07 - 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 (00:01):
Chapter seven of The Menace from Below by harl Vincent.
This LibriVox recordings in the public domain. Chapter seven into
the fourth dimension. Stunned into a moment of inactivity, Charlie
quickly recovered, and, with a roar like a lion, sprang
for the throat of the man who had wrought the destruction.

(00:24):
But Talbot had anticipated some such move, and before Charley
could reach his intended victim, there flashed into sudden view
a crackling blue flame that contacted with the body of
the leaping man with a blinding impact. There was an
instantaneous rumble in the air of the room, then a
jarring thump that seemed to twist the supports of the
building in Talbot's extended hand. There was a glowing bulb

(00:45):
from which the energy had emanated, and on the spot
where Charlie's life body had met with the strange force,
there was nothing. Charlie had vanished as completely as had
the body of Wolf van Alsteen. Margaret paled in bitter trembling.
Lip Tony rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Who killed him?
He gasped, No, replied Talbot, I have better uses for

(01:10):
your friend. I have merely suspended his three dimensional existence
temporarily that fourth dimension stuff again, grunted Tony in relief.
Then you can restore him to normal existence at any
time within about one hour, stated Talbot. But he'll have
to behave himself if I do. Tony shook his head

(01:33):
in complete mystification. I cannot comprehend it at all. Yet,
in view of what we have witnessed, I cannot refuse
to believe, he said. Ainsworth puttered about the horizontal viewing
screen as though nothing unusual had occurred. Margaret listened in
amazement to the brief explanation given to Tony by Talbot.

(01:54):
The fourth dimension, as I have mentioned before, is something
quite different from the popular conception of it. Ours is
a many dimensional universe, as has long been shown by mathematics,
the first four dimensions being essential to the existence of
a visible body. Suppose there could exist a two dimensional world.

(02:14):
We might represent it by a sheet of paper having
only length and breadth, which is of course impossible. But
suppose it did exist, and that a circle marked on
such a sheet represented a room. A two dimensional being
on the sheet could not enter the room, since he
could move only on the surface and could not pass
the outline of the ring, which would to him represent

(02:35):
the wall of the room. However, you or I could
pick up this being and place him within the circle.
Since we live in a world of more than two
dimensions and can normally move in the first three, substitute
are commonly known three dimensions, a room has three perceptible dimensions,
and if there are no openings through which a body
may pass, it cannot ordinarily be entered. What we can

(02:59):
do so by means of the fourth dimension, which we
may designate as duration of existence. In our many dimensional world,
a body must have a definite duration of existence in
addition to length, breadth, and thickness. Else it is not
existent to our perceptions. Your friend is now in that condition.

(03:21):
To us, he does not exist, since he has been
rotated entirely outside the perceptible three dimensions, and exists only
in the fourth, which to us is unperceivable. Do you
follow me, No, admitted Tony frankly. But I do get
a glimmering of the nature of this fourth dimension, even

(03:43):
though I do not understand how you control it. This, then,
was the means used in removing the subway trains from
the tunnel. Yes, of course, far more powerful apparatus was required,
but we merely provided for an interruption of the existence
of the two bottom for a sufficient period of time
to allow of lowering the trains into the cavity beneath

(04:04):
the tube, and Van Austeen whispered Tony so as not
to be overheard by Margaret, who had returned to the
viewing screen where Ainsworth still remained. The same thing, said Talbot,
excepting the energy was used only on the heart of
the old rascal. It was rotated entirely out of the

(04:24):
first three dimensions permanently, wherein autopsy performed it would have
been impossible to find the organ, since its duration of
existence had been definitely discontinued. Later, we used the energy
on the entire body and removed it to one of
our laboratories in its relatively non existent state. He has

(04:46):
been restored, then asked Tony. Hopefully not life. That would
be impossible with the heart non existent for so long
a period. But his body was restored to the condition
in which you found it in Cartersville. It now lies
on one of our dissecting tables. Tony shuddered. But horrible

(05:06):
as was this cold blooded disregard of human life. He
could not help but admire the scientific achievements of this man. Watch,
continued Talbot. We'll restore Charlie. He stepped to a wall
switch and made a quick adjustment. The normal lighting of
the room dimmed, and in its stead there came a
penetrating orange glow that filled the room with throbbing pulsations.

