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"...a lot of people find adventure on the Internet. That's their idea of being interactive. My idea of being interactive is going on out and doing it on the street."
- Harlan Ellison
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| Disruptor Tube (Disruptor Ray) | ||
| A device that interrupted the very bonds between atoms. |
Joe and Al, intrepid explorers of an unknown universe, are threatened by strange jelly beings. How will they escape?
| Disruptor tubes in hand, the beleagured explorers advanced toward the passage... Simultaneously, Joe and Al pressed the triggers of their weapons. The long pale beams sprang out, impinging upon the heaving forms.
The disruptor rays had absolutely no effect upon these creatures. Matter was differently constituted here — earth forces were unable to break up these atoms. All was lost! ... In great waves the green terrors advanced. Desperately the men searched about for some opening, some gap through which to seek escape. There was none. Enringed, they stood at bay, defenseless, now that the disruptor tubes, potent weapons of destruction on earth, were useless. |
| Technovelgy from The Emperor of the Stars,
by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat). Published by Wonder Stories in 1931 Additional resources -
|
Here’s what it was like in use:
"All," was the prompt retort. "If I knew exactly the nature of the Emperor, I could specify. But as I don't, we'll use every available method, and trust to luck that one is the right one. We have our ray projectors, our atomic disruptors, our rocket bursts. One of these may be successful. Who knows?"
“"Now," Al shouted, and the great disruptor tube roared its electronic discharge. A section of the shell buckled and melted at the impact, but the quartz was too tremendously thick. It was not more than one quarter penetrated.”
“Al pumped the trigger of the disruptor tube in continuous bursts. All over the face of the great transparent sphere, the quartz shattered and pitted...
Compare to the disrupter ray (molecule disrupter) from The Silent Destroyer (1929) by Will Garth, the
de-atomizing ray from Crashing Suns (1928) by Edmond Hamilton, the
Bethé blasters from Cities in Flight (1957) by James Blish, the
annihilator beam from Conquest of Gola (1931) by L.F. Stone, the
Vortex Gun from One Against the Legion (1939) by Jack Williamson.
"But you still haven't told me what method of attack you expect to use," objected Joe.
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'He found a barber shop which, he thought, would be good for an idle hour.'
'Thirty rounds of fighting is tough work. Even for machines.'
'...the excavations were already in progress, for he saw gray slopes of rubble.'
'...the walking mills of Puffy Products began to tread delicately on their centipede legs across the wheat fields of Kansas.'
'Here is a Clerk that would work incessantly, and neither eat, sleep, want payment, or grumble.'
'ZARNAK, YOU'RE TO COMMAND A SCOUTING EXPEDITION --- FIND OUT WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT!'
'These are your rudimentary seed packages... Some will combine in place to form more complicated structures.'
