05 - Menace from Below by Harl Vincent

An entire subway train filled with unsuspecting passengers vanishes without a trace in the depths of the New York subway! A murder victims body appears to dissolve into the ground right before a witnesss eyes! What dark secrets do the mysterious subterranean ape men hold? Dive into this enthralling tale of wild science fiction and uncover the truth for yourself! - Summary by Ben Tucker

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter five of The Menace from Below by Horral Vincent.
This LibriVox recordings in the public domain. Chapter five, Talbot
explains the strangely silent beast men retired from the room,
while Tony stared in open astonishment at the debonair figure

(00:21):
he faced. Yes, Tony said his unabashed captor. It is
I Jeremiah Talbot. You are surprised to see me alive
and here surprised, exclaimed Tony when he was able to speak. Why, Jerry,
you've been reported dead these seven years. Your mother and
sister have mourned you, and all your friends considered you

(00:43):
is no longer in the land of the living. What
on earth really happened? And what are you doing in
these strange surroundings and engaged in this nefarious work with
these unearthly monsters. It is a long story, replied Talbot,
but there is no hurry to relate it. You are
going to be with me for a long while from
now on. As a matter of fact, who is your friend?

(01:07):
Excuse me, Jerry, This is a Charlie Frazy, the television
radio wizard. Jerry Talbot, former research engineer of the Union
Electric Company. How do you do mister Talbot, responded Charlie, politely,
yet somewhat stiffly. I remember your work in the cause
of your disappearance in the company of Professor Ainsworth. Glad

(01:29):
to meet you, replied their host with smiling equanimity. It
appears that you are not as pleased to meet me. However,
we'll let it pass. So you are responsible for the
installation of the transmitters on the trains, yes, said Charlie haughtily,
and at a number of points in the tunnel as well.

(01:49):
Our friends above are fully aware of what has happened now,
so grinned Talbot. What little they know will avail them nothing.
And this is but the beginning. Tony grew impatient. Not
only did the calm superiority of the long lost Jerry
Talbot annoy him, but he was anxious to hear more
of the purpose of this warfare against the people of

(02:12):
the Great Metropolitan District. But Jerry, he interrupted, what is
all this about? How came you to be here? Who
are what are these strange beasts? And why are you
warring on the city? Talbot laughed, a light of fanaticism
glinting from his piercing black eyes. One question at a time,
my dear Tony, And as I previously remarked, there is

(02:35):
plenty of time. Surely you do not intend to keep
us here, asked Tony, incredulously. Nothing else. But you are
never to see the light of day again, nor are
any of those I have kidnapped, unless but that can wait. Also,
this man is a criminal of the worst sort, blurted Charlie.

(02:58):
But he'll get as just as I wager he murdered
old van Alstein too. We shall indulge in no further
remarks of that sort, mister Frasey, said Talbot, with a
threatening steeliness of tone. Yes, I did remove that old
rascal van Alstein. And further than that, his daughter is
now in our fair realm, a prisoner of war. Tony bristled.

(03:23):
You'll not harm her, Jerry, he warned. Oh, said Talbot,
so the wind blows that way. But you can rest
easy on that score. The girl will not be injured.
And now get this straight. I promise that no harm
shall come to you, nor to your friend Fhrasy, who
is glowering at me so threateningly. But you must not

(03:47):
misunderstand your position. You are prisoners in the subterranean Empire.
Of which Ainsworth and I are the absolute monarchs. It
is impossible for you to escape, and if you attempt
to disrupt our plans or to indulge in violence of
any kind, you will be summarily dealt with. Then Ainsworth

(04:08):
is here, also asked Tony interestedly. Yes. Indeed, when we
left in my plane to escape the undesirable publicity given
to our experiments in creative surgery, we had a definite
plan in mind, but we had no idea that we
were to become involved in so stupendous a thing as
has developed in the wilds of Labrador. Ainsworth had a

(04:31):
secret laboratory which has since been discovered denuded of its apparatus.
We headed for this laboratory with the intention of marooning
ourselves for many years to carry on the work of
making humans from the lower animals Wells's doctor Moreau in
real life, you know. But the plane crashed before we
reached our destination, and we were forced to carry on

(04:54):
in the direction of his laboratory on foot. Luckily we
had escaped injury in the crash, but the hardships of
that attempt to reach the laboratory were terrible. After two
days and nights we were overtaken by a blizzard which
made continued progress impossible, and we took refuge in a
cave about one hundred and fifty miles northwest of Shipiscan Lake.