(05:29):
The jarring thump followed the sensation of wrenched physical support.
Then Charlie stood before them, somewhat dazed, yet quite unharmed.
Why why, stammered Charlie. I heard every word of your conversation,
yet I could not touch you. I could see through you,
as if you were all made of glass, through the walls,

(05:51):
through the crust of earth above, and into the depths
of the heavens. It was the most remarkable experience I've
ever gone through. But I seem and to be weakening rapidly.
Margaret had looked up from the screen, startled by the
orange glow in the events succeeding its appearance. Now, she
recovered and pointed to the screen in great excitement. Watch this,

(06:12):
she cried, All are not dead in the cavern. The
three men rushed to the viewing screen, and there saw
the destruction which had been wreaked by the explosive touched
off by the arch fiend Ainsworth. The cavern was lighted
by new floodlights that had been brought into play by
reinforcements who evidently arrived after the blast. The interior of

(06:33):
the cavern was a mass of wreckage, and many of
the first detachment of soldiers had been blown to bits.
The cars of the three trains lay in torn and
twisted heaps on the underground. Sighting the opening from the
tunnel above was considerably enlarged. Many of the victims were
still alive, however, some mutilated and torn, but others apparently
very little the worse for their experience. The newcomers assisted

(06:56):
those they found alive to the new rope ladders they
had let down, and one by one the survivors were
helped to the outside. Finally, Charley let forth a cry
of joy. There's ward, he shouted, He's alive. It was true,
for one of the rescuers dragged from a heap of
bodies the bedraggled form of a man in civilian clothes.
He was bloody and grimy, but was able to stand

(07:17):
on his feet when raised to an upright position. Charlie
gurgled his glee when his partner turned his face into
plain view of the watchers and then hobbled unaided to
the nearest ladder. Ainsworth growled his dissatisfaction. We only got
about half of them, he complained. Even Talbot looked at
him with disgust. That's plenty, he snapped. The lesson was

(07:40):
the main thing we wanted to get across, and I
imagine they've had enough for some time. Glad your friend escaped,
he concluded, turning to Charlie. They talk it over. They
left the presence of Ainsworth, who, unmindful of their conversation,
had returned to his contemplation of the viewing screen. Talbot

(08:01):
led them through the spacious halls of the palatial building
and assigned living quarters to each of the three. It
appeared that they were to be comfortable at least, and
Talbot displayed every solicitation for their welfare. He was a
strange anomaly, this master of the underground realm in which
they had so unexpectedly become residents. His hatred of mankind

(08:21):
and general contrasted vividly with his suavity of manner and
his kindness to his captives. He left them to their
own devices, with the parting information that he would return
in an hour and conduct them to their first meal
in Subterranea, which was to be served within that time.
Tony busied himself removing the grime he had accumulated on
hands and faced during the preceding experiences. As he passed

(08:45):
the connecting door between his own and Margaret's apartments, he
thought he heard a choking sound from the other side
of the partition. He paused and listened closely. Yes, there
it was a stifled sobbing that recurred at frequent intervals
and wrung the heart of the listen. He berated himself
for not having shown the girl more sympathy in her
bereavement and in the predicament in which she now found herself.

(09:08):
He and Charlie had much to interest them and to
make life bearable in this unbelievable realm into which they
had so unexpectedly plunged. But the girl, recently the witness
of her father's violent death and the disappearance of his body,
had every reason to long for her own accustomed surroundings
and to get away from the terrible underground world. She

(09:29):
had also the fate of her brother to cause grave concern,
not to speak of the loss of the companionship of
her own friends and relatives in the hour of trouble,
and Tony had given his word that no attempt should
be made to return her to the upper world. Soon
the sobs ended, and he could hear the girl stirring
about in her rooms. So he completed his own abolitions

(09:50):
and stepped to Charlie's rooms to join his friend. Charlie
grinned sourly at his appearance. A fine mess we let
ourselves in for was as greeting looks that way, agreed
Tony myself. I do not care so much, but this
is going to be mighty hard on Miss van Alsteen,
sure is, said Charley. And I don't see how the

