For the third time, a boat bearing the Gregory Party lands at the Magic Island of Euclidia. The first time they were searching for the island. The second time they were returned to it as escaping prisoners. And now they have been allowed to land for the purpose of attempting to take over the island. It doesn't sound reasonable somehow that G-47 would let anyone come to Euclidia for the purpose of taking over his scientific colony, but that is exactly what Captain Bradford proposes to do. The small cruiser which brought the captain, Mrs. Gregory and Jerry and Joan, is held fast to the Euclidean pier by magnetism. There is no sound to be heard over the entire island. Well this lame place has got another one of its noiseless days. It would seem so, Jerry. It's mighty weird at that. It is a terrible place, Captain Bradford, and I am not at all sure we acted wisely in returning to Euclidia. Oh forget that, Joan. We had to do something, didn't we? Jerry is right, Joan dear. With the Euclideans watching our every move at home, we had no choice but to come back here and attempt to learn something of the power here. We have seen many examples of the power of G-47. Well I'll grant that he's given us a number of unpleasant surprises, Joan, but if we don't do something about regulating things here, the rest of the world may be in danger. I think not. You always think not, but Captain Bradford's right. All these scientific gadgets would be too much for the world right now. It would mean plenty of trouble. You don't understand our world, Joan, and your visit to it was so pitifully brief that you had no time to see it, but we feel that there are a great many things of more value than reducing everything to a science. All of the electrical and chemical wonders these men have perfected can be used to advantage by the world, but they must be in the hands of the proper people. Sure, Joan. Well we can't let old G-47 and his bunch get loose in the world with all the power they've got. Well they could take over every country there is in a week. And would that be so bad for the country? Yes, Joan, it would, according to our standards of living. This isn't a place to argue about it. When are we supposed to land on this island? Well that girl's submarine commander said for us to report to G-47 as soon as we got here. I'd be glad to do that if I could find him. I suggest we start across the island. We will be seen and stopped. Then we may state our business and be conducted to G-47. I think that's the best thing to do, Tex. So do I. Right, come on. Hey, how about the Chinese cook? We'll leave him on board. Oh won't poor Jim Lowe be horribly frightened when some of these Euclidean guards come after him? Oh he knows plenty about what's happening. I told him enough of it so he understands what we're up against. He will be brought to quarters near ours I expect. Well it looks like we're going to have to find our own quarters. Looks that way, son. They didn't give us much of a welcome this time. Isn't it strange walking on this polished steel surface and not a sound? Yeah, you know it gives me the creeps. Boy the deck of that old boat will sound mighty good when we get back on it again. Which is liable to be some time. Well where do you suggest we go, Joan? This is strange to me also, Captain Bradford. I have never seen anyone allowed to advance to this point on the island without being stopped in question. I wouldn't mind being questioned if I could only see someone or hear something. At least we can be thankful they're using natural daylight. We don't have to stumble around that artificial sunlight of theirs without the proper glasses. Well you're the only one who's got any idea about this place, Joan. What do we do now? I believe we should proceed to the central control chamber and ask for instructions. Straight ahead? Yes. All of these surface rooms are shining steel. We can see nothing except the surface and yet we're being watched from within. Well you bet we are. That steel is as clear as window glass when you're on the inside. We should receive a warning before we proceed much further. A warning? About what? We will be warned to come no nearer to the control chamber. Then perhaps we better stop now. Let's go on till someone stops us. But what are we running into, Tex? I don't know. What about that, Joan? G-47 instructed us to report to him. I think no harm will come to us until that time at least. Well if we're only safe until we find him, let's don't look very hard for him. We'll find him all right, but something must have changed since we left here. Your warning isn't coming along very fast, Joan. I cannot understand that. Always something we can't understand. And it will continue to be that way on this mad island. Right so, but one thing we can understand is absolute silence and that's all we've run into so far. Well, nobody's stopping us. Let's go and try the door in the control chamber. It will not open from the outside, Jerry. Well, maybe if we knock loud enough somebody open it for us. Isn't that dangerous? Better be careful, Jerry. Hey, are these doors charged with electricity? No, they are locked so that it is impossible to open them from outside. Well then it won't hurt anything to knock on one of them. Here goes. That ought to wake anyone up. You will not find Euclideans asleep. There's no one in that place. Perhaps this is a trick. Oh, what for? Well, I don't know, Jerry, but it's very easy to suspect everything on this island. Maybe you didn't knock hard enough. Oh gee, you could hear that noise all over the island. Out here, yes, but if that room is soundproof they may not have heard it inside. I'll try it again. Oh, nothing doing. It will prove useless to knock more, Captain Bradford. I believe you. But what are we to do? The elevators will operate automatically as we approach