The Heart of the Serpent

The story The heart of the snake (Russian Сердце Змеи ) by Ivan Yefremov published in 1959 under the title Cor Serpentis ( Сердце Змеи ) and from 1964 as Сердце Змеи. It belongs to the cycle The large ring. In this story Yefremov discussed in addition to the thesis that all highly developed life forms on the basis of the general laws of development of the cosmos must have a human-like shape, the possibility of a life form whose biochemistry is based on hydrogen fluoride. This story serves as a link between the novels The Andromeda Galaxy and the hour of the bull.

Action

The eight members of the crew of the spaceship tellurium are on the way to a 300 light-years from Earth carbon star to study the emergence of a sun there. 300 light-years, this is not only a long way, but also means that the cosmonauts will return to Earth after 700 years, 700 years, they have allowed to age a few years. Not even the great-grandchildren of her friends and relatives are still alive. How it is received in the future Earth? Despite these considerations, the cosmonauts have no doubt about the meaning of their company.

Your space ship, smaller than previous long-distance spaceships offers ample space for sports and the arts. Sophisticated technology ensures medical care.

When the expedition will return to earth, it receives the search beam of an alien spaceship. In the time between the first radio contact and the meetings, the team discussed the old American science fiction Ezählung First Contact by Murray Leinster. In it, a similar situation is described, but how different the course. In the story mistrust and fear determine the encounter - the people of the Great Rings, however, for generations already dreaming of the brothers in space. You have the firm belief that civilizations that fly far into the cosmos, must be so advanced that they do not know any aggression.

The spaceships meet and quite quickly it comes to understanding. Externally the same aliens man. But her body is based on fluorine, instead of oxygen. A direct contact is not possible, the foreigners who have long been looking for similar civilizations in space, shall continue alone. Since they received the distress call of another spaceship. Already everything seems ready to leave, as the biologist has a vision. She designs a grandiose plan - the conversion of the fluorine metabolism in a metabolism on oxygen basis. A plan that could lead to the fluorine people in the community of galactic peoples for thousands of years.

The spaceships separate, the alien ship approaches the damaged spaceship to help, while the tellurium continues on its way to Earth ...

Expenditure

  • The heart of the snake. From the Russian by Hilde Angarowa. Publisher of Foreign Literature Moscow
  • The heart of the snake. Scientific and fantastic tale. Übers Herbert Berthold. Series: The new adventures 174f. New Life, Berlin 1960 ( 2 x 32 p )
  • Dass in Johannesburg center Two, eds: Fantastic space travel. New Life, Berlin 1961, pp. 311-381 ( with epilogue, Biogr. Note, foreign words, explanation, property and personal directory for the whole band Wiss. -techn Edit the text & D. Note by Siegfried Oberlander. .. )
  • Dass in Soviet Literature Vol 20, H. 5, 1968 ( pp. 3-67; without annotations )
  • Ivan A. Efremov: encounter in space. German military Verlag, Berlin, 1969 ( 1 - 85 thousands, 79 pages )
  • The heart of the snake, in Edwin Orthmann, eds: The Diamond Maker. Scientific and fantasy stories from around the world. New Life, Berlin, 1972 ( abridged)
  • Dass in Horst Pukallus, eds, The blue window of Theocritus. Science fiction short stories from Eastern Europe. Heyne TB 3618, Munich 1978 ISBN 3453305272
  • The heart of the snake. Übers: NN, in Sputnik (journal) Vol 8, No. 7, 1974 ( excerpt strong, pp. 146-173 )

Possibility of confusion

  • Movie: " Mechte navstrechu " or " Mejschte Nawstretschu ", in German "Encounter in Space " (English " A Dream Come True", or " Encounter in Space" ), Russia, 1963 IMDB Info
Andromeda (novel) The Bull's Hour
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