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"I went [to the top of] Vehicle Assembly Building and looked down, and tears burst from my eyes. The size of this cathedral where the Rockets take off to go to the moon is so amazing."
- Ray Bradbury
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| Genetic Adjustment | ||
| Fixing one lifeform so it can survive on a non-native world. |
Jenner had crashed on Mars, the only survivor. He walked to what seemed like an intelligent living village for help. He got help, eventually, but not what he thought.
At first, nothing was right for an Earthman:
...The hideous whistling went on and on, waxing and waning. Jenner tried to put buildings between himself and the sound...
...a steaming gruel filled the trough beside the wall.
He stared at the greasy looking stuff with a horrified fascination — food — and drink... he forced himself to bend down, and put his finger into the hot, wet substance. He brought it up, dripping, to his mouth.
It tasted flat and pulpy, like boiled wood fiber. It trickled viscously into his throat. His eyes began to water, and his lips drew back convulsively.
After many days of bare survival, he knew he would live!
...Jenner eased himself feet first into the stall. As his hips came level with the stall entrance, the solid ceiling sprayed a jet of yellowish gas straight down upon his legs.
| He woke to the sound of a violin. It was a sad-sweet music that told of the rise and fall of a race long dead.
Jenner listened for a while, and then with abrupt excitement realized the truth. This was a substitute for the whistling — the village had adjusted its music to him! Other sensory phenomena stole in upon him. The dais felt comfortably warm, not hot at all. He had a feeling of wonderful physical well-being. Eagerly, he scrambled down the ramp to the nearest food stall. As he crawled forward, his nose close to the floor, the trough filled with a steamy mixture. The odor was so rich and pleasant that he plunged his face into it, and slopped it up greedily. It had the flavor of thick, meaty soup, and was warm and soothing to his lips and mouth. When he had eaten it all, he did not need a drink of water for the first time. “I’ve won!" thought Jenner, “The village has found a way!" After a while, he remembered something, and crawled to the bathroom. Cautiously, watching the ceiling, he eased himself backward into the shower stall. The yellowish spray came down, cool and delightful. Ecstatically, Jenner wriggled his four-foot tail, and, lifted his long snout to let the thin streams of liquid wash away the food impurities that dung to his sharp teeth. Then he waddled out to bask in the sun, and listen to the timeless music. |
| Technovelgy from Enchanted Village,
by A.E. van Vogt. Published by Other Worlds in 1950 Additional resources -
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