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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Ultimate Weapon + +Author: John Wood Campbell + +Illustrator: Gerald McConnell + +Release Date: December 10, 2007 [EBook #23790] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ULTIMATE WEAPON *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + + + + + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 308px;"> +<img src="images/001.jpg" width="308" height="500" alt="When star fights star, is chaos the best defense?" title="" /> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>RED SUN RISING</h2> + + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The star Mira was unpredictably variable. Sometimes +it was blazing, brilliant and hot. Other times it was oddly +dim, cool, shedding little warmth on its many planets. +Gresth Gkae, leader of the Mirans, was seeking a better +star, one to which his "people" could migrate. That star +had to be steady, reliable, with a good planetary system. +And in his astronomical searching, he found Sol.</p> + +<p>With hundreds of ships, each larger than whole +Terrestrial spaceports, and traveling faster than the speed +of light, the Mirans set out to move in to Solar regions +and take over.</p> + +<p>And on Earth there was nothing which would be capable +of beating off this incredible armada—until Buck +Kendall stumbled upon THE ULTIMATE WEAPON.</p></div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="blockquot"><p><b>JOHN W. CAMPBELL</b> first started writing in 1930 when +his first short story, <i>When the Atoms Failed</i>, was accepted +by a science-fiction magazine. At that time he +was twenty years old and still a student at college. As the +title of the story indicates, he was even at that time +occupied with the significance of atomic energy and +nuclear physics.</p> + +<p>For the next seven years, Campbell, bolstered by a +scientific background that ran from childhood experiments, +to study at Duke University and the Massachusetts +Institute of Technology, wrote and sold science-fiction, +achieving for himself an enviable reputation in the field.</p> + +<p>In 1937 he became the editor of <i>Astounding Stories</i> +magazine and applied himself at once to the task of +bettering the magazine and the field of s-f writing +in general. His influence on science-fiction since then +has been great. Today he still remains as the editor of +that magazine's evolved and redesigned successor, +<i>Analog</i>.</p></div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + + + +<h1><big>THE<br /> +ULTIMATE<br /> +WEAPON</big></h1> + +<h2 style="font-weight: normal;">by<br /> +JOHN W. CAMPBELL</h2> + + +<p class="pub1">ACE BOOKS, INC.<br /> +1120 Avenue of the Americas<br /> +New York, N.Y. 10036</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p class="pub2"><small>THE ULTIMATE WEAPON</small><br /> +Copyright, 1936, by John W. Campbell<br /> +Originally published as a serial in <i>Amazing Stories</i> under +the title of <i>Uncertainty</i>.<br /> +All Rights Reserved</p> + + +<p class="center"><i>Cover by Gerald McConnell</i></p> + + +<p class="pub1">Printed in U.S.A.</p> + +<div class="trans1"><p class="trnhd">Transcriber's Note</p> +<p>Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright +on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors +have been corrected without note.</p> + +<p>A table of contents, though not present in the original publication, +has been provided below:</p> + +<ul><li><a href="#I">I</a></li> +<li><a href="#II">II</a></li> +<li><a href="#III">III</a></li> +<li><a href="#IV">IV</a></li> +<li><a href="#V">V</a></li> +<li><a href="#VI">VI</a></li> +<li><a href="#VII">VII</a></li> +<li><a href="#VIII">VIII</a></li> +<li><a href="#IX">IX</a></li> +<li><a href="#X">X</a></li> +<li><a href="#XI">XI</a></li> +<li><a href="#XII">XII</a></li> +<li><a href="#EPILOGUE">EPILOGUE</a></li></ul> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/002.png" width="600" height="289" alt="" title="" /> +</div> +<h2><a name="I" id="I"></a>I</h2> + + +<p class="cap"><span class="smcap">Patrol Cruiser</span> "IP-T 247" circling out toward +Pluto on leisurely inspection tour to visit the outpost +miners there, was in no hurry at all as she loafed along. Her +six-man crew was taking it very easy, and easy meant two-man +watches, and low speed, to watch for the instrument +panel and attend ship into the bargain.</p> + +<p>She was about thirty million miles off Pluto, just beginning +to get in touch with some of the larger mining stations out +there, when Buck Kendall's turn at the controls came along. +Buck Kendall was one of life's little jokes. When Nature +made him, she was absentminded. Buck stood six feet two +in his stocking feet, with his usual slight stoop in operation. +When he forgot, and stood up straight, he loomed about +two inches higher. He had the body and muscles of a dock +navvy, which Nature started out to make. Then she forgot +and added something of the same stuff she put in Sir +Francis Drake. Maybe that made Old Nature nervous, and +she started adding different things. At any rate, Kendall, +as finally turned out, had a brain that put him in the first +rank of scientists—when he felt like it—the general constitution +of an ostrich and a flair for gambling.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span></p> + +<p>The present position was due to such a gamble. An IP +man, a friend of his, had made the mistake of betting him a +thousand dollars he wouldn't get beyond a Captain's bars +in the Patrol. Kendall had liked the idea anyway, and adding +a bit of a bet to it made it irresistible. So, being a very +particular kind of a fool, the glorious kind which old Nature +turns out now and then, he left a five million dollar estate on +Long Island, Terra, that same evening, and joined up in the +Patrol. The Sir Francis Drake strain had immediately come +forth—and Kendall was having the time of his life. In a six-man +cruiser, his real work in the Interplanetary Patrol had +started. He was still in it—but it was his command now, +and a blue circle on his left sleeve gave his lieutenant's rank.</p> + +<p>Buck Kendall had immediately proceeded to enlist in his +command the IP man who had made the mistaken bet, and +Rad Cole was on duty with him now. Cole was the technician +of the T-247. His rank as Technical Engineer was practically +equivalent to Kendall's circle-rank, which made the two +more comfortable together.</p> + +<p>Cole was listening carefully to the signals coming through +from Pluto. "That," he decided, "sounds like Tad Nichols' +fist. You can recognize that broken-down truck-horse trot +of his on the key as far away as you can hear it."</p> + +<p>"Is that what it is?" sighed Buck. "I thought it was +static mushing him at first. What's he like?"