
I. THE SKY CUBE
II. A DEAD CITY
III. THE HOUSE OF DUST
IV. THE LIBRARY
V. THE CLOSED DOOR
I. THE MAN
II. THE VISION
III. THE THRONE
IV. THE ASSAULT
V. THE VICTORY
Inside a gleaming, fifty‑foot‑square “sky‑cube,” four specialists share cramped quarters and a restless curiosity. The doctor hums a playful tune while the geologist chops potatoes, the engineer tweaks an anti‑gravity engine, and the architect watches the machinery with a wry grin. Their conversation spins around a daring idea: drawing the planet’s ambient electricity from the ether, shaping it with compressed‑air cylinders, and using it to propel a vehicle faster than the Earth itself.
The crew’s destination is the scorched surface of Mercury, a world they chase at eighty to ninety miles per second. To stay on course they must balance repelling currents toward Earth and the Sun, constantly adjusting a lattice of tunnels that pierce the cube’s walls. As the engine thrums, the team’s blend of science, humor, and hidden expertise hints at the challenges ahead, inviting listeners to wonder how far humanity can push the limits of raw energy and imagination.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (262K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2004-05-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1888–1924
A pulp-era science fiction writer with a knack for big ideas, he helped shape early magazine SF with tales of strange planets, radical inventions, and other dimensions. His best-known work, co-written with Austin Hall, is the enduring fantasy novel The Blind Spot.
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