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ceiling.
Kenniston remembered something, with a sudden pang, something that he had completely forgotten in the
rush of events. He went over to Crisci, and whispered, I'm sorry, Louis. I never thought until now about your
girl.
Why would you think about that? Crisci's low voice was toneless. Why would you, when all this has
happened? He went on, as tonelessly, Besides, it was all over a long time ago. For millions of years now,
she's been dead.
Kenniston lingered a moment, seeking something to say, remembering now Crisci's eager talk of the girl he
was soon to marry the girl who lived fifty miles away from Middletown. He could find nothing to say.
Crisci's tragedy had been repeated many times among these people the mother whose son had gone to
California, the wife whose husband had been upstate on a business trip, the lovers, the families, the friends,
divided forever by the great gulf of time. He felt again a great thankfulness that Carol had come through with
him, and a renewed determination to hold her against anything.
Kenniston was lighting his morning cigarette, when the others rose. He paused suddenly, and said, I just
thought
Hubble grinned at him. Yes, I know. You just thought about tobacco. You, and a lot of people, will soon
have to do without.
As they went out to get their breakfast at the nearest community kitchen, Hubble told him what was going
forward.
McLain's going back to Middletown to bring gasoline engines and pumps. We have to get water flowing in
the city's system at once, and it may be a long time before we can figure out its pumping power. They seem to
be atomic engines of some sort, but I'm not sure.
What about food rationing?
Food and medicine will all go into guarded warerooms. Ration tickets will be printed at once. Use of cars is
forbidden, of course. Everybody is restricted to their own Ward district temporarily, to prevent accidents in
exploration. We've already organized crews to explore the city.
Chapter 8 Middletown calling! 34
The City at World's End
Kenniston nodded. He drew the last drags of a cigarette suddenly precious, before he spoke.
That's all good. But the main problem will be morale, Hubble. He thought of Carol, as he added, I don't
believe these people can take it, if they find out they're the last humans left. Hubble looked worried. I know.
But there must be people left somewhere. This city wasn't abandoned because of sudden disaster. They may
just have gone to other, better cities.
There wasn't a whisper on the radio from outside Middletown, Kenniston reminded.
No. But I believe they used something different from our radio system. That's what I want you for this
morning, Ken. Beitz last night found a communication system in a building near here. It has big apparatus that
he thinks was for televisor communication. That's more in your field than ours.
Kenniston felt a sharp interest, the interest of the technician that not even world's end could completely kill.
I'd like to see that.
As they walked through the cold red morning, Kenniston was surprised by the unexpectedly everyday
appearance of this alien city beneath the dome.
Families were trooping toward the community kitchens, with the air of going on picnic. A little band of
children whooped down the nearest street, a small, woolly dog racing beside them with frantic barking. A
bald, red-faced man in undershirt and trousers smoked his pipe and looked down the mighty street with mild
curiosity. Two plump women, one of whom was buttoning a reluctant small boy into his jacket, called to each
other from neighboring doorways.
and they say that Mrs. Biler's feeling better now, but her husband's still poorly
Human beings, said Hubble, are adaptable. Thank God for that.
But if they're the last? They won't be able to adapt to that.
Hubble shook his head. No. I'm afraid not.
After breakfast, Beitz led them to a big square building two blocks off the plaza. Inside was a large, shadowy
hall, in which bulked a row of tall, square blocks of apparatus. They were, obviously, televisor instruments.
Each had a square screen, a microphone grating, and beneath that a panel of control switches, pointer dials,
and other less identifiable instruments.
Kenniston found and opened a service panel in the back of one. Brief examination of the tangled apparatus
inside discouraged him badly.
They were televisor communication instruments, yes. But the principles on which they worked are baffling.
They didn't even use vacuum tubes they'd apparently got beyond the vacuum tube.
Could you start one of them transmitting again?
Kenniston shook his head. The video system is absolutely beyond me. No resemblance at all to our primitive
television apparatus.
Hubble asked, Would it be possible then to use just the audio system use one of them as a straight
sound-radio transmitter?
Chapter 8 Middletown calling! 35
The City at World's End
Kenniston hesitated. That might be done. It'd be mostly groping in the dark. But there are some familiar bits
of design He pondered, then said, The power leads come from outside. See anything around here that
looks like a power station?
Old Beitz nodded. Only a block away. Big, shielded atomic turbines of some kind, coupled to generators.
We might spend years trying to learn how to operate their atomic machinery, Kenniston said.
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