The Project Gutenberg eBook of Planet of Creation This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: Planet of Creation Author: Chester S. Geier Illustrator: Hardison Release date: December 28, 2020 [eBook #64159] Language: English Credits: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PLANET OF CREATION *** PLANET OF CREATION By CHESTER S. GEIER To these hardened spacemen, it was heaven. Bald rock sprouted grass, metal parts popped up as required, new men relieved the weary as soon as the need was merely thought of. Who could imagine there was a joker? [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Spring 1947. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] In the control room was silence like fabric strained to the verge of tearing. Softly through the weave of it came the murmur of the engines, fretful, unhappy, the whimper of something sick. The whimper echoed Thettumir's feelings. He gestured suddenly at the telescopic space scanner, the six snake-like digits of his hand stiff with dismay. "But that is all? There are no other planets in this region?" "None." Vandumonn shook for added emphasis the erect spiny crest which ran from the top of his head down the middle of his back. "I have made absolutely certain of that. This is the only planet. The next nearest sun is ten light-years away. But listen to the engines, Commander. I am an astronomer, not an engineer, yet I know the engines will not take us that far. Even if they could, it would be a gamble as to whether or not that next nearest sun had planets." Thettumir gazed once more at the magnified image in the scanner. It showed a great red sun, already well on its way toward cooling, and far off to the right, a silvery speck which was the only planet circling the dying giant. He reached for the dial which increased the magnification of the scanner and twirled it until the disc of the planet filled the entire screen. The battered flagship had approached closer, but, as before, Thettumir was able to make out no details. The planet was covered with clouds--strange dense gray clouds. He knew the clouds indicated an atmosphere--perhaps even a breathable one--but his reluctance to accept the planet as a temporary repair base was due to the fact that the clouds would make landing extremely difficult. The Urgollian fleet was already badly damaged, and additional injuries would only complicate matters further. Yet Thettumir knew they would have to land. The fleet would never reach Urgoll in its present condition. Many other vessels had suffered even greater damage than that to the flagship. Thettumir turned from the scanner with sudden purpose. The assembled officers stiffened to attention. "Forbidding as this cloud-covered world seems, it is our only hope for obtaining materials for repairs as well as suitable working conditions. Immediate orders shall be issued to the fleet to begin deceleration. We shall take an orbit about the planet in order K4. Scout ships are to be dispatched to descend and explore the surface. Further orders will be issued after the scout ships report. For the present, proceed as directed." * * * * * Thettumir turned and left the control room. The task of slowing their tremendous speed, he knew, would take time--time which he could spend most comfortably in his cabin. Besides, bitterness still gnawed within him at the recent Urgollian defeat by the men of Urrth. Or was it Errth, he wondered. He could never remember the exact pronunciation. He'd have to ask Sthalor, the chief psychologist, again. Sthalor had questioned enough captive Errthmen to be sure. Questioned. Thettumir decided that was too nice a word. Sthalor's methods were apt to be harsh, but they produced vitally necessary information. Striding through the corridors of the flagship, Thettumir thought wistfully of Errth. Of all the nine planets in the Solarian System, Errth had been the most desirable. A beautiful world, so much like Urgoll, and in many ways even superior. It would have made an ideal colonial addition, if-- If Urgoll had won, Thettumir thought with sudden pain. He entered his cabin. Removing his flexible tinted metal uniform harness, he lowered his squat massive form gratefully into a chair. From a humidor on his desk he took a _nikot_ leaf, which he rolled into a cylinder and inserted into a smoke-tube. He lit up, puffed away, felt the aching tension gradually leave him. A knock at the door broke the _nikot_-scented quiet. It was Kasthel, second in command of the flagship. "Forgive me if I intrude, Commander, but there is a matter of grave importance which I wish to discuss with you." "Your visit is welcome, Kasthel." Thettumir gestured to a nearby chair and pushed within reach the _nikot_ humidor. "What is this matter of grave importance?" Kasthel did not look up as he filled his smoke-tube. "You recall the conditions that existed when we left Urgoll, Commander?" Thettumir nodded slowly, his great yellow orbs clouding. "There was threat of revolution. Only the announcement that a habitable planet--Errth--had at last been discovered delayed it. And now, when we return--defeated...." "Exactly," Kasthel affirmed. "Revolution will burst out abruptly and violently. With Errth lost to us, the population pressure on Urgoll will have no other outlet." Thettumir curled his snake-like fingers into a fist and brought it down angrily on the desk. "It was the fault of the expedition which discovered Errth! It was careless enough to give warning of our existence. The Errthmen already had space travel. When we finally came in force they were prepared." "But a second attack, Commander. The Errthmen will not expect us to return." "There will be no second attack. The revolution on Urgoll will bring on a dark age." Kasthel leaned forward