Last-Day-on-Earth

1LastDayonEarthFrancesAnckerandCynthiaHopeThebrilliantscientist,inamomentofweakness,hadmadeaterriblemistake--andnowhemustpaytheprice.Butfirst,therewasunfinishedbusinesstoattendto...Dr.Carlyleknew,amomentafterheinsertedtheneedleandwatchedthefluiddrainslowlyintohisarm,thatsomethinghadgonewrong.Itcametohim,inaslowcrystallizationofhorror,thatthetesttubeswerenotintheirrightorder.Andwhenhecheckedthenumbersagain,withanalmostdesperateprecision,hesawwhathehaddone.He,Dr.WilliamRoyCarlyle,atthepeakofagreatcareerinresearch,hadinjectedhimselfwithalmostcertaindeath.Hestaredattheneedleonthetable,andwhilehewatched,astrangelightcreptoverit.Dawn!Heraisedhiseyesandsawthedaycomethroughthehighwindowsofhislaboratory--gentleandgolden,likeawomanwithherarmsoutstretched.Hislastdawn?Hepushedhimselfupfromthetableandcrossedtheroomonstiff,tremblinglegs.Theskywasflushedwithaspreadinglight,andtheeastsidesofallthegreatbuildingsofthecityhadturnedgoldintherisingsun.Hestaredatit,likeanexileabouttobebanishedfromalovedcountry.Andheknewinthatbittermomentthatthough43yearsofhislifewerespent,hehadneverreallyseenthedawnbefore.Butnow,inthisquickenedinstant,hesawthedawnforwhatitwas:bright,gilded,promising,offeringits12daylighthourswithoutfavororprejudicetoallonearthtodoastheypleased.Heturnedawayfromit.Hisarmhadbeguntoswellslowly,almostimperceptibly,intheareaoftheinjection.Thiswasthewayitworked--763X--slowasadrowsingrattlesnake,justasdeadlywhenitstruck.Thewhitemicethey'dtestedhadappearednormalforsixhoursaftertheinjections.Then,justwhenitseemedtheexperimentwouldsucceed,deathhadstruckthroughbothcages--violentandirrevocable.Carlylethrustthememoryfromhismind.Hehadtriedthisexperimenton2himselfagainsttheadviceofhiscoworkersandhisownbetterjudgment--trieditinamomentofexhaustion,whenfatiguestoodathiselbow,fogginghisvision,cloudinghismind.Reachingfor764X,hehadaccidentallytakenuptheold763X,theveryserumthathadalreadybeentestedandprovedfatal!Now,toolate,hesawwhathiserrorwouldcosthim.Therewasnoknownantidote.Hemustseethisdaythroughwiththecooldetachmentsciencehadingrainedinhim.Foritwouldbehislastexperiment.Hislastdayonearth.Hetookuphispencilandbegantojotthenecessarydatainhisnotebookinaquick,jerkyscrawl.Therewasaslimchancethathecouldstillbeofsomeuse.Sciencemightlearnthroughhiserror.Semlercameinbeforehehadquitefinished,andwithabriefnod,setabouthiswork.ItgaveCarlyleastrangefeeling--likeaspyalmost--towatchyoungSemler,sosureoflife,frowningoverhistesttubes.Hewantedtowarntheyoungman,totellhimthatlifewasonlyaloan,andabriefloanatthat--andthathemustspenditwell,spenditnow!“Semler,”hebegan.Butthefiercedisciplinethatthelaboratoryforceduponthemmadethewordscomehard.Heroserestlesslyandcrossedtheroomtothewindow.Springhadlaidherfirstmagicacrossthecityinapalewebofgreen.Betweenthebricksandmasonry,inemptylotsandneglectedbackyards,theearthhadcomealiveagain,resurgentandtriumphant.“Howlong,”Carlylewonderedaloud,“howlong,Semler,sinceyou’vetakenarealvacationandgottenintothecountry,wherethere’sfreshearthandopenskyoverheadandplentyofairtofillyourlungs?”Semlerwasstaringathimstrangelythroughhisheavy-lensedglasses.Therewassomethingabouttheyoungscientistbothconfusedandchild-like,asifhehadbecomelostintheworldoftesttubesandcouldnotfindhiswayoutagain.“Vacation?”Semlersaid.“Why,notinagoodwhile,sir.”Mywifewentaway--hedreamedoveritforamoment.“ShewenttoCapeCod2fortwoweekslastsummer.Shetoldmeaboutit--thesurfandthesanddunes.Imeanttogetupforaweekend”--heglanceddownattheglassslideinthepalmofhisglovedhand–“butyouknowhowitis.”3Yes,Carlyleknew.Butafeelingofguilt,sopoignantthatitseemedalmosttoomuchtobear,seemedtotakehisheartandtwistit.ForhehadneverknownuntiltodaythatSemlerhadawife.Hedidn'tknowwherethemanlived,wherehehadbeenborn,whohisparentswere,whatfearsordoubtsordreamslivedwithhiminhisprivateworld.Hehadnever,inthethreeyearsthey’dworkedtogether,evenaskedafterSemler’shealth.IfSemlerwasill,itmeantlosttimeonanexperiment.Butoh,howmuchhehadlookedpastinthisyoungassistantofhis!HowvulnerableSemlerwas--howlostandlife-hungry!“I’marrangingforyoutoleaveforamonth’svacation,”Carlylesaid.“Youmustputyourworkasideandtaketimeoff.You’llcomebackwithafreshviewpoint,Semler.You’llsee.”Semlersettheslidedown.Hisfingersintherubberglovestrembledabit.“Butwe’resoclosetotheserumwe’relookingfor,”heprotested.“Anotherweek--anothermonth,andwe’llhaveit!764X,sir,mayevenbetheone.”Carlyle’sarmhadbeguntothrobalittle,andtheswelling,thoughstillscarcelyperceptible,hadfannedoutnowinaslightlylargerarea.HesmiledatSemler--astrangedrysmile.“Haven’twealwaysbeenclosetotheanswer,Semler?Hasn’titalwaysbeenanotherweek?Anothermonth?Anotheryear--whilelifeslippedbyandallthethingswepromisedourselvesslippedbywithit?Don’twait!Takeyourvacationwhileyouareyoungandthereisstilltime.”Heturnedhisbacktoconcealtheemotionheknewmustshowinhisface.Whenheregainedcontrolofhisvoiceagain,hesaidevenly,“I’vesomebusinesstoattend.I’mtakingthedayoff.Tomorrow”--hechosethewordscarefully–“tomorrowImaybecalledaway.Allmylatestfindingsarethere,Semler,ifyouneedtorefertothem.Onthelastpageofmynotebook