Men Like Gods; Part I, Far Journeys: Men Like Gods, #1

By Sergey Sniegov

MEN LIKE GODS

Part I

Far Journeys

Eli Gamasin, the engineer of suns, travels to the world of Ora where a conference of various star people is being held. At the conference, rumors about a yet unknown advanced civilization of "Galaxians" are unveiled. These seem to be involved in a cruel war with even more mysterious enemies, the "Destroyers".

 

In order to gather some knowledge about these races a squadron of star cruisers is sent out to the Pleiades cluster. Arriving there at the world of Sigma humans and their allies become witness of the cruel war crimes of the "Destroyers" and become a combatant party. One of the humans, Eli's best friend André, is being captured and abducted by the Destroyers, which are capable of being invisible. During a battle amidst the star field the humans are able to destroy many cruisers of the destroyers. André remains missing.

 

The expedition decides to travel to the Chi Persei cluster where the homestead both of the Galaxians and the Destroyers seems to be located. Warned by the Galaxians the human expedition force enters the cluster and is being trapped. The Destroyers turn out to be able to bend the three-dimensional space at will. The captain of the last remaining cruiser attacks and annihilates a star fortress of the Destroyers and breaks free. The ability of the humans to annihilate matter to space is the tactical advantage in that case.

• Language: English
• Publisher: none
• Release date: Sep 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223830818

Book preview

Men Like Gods

Men Like Gods

Part I

Far Journeys

by Sergey Sniegov

Men Like Gods. Part I. Far Journeys

All material contained herein is

Copyright © SERGEY SNIEGOV, 2023 all rights reserved.

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Originally published in poland

as LUDZIE JAK BOGOWIE – DALEKIE SZLAKI in 1989

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Translated and published in english with permission.

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Paperback ISBN: 979–8–8603247–5–6

Epub ISBN: 979–8–2238308–1–8

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Written by SERGEY SNIEGOV

Published by royal hawaiian press

Cover art by tyrone roshantha

Translated by wieslawa mentzen

Publishing assistance: dorota reszke

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For more works by this author, please visit:

Www.royalhawaiianpress.com

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Version number 1.00

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Table of Contents

Serpentine Girl  from Vega

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Star of the Star Plow

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Earth

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Serpentine Girl

from Vega

––––––––

From Frascatti to old Rome

Peter Astrologer released.

High black over him

The sky is a star canopy.

He looked there into the darkness

From its plain.

And they seemed to him

Strange pictures.

N. Morozov

I am a man, as God I am doomed

To know the longing of all countries and all times.

I. Bunin

Chapter 1

For me, the story began with the fact that on the second day after returning to Earth, while walking over the craters of Kilimanjaro, I met Lucin riding a fire-breathing dragon.

I don't like flying dragons. There's it something like the ancient theatricality. I just can't stand slow pegasuses. For flights on Earth, I take an ordinary avionette—so it's more reliable and convenient. But Lusin can't think of trip without dragons.

At school, when these foul-smelling monsters were just becoming fashionable, Lucin climbed on a training dragon on Chomolungma, the Dragon died soon, though wearing an oxygen mask, and Lucin was banned from the stable for a month. Forty-three years have passed since then, but Lucin hasn't gotten smarter.

He claims it's the souls of his ancestors who deified these strange creatures, but I think he is poses the original. Same as Andre Sherstyuk, both ready to stand on own head, just to impress someone. That's how they are!

And when a winged snake came up from the Indian Ocean, enveloped in smoke and flame, I knew immediately that it was Lusin. Lusin shouted a greeting and landed on the cliff of Kibo crater. I circled in the air looking at his beast, then sat down too. Lusin ran to me, we shook hands heartily. We haven't seen in two years. My friend enjoyed in my astonishment.

The dragon was big, ten meters long. He lay limply on the rocks, closed his bulging green eyes, his thin sides, armored with orange scales, swelled and collapsed, sweaty wings quivered spasmodically. Smoke billowed over the beast's head, and as it exhaled, a flame erupted from its mouth. Fire-breathing dragons were new to me.

