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THE GALACTIC GHOST

By MACK REYNOLDS

_Gracefully, quietly, it came ... landing on a
deserted New Jersey field. Wonder and fear struck
at the bowels of the Earth-people--not because of
the ship itself, but because of its strange message._

[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Planet Stories March 1954.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]


Despite the widely publicized radar posts encircling our nation and the
continuously alerted jet squadrons at its borders, the space ship was
about to land before it was detected.

It settled gracefully, quietly, onto an empty field in northern New
Jersey. And so unexpected was the event, so unbelievable the fact that
man was being visited by aliens from space, that it was a full half
hour before the first extra was on the streets in New York, and forty
minutes before the news buzzed through the Kremlin.

It might have taken considerably longer for man in earth's more
isolated areas to hear of the event had not the alien taken a hand at
this point. Approximately an hour after the landing, into the mind
of every human on earth, irrespective of nation, language, age, or
intellect, came the thought telepathically:

    _We come in peace. Prepare to receive our message._

It was a month before the message came.

During that period, more than ninety-nine per cent of the earth's
population became aware of the visitor from space. Radio, television,
newsreel, telegraph and newspapers reached the greater number; but word
of mouth and even throbbing drums, played their part. In four weeks,
savages along the Amazon and shepherds in Sinkiang knew that visitors
from the stars had arrived with a message for man.

And all awaited the message: scientist and soldier, politician and
revolutionist, millionaire and vagrant, bishop and whirling dervish,
banker and pickpocket, society matron and street walker. And each was
hoping for one thing, and afraid he'd hear another.

All efforts at communication with the alien ship had failed. The
various welcoming delegations from the State of New Jersey, from the
United States, and even from the United Nations, were ignored. No sign
of life aboard was evident, and there seemed no means of entrance to
the spacecraft. It sat there impassively; its tremendous, saucer-like
shape seemed almost like a beautiful monument.

At the end of a month, when world-wide interest in the visitor from
space was at its height, the message came. And once again it was
impressed upon the mind of every human being on earth:

    _Man, know this: Your world is fated to complete destruction.
    Ordinarily, we of the Galactic Union would not have contacted man
    until he had progressed much further and was ready to take his
    place among us. But this emergency makes necessary that we take
    immediate steps if your kind is to be saved from complete
    obliteration._

    _In order to preserve your race, we are making efforts to prepare
    another planet, an uninhabited one, to receive your colonists.
    Unfortunately, our means for transporting you to your new world are
    limited; only a handful can be taken. You are safe for another five
    of your earth years. At the end of that period we will return. Have
    a thousand of your people ready for their escape._

       *       *       *       *       *

The President of the United States lifted an eyebrow wearily and rapped
again for order.

"Gentlemen, please!... Let us get back to the fundamental question.
Summed up, it amounts to this: only one thousand persons, out of a
world population of approximately two billions, are going to be able to
escape the earth's destruction. In other words, one out of every two
million. It is going to be most difficult to choose."

Herr Ernst Oberfeld tapped his glasses fretfully on the conference
table. "Mr. President, it need not be quite as bad as all that. After
all, we must choose the earth's best specimens to carry on our race. I
believe we will find that the combined populations of Europe and North
America total somewhat less than a billion. If we go still further and
eliminate all inferior...."

Monsieur Pierre Duclos flushed. "Herr Oberfeld should keep in mind that
his presence at this meeting at all was opposed vigorously by some of
the delegates. Isn't it somewhat too soon after his country's debacle
to again broadcast its super-race theories?"

The British representative spoke up. "My dear Duclos, although I agree
with you completely in essence, still it must be pointed out that if we
were to handle this allocation on a strictly numerical basis, that our
Chinese friends would be alloted something like 200 colonists, while
Great Britain would have perhaps twenty."

Maxim Gregoroff grunted, "Hardly enough for the Royal family, eh?"

Lord Harriman was on his feet. "Sir, I might echo what Monsieur Duclos
has said to Herr Oberfeld. It was in spite of the protest from a
considerable number of delegates to this conference that your nation
is represented at all."

Gregoroff's fist thumped on the table and his face went beet red.
"It is as expected! You plan to monopolize the escape ship for the
imperialistic nations! The atom bomb will probably be used to destroy
all other countries!"

The President of the United States held up his hand. This whole
thing was getting more chaotic by the minute. As a matter of fact,
instructions from Congress were that he explain that the United States
expected to have at least one third of the total. This, in view of the
fact that the aliens had landed in New Jersey, obviously seeing that
the United States was the foremost nation of the world, and, further,
in view of the fact that this country was a melting pot of all nations
and consequently produced what might be called the "average" member of
the human race.

