The First Men in the Moon Page #3

balloonies.

Ooh, no. You wouldn't get me up in

one of them, not for ever so.

Cavor? Cavor!

Cavor, I'm coming with you.

Of course I am.

I'm sorry about before. I got myself

into a blue funk. I'm fine now.

Splendid!

You could not have returned

at a better time.

Shall we?

How are we doing?

Er, shutter temperature's

cooling...fast.

Capital! Storage hatches?

Er, luggage in and locked.

This is it, old man.

Strap yourself in.

What have you got there?

Well, haven't you brought

anything to read?

Good Lord, no!

But the voyage may take an age.

It doesn't matter.

Surely the grandeur of the journey...

Have you never been to sea?

The sight of the ocean

soon palls, believe me.

Space doesn't even

have fish to look at.

My dear Bedford, you will be

bored to tears. Quickly, quickly.

Good Lord! Bedford! Hurry!

Air filtration system working

splendidly. Check.

Any luck?

Um, a copy of Tit-Bits.

Ah, well. Outside temperature?

Hmm - superlative.

Quick test of the shutters.

Excellent.

All right, then, Bedford, old man,

cabin lights should be dimmed

for takeoff, don't you think?

Er, yes, I suppose so, yes.

There. Any, um...

Any... Last requests?

No.

Anything you'd like to say?

We should say something.

Don't you think?

A momentous occasion,

the first time in history...

Christ, what was that?

I'm a fool. I'm a ruddy fool.

I want to get out. You can't.

What do you mean?

It's too risky. I'm not coming.

Didn't you feel that?

We're off.

Ah, well, we're committed.

Uh...yes, we're committed.

Or we should be, to an asylum.

Don't move.

Try and keep your muscles quite lax,

as if you were in bed.

That's it.

We are in a little universe

of our own.

Look at that!

Marvellous, isn't it?

Marvellous...

Magnetised, you see?

Same principle as

lead weights for divers.

Should keep our feet on the ground,

so to speak.

What's our direction, then?

How are we pointing?

We're flying away from the Earth

at a tangent.

It's all worked out,

barring accidents. Probably.

Do you think...?

Might we have a peek?

Why not?

What a sight.

We're the first, Cavor.

The very first to see it.

Apart from God, I suppose.

What?

Oh.

Oh, yes.

'Days passed.

'I began to think I had known no

other life than that inside

the sphere.'

That's it. Blinds three,

four, seven.

Moon's gravitational pull, you see.

That will begin to affect us.

"Gentleman of private means is

willing to lend money..."

What's that?

"A cutaway bicycle.

Quite new and cost 15.

"Yours for a fiver."

"A lady in distress wishes to

dispose of some fish knives

and forks."

Hmm?

"A wedding present

let go with great regret."

What is it?

Just...it seems incredible,

that's all,

people down there living

their little lives, and here's us.

Are we visible,

Cavor, from the Earth?

Why?

I knew someone once

who was interested in astronomy.

It'd be rather odd if he chanced to

be looking through his telescope.

There it is!

Look here, Cavor, do you think...?

I mean...

Might there be...people?

Oh, good heavens, no.

Out of the question.

Look at it.

It's dead, Bedford. Dead.

We must think of ourselves as sort

of ultra-Arctic voyagers...

exploring the desolate places

of space.

Men have watched this planet

systematically

for over 200 years

and seen no change.

Not a jot.

But the moon people's handiwork

might be hidden.

One could see a fair-sized church

through a telescope, I should say.

Probably.

Certainly any towns or buildings.

No, no, whatever life there might be

would have to hibernate through

a day that lasts 14

of our Earthly days

and then through

a night of equal length,

growing colder and colder

under those cold, sharp stars.

One could imagine

something worm-like burrowing.

Did we bring a gun?

No.

But, sir, we could name them,

be the first. What do you think?

Um...

Lunite worms.

Lunite... Oh, no, I don't like that.

Lunarites?

Selenites! Selenites?

Yes, yes. In Greek myth, Selene

was a Titan, goddess of the moon.

I recall it from my school days.

Rather fitting!

But I doubt if we shall find

so much as an ant.

Well, this is it, Bedford, old man.

There may be some discomfort.

Hold tight.

For God's sake, Cavor, the light!

Can't be helped.

I'm using the sun as a brake!

What the hell's that?

Er, it's an alarm. Quickly,

what do the instruments read? What?

The number! Read the number! Er...

What?! What does it mean?

Just ignore it.

Agh!

Cavor?

Cavor, are you all right?

Am I alive?

Yes, you're alive, Cavor.

Oh, Cavor!

My God!

We've done it.

The moon.

Uh...lights.

Ah!

Hm!

I can see...

I can see snow!

Snow! Impossible!

Probably.

Hang it all.

Can't see a thing now.

Ah, well, we must wait, old man.

Wait?

For the beginning of the lunar day.

Can you reach the electric heaters?

Hurry, or we'll freeze.

Yes, the atmosphere suits

are all prepared.

We shall be all set

when the time comes.

What are you doing?

What does it look like?

I have almost finished The Tempest.

Can't wait to find out

what happens at the end.

But... Patience, Bedford, old man.

The moon has been here

for millions of years.

I'm sure it will wait a little

longer.

But confound it, Cavor, at this rate,

we might as well have stayed at home.

Cavor?

Cavor!

Hm? What is it? What's happening?

Incredible.

It's absolutely incredible.

It's air.

It must be, or it wouldn't rise like

that at the mere touch of a sunbeam.

Air?

It wasn't snow you saw, Bedford.

It was mounds and masses

of frozen air.

Look, already,

in the sky, a little touch of blue.

There is an atmosphere.

Then we might be able to

breathe out there...

without the suits.

We shall soon see.

It's all right.

Bedford, it's all right.

A bit rarefied, like mountain air.

We must be careful.

O wonder

How beauteous mankind is

O brave new world!

I see the Bard's rubbed off on you.

Isn't it astonishing?

Imperial.

Well, then?

Well, what?

The honour must be yours.

Oh, no, Bedford, old man, I insist.

Oh, nonsense, Cavor.

This whole fantastic enterprise

was your doing. It has to be you.

Arthur Cavor,

the first man on the... Ohhh!

Of course!

Our weight is only a sixth

of what it is back home.

We have cut

Mother Earth's apron strings now.

Wey!

Whoo-hoo!

Pre-stiffened, you see.

I wasn't anticipating an atmosphere.

I claim this satellite in the name

of King Edward VII,

Emperor of India,

King of the British Dominions,

and for all mankind.

What is this for us

but a tiny footfall...

Cavor!

What is it? I think it's...

It is.

It's gold.

Look at it!

It's everywhere!

There's gold everywhere!

So there is.

You don't seem in the least

excited by it.

I had hoped...

No, it doesn't matter. What?

Oh, don't worry, old man. We'll

share it all, everything we find.

It's not that.

It's just...once we discovered

a lunar atmosphere...

..I had hoped we might find...

..life.

How does the rest of

that Shakespeare go?

A brave new world...

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