Chapter 10 Chapter Ten Various Anxiety and Worries Begin to Show Up

Another month had passed since the meeting in the hall of the Gunners Club.Public opinion has changed markedly during this time.The benefits of changing the Earth's axis of rotation are forgotten, and the ensuing disaster is gradually becoming clearer.The shifting of the earth's axis is likely to require strong shaking, which cannot but cause disasters, the problem is that the nature of the disasters is terrible, no one can tell at the moment.As for improving the climate, is it really that desirable?In fact, only the Eskimos, Lapones, Samoyeds, and Zhoukeshis benefited because they had nothing to lose.

Now it's time to hear how the European representatives have criticized the Barbicane company!At the beginning, they sent telegrams to their home countries to report and ask for instructions one by one through submarine cables, and received instructions.Those instructions, you know, are nothing more than diplomatic platitudes, carefully ironic: "Don't show weakness, but don't compromise the government. Act decisively, but don't change the status quo." During this period, Major Tanglan and his colleagues protested incessantly on behalf of the countries threatened by disaster, especially on behalf of the Old World.

"It seems," said Colonel Boris Karkov, "that the American engineers took measures as a matter of course to minimize the consequences of the impact on American territory." "But can they do it?" asked Jane Hallard. "Won't shaking the olive tree like hell while picking olives hurt all the branches?" "When you are punched in the chest," repeated Jacques Janssen, "does your whole body not be shaken?" "This is the meaning of that famous clause in the document!" cried Dean Tudrink. "This is the geographical or meteorological change that the clause refers to taking place on the surface of the earth."

"Yeah," said Eric Baldnak, "the most frightening thing is that a shift in the Earth's axis would throw the sea out of a natural ocean basin." "If the ocean level drops at certain points," said Jacques Jensen, "would some inhabitants be cut off from the outside world because of their high geographical position?" "It's hard to breathe when you're high up in the thin air!" added Jane Hallard. "We shall see London as high as Mont Blanc!" cried Major Donlan. The two gentlemen, with their legs spread apart and their heads thrown back, looked up at the zenith, as though the United Kingdom had vanished into the clouds.

In short, this plan has become a threat to the public.In addition, people have already foreseen the possible consequences of changing the axis of the earth, so they are even more anxious. In fact, the change is only 23°28′, and the position of the ocean will shift greatly due to the tilt of the earth towards the poles.Could Earth be turned upside down, as recently observed on the surface of Mars?Where, entire areas changed colour, for example Libya in Skiabahli was flooded, dark blue replaced light red, and Lake Mweru disappeared.In the north, 600,000 square kilometers of land changed, and in the south, the ocean gave up the vast areas it once occupied.If the sympathetic earthlings are concerned about the disaster victims on Mars and plan to help them, what should the earthlings do if they themselves suffer disasters?

For a while, there were protests everywhere, urging the US government to think carefully.It is better to give up than to suffer the disaster that the experiment will inevitably bring.The Creator has already arranged everything in the world, and it is too risky to tamper with His plan rashly. But there are such strange things in the world, such a serious problem, that some people make fun of it without any seriousness! "Look at those Yankees," they repeated, "to put the earth on another axis! If, say, the earth has turned on this axis for eons, and the friction of the rotation wears it down year after year, It is of course necessary to change the axis of the earth, just as you change the axis of a pulley or a wheel. But the axis of the earth is still intact, and it is not damaged at all?"

How would you respond to this? Amid all the accusations, engineer Algid Pierre was looking for the nature and direction of the impact that Maston envisioned, and which specific location on the earth should the impact be chosen?Armed with this secret, he could calculate which parts of the planet would be threatened. The Old World was in a panic, but the New World was not, at least in North America, especially the land of the United States Federation.The change of the earth's axis may cause earth-shaking in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.Director Barbicane, Captain Nicole, and Marston, as Americans, didn't they think of a way to save America from catastrophe?Although Americans are divided into Yankees and new immigrants, all three of them are authentic Yankees. Barbicane said when he was carrying out the moon landing plan: The three of them are Yankees poured out of the "American mold". .

