Here and Now. John Russell Fearn
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BORGO PRESS BOOKS BY JOHN RUSSELL FEARN
1,000-Year Voyage: A Science Fiction Novel
Anjani the Mighty: A Lost Race Novel (Anjani #2)
Black Maria, M.A.: A Classic Crime Novel (Black Maria #1)
The Crimson Rambler: A Crime Novel
Don’t Touch Me: A Crime Novel
Dynasty of the Small: Classic Science Fiction Stories
The Empty Coffins: A Mystery of Horror
The Fourth Door: A Mystery Novel
From Afar: A Science Fiction Mystery
Fugitive of Time: A Classic Science Fiction Novel
The G-Bomb: A Science Fiction Novel
The Genial Dinosaur (Herbert the Dinosaur #2)
The Gold of Akada: A Jungle Adventure Novel (Anjani #1)
Here and Now: A Science Fiction Novel
Into the Unknown: A Science Fiction Tale
Last Conflict: Classic Science Fiction Stories
Legacy from Sirius: A Classic Science Fiction Novel
The Man from Hell: Classic Science Fiction Stories
The Man Who Was Not: A Crime Novel
Manton’s World: A Classic Science Fiction Novel
Moon Magic: A Novel of Romance (as Elizabeth Rutland)
The Murdered Schoolgirl: A Classic Crime Novel (Black Maria #2)
One Remained Seated: A Classic Crime Novel (Black Maria #3)
One Way Out: A Crime Novel (with Philip Harbottle)
Pattern of Murder: A Classic Crime Novel
Reflected Glory: A Dr. Castle Classic Crime Novel
Robbery Without Violence: Two Science Fiction Crime Stories
Rule of the Brains: Classic Science Fiction Stories
Shattering Glass: A Crime Novel
The Silvered Cage: A Scientific Murder Mystery
Slaves of Ijax: A Science Fiction Novel
Something from Mercury: Classic Science Fiction Stories
The Space Warp: A Science Fiction Novel
A Thing of the Past (Herbert the Dinosaur #1)
Thy Arm Alone: A Classic Crime Novel (Black Maria #4)
The Time Trap: A Science Fiction Novel
Vision Sinister: A Scientific Detective Thriller
Voice of the Conqueror: A Classic Science Fiction Novel
What Happened to Hammond? A Scientific Mystery
Within That Room!: A Classic Crime Novel
THE GOLDEN AMAZON SAGA
1. World Beneath Ice
2. Lord of Atlantis
3. Triangle of Power
4. The Amethyst City
5. Daughter of the Amazon
6. Quorne Returns
7. The Central Intelligence
8. The Cosmic Crusaders
9. Parasite Planet
10. World Out of Step
11. The Shadow People
12. Kingpin Planet
13. World in Reverse
14. Dwellers in Darkness
15. World in Duplicate
16. Lords of Creation
17. Duel with Colossus
18. Standstill Planet
19. Ghost World
20. Earth Divided
21. Chameleon Planet (with Philip Harbottle)
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Copyright © 1955 by John Russell Fearn
Copyright © 2011 by Philip Harbottle
Published by Wildside Press LLC
www.wildsidebooks.com
DEDICATION
For Eleanor Rose King
CHAPTER ONE
MYSTERY GIRL
Of all the vast army of ‘ham’ television engineers in the year 2020, there could not have been one more devoted to his hobby than Chris Danvers, a photographer’s assistant by trade, but a pioneering scientist at heart. Whenever he had a spare moment he would retire to the large hut he used as a laboratory—which he had bought for a song—and here dabble with his radio-television gadgets as had his predecessors in the ‘ham’ radio field in earlier years. He was one of a new army who believed that by their endeavours they could devise modifications to existent commercial television that would lift it clean out of its present orthodox rut.
After all, what had the 2020 television to offer? High definition colour, yes, and even the beginnings of three-dimensional depth, but pictures were still liable to interference and there were limitations to the range of transmitters. He was young—twenty-four, to be exact—and filled with the fire of an Edison or a Marconi.
So he laboured, and enjoyed every moment of it. Now and again he was joined by two enthusiastic friends—Dave Norton and Bruce Wetherall, the first an amateur astronomer and jet-plane engineer; and the other a physicist both in profession and hobby. Dave and Chris both privately admitted they were not too fond of the somewhat cold-blooded Bruce, but since his suggestions were usually valuable, his temperament was of secondary consideration.
When his two ‘ham’ friends were unable to join him for some reason or other, Chris’s interest in his hobby was such as to impel him to work quite happily alone, as on the night of July 10, 2020, when he had been working on a new-fangled televisor for over a couple of years. It was towards nine-thirty on that dull, sultry evening when he reached the hut, isolated by a half a mile from the nearest habitation and lying a good ten miles outside of London itself. It was not so far, though, that Chris could not cover the distance quickly in his five-year-old sports car.
Wiping his face in the humid heat he hurried across to the door of his ‘laboratory’—as he was pleased to call it—and fumbled for the key in his pocket As he did so he cast a glance towards the dubious sky. It was mainly pale grey with cloud with a heavier banking tinging to violet towards the cast. In fact, everything was set for the recent heat wave to break in a violent thunderstorm, which would be just too bad for television experiments.
The interior of the hut was hot too, holding the warmth of the daytime sun. Chris tugged off his jacket, switched on the small fan and then seated himself at the banks of instruments that it had taken several years and all his spare cash to build up. Here, he remained unshakenly convinced, was the prototype of a television equipment which would span thousands of miles as easily as the professional giants spanned hundreds.
In a matter of ten minutes he had the equipment fully warmed up, and for testing purposes went through the usual routine of contacting his various friends within a hundred miles radius—‘hams’ like himself, young men and women with whom he exchanged brief technical conversation every time he went on the air.
Station KJ down on the South Coast was the most difficult to contact, since a severe thunderstorm was in progress and causing a good deal of interference.
“And from the way things are looking,” KJ said,