Journey To Venus

by George Adamski

Inasmuch as I have already described in detail a journey in this same Scout ship, I shall state only that I found Orthon awaiting us with the little ship hovering slightly above the ground, ready for an immediate take-off. On this trip we did not even sit down. I divided my attention between watching the changing graphs and Orthon at the control panels. As we entered the Venusian carrier, this time I was entirely free of any dropping sensation in the pit of my stomach. We reached the platform and stopped again, as on our first trip. The same man was there to attach the clamp over the Scout for its recharge, but this time he followed us down the steps and into the lounge.

As we entered, Ramu (who was also present) must have touched a button for I saw two very small seats rise as if by magic out of the floor. And at the same time, directly in front of them, I saw our Moon appear in the center of a large screen. I was amazed at how close it looked, and not at all as if pictured on a screen, but with depth of space all around it. So this was the surprise! For a moment I thought we might be actually coming in for a landing.

Ramu said, “You are now looking at the familiar side of your Moon, but we are not landing on it. The image is being reflected on the screen from one of the telescopes which was not in operation the first time you were with us. Look closely as we approach the surface and you will note considerable activity. In the numerous large craters which you see from Earth you will notice very large hangars—which you do not see! Notice, too, that the terrain here is very similar to your deserts.

“We have built these hangars on such a scale in order that much larger ships than this one can enter easily. Also within these hangars are living quarters for a number of workers and their families, provided with every comfort. Water in abundance is piped in from the mountains, just as you have done on your Earth for the purpose of bringing fertility to your desert areas.

“When a ship enters these hangars, a process of depressurizing the passengers takes place. This requires about twenty-four hours. Were this not done, the people would experience the greatest discomfort in stepping out on the Moon. Such a depressurization process is not yet conceivable to Earthlings. They understand too little about the bodily functions and their control. Actually, human lungs are able to adjust themselves to very low as well as high pressure, if deflation or inflation is not done too quickly. If hurried, death would result.”

I would gladly have undergone the necessary deflation for the privilege of actually landing on the Moon. There was nothing demanding my immediate return to Earth.

But with a sympathetic smile, Ramu said, “We have many things in store for you besides showing you the other side of your satellite before we return you to Earth. Watch closely now, for we are approaching the Moon’s rim. Notice those clouds forming. They are light and appear to be coming from nowhere, as clouds often do. Most of them gain no density whatsoever but dissipate almost immediately. Yet, under favorable conditions, some occasionally do gain density. It is the shadows of these which have been seen through telescopes from Earth.

“Now we are approaching the side never seen from Earth. Look at the surface directly below us. See, there are mountains in this section. You can even see snow on the peaks of the higher ones, and a growth of heavy timber on the lower slopes. On this side of the Moon are a number of mountain lakes and rivers. You can see one of the lakes below. The rivers empty into a very large body of water.

“Now you can see a number of communities of varying sizes, both in the valleys and on the mountain slopes. Preferences of people here, as anywhere else, vary in regard to living at one or another altitude. And here, as elsewhere, the natural activities to support life are very similar to those wherever mankind is found.

“Had we time to land and be depressurized,” Ramu went on, “and then travel about, you would personally meet some of the people. But as far as studying the surface of the Moon is concerned, the way you are viewing it now is far more practical.”

I realized the truth of this as a fair-sized city assembled on the screen in front of us. Actually, we seemed to be drifting over the rooftops, and I could see people walking along clean, narrow streets. There was a more thickly built-up central section which I assumed to be the business district, although it was not crowded with people. I noticed no cars of any kind parked along the streets, although I did see several vehicles, moving just above the streets, since they appeared to have no wheels. In size they were comparable to our buses, varying from one another in about the same degree.

Ramu explained, “A few of the people here do have their own conveyances, but for the most part they depend on the public utilities at which you are looking.”

Just outside the city proper was a comparatively large cleared section with an immense building along one side. It looked like a hangar and Ramu confirmed this by saying, “We have to construct a few hangars near the cities for convenience in landing with the supplies we bring to the population here—everything not available locally for their needs. In exchange, they furnish us with certain minerals found on the Moon.” As I watched, the city seemed suddenly to retreat and Ramu told me that we were now traveling back into space between the Moon and the Earth.

(Adamski enjoys a farewell banquet and dance aboard the Scout ship.)

When the dance was over and a little time had passed, the master spoke to Orthon, who came over to where I was sitting. “Now,” he said, “we want to show you scenes from our planet Venus. Scenes that will be beamed directly from the spot to this ship.”

I was delighted at the prospect of such a travelogue and wondered on which screen it would appear. But there was no screen. Before my astonished gaze, as the lights dimmed, the first scene hung suspended upon the space of this room!

Orthon seemed to enjoy my amazement and explained, “We have a certain type of projector that can send out and stop beams at any distance desired. The stopping point serves as an invisible screen where the pictures are concentrated with color and dimensional qualities intact.”