in sudden earnestness. "We could stop that. We compose the entire military strength of Urgoll. We are armed and trained. None could oppose us." "But what good would it do?" Thettumir objected. "We would only keep in power an Executive Council which, if it had been more efficient and fore-sighted, would have controlled the spread of population in the beginning." "Why share with the Executive Council what we have won by our own efforts?" Kasthel asked slyly. For a moment Thettumir was puzzled. Then he smiled in sudden understanding. "I see what you mean. But, aside from taking over the rule of Urgoll, I see other things also. We could effect a temporary solution to the problem of over-population--by exterminating the weak and unfit. Then we could train all those remaining as soldiers, assemble the greatest fighting force that ever existed. Errth could yet be taken!" Kasthel leaned closer. "But, Commander, are these things we could do, or will do?" "_Will_ do!" Thettumir snapped grimly, determinedly. They interlocked digits in enthusiastic agreement. And then, over glasses of fiery _glath_ liquor, they polished the rough jewel of their plans. * * * * * The scout ships reported back. Gray clouds extended down to the very surface of the planet, but a landing would not be too difficult, since instruments showed the terrain to be dry and firm and free of irregularities. Gravity was slight, as the planet was a relatively small one. There was air--thin but breathable. Thettumir gave orders for landing. Guided by their instruments and audio beams of the scout ships, the fleet settled slowly and gingerly to the surface. Repair crews began at once to remove damaged parts, while engineers and technicians began the design and manufacture of replacements. The injuries sustained by the fleet, however, were so extensive that the stock of spare parts and materials was soon exhausted. Expeditions dispatched to locate deposits of the required metals reported failure. There were metals, but not enough or none at all of those which were most urgently needed. Informed of the situation, Thettumir decided to make a personal tour of the fleet in the hope of finding some sort of solution. He had already the tentative idea of scrapping several vessels for the necessary materials, and intended by his survey to determine those most expendable. Accompanied by Kasthel and several other officers, he left the flagship. Outside on the surface of the planet, he examined his surroundings curiously. There was disappointingly little to be seen. The ever-present gray clouds were thinner here than at higher altitudes, but the effect was that of a repressing fog in which visibility was limited to several yards. The ground was smooth bare rock, as colorless as the clouds. It was pleasantly warm, as might have been expected from the size and proximity of the sun. The air, though rarified, did not make breathing difficult. Thettumir digested the result of his examination musingly. He told Kasthel, "This planet is not without merit. If it were not for the clouds and the barrenness of the soil, it would suffice as a colonial site." Kasthel nodded. "Vegetation and an unobstructed view would make a great difference." Thettumir gave an abrupt shrug. "We waste time in dreams. Come, we have still to make our inspection." Guide lines had been strung from ship to ship. Following these, Thettumir and the others made their tour. Thettumir was disheartened. The list of parts needed by each ship was so extensive that more than half the fleet would have had to be scrapped in order to supply the necessary replacements. He knew there would be insufficient room on the remaining vessels for the crews thus displaced. And because of the plans which he had made with Kasthel, Thettumir did not wish to abandon any of the men. Every fighter would be needed once they reached Urgoll. It seemed to be checkmate. Trailed by the others, Thettumir glumly strode from the last vessel on his way back to the flagship. Half-way down the gang plank, he stopped abruptly, staring in amazed surprise. Gasps and cries from behind him showed that Kasthel and the rest had also seen. The planet--or at least that portion of it in their immediate vicinity--had undergone a change. The gray fog had vanished. They gazed upon a gently rolling plain carpeted in green. Trees and shrubs in profusion broke the verdant expanse. Thettumir frowned as he gazed at the scene. Something about it seemed to be wrong, but just what it was eluded him. He peered more closely--then he had it. The vegetation lacked detail. The grass was not composed of separate blades, but looked like a thick layer of rough green felt. The foliage of trees and shrubs appeared as though cut from green paper rather than being an aggregate of individual branches and leaves. As Thettumir stared bewildered, the landscape seemed momentarily to blur, as though his eyes had gone out of focus. When he looked again, the strange lack of detail was no longer apparent. Everything was normal. The grass consisted of blades, the foliage of branches and leaves. Thettumir swung around to Kasthel. "Did you notice it--the change just now?" "Yes, Commander, and I think I know the explanation. What we saw at first was the result of some kind of atmospheric distortion. This distortion was removed a moment ago by a change in air currents." "But the grass and trees," Thettumir said doubtfully. "They were not here when we began our tour." Kasthel shrugged. "Hidden by the fog, perhaps. I'll have to admit that when I first saw the vegetation, it occurred to me that some omnipotent being overheard our remarks earlier and made them come true. But naturally there has to be a logical explanation." "Naturally," Thettumir muttered. But he was disturbed. He