Speaker: Arel-Lon, Terratologist

"In peace, Alen, Bren Bob. I will at this time report a few policy decisions, to supercede those of 30 December of 1961.

"First point: in reference to your landing manned crafts on other planets, we have completely changed that.

"Instead, we will, if we feel it necessary, transport you into another plane of existence, if the word is appropriate, during your stay on other worlds. In this plane, there is no sign of human life anywhere, just plant life. You will remain there from the time you enter the field of the Planar Generators until the time you leave.

"These generators transfer you into a plane parallel to ours, where human life has never occurred on that world. What you will see is a Mars, Venus or other world completely removed from reality.

"The plane we live in is the primary plane for the universe. There is one on each side of this one. The one on the 'lower' end is devoid of any life. On that plane, Earth itself is totally barren.

"On the 'upper' plane, the plane into which you will be electronically projected, there is much life, but you will not see it in human form, nor any of the constructions of human life. There is only plant and lower animal life in this plane.

"You might say that the lower plane shows us the final end of all things, and the upper shows things as they were long ago. These two planes can be changed at will, from our own to any form we see fit. However, in their unaltered state, they are as I have described. You will be under close observation at all times during your stay, and if you have any difficulties we will assist within limits."

[Note: only two "planes" were mentioned, but in proofing these texts for conversion to a computer format, I was informed that the actual number of them is unknown, and possibly infinite. The two cited ones are the only ones that had been explored at the time, since interplanar transfer was still a fairly new science. However, manipulating them in the coverage area of the generators was quite advanced by that time.]

"Second point: all saucer landings have been cancelled and none are planned for the foreseeable future.

"Third point: we are in the process of planning 25 more underground bases on your world than had been previously ordered. They will be of various sizes, and all will be in the United States. This to allow our stepping-up of work in your country to meet a new program we have in the works.

"Fourth point: you will be given a tour of our Massachusetts base on the morning of 28 December of this year, and of the California base on the morning of 4 January of 1964. Instructions will be given to you concerning when and where you are to be picked up.

"Now, do you have any questions for us on anything, at this time?"

"Yes, I do. Mr. Green has asked me to find out if it is possible that we might be given this information about local worlds: size of inhabitants, their average and maximum life spans, surface gravity, temperature range, percentage of oxygen in the air, and the like. Can you provide us with such data?"

"Yes. In fact, now is as good a time as any. A note of warning, however: this will not agree with what your astronomers have told you, since their data is based in faulty observations.

"First, these are the inhabited planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The others are hostile to other than exploration."

"We will begin with Mercury. All life here is underground, away from the utterly hostile surface conditions. The interior of the world has been hollowed out to make living conditions possible. It is not a pastoral lifestyle, but there is food, drink, air and the other necessities of life for a rewarding existence."

[Note: recent information from the Korendians indicates that the population was about three million. Although the Confederation officially denied it, the world within a world was a quasimilitary unit engaged in ultrasecret scientific research for Confederation military applications.]

Gravity is artificially generated, and is the same as earth's. The air is about 1% richer in Oxygen, 1% less then yours in Nitrogen. Otherwise, the percentages are equal. Temperatures hover around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. There is rain when needed or desired, and there are clouds. Sunlight is artificial, but has all the components of real sunlight. It is gradually dimmed for the 'night', which is about 8 hours long."

[Note: the "artificial" sunlight was in fact "piped in" by fiberoptics from the sun side.]

"On Venus, the most prominent features, the clouds, are artificial. They are for the purpose of filtering out ultraviolet rays that otherwise would destroy life. They do not filter out other sunlight, although they do attenuate it somewhat. The sky is light blue, and regular vapor clouds drift beneath the cloud screen.

"The upper screen is transparent from below, and is so far up that all the blue sky is below it anyway. From outside, the clouds reflect sunlight very strongly, particularly infrared, and give the appearance of great density and opaqueness. Gravity on Venus is slightly less than on Earth. Temperatures range from about 40 degrees Fahrenheit to about 130 degrees in the equatorial regions. All life is in the temperate areas.

"The air is about the same in oxygen, but has 2 percent more nitrogen. It is 95% as dense. Length of a day is 25 hours, 10 minutes, 13 seconds Terran.

"Mars you know much about. Its day is 24 hours, 37 minutes. The air is considerably more dense then you suspect, since the gravity is quite a bit more than your instruments show. In fact, it is about 92% of your air in density. Percentage of oxygen is a full four percent more than on Earth, to make up for lower density. The percentage of carbon dioxide is considerably higher than on Earth due to the lack of substantial vegetation.

"Gravity is 90% Earth. Temperatures range from -45 degrees to about 85 degrees. There is snow all year in the polar. The large red areas are oxides, and are barren of life except for a few hardy plants. Living is centered about the irrigation 'canals'.

"Do not be misled, though. Mars is not dying. In fact, it is in the process of growth. Recently, it has been discovered that the oxides of iron and silicon on Mars, in prodigious quantities, can be broken down, and the iron or silicon further atomically sheared to form hydrogen. This is then combined with the oxygen to form many tons of water per day, as well as providing a vast source of energy for other uses.

"It is expected that in 100 years, mighty Mars will once again flourish as it once did, eons ago, when Earth was still in its infancy."

[Note: this prediction proved to be wrong after the discovery of the radiation cloud cited above.]

"All we need to tell you about Jupiter is that it is not cold. The temperature averages around 70 degrees; it is not atmospherically unbreathable - under the upper layers, there is a Terran form of atmosphere; gravity is about 1.2 times Earth's, due to less mass than you suppose; finally, while sunlight is scarce, what heat it does bring is entrapped in the air by the upper layers.

"Saturn, the Tribunal planet in this system, is quite comfortable. Air is about the same as Earth's. Gravity is about 1.3 times as great. Temperatures range from something like -70 degrees at the poles to about 70 degrees in the temperate and equatorial regions. Considering that earth has ranged from 100 below to 140 above zero Fahrenheit, this is rather a moderate temperature range. The same upper-atmosphere heat retention effect is at work on Saturn.

"What is awesome, arousing almost hypnotic fascination in the visitor, is the sight of the rings at night, stretching from horizon to horizon in a thin, brilliant bridge of light. This is one of the wonders of the galaxy, since such rings are unknown in any system that we have explored.

"People from many thousands of light years have come to Saturn to look at and photograph these striking rings. We never fail to spend time contemplating them whenever we visit Saturn. We can say this - they are composed of ice and rock particles, only a few miles thick, and are mostly space. Their solidity is an illusion that is perceived only from a distance; close up, it resembles a belt of tiny ice crystals and stone pebbles spaced about three to four feet apart.

"Concerning the people of these worlds, the average adult height is 5'10" for men and 5'5" for women. The average lifespan is in excess of 400 years [note: Earth years], with a maximum of around 600 years. They are all human.

"We hope this is a sufficient answer for now. Do you have any other questions?"

"One more. Mr. Green would like to know if you have any specific timetable for activity?"

"Not really. We have a basic program, but much depends on the course of activity of your own people. We cannot commit ourselves to any definite schedule of activity, since unexpected events may happen on Earth that would completely invalidate our plans. We point to the assassination of your President Kennedy as an example. We thus must remain flexible in our operations. Rigid courses of actions are too risky and expensive. Be assured, however, that all you wish to happen will come to pass in good time.

"Much depends on your own people and their work for such goals as peace and brotherhood. We cannot do what you can, namely to make personal appeals to your brothers for action. We can encourage and inform. We cannot act directly. For now, we must sign off. We will see you on the 28th of December. Until then, va i luce. Arel-Lon for RK-11 clearing."