However, that would have to wait. Order had to be brought to this
conference if anything was to be accomplished.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please!" he called. "These accusations. We are
getting nowhere. I have taken the liberty to make arrangements to have
the representative of the newly formed Congress of American Sciences
address you. Are you agreeable?" He raised his eyebrows inquiringly,
and meeting no objection, pressed the button on the table before him.

Professor Manklethorp was ushered in, bobbed his head to the assembled
delegates and came to the point immediately. "The problem which you
are discussing has many ramifications. I would like to bring to your
attention a few which should be examined with care.

"First, the choice of colonists must not be on a national basis, nor
on one based upon political or monetary prominence. If it is, we, as a
race, are doomed. This new planet, no matter how well prepared for us
by the Galactic Union, is going to be a challenge such as man has never
faced before. This challenge cannot be met by politicians, no matter
how glib, nor by wealthy men, no matter how many dollars they possess,
nor by titled ones, no matter how old and honored their names. We must
pick trained specialists who will be able to meet the problems that
arise in the new world.

"Our congress recommends that all persons, of all nations, who
have college degrees, be given thorough tests both for I.Q. and
for accumulated knowledge, and that the highest thousand be chosen
irrespective of nation or race."

Pandit Hari Kuanai smiled quietly. "May I ask the learned professor a
question?"

"Of course. That is why I am here. We want only to have this matter
decided on a strictly scientific basis."

"My poverty stricken country has a population of possibly one fifth of
the world total, but fewer university men than one of your large cities
might boast. Your desire to choose men by their I.Q. has its merits,
but I have no doubt that in my country we have men of tremendous
intelligence who cannot even read or write, aside from having a
university degree. Must my widely illiterate people go unrepresented in
the new world?"

A muscle twitched in the professor's face. "Needless to say, the
Congress of American Sciences has considered that. However, we must
view this matter in a spirit of sacrifice. The best of the world's
population must go to the new world. Possibly whole nations will
go without representation. It is too bad ... but, unfortunately,
necessary."

Sven Carlesen put up his finger for recognition. "It seems to me there
is another serious loophole in the professor's recommendation. He wants
the thousand to be made up of university graduates of high I.Q. and
considerable accumulated knowledge. I am afraid I foresee the new world
being populated with elderly scholars." He smiled. "Like the professor
himself, who, I understand, has a phenomenal I.Q."

Monsieur Duclos nodded. "He is right. We must consider the need to send
perfect physical specimens." He looked down at his own small and bent
body. "Gentlemen," he said wryly, "has it occurred to you that none of
us here at this conference are suitable to be represented among the
thousand?"

They ignored him.

A pale faced delegate in black, who had thus far said nothing, spoke
up softly, "I have been instructed to inform you that our organization
demands that all of the colonists be of the true faith."

His words were drowned by the shouting of half a dozen of the
conference delegates. Loud above them all could be heard the bellow of
Maxim Gregoroff.

"Our Union now includes the population of approximately half the world.
Our allotment, consequently, will be five hundred colonists, of the one
thousand. We will choose them by our own methods."

Lord Harriman murmured, "Undoubtedly, by starting at the top of the
party membership list and taking the first five hundred names beginning
with your leader."

The President of the United States ran his hand through his hair and
then roughly down the side of his face. A messenger handed him a slip
of paper. He read it and intensified his pounding on the table.

"Gentlemen," he shouted. "If Professor Manklethorp is through, we have
here a request from the International Physical Culture Society to have
their representative heard."

"I know," Sven Carlesen said. "He wants all of the colonists to be able
to chin themselves twenty-five times as the first requisite."

       *       *       *       *       *

At the end of the five year period the space ship came again, settling
into the identical field where it had first landed. This time a
delegation awaited it, and a multitude that stretched as far as the eye
could see.

A telepathic message came from the visitor from space almost
immediately.

_Choose from your number three representatives to discuss the situation
with us._

Within ten minutes, three advanced and entered the ship by way of a
port that opened before them as they approached. Among their number
was Pierre Duclos. A passage stretched before them, and, seeing no
one, they hesitated a moment before following it to its further end.
Monsieur Duclos led the way, depending only slightly on his cane to aid
his bent body.

A door opened and they were confronted by the figure of a man seated
at a desk. It was several moments before they realized that the entity
before them was masked so cleverly that they had been led to believe
him human.

He said in faultless English, "I note that you have penetrated my
disguise. I thought it would be easier for you if I hid my true
appearance. Until your people are used to alien life forms, I must use
this measure."

Monsieur Duclos bowed. "We appreciate your consideration, but I assure
you that our...."

The alien waved a gloved hand. "Please, no argument. My appearance
would probably nauseate you. But it is of no importance. Pray be
seated." He noted the cane, and nodded to the little Frenchman. "You
sir, must be highly thought of to rate being chosen one of the thousand
in view of your age and health."