</p> + +<p>"Like all the other damn fools who come out two billion +miles to scratch rock, as if there weren't enough already +on the inner planets. He's got a rich platinum property. +Sells ninety percent of his output to buy his power, +and the other eleven percent for his clothes and food."</p> + +<p>"He must be an efficient miner," suggested Kendall, "to +maintain 101% production like that."</p> + +<p>"No, but his bank account is. He's figured out that's the +most economic level of production. If he produces less, he +won't be able to pay for his heating power, and if he produces +more, his operation power will burn up his bank account +too fast."</p> + +<p>"Hmmm—sensible way to figure. A man after my own<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> +heart. How does he plan to restock his bank account?"</p> + +<p>"By mining on Mercury. He does it regularly—sort of a +commuter. Out here his power bills eat it up. On Mercury +he goes in for potassium, and sells the power he collects +in cooling his dome, of course. He's a good miner, and the +old fool can make money down there." Like any really skilled +operator, Cole had been sending Morse messages while he +talked. Now he sat quiet waiting for the reply, glancing at +the chronometer.</p> + +<p>"I take it he's not after money—just after fun," suggested +Buck.</p> + +<p>"Oh, no. He's after money," replied Cole gravely. "You +ask him—he's going to make his eternal fortune yet by +striking a real bed of jovium, and then he'll retire."</p> + +<p>"Oh, one of that kind."</p> + +<p>"They all are," Cole laughed. "Eternal hope, and the rest +of it." He listened a moment and went on. "But old Nichols is +a first-grade engineer. He wouldn't be able to remake that +bankroll every time if he wasn't. You'll see his Dome out +there on Pluto—it's always the best on the planet. Tip-top +shape. And he's a bit of an experimenter too. Ah—he's with +us."</p> + +<p>Nichols' ragged signals were coming through—or pounding +through. They were worse than usual, and at first Kendall +and Cole couldn't make them out. Then finally they got them +in bursts. The man was excited, and his bad key-work +made it worse. "—Randing stopped. They got him I think. +He said—th—ship as big—a—nsport. Said it wa—eaded my—ay. +Neutrons—on instruments—he's coming over the horizon—it's +huge—war ship I think—register—instru—neutrons—." +Abruptly the signals were blanked out completely.</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>Cole and Kendall sat frozen and stiff. Each looked at the +other abruptly, then Kendall moved. From the receiver, he +ripped out the recording coil, and instantly jammed it into +the analyzer. He started it through once, then again, then +again, at different tone settings, till he found a very shrill<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> +whine that seemed to clear up most of Nichols' bad key-work. +"T-247—T-247—Emergency. Emergency. Randing reports +the—over his horizon. Huge—ip—reign manufacture. +Almost spherical. Randing's stopped. They got him I think. +He said the ship was as big as a transport. Said it was +headed my way. Neutrons—ont—gister—instruments. I think—is +h—he's coming over the horizon. It's huge, and a war +ship I think—register—instruments—neutrons."</p> + +<p>Kendall's finger stabbed out at a button. Instantly the +noise of the other men, wakened abruptly by the mild +shocks, came from behind. Kendall swung to the controls, +and Cole raced back to the engine room. The hundred-foot +ship shot suddenly forward under the thrust of her +tail ion-rockets. A blue-red cloud formed slowly behind her +and expanded. Talbot appeared, and silently took her over +from Kendall. "Stations, men," snapped Kendall. "Emergency +call from a miner of Pluto reporting a large armed vessel +which attacked them." Kendall swung back, and eased himself +against the thrusting acceleration of the over-powered +little ship, toward the engine room. Cole was bending over +his apparatus, making careful check-ups, closing weapon-circuits. +No window gave view of space here; on the left +was the tiny tender's pocket, on the right, above and below +the great water tanks that fed the ion-rockets, behind the +rockets themselves. The tungsten metal walls were cold and +gray under the ship lights; the hunched bulks of the apparatus +crowded the tiny room. Gigantic racked accumulators +huddled in the corners. Martin and Garnet swung into position +in the fighting-tanks just ahead of the power rooms; +Canning slid rapidly through the engine room, oozed through +a tiny door, and took up his position in the stern-chamber, +seated half-over the great ion-rocket sheath.</p> + +<p>"Ready in positions, Captain Kendall," called the war-pilot +as the little green lights appeared on his board.</p> + +<p>"Test discharges on maximum," ordered Kendall. He turned +to Cole. "You start the automatic key?"</p> + +<p>"Right, Captain."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span></p> + +<p>"All shipshape?"</p> + +<p>"Right as can be. Accumulators at thirty-seven per cent, +thanks to the loaf out here. They ought to pick up our +signal back on Jupiter, he's nearest now. The station on +Europa will get it."</p> + +<p>"Talbot—we are only to investigate if the ship is as reported. +Have you seen any signs of her?"</p> + +<p>"No sir, and the signals are blank."</p> + +<p>"I'll work from here." Kendall took his position at the +commanding control. Cole made way for him, and moved +to the power board. One by one he tested the automatic +doors, the pressure bulkheads. Kendall watched the instruments +as one after another of the weapons were tested on +momentary full discharge—titanic flames of five million volt +protons. Then the ship thudded to the chatter of the Garnell +rifles.</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>Tensely the men watched the planet ahead, white, yet +barely visible in the weak sunlight so far out. It was swimming +slowly nearer as the tiny ship gathered speed.</p> + +<p>Kendall cast a glance over his detector-instruments. The +radio network was undisturbed, the magnetic and electric +fields recognized only the slight disturbances occasioned by +the planet itself. There was nothing, noth—</p> + +<p>Five hundred miles away, a gigantic ship came into instantaneous +being. Simultaneously, and instantaneously, the +various detector systems howled their warnings. Kendall +gasped as the thing appeared on his view screen, with the +scale-lines below. The scale must be cock-eyed. They said +the ship was fifteen hundred feet in diameter, and two +thousand long!</p> + +<p>"Retreat," ordered Kendall, "at maximum acceleration."