to stop the present
drift to disaster for everybody. There are no weapons, no devices that
you have at present, which can stop this plan going into effect. There it
is--it's as simple as that.
If you knew what you were really headed for, it would need no steps
from here to make both sides on Earth stop this horrible foolishness in
a moment.
* * * * *
The lesson of Mars is part of the orientation course here. (I'm not on
Mars). I'm using up space, so I'll go into note form for a bit. Martians
had an atomic war--forgot they had to breathe ... destroyed 60 per cent
of their atmosphere ... canals on Mars aren't ... they're closely-spaced

line of shafts leading to underground cities ... view from Earth
telescopes, shaft mouths appear as dots which run together into lines
due to eye-fatigue ... British Royal Astronomical Society figured that
out 30 years ago at least ... see papers on their proceedings ...
photographs here show monsters created by wholesale mutations ...
lasted about four generations before reproduction failed ... now only
vegetation on Mars ... saw pictures of last survivors ... horrible ... I was
ill for days after ... imagine having to take 40 separate breaths after
making a single step!
Getting back to the others here ... a regular U. N. Remember O'Connor
and Walters in our class? They're here. Check, you'll find that
O'Connor is "detached" from Oak Ridge and Walters from Aiken for
"special duty." That's Central Intelligence's story for their
disappearance.
Remember those top German boys the Russians were supposed to have
gotten to before the Allies could reach them after the Nazi collapse?
They're here too! And Kamalnikov, and Pretchkin of the Russian
Academy.
Believe me (the style and the writing was a little less urgent again now),
I've had all the intellectual stuffing knocked out of me here.
We all have had, for that matter. We're supposed to be the cream of the
crop, but imagine sitting down to instruction from people whose I.Q.s
start where yours leaves off!
But what has really made most of us here feel pretty humble is the way
they have demolished Earth's so-called "scientific method"--and used
the method itself to prove that it doesn't stand up!
You know how we've always been taught to observe, collect data, then
erect a theory to fit the data, a theory which has to be modified when
other data came along which don't fit into it.
Here they work the opposite way--they say: "Know the fundamental
principles governing the operation of the universe and then all the

pieces fit together inside this final Truth."
I understand now why so many of the Oak Ridge boys turned to
religion after they had been exposed to the electron microscope for a
while--they realized they had gone as far as their "scientific" training
would ever take them.
Time and space are running out. I know all this must sound confused
and incredible, Dick; I'm still confused myself. But I want you to think
about what I've written, then take the action you think best. I know it
won't be easy for you.
If you think this is some maniac's idea of a joke, you'll have proof very
soon that it isn't, because one of the people at your Center is due to
leave for here any time now.
You're wondering why I