The latest model, said Lusin. Two years out. Infitech praise. Good, no?

Lusin works at the Institute of New Forms – INFI – and does not get tired to boast that they create living tumors, to which nature will not get even in a billion years. Something, for example talking dolphins, they really did well. Smoke like a volcano, the snake did not seem beautiful to me.

All these props come to nothing. Unless, of course, you have conceived to scare them kids.

Lusin lovingly patted the dragon on one of his twelve frog legs.

Effective. We are lucky to Ora. Let them watch.

It annoys me when they talk about Ore. Half of my friends are flying there, but I was not lucky. It is not their luck that infuriates me, of course, but that they turn an interesting meeting with inhabitants of other worlds into a primitive exhibition of toys. What only products do not drag on Ora!

Nonsense! No one there will look at your fossil. Each star dweller in itself is more amazing than all your wonders. I think cars will interest them much more.

Machines – yes! The beasts are also yes. All Yes!.

And you – yes! I mimicked. This is a sample of a man of the fifth century: red-haired, red-eyed, height meter ninety-two, age-under sixty, alone. No matter how the thinking toad fell in love with you. And you can't run a dragon!.

Lusin smiled and shook his head.

You envy, Eli. An ancient feeling. Until the dragons. Understand. Himself in your place.

Lusin speaks like hieroglyphs. We are accustomed to his speech, but strangers do not always understand him. He, however, does not like to interpret with strangers.

His reproach upset me, I turned away with indignation. Lucin put his hand on my shoulder.

Ask – how? He asked sadly. Interesting.

I nodded, so as not to upset Lusin with indifference. I understood from the story that combustible substances are synthesized in the dragon’s stomach and that the dragon itself is neither cold nor hot.

Lusin works on the theme: The materialization of the monsters of ancient folklore, the fire–breathing dragon is his fourth model, the forms following it are winged Assyrian lions and reptiles’ Egyptian sphinxes.

I want a falcon-headed God Horus, said Lusin. – Not yet approved. I hope.

I remembered that Andre was taking to Ora a symphony composed by him called The Harmony of the Star Spheres and that the first performance of the symphony will take place this evening in Cairo. I doubt the musical abilities of Andre, but the music is better than the smoking snakes.

Lusin jumped up.

Did not know. Fly to Cairo. I am ahead. To the rocket station.

Enjoy the poisonous fumes of your freak, I said. And I am the old-fashioned way: one, two, three – and a hundred kilometers there!

I managed to overtake Lusin by twenty minutes. While he was squeezing the last kilometers out of his orange slug, I arranged for the dragon to be fed in the Pegasus Stall.

At each rocket station there are now stables of winged horses – especially for tourists. My request was met without enthusiasm, especially when they learned that the dragon was fire–breathing. Snooty pegasus hate the peaceful dragons and, with little notice, violently swoop from above. Of course, neither the hooves nor the teeth can do anything with scales, but foolish horses stubbornly attack to the point of exhaustion. I don’t understand what prompted the Greeks to elect for these poetic flights these animals that quickly get tired in the air. I would prefer to rush to the artistic heights on condors and vultures – they climb higher and soar above the Earth perfectly.

I waved my hand to Lucin slowly approaching.

Hurry up, or we'll be late! You can leave your volcanic cub here. Pegasus promised not to let him.

Chapter 2

The first person we met in Cairo was Allan Cruise, also from schoolmates. He flew in two hours before us and walked with a suitcase from the Chamber of Star Routes. In his suitcase, as always, books. Allan loves this old stuff. In this regard, he is similar to Pavel Romero – he also does not tear himself away from the books. Paul is required by occupation, but Allan is busy with them for fun. You feel sharper modernity when you look at the crumbling magazines of the twentieth century, he says, chuckling.