</p> + +<p>Talbot was already acting. The gyroscopes hummed in +their castings, and the motors creaked. The T-247 spun on +her axis, and abruptly the acceleration built up as the ion-rockets +began to shudder. A faint smell of "heat" began to +creep out of the converter. Immense "weight" built up, +and pressed the men into their specially designed seats<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span>—</p> + +<p>The gigantic ship across the way turned slowly, and +seemed to stare at the T-247. Then it darted toward them +at incredible speed till the poor little T-247 seemed to be +standing still, as sailors say. The stranger was so gigantic +now, the screens could not show all of him.</p> + +<p>"God, Buck—he's going to take us!"</p> + +<p>Simultaneously, the T-247 rolled, and from her broke every +possible stream of destruction. The ion-rocket flames swirled +abruptly toward her, the proton-guns whined their song of +death in their housings, and the heavy pounding shudder of +the Garnell guns racked the ship.</p> + +<p>Strangely, Kendall suddenly noticed, there was a stillness +in the ship. The guns and the rays were still going—but +the little human sounds seemed abruptly gone.</p> + +<p>"Talbot—Garnet—" Only silence answered him. Cole +looked across at him in sudden white-faced amazement.</p> + +<p>"They're gone—" gasped Cole.</p> + +<p>Kendall stood paralyzed for thirty seconds. Then suddenly +he seemed to come to life. "Neutrons! Neutrons—and +water tanks! Old Nichols was right—" He turned to his +friend. "Cole—the tender—quick." He darted a glance at +the screen. The giant ship still lay alongside. A wash of +ions was curling around her, splitting, and passing on. The +pinprick explosions of the Garnell shells dotted space around +her—but never on her.</p> + +<p>Cole was already racing for the tender lock. In an instant +Kendall piled in after him. The tiny ship, scarcely ten feet +long, was powered for flights of only two hours acceleration, +and had oxygen for but twenty-four hours for six +men, seventy-two hours for two men—maybe. The heavy +door was slammed shut behind them, as Cole seated himself +at the panel. He depressed a lever, and a sudden smooth +push shot them away from the T-247.</p> + +<p>"DON'T!" called Kendall sharply as Cole reached for the +ion-rocket control. "Douse those lights!" The ship was dark +in dark space. The lighted hull of the T-247 drifted away +from the little tender—further and further till the giant ship +on the far side became visible.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Not a light—not a sign of fields in operation." Kendall +said, unconsciously speaking softly. "This thing is so tiny, that +it may escape their observation in the fields of the T-247 and +Pluto down there. It's our only hope."</p> + +<p>"What happened? How in the name of the planets did +they kill those men without a sound, without a flash, and +without even warning us, or injuring us?"</p> + +<p>"Neutrons—don't you see?"</p> + +<p>"Frankly, I don't. I'm no scientist—merely a technician. +Neutrons aren't used in any process I've run across."</p> + +<p>"Well, remember they're uncharged, tiny things. Small +as protons, but without electric field. The result is they +pass right through an ordinary atom without being stopped +unless they make a direct hit. Tungsten, while it has a beautifully +high melting point, is mostly open space, and a neutron +just sails right through it, or any heavy atom. Light atoms stop +neutrons better—there's less open space in 'em. Hydrogen +is best. Well—a man is made up mostly of light elements, +and a man stops those neutrons—it isn't surprising it killed +those other fellows invisibly, and without a sound."</p> + +<p>"You mean they bathed that ship in neutrons?"</p> + +<p>"Shot it full of 'em. Just like our proton guns, only sending +neutrons."</p> + +<p>"Well, why weren't we killed too?"</p> + +<p>"'Water stops neutrons,' I said. Figure it out."</p> + +<p>"The rocket-water tanks—all around us! Great masses of +water—" gasped Cole. "That saved us?"</p> + +<p>"Right. I wonder if they've spotted us."</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>The stranger ship was moving slowly in relation to the T-247. +Suddenly the motion changed, the stranger spun—and a +giant lock appeared in her side, opened. The T-247 began +to move, floated more and more rapidly straight for the +lock. Her various weapons had stopped operating now, the +hoppers of the Garnell guns exhausted, the charge of the accumulators +aboard the ship down so low the proton guns +had died out.</p> + +<p>"Lord—they're taking the whole ship!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Say—Cole, is that any ship you ever heard of before? +<i>I don't think that's just a pirate!</i>"</p> + +<p>"Not a pirate—what then?"</p> + +<p>"How'd he get inside our detector screens so fast? Watch—he'll +either leave, or come after us—" The T-247 had +settled inside the lock now, and the great metal door closed +after it. The whole patrol ship had been swallowed by a +giant. Kendall was sketching swiftly on a notebook, watching +the vast ship closely, putting down a record of its lines, and +formation. He glanced up at it, and then down for a few +more lines, and up at it—</p> + +<p>The stranger ship abruptly dwindled. It dwindled with +incredible speed, rushing off along the line of sight at an +impossible velocity, and abruptly clicking out of sight, like +an image on a movie-film that has been cut, and repaired +after the scene that showed the final disappearance.</p> + +<p>"Cole—Cole—did you get that? Did you see—do you understand +what happened?" Kendall was excitedly shouting +now.</p> + +<p>"He missed us," Cole sighed. "It's a wonder—hanging out +here in space, with the protector of the T-247's fields gone."</p> + +<p>"No, no, you asteroid—that's not it. <i>He went off faster than +light itself!</i>"</p> + +<p>"Eh—what? Faster than <i>light</i>? That can't be done—"</p> + +<p>"He did it, I know he did. That's how he got inside our +screens. He came inside faster than the warning message +could relay back the information. Didn't you see him accelerate +to an impossible speed in an impossible time? Didn't +you see how he just vanished as he exceeded the speed +of light, and stopped reflecting it? <i>That ship was no ship +of this solar system!</i>"</p> + +<p>"Where did he come from then?"</p> + +<p>"God only knows, but it's a long, long way off."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="II" id="II"></a>II</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> IP-M-122 picked them up. The M-122 got out there +two days later, in response to the calls the T-247 had sent +out. As soon as she got within ten million miles of the little +tender, she began getting Cole's signals, and within twelve +hours had reached the tiny thing, located it, and picked it +up.</p> + +<p>Captain Jim Warren was in command, one of the old +school commanders of the IP. He listened to Kendall's report, +listened to Cole's tale—and radioed back a report of +his own. Space pirates in a large ship had attacked the +T-247, he said, and carried it away. He advised a close +watch. On Pluto, his investigations disclosed nothing more +than the fact that three mines had been raided, all platinum +supplies taken, and the records and machinery removed.