remembered only too well that the ground had been smooth naked rock--and grass does not grow from rock. Aboard the flagship, Thettumir found the men in a state of great excitement. Everyone seemed delighted with the change that had taken place outside. He reflected that it was good for morale and decided that if now they only had the materials for repairs things would almost be perfect. * * * * * The buzzing of the inter-ship communication interrupted him as he filled his smoke-tube in his cabin. It was Rhondu, the chief engineer. "Commander Thettumir, a crewman just found a supply of parts near No. 2 escape port. I've checked my list, and everything we need is there. May I ask where you obtained the parts?" "Obtained...." Thettumir's voice failed him. He leaped from the cabin. It was as Rhondu had said. Several yards from No. 2 escape port, Thettumir found a small gleaming hill of repair materials. Re-entering the ship, Thettumir unleashed a torrent of questions. But, strangely enough, nobody knew where the parts had come from. To add to the confusion, calls by audio beam began coming from the other vessels of the fleet. Men from each had discovered further mounds of much-needed supplies. Thettumir did not try immediately to explain this bewildering turn of events. Like the leader he was, he gave orders that the mysterious supplies were at once to be used in completing repairs. "This materialization of replacements is like a gift from the gods," Thettumir told Kasthel and Sthalor. "Wish I knew how to account for it." "I've thought of mass hallucination," Sthalor said. "But ... well, Rhondu showed me the stuff. It's real enough, all right." Kasthel remained silent. He gazed through the cabin viewport at the rolling expanse of tree-dotted grass beyond, and his yellow orbs were clouded. Thettumir said slowly, "Gift from the gods ... I wonder, Sthalor. We took it for granted that this planet was uninhabited--but suppose it isn't? Suppose that there are creatures here, intelligent, invisible, possessed of such superhuman powers that they can create tangible objects from the nebulous stuff of our thoughts?" Sthalor shrugged uneasily. "Who can say? This is a strange planet. Our standards of true and false, possible and impossible, do not apply here." The inter-ship communicator buzzed. It was Rhondu again. "Commander, I'm afraid we won't be able to use the parts after all. They don't fit. The specifications are all wrong. They look all right, but--" With a hastily muttered excuse, Rhondu broke off. A short time later his voice returned. "I'm sorry, Commander, there must have been a mistake. My men just checked the parts again--and they're all right. It's very strange, though. Everything seemed to blur, and then ... well, the parts were correct--down to the last detail." Thettumir and Kasthel stared at each other. Kasthel said, "The grass ... the trees...." Thettumir nodded somberly, his broad face tightening. Within ensuing seconds, audio beam calls came from the other ships. Their engineers announced their replacements also to be incorrect specifications--only later puzzledly to contradict themselves. The repairs now went on without interruption. Thettumir was thoughtful. If materials appeared from the very air merely by thinking about them, or wishing for them, perhaps.... He whirled abruptly to Kasthel and Sthalor. "Look--consciously or unconsciously, we wished for those supplies. We got them. Now if we were to wish for other things--" "Of course!" Sthalor exclaimed. "We should have thought of that before." "Come, we will give it a test." Thettumir led the way hurriedly from the ship. Outside he said, "Now--what shall we wish for?" "A weapon!" Kasthel said. "I've always wished we had several of those new Class IV atomic cannons. The Executive Council thought it would take too much time to make them." Thettumir prompted, "But the specifications, Kasthel. Remember, you must know the exact specifications." "I know them well, Commander." Kasthel closed his eyes, concentrating deeply. Tense with eagerness, Thettumir watched. Suddenly, in a spot several feet to his right, a transparent angular outline appeared. It darkened, took on color and detail. And finally--there stood a Class IV atomic cannon. At the exclamations of Thettumir and Sthalor, Kasthel opened his eyes. "It worked!" Thettumir exulted. "It worked!" Kasthel's crest quivered with excitement. "Commander, if we can cause the materialization of objects like atomic cannon--" Thettumir nodded quickly. "Then we can cause the materialization of objects like ships--the mightiest warships that ever blasted space!" * * * * * Thettumir got swiftly to work. He called a meeting of the various scientists and engineers of the fleet and explained his plans. After what had been experienced, none doubted that his idea was feasible. Designs and specifications were drawn up for an invincible battle cruiser, which, serving as a pattern, could be duplicated in countless numbers. As the dreadnaughts began one by one to take form, a difficulty was encountered. It was realized that there wouldn't be enough men to run all the vessels. Thettumir overcame the difficulty with a solution which everyone else had overlooked--duplicate the men until the desired number of additions had been obtained. It was done. On that fantastic little world anything seemed possible. If the proper specifications and details were had, it seemed, anything might be wished for--and acquired. At last everything was ready. Thettumir called Kasthel to his cabin. "Kasthel, we have now to make an important decision. We have the mightiest battle fleet in the history of Urgoll--in the history of any world, for that matter. Shall we continue on to Urgoll, or return to the Solarian System? I