He is either angry or laughing, anger and joy are not extreme, but the neighboring states of his psyche. If he is not indignant, then he rejoices – from the one that is not indignant. Learning where we were going, he stopped.

Yes, why was rush to Cairo? Would include a concert hall and enjoy music from afar.

I pulled his sleeve. I do not like it when people all of a sudden stop for half a step.

Andre's symphony should be listened to in special rooms. His music is not pleasure, but hard physical work.

Allan went with us.

I need to talk to Andre, he said menacingly. I'll deal with him at the concert. The latest model of its mobile decoders is no good.

Die step and do not wave a suitcase in front of my nose. You probably have fifty kilos there?

Sixty-three. Listen, what a confusion happened to us on Procion because of Andre's levity.

We have already heard about the embarrassment at Procyon. Everyone on Earth and the planets knew about this incident. Allan's expedition was testing a lightweight Star Plow model for high-speed passenger traffic. It was forbidden to accelerate in the vicinity of the Solar System, and they traveled eleven and a half light-years on the way in thirty-nine running days. In the constellation of the Little Dog, too, it was not necessary to be zealous, there they overtook the light only a hundred times. But it was precisely in this constellation, in the planetary system of Procyon, that they, without knowing themselves, finally made the discovery predicted five centuries ago — they discovered thinking mosses. On the second of the three planets of Procyon, there was not enough light and heat and red moss covered the cliffs. The astronauts walked on mosses, studied them with instruments, but found only those weak magnetic waves emanated from the plants. And when the expedition returned to Earth, the Big Academic Machine deciphered that the recorded radiation was speech. I managed to make out the sentences: Who are you? From where How did you develop the ability to move?

Motionless mosses most of all struck the human art of walking.

It's a foolish DP-2 to blame for everything! Allan rattled all over the street. He always speaks very loudly. He, of course, is better than wrist decoders, they are only suitable for conversations with dogs and birds. For example, on Pollux, in Gemini, we talked well with highly organized fish. Funny nereids generated ultrasonic waves, we learned to translate our words into the same waves. However, you know about it in the programs... But Andre's device is not suitable for difficult cases. Surprisingly helpless machine, and issued for the last cry of technology!

Allan suddenly cut off his speech and stopped again. I wanted to still impatiently pull his sleeve, but I was struck by the expression on his face.

I completely forgot, brothers! He said and looked around, as if fearing that someone would overhear. In the Chamber of Star Routes today received an amazing message. Nobody really knows anything, but in general, new intelligent beings are discovered. Something like real people. And it seems that internecine wars are rampant in their societies where they are more serious than the ancient human ones.

Now I find it strange and surprising that the indifference with which we listened to Allan. The whole history of mankind was breaking, now it is clear to every student. And Lusin and I didn’t even wonder who delivered the information and what exactly the newly discovered creatures looked like to people. I just suggested that they dwell far from the nearest stars: in our region of the Galaxy nothing similar to them had ever been heard.

I don't know, answered Allan. Big Academic second day calculates the information received. Tomorrow-the day after tomorrow we will be acquainted with the results of processing.

Let's wait until tomorrow, I said. And if and until the day after, so I, too, tolerate.

Lusin was of the same opinion. The concert Andre occupied him more than information about the latest discoveries. In these months before the meeting at Åre, we only heard about the new intelligent beings found by stellar expeditions. We kind of lost our sense of unusualness. Amazing has become ordinary.

The crowd! Said Lusin, pointing forward with a finger. Places are not enough. Hurry up.

We have added step. Huge Allan came forward. He went the fastest in school too, in his step a meter and two tenths. I shouted:

Capture Lusin and me for two places next to you!

Two streams of people flowed into the concert hall. The western doors were closer to us, and we headed there.

Allan penetrated into the head of the stream, under the cover of his broad back moved Lucine, behind Lucina I. At the door there was a trouble, rather spoiled my mood.

