Tesla's Signal (55 page)

“Seems like the Martians have human agents,” Clara noticed. “People who still have their wits about them.”

“Yes. Somebody has to install generators...take care of the 'flock'... watch for disobedience.”
Our voluntary servants retain their free will,
one of the Angels had said. “They just have a little transmitter implanted under their skin, to make sure they obey.” His hand crept to the scar at the back of his neck.

“They're still following us,” Clara whispered.

Niko looked over his shoulder. A rank of Angel disciples had formed a long line, spanning the street behind them. A low ominous murmur came from their lips. Their movement reminded Niko of his own Tele-men: beings without volition, controlled from outside. He wondered how effective his Tele-men would be in a street battle. He was not ready to call on the mechanical soldiers just yet.

Walking briskly, they headed up Park Row and approached the City Hall building, a grand edifice with an expanse of marble steps and Corinthian-topped columns. But the building had taken a hit from the Martians: large parts of the front facade had been blown off and lay in the street. A huge mound of debris blocked the thoroughfare. It also blocked Niko and Clara's escape from the approaching disciples.

A voice cut in. “Psst. Nick! Down here!”

Clara looked down. “It came from the sidewalk grate. There must be a subway station below.”

“Where's the entrance?” Niko wondered, as the mumbling mob came closer.

The grate ran under the rubble. Niko could feel the cool air rising from underground. If he could squeeze under that rubble...as he came closer, he saw that a flat section of roof had fallen on a marble fountain and a luxury Packard, to form a crawlspace beneath.

“Down here, Nick,” a soft voice called. “Behind the fountain. Hurry!”

They had to lie on the ground and slither beneath, dragging their packs of supplies after them. Beyond, a dust-covered arm reached a hand up and beckoned from an opening in the sidewalk.

“Ah, there's the entrance.” Niko moved bricks and chunks of concrete until they could squeeze through.

“Quick! Come on!” Hugo Gernsback pulled them down into the dim subway stairwell. Clara stumbled and cursed. They squeezed past debris and clambered over wooden beams until they reached the first landing.

“Sorry about the mess,” said Hugo. “We have to conceal ourselves.”

“Whew! That's a relief,” Niko said, brushing himself off. “Thought they had us cornered.”

“Looks like you stirred up the faithful,” said Hugo.

“Oh Hugo, it's so good to see you.” Clara gave Hugo a hearty handshake. “This city is a nightmare!”

“It sure is. We're at the end of our rope. However did you get through safely?”

“We've got ways,” Niko said. “You'll learn about it soon.”

The stairway led to a tiled passage lit by the grate far above. Now Niko could see the words
City Hall Station
in elaborate tile, on the opposite wall. At the end of the passage they came to a barricade of stout wooden beams and panels. Hugo gave an elaborate knock; exchanged words briefly with someone on the other side. “The entrance is guarded. We can't be too careful,” he explained.

A wooden panel slid out of the way to allow them to enter. Beyond, an armed police officer waited in the dim passage, his revolver at the ready.

“These people are friends, Officer Barrow,” Hugo explained. “They may be able to help us.”

“Well, if you vouch for 'em, then they must be okay,” Barrow muttered.

“Have the Angel disciples tried to attack?” Clara asked.

“In the beginning. But now they're afraid to come down,” Hugo said.

“Ah. Because if they did, they might actually escape from the Orb's influence,” said Niko.

“Sometimes we can hear them up there,” said Hugo. “Screaming, chanting bloodthirsty threats against us 'heretics' and 'devil worshipers'. It's terrifying.”

“But there may be people out there who still have their wits, who are spies for those monsters,” Barrow added. “So we set up passwords, security. We're not taking any chances.”

Their steps had now taken them down another level, and Hugo faced them. “Folks, you're about to enter a wondrous realm—an underground paradise!” He led them around another corner and bowed with a flourish of his hand. “Welcome to City Hall Station!”

A magnificent sight greeted them. They beheld a vast underground chamber with a high vaulted roof. Light filtered down from a domed skylight decorated with metallic Art Nouveau scrollwork. Further illumination came from side vents which connected with the sidewalk grates far above.

The station roof itself was a series of cathedral arches like...
like the Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Sava,
thought Niko in wonder. Every surface was covered in geometric tile patterns of blue, green and gold. At the far end of the station, a curved train track stretched off into the distance.

“This place is
beautiful,”
Clara murmured, craning her neck.

“I feel like I'm back in Paris,” Niko said.

“Yes, this station was just completed a few years ago,” Hugo told them. “It's an architectural marvel, meant to show the world that New York has arrived on the cultural scene.” He laughed bitterly. “Well, New York has sure arrived
somewhere
. Hell, maybe.”   

“Miss Clara,” a boy's voice called out. “I knew you'd come back!” And young Ike came running up, to throw his arm around Clara's waist.

“Ike! Ike Aronov!” Clara bent to hug her young friend. “So glad you made it here to safety. Is the rest of your family...?”

Young Ike shrugged. “Dunno, Ma'am.”

A burly black man with a stubbly gray beard came up to meet them.

“This is Jerome, the railway superintendent,” Hugo said. “He's been trying to get a generator running. Maybe you can help?”

A large number of people had taken up residence in the station. They sat at tables, as if it were a caf
é
. They leaned against the tiled walls, conversing or reading by lantern-light. Some slept on blankets while others ate from cans and tins. As Niko and Clara passed by, they looked up curiously.

“Everyone looks normal enough,” Niko said.

“Yes. The Angels' control broadcast can't penetrate through the ground. We've been hiding out down here for the last several weeks. Ever since those invaders came.”