</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>The M-122 was a fifty-man patrol cruiser, and Warren +felt sure he could handle the menace alone, and hung around +for over two weeks looking for it. He saw nothing, and no +further reports came of attack. Again and again, Kendall tried +to convince him this ship he was hunting was no mere space +pirate, and again and again Warren grunted, and went +on his way. He would not send in any report Kendall made +out, because to do so would add his endorsement to that +report. He would not take Kendall back, though that was +well within his authority.</p> + +<p>In fact, it was a full month before Kendall again set +foot on any of the Minor Planets, and then it was Mars, +the base of the M-122. Kendall and Cole took passage<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> +immediately on an IP supply ship, and landed in New York +six days later. At once, Kendall headed for Commander +McLaurin's office. Buck Kendall, lieutenant of the IP, found +he would have to make regular application to see McLaurin +through a dozen intermediate officers.</p> + +<p>By this time, Kendall was savagely determined to see +McLaurin himself, and see him in the least possible time. +Cole, too, was beginning to believe in Kendall's assertion +of the stranger ship's extra-systemic origin. As yet neither +could understand the strange actions of the machine, its +attack on the Pluto mines, and the capture and theft of a +patrol ship.</p> + +<p>"There is," said Kendall angrily, "just one way to see McLaurin +and see him quick. And, by God, I'm going to. Will +you resign with me, Cole? I'll see him within a week then, +I'll bet."</p> + +<p>For a minute, Cole hesitated. Then he shook hands with +his friends. "Today!" And that day it was. They resigned, together. +Immediately, Buck Kendall got the machinery in motion +for an interview, working now from the outside, pulling +the strings with the weight of a hundred million dollar fortune. +Even the IP officers had to pay a bit of attention when +Bernard Kendall, multi-millionaire began talking and demanding +things. Within a week, Kendall <i>did</i> see McLaurin.</p> + +<p>At that time, McLaurin was fifty-three years old, his crisp +hair still black as space, with scarcely a touch of the gray +that appears in his more recent photographs. He stood six +feet tall, a broad-shouldered, powerful man, his face grave +with lines of intelligence and character. There was also a +permanent narrowing of the eyes, from years under the blazing +sun of space. But most of all, while those years in space +had narrowed and set his eyes, they had not narrowed and +set his mind. An infinitely finer character than old Jim +Warren, his experience in space had taught him always to +expect the unexpected, to understand the incomprehensible +as being part of the unknown and incalculable properties of +space and the worlds that swam in it. Besides the fine technical +education he had started with, he had acquired a liberal<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> +education in mankind. When Buck Kendall, straight and +powerful, came into his office with Cole, he recognized in him +a character that would drive steadily and straight for its +goal. Also, he recognized behind the millionaire that had +succeeded in pulling wires enough to see him, the scientist +who had had more than one paper published "in an amateur +way."</p> + +<p>"Dr. Bernard Kendall?" he asked, rising.</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir. Late Buck Kendall, lieutenant of the IP. I quit +and got Cole here to quit with me, so we could see you."</p> + +<p>"Unusual tactics. I've had several men join up to get an +interview with me." McLaurin smiled.</p> + +<p>"Yes, I can imagine that, but we had to see you in a +hurry. A hidebound old rapscallion by the name of Jim +Warren picked us up out by Pluto, floating around in a six-man +tender. We made some reports to him, but he wouldn't +believe, and he wouldn't send them through—so we had to +send ourselves through. Sir, this system is about to be attacked +by some extra-systemic race. The IP-T-247 was so +attacked, her crew killed off, and the ship itself carried away."</p> + +<p>"I got the report Captain Jim Warren sent through, stating +it was a gang of space pirates. Now what makes you believe +otherwise?"</p> + +<p>"That ship that attacked us, attacked with a neutron +gun, a gun that shot neutrons through the hull of our ship +as easily as protons pass through open space. Those neutrons +killed off four of the crew, and spared us only because +we happened to be behind the water tanks. Masses of +hydrogen will stop neutrons, so we lived, and escaped in +the tender. The little tender, lightless, escaped their observation, +and we were picked up. Now, when the 247 had +been picked up, and locked into their ship, that ship started +accelerating. It accelerated so fast along my line of sight +that it just dwindled, and—vanished. It didn't vanish in +distance, it vanished <i>because it exceeded the speed of light</i>."</p> + +<p>"Isn't that impossible?"</p> + +<p>"Not at all. It can be done—if you can find some way of +escaping from this space to do it. Now if you could cut<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> +across through a higher dimension, your <i>projection</i> in this +dimension might easily exceed the speed of light. For instance, +if I could cut directly through the Earth, at a speed +of one thousand miles an hour, my projection on the surface +would go twelve thousand miles while I was going eight. +Similar, if you could cut <i>through</i> the four dimensional space +instead of following its surface, you'd attain a speed greater +than light."</p> + +<p>"Might it not still be a space pirate? That's a lot easier +to believe, even allowing your statement that he exceeded +the speed of light."</p> + +<p>"If you invented a neutron gun which could kill through +tungsten walls without injuring anything within, a system +of accelerating a ship that didn't affect the inhabitants of that +ship, and a means of exceeding the speed of light, all within +a few months of each other, would you become a pirate? +I wouldn't, and I don't think any one else would. A pirate +is a man who seeks adventure and relief from work. Given +a means of exceeding the speed of light, I'd get all the adventure +I wanted investigating other planets. If I didn't +have a cent before, I'd have relief from work by selling it for +a few hundred millions—and I'd sell it mighty easily too, +for an invention like that is worth an incalculable sum. Tie +to that the value of compensated acceleration, and no +man's going to turn pirate. He can make more millions selling +his inventions than he can make thousands turning +pirate with them. So who'd turn pirate?"