move that we return to the Solarian System. The Errthmen, though victorious, have been greatly weakened. They have not had time to recover, and with our present strength conquering them will be easy." "I agree," Kasthel said. He grinned craftily. "The Executive Council will not run away, eh?" Thettumir nodded his crest. "It will be there when we are ready for it. This is just the beginning, Kasthel. There are other inhabited worlds--and we will find them. With this planet to aid us in materializing ships and weapons, we can conquer the entire Universe!" Many toasts of fiery _glath_ were drunk to the decisions. Thettumir and Kasthel became quite drunk--and whether from _glath_ or power, it was hard to tell. The fleet began the long voyage back to the Solarian System. The crews were drilled repeatedly until they functioned as perfectly co-ordinated units. The old, now obsolete ships had been left behind and the Urgollians, both real and duplicate needed a shake-down cruise in their mighty new ships. For Thettumir, however, there was little to do except to drink _glath_--which he did copiously and with relish. Each ship-day he impatiently counted off the miles which brought them closer to Errth. Vandumonn finally made the long-awaited announcement that the Solarian System was in sight. Thettumir hurried to the control room, where he peered eagerly into the telescopic scanner. There was the familiar yellow sun, magnified to a tiny disc, though they were still far away. And by straining intently, Thettumir could discern two of its nine planets. Elation filled him at the thought of his coming triumph. Already he was envisioning himself as master of Errth. Closer and closer, ship-day by ship-day, hour by hour, the yellow sun became a fiery star, visible to the naked eye. Thettumir's impatience grew. "It seems impossible to wait until we reach Errth," he told Kasthel. "I want to see the Errthmen pay for what they did to us the first time we came." Kasthel chuckled. "Revenge will be sweet, Commander." The inter-ship communicator buzzed. The voice of Nurrgan, a junior officer, blared abruptly from the speaker. "Commander, something is terribly wrong! Half the fleet has disappeared!" Thettumir stiffened, congealed by an overwhelming dismay. "You must be mad!" he snapped finally at Nurrgan. "It's true, Commander, horribly true. Come and see for yourself." Thettumir roused into action. With Kasthel close at his heels, he dashed to the control room. A glance into the scanner verified Nurrgan's words. Half of the fleet was gone! As Thettumir stared, he saw a nearby vessel puff abruptly into nothingness. Some of its crew, however, remained. He saw their strewn figures for a moment--before they exploded in the vacuum of space. A second vessel went. A third. Realization of what was happening struck into Thettumir stunningly. He whirled to Kasthel. [Illustration: _Realization of what was happening struck into Thettumir._] "We were fools--fools! Our fine new fleet was the result of materialized thought. We should have known that these materializations could no longer exist once we went beyond the field of influence of the forces that created them and held them together." "We've got to stop!" Kasthel gasped. "We've got to turn back!" Thettumir shook his crest sadly. "Our inertia is too great to overcome quickly. Before we could decelerate, we would already be far over the danger line. No, Kasthel, let us go instead to my cabin and have a last drink of _glath_." They never reached the cabin. *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PLANET OF CREATION *** Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed. Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. START: FULL LICENSE THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license. Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works 1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. 1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. 1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others. 1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States. 1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: 1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed: This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. 1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. 1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™. 1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License. 1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. 1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that: • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.” • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works. • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work. • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works. 1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. 1.F. 1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. 1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. 1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem. 1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. 1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. 1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause. Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™ Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life. Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org. Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws. The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS. The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate. While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate. International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate. Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org. This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.