(10:11):
devil we are ever going to get out of here.
Wonder what they're doing with the rest of the game
they kidnapped, so do I, though I fear there is
not much mystery about that. Undoubtedly they are to become
the subjects of some of the blood curdling experiments of
the demented ainsworth What on earth do these experiments consist of?
Do you suppose why there was never any direct proof

(10:35):
that Ainsworth had tortured animals needlessly in his reconstruction work,
but enough evidence was obtained to enable the authorities to
revoke his license to practice medicine and surgery. You'll remember
that Talbot, who had been assisting the professor, always maintained
stoutly that the work was entirely painless and that much
good to mankind and to the subjects of experiment would result.

(10:58):
I've often wondered how Talbot became interested in that sort
of thing. He was a physicist and an experimenter along
the lines of atomic science, I frequency vibrations in the like.
What connection can there be? It must be that the
discoveries of Talbot led into the field of knifeless surgery,
replied Tony. You know, there's been some surgical work accomplished

(11:19):
by the use of penetrating rays, but this was never
developed to any great extent as far as I know.
It is quite possible that here is where Talbot fits
into the thing. That's right, mused Charley. And we must
admit that he has done some wonderful things here. This
fourth dimension business is positively uncanny. A beast at large

(11:45):
at this moment their ears were assailed by a terrified
scream from the corridor, and both men rushed to the door,
stumbling over each other in their eagerness to reach it.
When they burst from the room and stared down the
long hall, they were horrified to see Margaret van Alsteen
struggling with a naked giant who had picked her up
from the floor as if she were a child, and
was carrying her away, unmindful of her kicking and squirming.

(12:07):
This huge man for human he was stood no less
than seven feet in height, and his body was matted
with hair, yet showing extreme whiteness of skin in the
uncovered portions. When the giant saw them, he dropped the
frantically struggling girl and turned to face the new enemies.
He tossed his great head to throw back from his
eyes the long brown hair with which it was crowned.

(12:31):
His lips writhed, revealing a gleaming set of strong, perfectly
formed teeth. In a sneering grimace, bushy brows surmounted the
most remarkable pair of blue eyes imaginable. But in those
eyes there was something that sent a chill of fear
through the visitors. It was not exactly the ferociousness of
the glare that came from their depths, but rather a mysterious,

(12:52):
unfathomable mystery that was somehow inhuman. Seeing that the two
men were regarding him with indecision, the route again reached
for the girl, and she drew back in alarm. Tony
cried out his rage as the hairy paws laid themselves
on the shoulders of the trembling girl with a rush
that reminded Charlie of the old football days. He was

(13:13):
upon the monster. He sprang high in the air and
landed on the giant's back, wrapping his legs about the
middle of his body and twisting his arms around the
thick neck in a strangling hold. But he was no
match for this brute, who spoke not a word, but
with a quick wrench of his steel muscled body, broke
Tony's hold and flung him to the floor. Tony, on

(13:36):
his feet in a flash, sprang again, only to meet
the great hairy paws of the monster, which now grasped
him and twisted his body into a position that spelled
certain breakage of the spine if the pressure was increased.
Charlie jumped in to assist his friend, and Margaret screamed
again and again. Crom snapped the voice of Jerry Talbot

(13:57):
from only a few feet distant. He had roached unnoticed
by the contestants, and now faced the brute with a
smile of contempt on his cruelly handsome face. Drop him, Crom,
he ordered. Tony was released, and he dropped to the
floor in an ignominious heap. His huge assailant dropped his
eyes before the glare of the master, and with an
infantile whisper that seemed ludicrous when issuing from so bulky

(14:20):
an individual. He wheeled about and made off down the
hall with shuffling swiftness, occasionally turning his head to see
if Jerry was pursuing him. Then he sidled through an
open door and was gone. Jerry laughed. It nearly came
a cropper, didn't you, he said, I'll say so, exclaimed Tony,
who had risen to his feet and was assisting Margaret

(14:42):
to hers. Who in the name of time was that?
Oh that is only from, replied Talbot carelessly, one of
our experiments, you know. Charlie glared at their captor impotently,
while Margaret sobbed in hysterical relief, Tony rubbed his bruises ruefully.
End of Chapter seven,