</p> + +<p>"Right." McLaurin nodded. "I see your point. Now before +I'd accept your statements <i>in re</i> the 'speed of light' +thing, I'd want opinions from some IP physicists."</p> + +<p>"Then let's have a conference, because something's got to +be done soon. I don't know why we haven't heard further +from that fellow."</p> + +<p>"Privately—we have," McLaurin said in a slightly worried +tone. "He was detected by the instruments of every +IP observatory I suspect. We got the reports but didn't +know what to make of them. They indicated so many funny +things, they were sent in as accidental misreadings of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> +instruments. But since <i>all</i> the observatories reported them, +similar misreadings, at about the same times, that is with +variations of only a few hours, we thought something must +have been up. The only thing was the phenomena were +reported progressively from Pluto to Neptune, clear across the +solar system, in a definite progression, but at a velocity of +crossing that didn't tie in with any conceivable force. They +crossed faster than the velocity of light. That ship must have +spent about half an hour off each planet before passing on +to the next. And, accepting your faster-than-light explanation, +we can understand it."</p> + +<p>"Then I think you have proof."</p> + +<p>"If we have, what would you do about it?"</p> + +<p>"Get to work on those 'misreadings' of the instruments +for one thing, and for a second, and more important, line +every IP ship with paraffin blocks six inches thick."</p> + +<p>"Paraffin—why?"</p> + +<p>"The easiest form of hydrogen to get. You can't use solid +hydrogen, because that melts too easily. Water can be turned +into steam too easily, and requires more work. Paraffin +is a solid that's largely hydrogen. That's what they've +always used on neutrons since they discovered them. Confine +your paraffin between tungsten walls, and you'll stop +the secondary protons as well as the neutrons."</p> + +<p>"Hmmm—I suppose so. How about seeing those physicists?"</p> + +<p>"I'd like to see them today, sir. The sooner you get +started on this work, the better it will be for the IP."</p> + +<p>"Having seen me, will you join up in the IP again?" +asked McLaurin.</p> + +<p>"No, sir, I don't think I will. I have another field you +know, in which I may be more useful. Cole here's a better +technician than fighter—and a darned good fighter, too—and +I think that an inexperienced space-captain is a lot +less useful than a second-rate physicist at work in a laboratory. +If we hope to get anywhere, or for that matter, I +suspect, stay anywhere, we'll have to do a lot of research +pretty promptly."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span></p> + +<p>"What's your explanation of that ship?"</p> + +<p>"One of two things: an inventor of some other system +trying out his latest toy, or an expedition sent out by a +planetary government for exploration. I favor the latter for +two reasons: that ship was <i>big</i>. No inventor would build a +thing that size, requiring a crew of several hundred men to +try out his invention. A government would build just about +that if they wanted to send out an expedition. If it were an +inventor, he'd be interested in meeting other people, to see +what they had in the way of science, and probably he'd +want to do it in a peaceable way. That fellow wasn't interested +in peace, by any means. So I think it's a government +ship, and an unfriendly government. They sent that ship +out either for scientific research, for trade research and +exploration, or for acquisitive exploration. If they were out +for scientific research, they'd proceed as would the inventor, +to establish friendly communication. If they were out +for trade, the same would apply. If they were out for acquisitive +exploration, they'd investigate the planets, the sun, +the people, only to the extent of learning how best to +overcome them. They'd want to get a sample of our people, +and a sample of our weapons. They'd want samples of our +machinery, our literature and our technology. That's exactly +what that ship got.</p> + +<p>"Somebody, somewhere out there in space, either doesn't +like their home, or wants more home. They've been out +looking for one. I'll bet they sent out hundreds of expeditions +to thousands of nearby stars, gradually going further +and further, seeking a planetary system. This is probably +the one and only one they found. It's a good one too. +It has planets at all temperatures, of all sizes. It is a fairly +compact one, it has a stable sun that will last far longer than +any race can hope to."</p> + +<p>"Hmm—how can there be good and bad planetary systems?" +asked McLaurin. "I'd never thought of that."</p> + +<p>Kendall laughed. "Mighty easy. How'd you like to live +on a planet of a Cepheid Variable? Pleasant situation, with +the radiation flaring up and down. How'd you like to live on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> +a planet of Antares? That blasted sun is so big, to have a +comfortable planet you'd have to be at least ten billion miles +out. Then if you had an interplanetary commerce, you'd +have to struggle with orbits tens of billions of miles across +instead of mere millions. Further, you'd have a sun so blasted +big, it would take an impossible amount of energy to lift +the ship up from one planet to another. If your trip was, +say, twenty billions of miles to the next planet, you'd be +fighting a gravity as bad as the solar gravity at Earth +here all the way—no decline with a little distance like +that."</p> + +<p>"H-m-m-m—quite true. Then I should say that Mira +would take the prize. It's a red giant, and it's an irregular +variable. The sunlight there would be as unstable as the +weather in New England. It's almost as big as Antares, and +it won't hold still. Now that <i>would</i> make a bad planetary +system."</p> + +<p>"It would!" Kendall laughed. But as we know—he laughed +too soon, and he shouldn't have used the conditional. He +should have said, "It does!"</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="III" id="III"></a>III</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Gresth Gkae</span>, Commander of Expeditionary Force 93, of +the Planet Sthor, was returning homeward with joyful mind. +In the lock of his great ship, lay the T-247. In her cargo +holds lay various items of machinery, mining supplies, foods, +and records. And in her log books lay the records of many +readings on the nine larger planets of a highly satisfactory +planetary system.