Some thin ugly girl drastically moved away from punching Allan's way, and I flew at her. She turned indignantly. She had a thin high neck and dark eyes. Perhaps, however, that they are dark with anger.

Snapper! she said. Her voice was melodious, low tone. Her face was ruined by wide eyebrows, as black as her eyes.

You also did not learn courtesy! I snapped, but she did not seem to hear. At the first moment I was so taken aback from her rudeness that I was silent, and when I figured out how to respond, we were already ahead.

In the hall, sitting between Lusin and Allan, I twice got up and looked around, looking for this thin girl. But among the twenty-eight thousand people who filled the concert room, it was not easy to find. I can say one thing: in those minutes before the concert, the outrage on her face disturbed me more than the mysterious message of Allan.

Chapter 3

Andre! said Lusin. Here's a freak!

Andre and at the concert could not resist the mischief. Instead of appearing on the stereo screen and from there smiling at the public, he stepped onto the stage. He seemed tiny in the empty ground. And he made a speech: something about the Earth and the stars, celestials and people, flights and catastrophes – all this, he assured, is reflected in his cosmic symphony.

I got so sick of it that I shouted: Enough talk! If I knew that the amplifiers are tuned to all sounds in the hall, I would be more careful. My voice was deafeningly reflected from the ceiling, and the same loud laughter roared in response.

Andre was not embarrassed, cheerfully exclaimed:

We will consider your impatient shouts as an overture to a symphony.

After that, he disappeared, and the music of star spheres wildly burst. First of all, we failed. We sat motionlessly in our armchairs, clinging to the hands in surprise, and at the same time flew crazy down. The state of weightlessness came so suddenly that my heart sank.

I think other viewers didn’t feel better.

And then a subtle melody sounded, swirling multicolored clouds floated in the air and the weight returned. The melody intensified, the electronic organ thundered into all its twenty–four thousand voices, color clouds penetrated frantically dancing radiance, everything was lost in the swirling multicolor rain of sparks, there were no walls, no ceiling, no distant neighbors, and the neighbors suddenly turned into some kind of torches of cold light. And then the light began to warm up, the melody accelerated, the gravity increased, the heat passed in waves in the air. I was about to throw off my jacket, as the hall was lit up with blue lightning, everything around me glowed with ominous violet flames and unbearably struck an icy wind. No one had time to either turn away or protect his face with his hands. Icing broke out under the whistle and buzz of electronic voices. Overload increased rapidly; the lungs lacked oxygen. The pipes roared again, the strings began to sing, copper and silver rang, orange tongues lit in the violet darkness. Ice breathing was replaced by waves of heat, the overload fell, turning into weightlessness. The air, fragrant and sonorous, poured itself into the throat, dizzy with subtle sounds, delicate colors, warmth and lightness in the body.

So repeated three times – purple heat under the roar of pipes and weightlessness, a rapidly growing, piercing blue cold under overload, almost suffocation, melodic pinkish–orange revival, fanned by warmth. And then the last time frost struck, the heat sped, and, already in the usual way, the ceiling of the concert hall flashed sunny. The first part of the symphony is over.

Exclamations and laughter rushed from all sides. Someone groaned, someone rubbed chilled cheeks, someone screamed loudly: Well, the author here! Well, the author! Most hurried to the exit.

He is crazy! Allan was indignant. Even from Andre did not expect such nonsense! Why did you drag me here?

Lusin silently watched the agitated onlookers, and I replied:

Nobody pulled you, you yourself came. And what awaits you, knew perfectly. I warned that Andre's music can be endured only by the healthy.

I am a big man, but I am also unbearable! Is the same part of the same fear in the second part?

I handed him an invitation card. It was printed on: Andre Sherstyuk. Harmony of star spheres. Symphony for sound, light, heat, pressure and gravity. Part One – The Cycle of Worlds. Part Two – People and Celestials. Part Three – Eternal as life.

Allan grunted and cheered.