(05:15):
This was the beginning of our good fortune. But your
plane was found completely consumed by fire, and when the
remains of human bones in the wreckage observed, Tony yes.
We returned later and set fire to it to throw
any inquisitive searchers off the track. The bones were not human,
though nearly human an underground empire. Tony shuddered involuntarily as

(05:44):
he thought of the ape men who had carried him
that cavern continued Talbot was snow bound within a very
few hours, but we were quite comfortable and had provisions
and our packs for a long stay. After some time
of inactivity, we decided to explore our refuge, and our
pocket flash lamps were brought into play. We soon found

(06:06):
that the small cavern was but the entrance to a
much larger one which lay at a considerably lower level.
It was a strange experience to be prowling about in
this underground chamber, but we carried on until we finally
came to a small ledge that projected from a wall
of the cavern, and which appeared to extend back into
still another opening. By standing on Ainsworth's shoulders, I was

(06:29):
able to clamber onto this ledge, and when I had
pulled him up after me, we discovered that a narrow
passage led into the solid rock from the point where
the ledge joined the wall of the main cavern. It
would bore you were I to recount all of our adventures.
But after miles and miles of following winding passages and
exploring many interconnecting caverns, we finally came upon the great discovery. Gentlemen,

(06:55):
there is a vast underground world beneath this continent of
North America, and you now stand in one of its many,
many connecting divisions. What exclaimed Tony and Charlie as one voice.
It is the plain, unvarnished truth, said Talbot. Do you
mean to say, asked Tony, that these caverns and passages

(07:19):
extend clear down into the United States precisely. Not only that,
but they cover almost the entire continent east of the Mississippi.
There are thousands of miles of passage and thousands of
great caverns, one so large that it contains two lakes
of the approximate size of Lake Erian, Ontario. But some

(07:41):
of this you shall see, so there is little use
in describing it to you at this time. These apemen, though,
asked Tony, are these the normal inhabitants of this realm? Yes?
And no. Those you have seen are a development of
the natives we found. Others are in a higher state

(08:02):
of development, and still others are still in the natural state.
These you shall see also. Are there many of these creatures?
Tony inquired. Ainsworth has estimated their number as about fifteen million.
Holy smoke, ejaculated, Tony, and you have them all under control. Absolutely,

(08:27):
to them we are gods, and why not. We have
lifted them out of their savagery and have provided them
with many of the comforts of modern civilization. Some of
them we have even given. Brains Charley listened and stubborn disapproval,
but Tony was extremely interested. But the money, the wealth,

(08:48):
it must involve to do such things as you've done here,
he objected. Talbot smiled wryly. Yes, I know my father
was financially ruined six years ago, and that he committed
suice in consequence. He stated, Van Austin did that, but
still I withheld my hand. Mother had been left with

(09:08):
nearly a hundred thousand of her own, so she could
manage fairly well. But within the past few weeks Van
Austeen took that from her. This was too much, so
I removed him, as you know. Tony recoiled before the
look of fierce vengefulness in Talbot's eyes, but he could
scarce blame him for his feeling. The expression of Charley's

(09:31):
face softened somewhat as he listened. But how on earth
did you do it, asked Tony. There is much to tell,
replied Talbot, but first we shall visit Ainsworth. I have
an idea he will welcome you both rather gladly. And
for all your seeming incarceration, do not think that you
are going to be unhappy with us. It is a

(09:52):
pleasant life, and after a few years you will quite
enjoy it, I am sure. Tony shrugged his shoulders at
Charley's meaning, Look well, he said, once more, addressing Talbot,
May I ask one favor you wish to see, Miss
van Alstein, smiled their host. It shall be as you wish,

(10:13):
agreed Talbot, leading the way toward a curtain to recess.
At one side of the huge room an underground journey,
he parted the curtains and there was revealed the cage
of an elevator, modern in every detail. When they had
entered the cage, he closed the door and pressed a button,
whereupon the car dropped swiftly into its smooth walled shaft.