them. Perhaps we are expected to descend to the lower levels. Boy, you don't feel so important when they let you land like this. Nobody cares if we're here or not. On the contrary, Jerry, we know that G-47 and his scientists care a great deal. There's some reason for this. Where's this elevator, Joan? We are approaching it now. That small rounded dome rising from the island floor. Rising? Oh sure, Mrs. Crefri. What's that thing come up in the air? Why, why so it is, but how? The elevator is electrically controlled. I understand that, Joan. Most elevators run electrically, but who is bringing it up? Oh, nobody. It's coming up for us. How do they do it, Joan? Photoelectric cell? Precisely. You mean that we walked through or over an electric beam and brought that elevator up? That is one method, though I believe this particular channel is operated by the voice directed toward it. This is almost too much for me. You didn't see as much of this island as I did before, Mrs. Crefri. This elevator is only a starter. The elevator is completely above the surface now. We may enter. The door might help a little. The door is opening. So it is. Opening automatically, I suppose. I guess so. Don't see anyone inside the thing. Well, we'd better get along with it. Somebody must know we're here. They wouldn't have everything fixed up so nice for us. We will try the various levels and determine what is taking place. Not much room in these things. They were designed to hold four people. Well, as soon as I squeeze in, we'll have four. Okay, let her go, Joan. I suggest stopping at the first level. You're the boss, Joan. We'll stop any way you say. Are you sure you know how to operate this, Joan? Well, I'll say she does. Go ahead, Joan. Push the switch for the first level and let's go down and meet some of you clitics. Very well. How smoothly this car descends. Well, everything on this island is pretty slick. What's on the first level, Joan? Very little of value. Mostly heavy articles in storage. Will we be likely to find anyone there? I think we should try each level. There's the magnet. This is the first floor. But Jerry, we did not stop. We have passed that level? Yes, I could feel those big magnets release this car and then take hold again. Push the button for the second level, Joan. I have done so. Didn't do any good though. Will you be able to stop without an accident, Joan? There will be no accident in this elevator. Well, it certainly was an accident that you couldn't stop at either of the first two floors. Oh, I'm not so sure about that. There was the third level. Our journey in this elevator was obviously planned in advance. Were we most likely to wind up, Joan? Either the fifth level where the chemical laboratories are or the ninth in the confinement cells. But G-47's orders were that we weren't going to be prisoners this time. I wouldn't put too much faith in G-47's orders, Jerry. They're not taking soft to fourth, that's sure. The next will be the laboratories. And if we don't stop there, the prisons again? I'm afraid so, Mrs. Gregory. Well, I doubt it. G-47 wants more from us and our company in a cell. But the first person we meet will be G-47 himself. There goes the fifth floor, so we won't meet him there. Isn't the car moving faster? Seems to be at that. Yes, the speed has increased. I'll say it has. We made that floor mighty quick. That was the sixth. You say we're not likely to stop before the ninth, Joan? That is my opinion. Your opinion is looking better all the time. And they don't want us on the seventh floor. How can all this be so cleverly controlled? It is all arranged in advance, Mother. That was eight of them. And still we go down. I don't see how people can live day after day, year after year in this atmosphere as the Euclideans do. It would drive me mad to be herded around from place to place at the will of one of these scientists. Hey, Joan, we passed the ninth level. Yes, and that is strange. More strange than any of the rest of this stuff? Yes, Captain. The tenth level contains only the power rooms and fuel storage. We would not be taken there for an interview. Well, nevertheless, we've stopped on the tenth level. And if it isn't to interview G-47, it may be for something far more unpleasant. Well, let's get out and find out. One moment, Captain. What's up? Do not attempt to move. What? We're going down. Yeah, and I thought the tenth floor was the bottom. Joan, you look as lost as the rest of us now. I suppose I do. I can only speculate as to what is happening. Then speculate out loud. We've already gone through the floor. Where can we go now? We're certainly going down. How about this, Joan? This isn't an illusion created to worry us, is it? What, Captain? I mean, we're really going down? Undoubtedly. But where are we going? Oh, no place I ever heard of. That tenth floor was past the bottom of the island when Joan and I searched it before. Yes, Jerry, it was the bottom so far as we were allowed to see. Joan, what do you mean? Well, she means that even when you've seen 10 levels below the water on this thing, and even when you're 100 feet under the ocean, you haven't seen everything. We've been going down at about the same speed. That would mean we've already dropped 30 or 40 feet below the tenth level. But that couldn't be, Tex. The island is only 10 levels deep. The island, yes. But now I think we may expect to learn why we found all levels in the island deserted and closed to us. We are to be taken to modern Atlantis. Modern Atlantis? Like Joan, the lost continent? No, it's namesake. The Euclidean city under the ocean floor. I had heard strange tales of it, almost too fantastic to believe. But now I feel that it must be a reality. We will continue down for 200 feet, and when we leave this elevator, we will be in the most wonderful city in the entire world, modern Atlantis.