Although he was not at ease in the presence of the representative of
the Galactic Union, Monsieur Duclos allowed himself a wry smile. "You
misunderstand. I am not one of the colonists. My presence here at this
meeting is an honor that has been awarded me in return for some small
services in aiding in the selection of the favored ones."

"And what were these services?"

"Of no real importance. I suppose you might say that the most important
was that I was the first to refuse to be a colonist."

Bently, one of the other earthmen spoke up, "Had it not been for Pierre
Duclos, it is doubtful if the thousand would have been chosen, and
even possible that there would be no earth to which to return for your
colonists."

Behind the mask the eyes of the alien gleamed. "Enlighten me further,
please."

Duclos demurred. "You honor me over-much, Mr. Bently. Let us approach
the problem of the colonists and their transportation."

But John Bently went on. "For more than two years after your ship's
departure, complete confusion reigned in regard to selection of the
thousand. Happily, all out warfare between nations had been avoided
although conditions were rapidly coming to a point where it was
momentarily expected.

"Each race, each nation, each religion, even each sex, thought they
should have the greater representation. And each of these groups in
turn were divided into sub-groups by wealth, age, class, education and
others. Almost everyone on earth knew of some reason why he should be
one of the colonists. And most of us were willing to take any steps to
make our desire come true."

The alien said, "That was to be expected. And then?"

"And then Pierre Duclos formed his Society of Racial Preservation whose
first requisite for membership was a refusal to become one of the
colonists. The purpose of the organization was to find the thousand
most suitable colonists without regard to race, nationality, creed,
color, education, class, wealth or any other grouping.

       *       *       *       *       *

"At first, the growth of membership was slow, but, after a time, man
saw that his chance of survival as an individual was practically
nil, that his chance of being chosen was at best less than one in
two million. When he realized this, his next desire was to make sure
that, even though he as an individual was doomed, the race survived.
Membership in the society grew rapidly and internationally. The
members, you might say, were fanatical. Why not? They knew that they
had less than five years to live. Why not sacrifice those last years of
life to such a noble cause?

"As the society grew in strength, nothing could stand before it.
Governments that stood in the way were overthrown, social systems
abolished, prejudices and institutions that had stood for centuries
were wiped out. It became necessary to institute world government, to
guarantee to all equal opportunity. Step by step, the society took the
measures necessary to insure the selection of the best specimens earth
had to offer.

"And scientific development was pushed to the utmost. We wished to
send our colonists off with as much as earth could possibly give them.
We eliminated a dozen diseases that have plagued us for centuries; we
devised a thousand new tools and techniques."

"In short," said the alien, "because of this stimulus, man has
progressed as much in this past few years as he could have expected in
the next fifty."

"That is correct," Pierre Duclos said. "It is unfortunate that now we
have on our threshold a world really worth living in, that it is fated
to be destroyed."

"I see," said the alien, what would have been a smile on a human
face flickered on his. "I am glad to report that the danger which
confronted the earth has been removed and the need to populate the new
planet with colonists in order to preserve your race is now eliminated.

"Gentlemen, the earth is safe. Man may go on with his plans without
fear of destruction."

Monsieur Duclos fingered his cane thoughtfully while the other two
earthmen jumped to their feet, thumped each other's backs, shouted, and
otherwise demonstrated their joy. They finally dashed from the room and
from the space craft to give the news to the world.

The alien eyed the little Frenchman. "And why have you remained?"

"I do not believe the world was faced with destruction, monsieur. I
have come to the conclusion that you have perpetrated a farce upon
mankind."

The alien sat himself down at the desk again. "I see you will need an
explanation. But you are wrong, you know. Faced with destruction you
were. The destruction, however, was not a matter of collision with some
other body, or whatever you might have imagined. The destruction would
have come from within. Man was on the verge of destroying himself. One
more conflict, or, at most, two, would have done it.

"The Galactic Union has long been aware of man who has developed
mechanically in a phenomenal manner but has not been able to develop
socially to the point where his science is less than a danger. This
ship was sent to you in hopes of accomplishing exactly what has been
accomplished. We believed your racial instinct would be strong enough
to unite you when the race as a whole thought it was threatened with
extinction."

The alien got to his feet. "I am afraid we must leave now. Let me
say that I hope that man will soon be able to take his place in the
Galactic Union."

Monsieur Duclos winced. "The Galactic Union," he said. "The League of
Nations and the United Nations were bad enough." He smiled wryly. "And
I thought that with the establishment of a world government, we had
abolished such conferences forever. I can just see myself as the first
delegate from earth. Heaven forbid!"