</p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae had spent no less than three ultra-wearing +years going from one sun to another in a definitely mapped +out section of space. He had investigated only eleven stars in +that time, eleven stars, progressively further from the titanic +red-flaming sun he knew as "the" sun. He knew it as +"the" sun, and had several other appellations for it. Mira +was so-named by Earthmen because it was indeed a "wonder" +star, in Latin, mirare means "to wonder." Irregularly, and +for no apparent reason it would change its rate of radiation. +So far as those inhabitants of Sthor and her sister world Asthor +knew, there was no reason. It just did it. Perhaps with +malicious intent to be annoying. If so, it was exceptionally +successful. Sthor and Asthor experienced, periodically, a +young ice age. When Mira decided to take a rest, Sthor +and Asthor froze up, from the poles most of the way to the +equators. Then Mira would stretch herself a little, move +about restlessly and Sthor and Asthor would become uninhabitably +hot, anywhere within twenty degrees of the +equator.</p> + +<p>Those Sthorian people had evolved in a way that made +the conditions endurable for savage or uncivilized people,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> +but when a scientific civilization with a well-ordered mode of +existence tried to establish itself, Mira was all sorts of a +nuisance.</p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae was a peculiar individual to human ways of +thinking. He stood some seven feet tall, on his strange, double-kneed +legs and his four toed feet. His body was covered +with little, short feather-like things that moved now with a +volition of their own. They were moving very slowly and +regularly. The space-ship was heated to a comfortable +temperature, and the little fans were helping to cool Gresth +Gkae. Had it been cold, every little feather would have +lain down close against its neighbors, forming an admirable, +wind-proof and cold-proof blanket.</p> + +<p>Nature, on Sthor, had original ideas of arrangement too. +Sthorians possessed two eyes—one directly above the other, +in the center of their faces. The face was so long, and narrow, +it resembled a blunt hatchet, with the two eyes on the +edge. To counter-balance this vertical arrangement of the +eyes, the nostrils had been separated some four inches, with +one on each of the sloping cheeks. His ears were little pink-flesh +cups on short, muscular stems. His mouth was narrow, +and small, but armed with quite solid teeth adapted to +his diet, a diet consisting of almost anything any creature +had ever considered edible. Like most successful forms of +intelligent life, Gresth Gkae was omnivorous. An intelligent +form of life is necessarily adaptable, and adaptation meant +being able to eat what was at hand.</p> + +<p>One of his eyes, the upper one, was fully twice the size +of the lower one. This was his telescopic eye. The lower, or +microscopic eye was adapted to work for which a human +being would have required a low power microscope, the +upper eye possessed a more normal power of vision, <i>plus</i> +considerable telescopic powers.</p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae was using it now to look ahead in the blank +of space to where gigantic Mira appeared. On his screens +now, Mira appeared deep violet, for he was approaching +at a speed greater than that of light, and even this projected +light of Mira was badly distorted.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span></p> + +<p>"The distance is half a light-year now, sir," reported the +navigation officer.</p> + +<p>"Reduce the speed, then, to normal velocity for these +ranges. What reserve of fuel have we?"</p> + +<p>"Less than one thousand pounds. We will barely be able +to stop. We were too free in the use of our weapons, +I fear," replied the Chief Technician.</p> + +<p>"Well, what would you? We needed those things in our +reports. Besides, we could extract fuel from that ore we took +on at Planet Nine of Phahlo. It is merely that I wish speed +in the return."</p> + +<p>"As we all do. How soon do you believe the Council will +proceed against the new system?"</p> + +<p>"It will be fully a year, I fear. They must gather the +expeditions together, and re-equip the ships. It will be a +long time before all will have come in."</p> + +<p>"Could they not send fast ships after them to recall +them?"</p> + +<p>"Could they have traced us as we wove our way from +Thart to Karst to Raloork to Phahlo? It would be impossible."</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>Steadily the great ship had been boring on her way. Mira +had been a disc for nearly two days, gigantic, two-hundred-and-fifty-million-mile +Mira took a great deal of dwarfing by +distance to lose her disc. Even at the Twin Planets, eight +thousand two hundred and fifty millions of miles out, Mira +covered half the sky, it seemed, red and angry. Sometimes, +though, to the disgust of the Sthorians it was just red-faced +and lazy. Then Sthor froze.</p> + +<p>"Grih is in a descendant stage," said the navigation officer +presently. "Sthor will be cold when we arrive."</p> + +<p>"It will warm quickly enough with our news!" Gresth +laughed. "A system—a delightful system—discovered. A +system of many close-grouped planets. Why think—from one +side of that system to the other is less of a distance than +from Ansthat, our first planet's orbit, to Insthor's orbit! That +sun, as we know, is steady and warm. All will be well, when +we have eliminated that rather peculiar race. Odd, that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> +they should, in some ways, be so nearly like us! Nearly Sthorian +in build. I would not have expected it. Though they +did have some amazing peculiarities! Imagine—two eyes +just alike, and in a horizontal row. And that flat face. +They looked as though they had suffered some accident +that smashed the front of the face in. And also the peculiar +beak-like projection. Why should a race ever develop so +amazing a projection in so peculiar and exposed a position? +It sticks out inviting attack and injury. Right in the middle +of the face. And to make it worse, there is the air-channel, +and the only air channel. Why, one minor injury to the throat +would be certain to damage that passage beyond repair, and +bring death. Yet such relatively unimportant things as ears, +and eyes are doubled. Surely you would expect that so important +a member as the air-passage would be doubled +for safety.</p> + +<p>"Those strange, awkward arms and legs were what +puzzled me. I have been attempting to manipulate myself +as they must be forced to, and I cannot see how delicate or +accurate manual manipulation would be possible with those +rigid, inflexible arms. In some ways I feel they must have +had clever minds to overcome so great a handicap to constructive +work. But I suppose single joints in the arms become +as natural to them as our own more mobile two.