The novel "Air Seller", a summary of which is given in this article, was written by Russian science fiction writer Alexander Belyaev. It was first published in 1929.
Plot of the novel
The action of the novel "Seller of Air", a summary of which you can read in this article, takes place in Yakutia. And in one of the most dangerous and extreme points - at the pole of the cold. The story is told by meteorologist Klimenko, who came here on duty.
A young meteorologist who recently graduated from the institute arrives in Yakutia to begin a detailed study of changes in the Earth’s air currents. Recently, scientists around the world have begun to observe a strange phenomenon - these currents are becoming more and more, their nature is not fully understood.
In the novel by A. R. Belyaev, "Seller of Air," a summary of which is given in this article, Klimenko goes on a mini-expedition to the dangerous spurs of the Verkhoyansk Range. Together with him is a Yakut named Nikolai, his assistant in all household affairs and a guide.
On the way, they meet an unknown person whom they have to save. He says that he is a member of the English expedition. The rescued scientist warns that it is dangerous to go further, especially in the wind. But after that, he suddenly retires precisely in the direction in which he did not advise our heroes to go.
Let's hit the road
From the novel "Air Seller," a summary of which you can read in this article, we learn that no warnings stop the heroes. They move on to their goal. They need to find out where the strong winds blow. To do this, they go beyond the dangerous spurs of the ridge. It turns out that behind them is the crater of a huge volcano. A terrible hurricane wind rises, which almost at one moment sucks in the crater of the volcano and Klimenko, and its conductor Nicholas.
In the novel "Air Seller" Belyaev, whose brief content allows you to get acquainted with the plot in detail, the characters simply miraculously survive. Having come to their senses, they realize that they are in a secret factory. This factory is carefully hidden from the eyes of strangers in the mountain. Its owner is a certain Mr. Bailey. It soon turns out that this is the same Englishman whom they saved at the very beginning of the novel.
Secret factory
In the novel "Air Seller" by Alexander Belyaev, a brief summary of which is given in this article, it is said that the Englishman works closely with a chemist from Sweden named Engelbrekt. In this secret factory, they achieved unprecedented results in the scientific world. They managed to split the air into components. First they liquefy it from the atmosphere, and then they get hydrogen, oxygen and helium. It is in those proportions in which they are contained in the air.
All this is done in order to transfer air to a state in which the distance between the molecules is very significant. The Englishman Bailey himself, communicating with the main characters of the novel "The Seller of the Air" (a brief summary can not be found - it is in this article), says that in the end it turns out one ball of a very small size. It contains condensed oxygen, whose weight is about one million tons. At the same time, one cannot be completely sure of the truthfulness of the words of a businessman, because no one has yet succeeded in weighing such an object.
Bailey's idea
From the novel "The Seller of Air" (a brief summary of the chapters gives a detailed idea of the plot of the work), it becomes clear why this is all done.
The products that Bailey receives from atmospheric air, he stores in a specially equipped room in his factory. It maintains a very low temperature. Therefore, you can only enter if you are dressed in a special suit that will protect a person from the effects of severe frost and cold.
What Bailey does in his factory ultimately leads to global climate change around the world. But this does not bother the Englishman at all.
Even when Klimenko begins to tell him in detail what such activities lead to. The fact is that planet Earth is just starting to lose its atmosphere. Because of this, a catastrophic shortage of air will begin in the near future in the world. A resource that no one has ever stored or stored, because it seemed that it would always be inexhaustible.
Panic in the world
The coming deficit is leading to panic throughout the world. Millions of people are seriously beginning to fear for their lives because they are afraid to suffocate due to a lack of oxygen. Then the air becomes a subject for sale. The real product that you can buy. And for him, and this is the most important thing, there is a demand.
The world is panicked, but no one in the whole world understands what is really happening. Because of what is such a catastrophic environmental situation.
The daughter of a Swedish chemist named Nora comes to the rescue. She is not happy with the current state of affairs, so she helps organize the escape to Nikolai. Now his goal is to tell people about everything he saw.
The finale of the novel
When the Soviet government finds out what caused such a catastrophic situation in the world, detachments of the Red Army are sent to fight the Bailey factory.
But Bailey has something to oppose them. He demonstrates in response a powerful weapon. It is based on the evaporation of solid air. It is very difficult to counter such an opponent. In addition, he clearly demonstrates what the destruction of his factory will lead to. He releases only part of the air he has gained. This leads to an avalanche-like explosive evaporation, due to which Siberia and Europe actually disappear from the face of the Earth. Moreover, due to an error in his own calculations, the Englishman himself almost dies.
Western governments decide to make concessions and start cooperation with him. The struggle with Bailey continues to lead only the USSR.
Here Nora's suicide takes place, which could not bear the strong pressure that fell upon her. After that, the Swedish professor Engelbrekt passes to Klimenko’s side. Bailey is actually left alone.
At this moment, the advance detachment of the Red Army comes to the rescue. Nicholas tells them the way with which you can get inside the base.
Soldiers burst into the office to Bailey. Out of fear of the Bolsheviks that arose before him, he commits suicide by swallowing several beads of condensed air. To prevent a large-scale explosion of Bailey’s body, he manages to drag him to the observation deck and at the last moment throw him over the railing.