The scene at which I was looking seemed, in fact, so definitely “there” that it was with the greatest difficulty I could believe myself still on this ship. I saw magnificent mountains, some white-topped with snow; some quite barren and rocky, not very different from those of Earth. Some were thickly timbered and I saw water running in streams and cascades down the mountainsides.

Orthon leaned close to me to whisper, “We have many lakes and seven oceans, all of which are connected by waterways, both natural and artificial.”

They showed me several Venusian cities, some large and some small. All gave me the feeling of having been transported to some wonderful fairyland. The structures were beautiful, with no monotonous lines. Many had domes radiating in prismatic colors that gave the impression of a revitalizing force.

“In the dark of the night,” Orthon said softly, “the colors cease and the domes become luminous with a soft, yellowish light.”

All cities followed a circular or oval pattern, and none appeared in any way congested. Between these concentrated communities there was much still uninhabited territory.

The people I saw on the streets of these cities seemed to be going about their business in much the same manner as Earth folk, except for the absence of rush and worry so noticeable with us. Clothing, too, was similar, each person apparently choosing garments to his own particular liking while following a general style. I would estimate the tallest person I saw to be about six foot six, the average adult about five foot six, and the smallest not over three foot six. However, this latter could have been a child. I could not be sure, since none show age as we do. I know that I definitely did see some children, much smaller than this particular form. Corresponding to our automobiles for convenience in traveling from one place to another, I saw conveyances patterned somewhat after the mother ship in miniature. They appeared to glide along just above the ground, as had those “buses” I saw on the Moon. These transports varied in size as do our cars, and some had open tops.

I was wondering how they were propelled, which brought Orthon again close to my ear as he explained, “By means of exactly the same energy as operates our space ships.”

The streets were well laid out and beautifully bordered with flowers of many colors.

Next, I was shown a beach on the shore of a lake. The sand was very white and fine. Long, low waves rolled in with an almost hypnotic quality. There were many people on the beach and in the water. I wondered what kind of material could be used for their bathing suits as they looked no wetter after a dip in the lake than before.

Kalna, who had come to sit beside me, cleared this up. “The material is not only entirely waterproof but also has properties which repel certain injurious rays from the Sun. Even as on Earth,” she went on to explain, “these rays are more powerful when reflected off water than inland.”

We were now shown a tropical section of Venus. I was amazed to notice that, in a general sense, many of the trees somewhat resembled our weeping willow since the foliage tended to fall in a kind of cascade effect. The color, however, and details of the leaf were quite different.

As you may imagine, I was very interested in the animal life that entered the various scenes. On the beach I had noticed a small, short-haired dog. Elsewhere, birds of various colors and sizes, little different from ours on Earth. One looked identical to our wild canary. I saw horses and cows in the country, both slightly smaller than those of Earth but otherwise very similar. This seemed to hold true of all animal life on Venus.

The flowers, too, resembled those that grow on our Earth. I would say that the main difference between both animal and plant life on Venus as compared with ours lies in coloring and flesh texture. This, Kalna told me, is due to the ever-present moisture on their planet.

“As you have learned by now,” she said, “our people rarely see the stars as you do on Earth. We know the beauties of the heavens beyond our firmament only from our travels and studies.”

Last, they showed the picture of a very beautiful woman and her husband with their eighteen children, all but one of whom were fully grown. Yet the parents gave the impression of a young couple in their early thirties.

This ended the showing and I was invited to ask questions. First, I asked what effect, if any, the constant cloudy condition over Venus has on its peoples.

Orthon replied, “In addition to living according to universal laws, our atmosphere is a contributing factor toward an average life span of one thousand years. When the Earth, too, had such an atmosphere, man’s years on your planet were correspondingly far greater than now.

“The cloudy formation surrounding our planet acts as a filter system to weaken the destructive rays which otherwise would enter its atmosphere. I call your attention to a record contained within your own Holy Writ. If you study it carefully, you will notice that the span of life on Earth began to decrease when the cloudy formation lessened and men there for the first time saw the stars out in space.

“It may interest you to learn that a gradual tilting of your Earth is even now taking place. If, as could happen at any moment, it should make a complete tilt in order to fulfill its cycle, much of the land now lying under water will rise. For years to come, this water-soaked soil will be in a process of evaporation which will once more cause a constant cloudy formation, or ‘firmament’ around your Earth. In which case, the life span will again be increased, and if the peoples on your planet learn to live according to the Creator’s laws, you too can attain a thousand years in the one body.

“This tilting of your Earth is one reason for the constant observation we are giving it, for its relation to the other planets in our galaxy is very important. A drastic tilt of one planet would, to some degree, affect all, and definitely alter the lanes in which we travel space.”

“Surely, any violent tilt would cause a great catastrophe to our Earth, would it not?” I asked.

