Page:Amazing Stories Volume 10 Number 13.djvu/55

Rh sphere of time. All earthly ties of space, time and senses were suspended but one. The subject still retained his vision. He found himself able to stand off and watch TIME PASS ON FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD!"

A light of interest sparkled in Boris Sarakhan's black eyes. "Let's begin the experiment at once! If your subject can watch time go on for the rest of us, he should be able to tell us what will occur in this room hours from now or even days in advance!"

Mikhailloff's grizzled face relaxed. "Exactly, Comrades. By aid of this foresight, my associates prevented my assassination by several counter-revolutionaries a short time ago. Have we your permission to continue?"

Of the three Commissars, Marenin alone was undecided. Finally he nodded. "You may proceed, but let the experiment be a short one."

The old man pointed to a structure resembling a cage, with the bars about a foot apart. This cage rested on a thick, cork pedestal raised two feet above the ground. It was large enough to hold several people standing uprightly, without crowding.

"This enclosure," began Mikhailloff, "is really an insulated electric field of some magnitude. I am about to bombard it with a million volts—"

"Excuse me, Comrade," interrupted the third inspector, Alexis Taraskin. "Where do you obtain your power? I see no giant electric generators."

The old scientist smiled. "Until lately, that was a real problem. Our first experiment was made possible by the use of powerful steam turbines and huge Two-Pole Turbo-Alternators with rotors speeding at twenty-thousand revolutions per minute, and if it had not been for the aid and genius of our young American friend Earl Lyons, we could not have continued. He showed us how to properly cool and insulate the rotors against high temperatures and to ease the enormous stress set up by peripheral velocities of 50,000 feet per minute.

"But now we have entirely overcome these handicaps and use power transmitted by high-pressure lines from the Dnieperstroy development." He advanced to the shelter of a screen enclosing the control board. The eyes of the three Commissars followed him fascinatedly.

Seeing that their superiors were otherwise occupied, Mina Boyarsky slipped to the side of Earl Lyons. "Earl," she whispered. "Do you have to get into that confounded machine again?"

"Yes dear," he replied. "Vassily is in Moscow at the Power Convention, and we must induce the inspectors to continue our support."

Mina sighed wearily. "If only the Central Committee would sanction our marriage. I keep dreaming nightmares in which you are lost forever in some far recess of space—"

"Hush!" he soothed, "if we win the aid of the authorities perhaps they will consent to our marriage, but first we must obtain their help. Our great work must continue!"

He finished adjusting his sandals and addressed Mikhailloff. "I'm ready sir!"

The old scientist nodded in approval.

"See, Commissars, Comrade Lyons is wearing heavy rubber shoes with soles made of a resinous composition resembling bakelite. Large charges of heavy pressure electricity will completely pass through his body. Now let us begin!"

Mina pressed Earl's hand and exchanged a glance of anxious farewell. Earl entered the cage and stood tensely awaiting developments.