</p> + +<p>"I wonder if life in any intelligent form wouldn't develop +somewhat similar formations, though. Think, in all parts of +Sthor, before men became civilized and developed communication, +even so much as twenty thousand years ago, our +records show that seats and chairs were much as they are +today, and much as they are, in all places among all groups. +Then too, the eye has developed in many different species, +and always reached much the same structure. When a thing +is intended and developed to serve a given purpose, no matter +who develops it, or where or how, is it not apt to have +similar shapes and parts? A chair must have legs, and a +seat and arm-rests and a back. You may vary their nature +and their shape, but not widely, and they must be there. +An eye must, anywhere, have a sensitive retina, an adjustable<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> +lens, and an adjustable device for controlling the entrance +of light. Similarly there are certain functions that +the body of an intelligent creature must serve which naturally +tend to make intelligent creatures similar. He must have a +tool—the hand—"</p> + +<p>"Yes, yes—I see your point. It must be so, for surely these +creatures out there are strange enough in other ways."</p> + +<p>"But tell me, have you calculated when we shall land?"</p> + +<p>"In twelve hours, thirty-three minutes, sir."</p> + +<p>Eleven hours later, the expedition ship had slowed to +a normal space-speed. On her left hung the giant globe of +Asthor, rotating slowly, moving slowly in her orbit. Directly +ahead, Sthor loomed even greater. Tiny Teelan, the thousand-mile +diameter moon of the Insthor system shone dull red +in the reflected light of gigantic Mira. Mira herself was gigantic, +red and menacing across eight and a quarter billions +of miles of space.</p> + +<p>One hundred thousand miles apart, the twin worlds Sthor +and Asthor rotated about their common center of gravity, +eternally facing each other. Ten million miles from their common +center of gravity, Teelan rotated in a vast orbit.</p> + +<p>Sthor and Asthor were capped at each pole now by gigantic +white icecaps. Mira was sulking, and as a consequence +the planets were freezing.</p> + +<p>The expedition ship sank slowly toward Sthor. A swarm +of smaller craft had flown up at its approach to meet it. +A gaily-colored small ship marked the official greeting-ship. +Gresth had withheld his news purposely. Now suddenly he +began broadcasting it from the powerful transmitter on his +ship. As the words came through on a thousand sets, all +the little ships began to whirl, dance and break out into +glowing, sparkling lights. On Sthor and Asthor even commotions +began to be visible. A new planetary system had +been found— They could move! Their overflowing populations +could be spread out!</p> + +<p>The whole Insthor system went mad with delight as the +great Expeditionary Ship settled downward.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="IV" id="IV"></a>IV</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">There</span> was a glint of humor in Buck Kendall's eyes as he +passed the sheet over to McLaurin. Commander McLaurin +looked down the columns with twinkling eyes.</p> + +<p>"'Petition to establish the Lunar Mining Bank,'" he read. +"What a bank! Officers: President, General James Logan, late +of the IP; Vice-president, Colonel Warren Gerardhi, also late +of the IP; Staff, consists of 90% ex-IP men, and a few scattered +accountants. Designed by the well-known designer +of IP stations, Colonel Richard Murray." Commander McLaurin +looked up at Kendall with a broad grin. "And you +actually got Interplanetary Life to give you a mortgage on the +structure?"</p> + +<p>"Why not? It'll cut cost fifty-eight millions, with its twelve-foot +tungsten-beryllium walls and the heavy defense weapons +against those terrible pirates. You know we must defend our +property."</p> + +<p>"With the thing you're setting up out there on Luna, you +could more readily wipe out the IP than anything else I +know of. Any new defense ideas?"</p> + +<p>"Plenty. Did you get any further appropriations from the +IP Appropriations Board?"</p> + +<p>McLaurin looked sour. "No. The dear taxpayers might object, +and those thickheaded, clogged rockets on the Board +can't see your data on the Stranger. They gave me just +ten millions, and that only because you demonstrated you +could shoot every living thing out of the latest IP cruiser +with that neutron gun of yours. By the way, they may +kick when I don't install more than a few of those."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Let 'em. You can stall for a few months. You'll need that +money more for other purposes. You've installed that paraffin +lining?"</p> + +<p>"Yes—I got a report on that of 'finished' last week. How +have you made out?"</p> + +<p>Buck Kendall's face fell. "Not so hot. Devin's been the +biggest help—he did most of the work on that neutron gun +really—"</p> + +<p>"After," McLaurin interrupted, "you told him how."</p> + +<p>"—but we're pretty well stuck now, it seems. You'll be +off duty tomorrow evening, can't you drop around to the +lab? We're going to try out a new system for releasing atomic +energy."</p> + +<p>"Isn't that a pretty faint hope? We've been trying to get +it for three centuries now, and haven't yet. What chance +at it within a year or so?—which is the time you allow +yourself before the Stranger returns."</p> + +<p>"It is, I'll admit that. But there's another factor, not to +be forgotten. The data we got from correlating those 'misreadings' +from the various IP posts mean a lot. We are working +on an entirely different trail now. You come on out, and +you can see our new apparatus. They are working on tremendous +voltages, and hoping to smash the thing by a brutal +bombardment of terrific voltage. We're trying, thanks to the +results of those instruments, to get results with small, +terrifically intense fields."</p> + +<p>"How do you know that's their general system?"</p> + +<p>"They left traces on the records of the post instruments. +These records show such intensities as we never got. They +have atomic energy, necessarily, and they might have had +material energy, actual destruction of matter, but apparently, +from the field readings it's the former. To be able to make +those tremendous hops, light-years in length, they needed +a real store of energy. They have accumulators, of course, but +I don't think they could store enough power by the system +they use to do it."</p> + +<p>"Well, how's your trick 'bank' out on Luna, despite its +twelve-foot walls, going to stand an atomic explosion?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span></p> + +<p>"More protective devices to come is our only hope. I'm +working on three trails: atomic energy, some type of magnetic +shield that will stop any moving material particle, and +their faster-than-light thing. Also, that fortress—I mean, of +course, bank—is going to have a lot of lead-lined rooms."