There’s one more component missing: the smell, he rumbled, chuckling. That would be stinking allegro and fragrant adagio! To complete the impression, in your opinion?

Success! said Lusin. Everyone is shocked. No one is indifferent. BUT?

"Not a, but h. Nonsense, I corrected. On the second part only a third of the hall remained".

Novelty. Understand immediately.

Do better with your outlandish new forms, not music, I advised. Your falcon-headed god Gore may be able to adapt to distant planets for protection against bats, and what will Andre's new creation be useful for?

Chapter 4

After the frantic first part, the second seemed calm. Perhaps, however, that we are trapped. The main thing in it was the light – swirling greenish-yellow darkness, red flashes, serpentine violet stripes, sparks and arrows crashing from the ceiling, as during auroras, then everything gradually tightened pink, warm fog, it wanted to bask in, feelings and thoughts fell asleep.

All this happened under the melodious sounding of electronic voices, the severity and pressure increased steadily, then disappeared, the cold came not so shrill as before, the heat that followed it was not so burning.

In general, I liked this part. It could be tolerated, but for works of Andre this is already a lot. But in the third part we got again. Eternal as life could drive anyone into the coffin. Andre, apparently, wanted to prove that life is not an easy thing, and he achieved his goal. We were burned, chilled, stunned, blinded for about twenty minutes, if not more.

The symphony was over, and everyone was sitting in the hall, picking their lips. Some had so exhausted that I laughed. Allan was noisy exultant. So, with him always. The unusual first puzzles him, then delights him.

Strong symphony! he shouted. Bring down a sort of concerte on creatures from Alpha Centauri or Sirius – there they are not very bones, – there will be a wet spot! No, great!

A voice echoed through the empty hall: the friends of the author of the symphony were asked to go to the east exit. Allan rushed past those leaving, Lusin and I did not hurry. I knew Andre would wait for me.

At the eastern entrance quickly accumulated a bunch of friends. I'm tired of shaking hands. Pretty Jeanne Ouspensky, Andre's wife, was beaming. She triumphantly triumphant if Andre succeeds in something, and I must say, she often has to triumph. In this case, however, she could be happy and not so openly.

She said loudly:

You have changed, Eli! I just cannot believe you are so tanned and kind. Listen, aren't you in love?

I knew why she was talking loudly, and I didn't like it. Leonid Mrav and Olga Trondike approached us.

Terrible Leonid this time seemed almost cheerful, and Olga, as always, was balanced and bright. She, of course, understood Jeanne’s hint, but didn’t give a mean either, and Leonid shook my hand with such force that I gasped. This giant – he and Allan flicked out to two meters thirty – drove his head off, that I was standing on his road. I'm afraid Olga supports this error in him. It is all the more surprising that, unlike Joan, Olga is completely devoid of coquetry.

I'm glad to see you, Eli, said Olga. You seem to fly to Mars?

Why have I not seen on Mars? I grunted. We mounted the seventh artificial sun on Pluto, heard about this?

Of course. Yellow and red dwarf normal density, power eight thousand Alberts. I recently figured out that this power is not enough for normal functioning. Have you not read my note, Eli?

Not. I have a headache from your notes – they are so learned!

Chapter 5

Olga was not offended and not upset. She listened, even and pink-cheeked. I am sure that she did not even think about the content of my words, it is enough of her what I say. She listens alone to my voice. Jeanne exclaimed, shaking her curls, they are long and so light that they seem gray from a distance:

You did not answer my question, Eli!

Yes, I said. Fell in love. And you know who? In you. I hid for a long time, but there is no more strength. What are you going to do now?

Survive, Eli. Or maybe I’ll tell Andre, let him know what his friends are.

She turned her back on me. Jeanne wants everyone to like that she gets angry when they make fun of it.

Allan has an interesting message, I said, to transfer the conversation to another. Allan, repeat what you told us about new discoveries.