Apparently, the entire New World, from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico, doesn't care much about future impacts, and the United States may even be greatly expanded.If the two oceans bordering the Americas were cleared up, God knows how many new states the United States could add. Maybe the number of stars on the Stars and Stripes would be doubled? "Yes, without a doubt! But," repeated the timid ones--those who are pessimistic about everything, "who can say for sure in the world? If Ma Sitong's calculations are wrong What? What if Director Barbicane makes a mistake in execution? The most skilful gunner will make mistakes. The shells fired cannot hit the target, and the bombs dropped cannot hit the target one by one."

Representatives of European countries carefully maintained everyone's fear.Jan Hallard wrote in the Swedish newspaper, Colonel Boris Karkov in the widely circulated Russian newspaper Neue Zeit, Secretary Dean Tudrink in the Standard A large number of articles, fanning the flames.America's own opinions were not completely unified. Liberal Republicans supported Barbicane; conservative Democrats opposed him.Some American newspapers, mainly the "Boston Daily" and "New York Tribune" also share their interests with European newspapers.In the United States, since the United Press and the Associated Press, newspapers are the main means of news reporting, and the annual sales of domestic or foreign news exceeds 20 million U.S. dollars.

Other newspapers with larger circulation defended the Arctic Experiment Society.For ten dollars a line, Mrs. Evangelina Sculby had editorials, sketches, and essays written, which laughed, cursed, dared to dream, and condemned risky nonsense.The enthusiastic widow tried her best to show that if the hypothesis could not be established, it might be that Ma Sitong made a small mistake in calculation.But none of this helped much, Americans feared disaster too, and public opinion gradually began to sing the same tune as Europe. Director Barbicane, the secretary of the Gunners Club, and even the members of the board of directors remained silent, letting others talk and go their own way.Not even much effort was expended on the intricacies of preparation necessary for that gigantic project.Is it because of the U-turn in public opinion, because it was warmly welcomed at first, but now it is generally opposed?Not too much.