Hugo took them over to a group of tables where a makeshift kitchen had been set up. People were cooking on a kerosene stove, while many others appeared to be waiting for a meal. All they had for dinnerware were discarded cans. “Sorry, it's not exactly the Waldorf. We didn't get time to bring much down here. Lucky some benefactors donated food, or we'd all be eating each other by now. Here, have some lunch.”

Hugo took out a bar of rich chocolate and handed them each a square, then addressed the throng. “Folks, these are my friends Nick and Clara. They just came from outside the city.”

People gaped in astonishment. “You came from
outside?
How'd you get past that
Thing
without it stealing your soul? Nobody dares go outside.” Whereupon everyone started talking at once, spilling out their experiences.

“I saw the leaflets,” an old man put in. “Some brave soul warned the city who the Angels really were. Nobody listened. They thought it was just some crackpot. When I tried to alert people, they almost put me in an asylum.”

“What's been going on, folks?” A young man in suspenders addressed the newcomers. “What's the news on the outside? Is the military battling those creatures?”

“Is the army on its way?” Jerome asked. “Will we be rescued soon?”

Clara shook her head. “I'm sorry, I hate to give you bad news. We think the Angels have taken over the whole government. We heard that military bases have been destroyed.”

Disappointed listeners reacted with oaths and a few prayers.

“Hasn't anyone tried to stop them?” Jerome said. “Give us guns and we'll―”

Niko raised a hand to silence him. “Guns and cannons are useless against the sky invaders.”

“So America's doomed?” Jerome said.

“Unless we fight back, the whole world's doomed.”

“God damn.” Jerome threw an empty can against the wall. The rest of the crowd took the news in silence. Niko wished he had found a better way to say it.

“Look here, Mister, you just told us guns and cannons are no good.”A railroad man in overalls pointed angrily at Niko. “So how the hell do we fight back?”

“That's why we're here. Clara and I came to―”

“Now hold on just a minute.” A man of substance pushed through. Quite the dandy, he sported a Van Dyke goatee with a finely curled mustache. A gold pocket watch and chain spanned his ample middle.

“Good day to you.” He tipped his silk top hat. “I'm Gaylord Townsend,  Councilman for the 5th ward. This is Records Clerk James Cortland.” He gestured toward his assistant with a jeweled walking stick. “We're what passes for government in this happy little enclave. New arrivals must register and be approved, and any ideas must be submitted to the Council. Your name, please?”

“Nick and Clara Slate.” Concealing his irritation, Niko doffed his crumpled derby hat. “We came to help New York.”

“Oh, you did, eh? ” The Councilman looked down his nose at them as if they were a couple of cockroaches that had appeared in his soup. “What kind of help do you propose?

Niko met Clara's eyes and they both nodded: it was time. “For starters, let's get a little more light.” Niko opened up his backpack. First he brought out one of his wireless bulbs. He held it up, rubbed it vigorously. It picked up the current that flowed through the Earth and began to glow, dimly at first, then increasing until the entire vault of the Station was brightly illuminated.

The people gasped in awe. There was still nothing that captivated humans like light. These folks had lived underground, in semi-darkness, for maybe several weeks. The sight of Tesla's light bulbs had a strong effect on them.

“Good lord, I know who that man is,” the Records Clerk said. “I thought I recognized you.”

“Yes, there's only one man who does what you do.” Townsend pointed a shaking finger. “You're the master criminal—Dr. Nikola Tesla!”

The crowd stirred in astonishment. “That's
him,”
someone told the people farther back, who were craning for a look.

“Oh, I knew this would happen,” Clara murmured.

Niko had known it too. As soon as he revealed his gadgets, someone was bound to look at him closely and put two and two together. It was a risk he had to take.

“That's right, Mr. Townsend. You've guessed my identity. Now what are you going to do about it?”

Niko and the Councilman stared at each other for a tense moment.

“Here's the help we propose,” Niko said. “We'll start with electricity, and then we'll set up some protection against the invaders. We'll see about weapons. Miss Clara and I are working on ways to stop them. What do
you
have to offer?”

The people had gathered in a circle, leaving some space as if fisticuffs might soon erupt.

“That's right,” said Niko. “We knew there were people trapped here. We came to help. Would I have done this if I was a madman and a criminal? Those Alien invaders offered me a job,” he cried, giving vent to the anger which he had held back for so long. “They were going to make me the ruler of this planet! I said 'no' to them!
That's
why they've spread all these lies and had me hunted and persecuted!” He glared at the Councilman. “You want to arrest me? Go ahead and try!”

The crowd murmured in speculation. “Is he going to betray us to the monsters
?”
 

“No, you idiot, he said he could give us
protection!”
said one man, and the news quickly spread through the crowd. “Said he could
stop
them!”

“I say we throw 'em out,” said a woman in a tight dress. “We don't got room for no one else.”

“Wait a minute. Everybody shut your traps,” a voice cried. A young man pushed through the crowd: he wore a white tie and a rose in his lapel, and he brandished a shiny pistol. “Hands off those folks, or I might get mad and shoot something!”

“Oh Lord, it's Jake,” Clara cried. “Jake Flint!”

“Clara! Good to see you again,
Maidele.”
Jake touched his cap in salute. “Looks like you can't stay away from the Landsmen.”

“See?” said Townsend. “They're friends with the criminal element.”

“Excuse me,
Mister
Gaylord...” Jake faced the councilman with blistering sarcasm. “Did you just call me a
'criminal element'?
Then I think I'll take back all the goods the Landsmen gave to youse. What do ya think you're gonna eat?”