(10:36):
For an interminable period, they dropped with ever increasing speed,
and finally Charley could hold himself no longer. How deep
is the shaft, he asked, something like four miles, answered Talbot.
Four miles, gasped Charlie, you have cables of that length.
There are no cables on this car. We are falling

(10:57):
by gravity, but it is under control, and we will
be neutralized before we reach the bottom. Neutralized, asked Tony.
Then you have discovered the fundamental laws of gravity and
have learned to counteract them. Yes, smiled Talbot. But that
is only one of the many remarkable discoveries that Ainsworth

(11:20):
and I have worked out in our underground laboratories, evidently,
agreed Charley. Not the least of them, I should say,
is the stealing of a subway train from under the
river and leaving the tube intact. That is a pretty
good stunt, replied Talbot. But when you are acquainted with
the mysteries of the fourth dimension, it is really quite simple.

(11:43):
The fourth dimension time, asked Tony. No, not time. That
is an erroneous impression that is in quite general acceptance above. No,
the fourth dimension is not time, but you shall learn
of that later. Here we are. The cage slowed down
and now came to a gentle stop at the brightly

(12:03):
lighted entrance to a long rock walled passage. As they
proceeded down this passage, Tony and Charlie noted the smoothness
of its walls, which appeared as if the opening had
been fused into the solid rock by some tremendous heat
that left the sides as glossy as glazed porcelain. The
lighting was from translucent globes overhead that shed a soft

(12:23):
radiance that was as revealing as the glare of sunlight,
yet RESTful and soothing to the eye. I cannot understand, Jerry,
said Tony, as they walked along the passageway, how on
earth all of this work has been accomplished in a
few short years you have been here. I presume that
none of these workings existed before your coming. Of course

(12:45):
not the natives were absolutely ignorant, but they are powerful
and are good imitators and tireless workers. Besides, Ainsworth and
I have control of certain forces that are unknown up above,
and that many work of this sort much simpler and subterranea,
as we have named our hidden country. One thing I

(13:06):
have noticed, said Charley, displaying his first real sign of interest,
is that all of the caverns are lighted by artificial means.
If the natives of this great underground realm lived in
darkness before Eumanannsworth arrived to introduce them to modern improvements,
how is it that they have perfect organs of sight?
I should think they would be without eyes, like the
fish in the waters of some of the caves of

(13:27):
Kentucky and West Virginia. Oh, but they did not live
in darkness before we came. These are all artificial caverns
you have seen. The larger natural caverns are lighted by
phosphorescent materials in the walls and roofs. This light is
not as bright as sunlight, of course, but it is
sufficiently bright for normal sight and will permit of reading

(13:48):
without difficulty. There is no night in subterranea unless one
enters the smaller connecting caverns or passages where there is
no phosphorescence. They now emerged into a larger chamber, and,
following their guide, proceeded up a gentle incline to a
large metal studded door. Talbot inserted a key into its lock,
and they entered the strangest room they had ever seen.

(14:10):
It was reminiscent of one of the buildings of a
large prison, excepting that there were no barred cell doors. Instead,
there were tier upon tier of rooms around the sides,
and for some seven or eight floors above. Each tier
of rooms was surrounded by a balcony that could be
reached only by a small lift that connected the various levels.
Talbot led them to one of the many doors on

(14:32):
the main floor, and this opened at his manipulation of
a dial on its surface, like the combination of a safe.
The opening of a small metal door revealed to their
gaze a plainly but well furnished room. At their entrance,
a young girl with golden locks about her shoulders and
enchanting disarray, sprang from a divan where she had been reading,
and jumped to her feet. In some alarm. It was

(14:54):
Margaret van Alsteen, and when she saw Tony she flushed
with pleasure and advanced to him with outstretch stched hands. Anthony,
mister Russell, she faltered, you've come for me. End of
Chapter five,