Although Mrs. Evangelina Scobie spent a lot of money and tried her best to defend Director Barbicane, Captain Nicole and Marston, they were still regarded as monsters threatening the human living environment.The European powers openly demanded that the Confederate government intervene and question its advocates.Requires a public account of how the old axis will be replaced by the new one, marking areas of the Earth that are immediately threatened, in order to deduce the consequences for world security.In short, open everything to an anxious public, so as not to worry everyone. The Washington government readily acceded to the public's demands.For unrest has gripped the northern, central, and southern states of the United States.The government cannot afford to hesitate any longer. A commission of inquiry, composed of fifty machinists, engineers, mathematicians, hydrogeographers, and geographers, was formed on February 19, chaired by the eminent John Prestis, with full powers to understand engineering, necessary have the right to prevent it. Director Barbicane was the first to receive a summons from the Commission of Inquiry. Director Barbicane did not go. The police were looking for him at the director's private residence at 95 Cleveland Avenue in Baltimore. Director Barbicane was not at home. Where is he? have no idea. When did you leave? Five weeks had passed since he had left Maryland on January 11, accompanied by Captain Nicole. Where did they go? No one can tell. Apparently, the two members of the Gunners Club had set off for some mysterious place.There, they are leading the preparations for the experiments that are about to begin. But where is this place? It was understood that knowing the location was crucial to smashing the engineers' dangerous plans in the embryo.It's not too late to know now. There was great disappointment at the departure of Director Barbicane and Captain Nicole.So everyone's anger was like a tide, and it rushed straight to the directors of the Arctic Experiment Association. There must be someone who knows the whereabouts of Director Barbicane and his colleagues and who can answer this great question mark that has appeared on the face of the earth. This person is Ma Sitong. Careful John Prestis suggested that the Commission of Inquiry should summon Ma Sitong. Ma Sitong hid and didn't show up. Had he left Baltimore at a time when the whole world was in such panic?Was he also going to join his companions in order to lend a helping hand? No!Ma Sitong has been staying in the "Balistick Cottage" at 109 Franklin Street, and is still working non-stop.He was thinking of something else, and when he got tired, he went to spend a few nights in the study of Mrs. Evangelina Scobie's luxurious New Park apartment. The director of the investigative committee sent a policeman to interrogate him. The police came to the "Balistick Cabin", knocked on the door and entered the front hall, but were coldly received by the blacks who "fired".The host's reception is even more shocking. However, Ma Sitong thought it was time to go.He came before the investigation committee members and said bluntly that they disrupted his usual work order and disgusted him. The first question posed to him was: Do you know where Director Barbicane and Captain Nicole are now? "I know," Ma Sitong replied, "this is a secret that I must keep, and I refuse to answer." The investigation committee asked him if he could tell the committee about the implementation plan and work status of the Arctic Experiment Association so that the committee could review it. "No, of course I can't give away my work! I'd rather destroy it! It's the right of a free citizen of a free America not to tell anyone about my work!" "Of course it is your right, Mr. Maston," Director Prestis said with a serious attitude, as if he was conducting the interrogation on behalf of the whole world, "however, in order to make the earth's inhabitants no longer afraid, so that everyone is not in danger Uneasy, it should be your duty to tell your plan, right?" Ma Sitong didn't think it was his obligation.He has only one obligation: to keep secrets and to keep his mouth shut. The insistence, entreaties and threats of the members of the commission of inquiry were of no avail.Nothing will come out of the mouth of this man with the hook at the end of his arm, and never will.People did not expect that under the skull of Malay rubber, there is such a stubborn brain! How did Ma Sitong come and go.Needless to say, everyone will think that Mrs. Scobie admired his heroism very much. When people learned of Ma Sitong's performance in front of the investigation committee, the crowd became furious, even threatening the personal safety of the retired gunner.Immediate pressure was placed on high representatives of the federal government, representatives of Europe and public opinion to intervene, and Secretary of State John S. Wright was obliged to use force against him. On the evening of March 13th, in the office of "Balistick Lodge", Ma Sitong was engrossed in his digital game, when the phone rang suddenly. "Hello!...Hello!..." The voice in the receiver was trembling, looking very disturbed. "Which one?" Ma Sitong asked. "Mrs. Scobie." "What's the matter, Mrs. Scobie?" "Be careful! I just heard that tonight there will be . . . " Before the words reached Ma Sitong's ears, the door of the "Balistik Cabin" was knocked open. There was an unusual commotion on the stairs leading to the office.A voice accuses, others suppress it, followed by the sound of a body falling. This is the black man "fired" and rolled down the stairs.In order to defend his master's "hut", he made a fearless resistance to the intruders. Immediately afterwards, the door of the office was slammed open, and a police officer rushed in with a few soldiers. Police officers were ordered to search the cabin, arrest Ma Sitong and confiscate his papers. Furious, the Secretary of the Gunners' Club grabbed the six-shot revolver. But he was outnumbered and disarmed in an instant.They snatched papers full of formulas and figures from the table. Ma Sitong broke free suddenly and grabbed a notebook, which probably recorded all the calculations. The cops swooped down to fight him for the penny.He was desperately trying to keep the secret... Ma Sitong quickly opened the notebook, tore off the last page, and swallowed the paper as quickly as an ordinary pill. "Now, come and fetch!" he cried, with the tone of Leianids speaking to the Terbiles. An hour later, Ma Sitong was thrown into the Baltimore jail. The residents were so angry with Ma Sitong that even the police couldn't predict what would happen.Therefore, for Ma Sitong himself, going to jail is a good thing.