Page:Stirring Science Stories, February 1941.djvu/66

 Mitchell broke in. "But what about the similarity in life development, the similarities to such amazing degrees as we noticed?"

"Similar planetary environment can account for the co-development of life itself on the twin worlds. The forces that exist on our Earth, which culminated in homo sapiens as dominant mammal, also exist there; thus we had man on both worlds." He turned to Nadir Khan. "I think," he said, "you can best take up the story from this point."

ADIR KHAN smiled. "The elements are simply described. Languages, cultures, traditions, history, economic developments. They are all the end-results of environment. But we come upon another factor: the energy or force of what we term 'thought.' No one (at least no one in our Earth) has yet been able accurately to define thought; in fact, there have been entire explanatory theses worked out on the assumption that humans (and all life for that matter) do not 'think' at all that it is entirely a complex of reflexes, conditioned by either physical or artificial factors.

"We of the Sacred Duality base our teachings and philosophy on the premise that 'thought' exists, that it is a physical, ultimately measurable force. Thus we postulate tremendous mental pressure from millions of human beings thinking and acting together, thought-strains that vibrate back along the orbit in which our planet travels to affect mentally the corresponding races of the other world. We conceive of this as a bidirectional phenomenon.

"In the beginnings of the human race on both worlds, there was little effect of one upon another. But the development of the two planets, being similar, forced the development of life along similar lines. Then, when 'thought' began to concentrate itself the two worlds affected each other mutually. That is why our histories are so similar.

"In your Earth, your philosophers guessed at this duality of planets, but you had imagined the opposite world to be one of Retribution, in which the socially reprehensible and socially commendable deeds of those departed would bring upon the individual a sort of just judgment. In our world, there are also such philosophies and theologies, but we of the Sacred Duality believe what I have just explained."

Congreve nodded. "In our Earth," he remarked to Mitchel], "the American colonies managed to free themselves from British rule; in Nadir's Earth the corresponding revolution failed. The same economic and historical forces brought about the action. but its precise manner—the degree—differed; it almost seems that only sheer hick prevented the same end as occurred in Nadir's Earth: failure. But, despite that failure, we see a similar end result. Under the United States of America of our Earth, or the Federated Appalachian States, we have the same type of society; the people have the same amount of liberty in the end."

HE three voyagers of space sat in silence for awhile, their thoughts dwelling on the dual planets they called Earth, and on the histories of each. Then Congreve grasped Mitchell's arm and pointed to the forward window. Nadir Khan looked up and smiled.

A green star was coming into view, far away; just coming into view behind the flaming corona of the sun.