“That is bound to happen,” he replied, “and although the laws which govern the relationship of man to the world on which he lives would not at this present time be understood by men of Earth, I want to stress that the erring path which they have followed so consistently is actually the reason for their ignorance of your planet’s present instability. Though the ages, there have been many signs and omens which your people have ignored. Many of these have been recorded in your Holy Writ as prophecies. But your people heeded them not. And although many have already been fulfilled, the lesson has not been learned. It is not wise to become independent of the Creator of all. Mankind must be guided by the hand that has given him life.

“If man is to live without catastrophe, he must look upon his fellow being as himself, the one a reflection of the other. It is not the Creator’s wish that mankind turn against itself in cruelty and wanton slaughter.”

“I know,” I said, “that we are coming into a new cycle of some sort. Some of my brothers on Earth call it the Golden Age, others the Aquarian. Can you throw any light on this?”

“On our planet we do not name the changes in that way, for all we know is progress. But to answer the question for your understanding, we would say that you are approaching the Cosmic Age, however little you may understand this. You have had your Golden Age, worshiping gold more than God. And an Aquarian Age, as you call it, can be only one in which Earth afflicts you with great waters, or not enough. You have passed through both of these conditions. The very naming of the periods of change in this way is a part of the block to your understanding. The Earth people must learn to progress in rhythm with these natural changes and not be subject unto them.”

“How,” I asked, “would you define the Cosmic Age?”

“Actually, we would rather call it a Cosmic understanding. This is the first time in your civilization that you have, in a broad sense, become aware of the probability of inhabited worlds other than your own. Appearing in our space craft, as we now are doing in such numbers in all the skies of your world, even those who would not believe have little choice. For the first time in the memory of mankind on your planet, there is overwhelming evidence that your planet has not borne life as a kind of freak accident, as even some of your greatest astronomers have stated. Mankind is manifesting on your world because that planet is but one in a vast, orderly creation of the Infinite One, all subject to his Divine laws.

“Our ships perform feats in your skies which no Earthly planes of any nation can do. Your scientists know this. Your governments know this. The pilots of your planes everywhere in your world have seen us and marveled. Thousands of your people have looked up and been amazed. Thousands more everywhere are now watching and hoping for a glimpse of us.

“All this has been foretold by men of old. They have said in your written prophecies that the whole world will be disturbed, and that the signs will be these: Sons of God will be coming from Heaven to Earth to deliver the peoples. The conditions in your world today have placed you, as you put it, under the shadow of death. Your entire world is disturbed. And since the name you have for outer space is ‘Heaven,’ and since we too are Sons and daughters of God, could it not be that even now the ancient prophecy is being fulfilled?

“It has also been foretold that, when the time cometh, the dark races of the world will rise up and demand the right to equal respect and the lot of free men so long denied them by you of lighter skins. Is not this prophecy, too, being fulfilled in these very days on Earth?

“You see, we know the history of your world well. The conception of ‘We are our brother’s keeper’ applies to all mankind everywhere. It is in this role that we come to you and say, ‘Let the Supreme Being of the Universe be the guiding word for your world that your troubles may vanish as darkness before light.’

“What would man be without the breath of life? And who giveth unto him? Is it not to be found everywhere for the benefit of all? Then let Earthly man know that his God is not in some far distant place, but ever near in all manifestations, and within Man himself.”

Orthon ceased speaking and for a moment I sat with bowed head thinking of his words. Slowly, I became aware of a warmth that seemed to be entering into my spirit. Looking up, I saw from the faces of those around me that what I felt was a benediction that flowed from all of them toward me.

Then the master rose and approached me. As I stood, so did the others.

“My son,” he said, looking deeply into my eyes, “much of what our brother has been saying to you is in conflict with many things your people have been taught to believe as truth. This, in itself, is of no importance, since that which was learned yesterday serves only as a stepping stone toward the greater truth we can learn tomorrow. That is the law of progress. Once on the right path, it cannot be otherwise. It is essential always that men work and strive together with open minds, ever aware that all is never known. There is an infallible guide in determining whether the path is a right one. That is very simple. If the results of your thoughts and actions are evil, then the path you are following leads away from the light of His countenance. If good things follow along the way you go, then your lives, and the lives of your children and of their children, will be joyous. Blessings, unbroken by sickness and strife, will be your eternal heritage.”

He touched my hand in farewell and left the room in a silence vibrant with the words he had spoken.

I looked long into the faces of my many friends, imprinting each on my memory. There were no spoken farewells, but each raised a hand, and I raised mine. Then, I allowed Orthon to lead me along the ways of the carrier back to the little Scout.

Both Firkon and Ramu accompanied me on the drive back to the city. We did not talk.

When we were back at the hotel and the time had come for me to take leave of these dear friends, a feeling of tremendous poignancy engulfed me. We exchanged handclasps and Ramu said softly, “The blessings of the Infinite One go with you.

Excerpt from Inside The Spaceships