And again, as before me and Lusin, no one took seriously the news of Allan. He was listened to indifferently, as if he was sharing trifles, and not the most important information ever received by mankind. Today, remembering those days, I try and cannot understand why we had such unforgivable frivolity. It was so incomprehensible that Leonid and Olga, the captains of distant starships, were already known as experienced astronauts even at that time. Someone who, and they had to figure out what is meant by the discovery in the star worlds, on our galactic routes, beings equal to us in reason and power. Leonid did even more frivolous than me. He simply dismissed Allan. Our little artificial sun on Pluto interested him more.

I'm surprised at your conservatism, he said. First you mount a huge satellite, then you fire it up until it turns into a tiny star, and spend several years on it, like our grandfathers two centuries ago. What for? The Star Plow per day of work will ignite a dozen artificial suns of all projected sizes and temperatures. No installation, no warm-up is needed, in short, nothing but an order: to light and deliver the sun to the place!

Absolutely! caught Allan, instantly forgotten about his strange news. He was delighted that they praised the Star Plow, and laughed. He is immensely proud of his ship. For us, this is a mere trifle – to roll up a neat sun and throw it up to a planet in need of warmth and light.

Good! said Lusin. Highly. Even – very, very! Light and deliver! Wonderful. BUT?

Great! I said. Much better than the fires that you kindle in the stomachs of poor dragons. By the way, why, in fact, do not use Star Plows to create small suns?

Olga said rationally, otherwise she cannot speak:

Creating suns with Star Plows would probably be easier. But their launch in the vicinity of our system threatens to disturb the equilibrium of outer space. Do you not want Sirius to fly at Procyon, and Proxima Centauri hit the Sun?

Leonid said:

The reality of such a catastrophic imbalance has not been proven....

No one has proved the opposite, Olga objected. The solution can give experience, the unsuccessful experience – irreparable.

Andre came out of the concert hall with Pavel Romero. The appearance of Paul was so unexpected that I ran to meet them in delight.

Before, I still shook Andre's hand, then I fell into Paul’s arms. Romero, after separation, does not greet, but embraces, he says that this custom used to exist in all civilized tribes. It’s good that he doesn’t kiss, but it seems that there was such a strange rite of greeting.

It's you, Eli! he said is important. I clearly see that it is you!

They stood in front of me, shoulder to shoulder, smiling, satisfied, and I eagerly looked at them. Both were not tall, only ninety-one meters each — less than Lucine and I — broad shoulders, young: Andre is fifty-seven years old; he is of the same age as me and Lucina, Romero is five years older. This is where the similarities end, everything else, from appearance to habits, tastes and actions, is not only different, but also opposite. Romero doesn’t resemble anyone except himself, even his mustache and goatee-like little beard resemble little beards and mustaches in portraits of prehistoric kings, although he claims that he copied them from either the Roman Caesar or the American president – in general, from some of the rulers of the ancient republics. And he is carrying a cane everywhere for fun. He hugged me, not letting go.

But if Romero is not like anyone, then Andre is not like himself for a long time. At each meeting, Andre is different and unexpected. If he was not a genius, I would say that he is vain. At school, he changed his hair more than suits. In the fifth year of the second round, he removed the brown curls that he had inherited from nature and brought out black and straight hair, and on the third round the vegetation on his head changed from year to year: smooth hair was replaced by curls, tufts resembling hummocks appeared behind them, then it was shining bald, then started the hair again, this time short and prickly, like a wire. On your hair, you can take the transfer from Fomalhaut, we said, but the jokes on Andre do not work.

The hair color also changed: the curls were golden, then turned into black, and the wire–like shoots burned crimson–red, so that the head burned in the light like a little head, – Andre thought what a sparkle to him. This time Andre had soft chestnut curls, as long as Jeanne's. In any case, it is more beautiful than crimson wire.

You are tanned, Eli! Andre said the same as Jeanne. Is the sun on Pluto so fiery?

This is the result of a concert, I protested. "Your symphony almost