Pebble In The Sky

Adventures in time and space, transcribed in future tents. Demacron! The National Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with street and smith publishers of astounding science fiction, bring you Dimension X. The civilization of the galaxy spread across 200 million worlds, the black void of space swarmed with the ships of the empire.

But far off the trade routes, almost forgotten, lay the dying planet Earth. A backwater in galactic culture, a place of exile, a pebble in the sky. I landed on Earth, on the one spot which I would have called civilized.

A patch along the desolate heights of the Himalayas, that's the round of the pallets of the Imperial governor of Earth. Dr. Bell Avedan of Sirius sector. That's a familiar name. Perhaps you've seen it from the Galactic Archaeological Journal, my lord, Ennis.

Me? No, no, I'm a soldier, not a scientist. It was a newspaper article. You gave an interview about your expedition to Earth. I suppose you want to start digging. Whatever can you find on this miserable heap of rubble?

I don't consider Earth a miserable heap, my lord. It's absolutely unique in the galaxy. You need it's the only inhabited planet that is radioactive. It's a big pen. Yes, I know But this planet is inhabited Biologists have proven that on a radioactive world high forms of life cannot develop high form The rest of the galaxy hates the earth men and they return it with the interest. I don't think you understand

I'm not intolerant of anyone that even includes earthmen My theory is that life on Earth originated before it was radioactive. Ah! It is a story like that in the Earth lore of the ancients. I know I've read it.