</p> + +<p>"I wish I could use the remaining money the Board gave +me to lead-line a lot of those IP ships," said McLaurin +wistfully. "Can't you make a gamma-ray bomb of some sort?"</p> + +<p>"Not without their atomic energy release. With it, of +course, it's easy to flood a region with rays. It'll be a million +times worse than radium 'C,' which is bad enough."</p> + +<p>"Well, I'll send through this petition for armaments. They'll +pass it all right, I think. They may get some kicks from old +Jacob Ezra Stubbs. Jacob Ezra doesn't believe in anything +war-like. I wish they'd find some way to keep him off of the +Arms Petition Board. He might just as well stay home +and let 'em vote his ticket uniformly 'nay.'" Buck Kendall +left with a laugh.</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>Buck Kendall had his troubles though. When he had +reached Earth again, he found that his properties totaled +one hundred and three million dollars, roughly. One doesn't +sell properties of that magnitude, one borrows against them. +But to all intents and purposes, Buck Kendall owned two +half-completed ship's hulls in the Baldwin Spaceship Yards, +a great deal of massive metal work on its way to Luna, and +contracts for some very extensive work on a "bank." Beyond +that, about eleven million was left.</p> + +<p>A large portion of the money had been invested in a +laboratory, the like of which the world had never seen. It +was devoted exclusively to physics, and principally the physics +of destruction. Dr. Paul Devin was the Director, Cole +was in charge of the technical work, and Buck Kendall +was free to do all the work he thought needed doing.</p> + +<p>Returned to his laboratory, he looked sourly at the bench +on which seven mechanicians were working. The ninth successive +experiment on the release of atomic energy had +failed. The tenth was in process of construction. A heavy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> +pure tungsten dome, three feet in diameter, three inches +thick, was being lowered over a clear insulum dome, a foot +smaller. Inside, the real apparatus was arranged around the +little pool of mercury. From it, two massive tungsten-copper +alloy conductors led through the insulum housing, and +outside. These, so Kendall had hoped, would surge with the +power of broken atoms, but he was beginning to believe +rather bitterly, they would never do so.</p> + +<p>Buck went on to his offices, and the main calculator room. +There were ten calculator tables here, two of them in operation +now.</p> + +<p>"Hello, Devin. Getting on?"</p> + +<p>"No," said Devin bitterly, "I'm getting off. Look at these +results." He brought over a sheaf of graphs, with explanatory +tables attached. Rapidly Buck ran through them with him. +Most of them were graphs of functions of light, considered +as a wave in these experiments.</p> + +<p>"H-m-m-m—not very encouraging. Looks like you've got +the field—but it just snaps shut on itself and won't work. +The lack of volume makes it break down, if you establish it, +and makes it impossible to establish in the first place without +the energy of matter. Not so hot. That's certainly cock-eyed +somewhere."</p> + +<p>"I'm not. The math may be."</p> + +<p>"Well"—Kendall grinned—"it amounts to the same thing. +The point is, light doesn't. Let's run over that theory again. +Light is not only magnetic; but electric. Somehow it transforms +electric fields cyclically into magnetic fields and back +again. Now what we want to do is to transform an electric +into a magnetic field and have it stay there. That's the first +step. The second thing, is to have the lines of magnetic force +you develop, lie down like a sheath around the ship, instead +of standing out like the hairs on an angry cat, the +way they want to. That means turning them ninety degrees, +and turning an electric into a magnetic field means turning +the space-strain ninety degrees. Light evidently forms +a magnetic field whose lines of force reach along its direction +of motion, so that's your starting point."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes, and <i>that</i>," growled Devin, "seems to be the finishing +point. Quite definitely and clearly, the graph looped down +to zero. In other words, the field closed in on itself, and +destroyed itself."</p> + +<p>"Light doesn't vanish."</p> + +<p>"I'll make you all the lights you want."</p> + +<p>"I simply mean there must be something that will stop it."</p> + +<p>"Certainly. Transform it back to electric field before it +gets a chance to close in, then repeat the process—the +way light does."</p> + +<p>"That wouldn't make such a good magnetic shield. +Every time that field started pulsing out through the walls +of the ship it would generate heat. We want a permanent +field that will stay on the job out there. I wonder if you +couldn't make a conductor device that would open that +field out—some special type of oscillating field that would +keep it open."</p> + +<p>"H-m-m-m—that's an angle I might try. Any suggestions?"</p> + +<p>Kendall had suggestions, and rapidly he outlined a development +that appeared from some of the earlier mathematics +on light, and might be what they wanted.</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>Kendall, however, had problems of his own to work on. +The question of atomic energy he was leaving alone, till +the present experiment either succeeded, or, as he rather +suspected, failed as had its predecessors. His present problem +was to develop more fully some interesting lines of research +he had run across in investigating mathematically the trick +of turning electric to magnetic fields and then turning +them back again. It might be that along this line he would +find the answer to the speed greater than that of light. +At any rate, he was interested.</p> + +<p>He worked the rest of that day, and most of the next on +that line—till he ran it into the ground with a pair of equations +that ended with the expression: dx.dv=h/(4πm). Then Kendall +looked at them for a long moment, then he sighed gently +and threw them into a file cabinet. Heisenberg's Uncertainty. +He'd reduced the thing to a form that simply told<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> +him it was beyond the limits of certainty and he ran it into +the normal, natural uncertainty inevitable in Nature.</p> + +<p>Anyway he had real work to do now. The machine was +about ready for his attention. The mechanicians had finished +putting it in shape for demonstration and trial. He himself +would have to test it over the rest of the afternoon and +arrange for power and so forth.</p> + +<p>By evening, when Commander McLaurin called around +with some of the other investors in Kendall's "bank" on Luna, +the thing was already started, warming up. The fields were +being fed and the various scientists of the group were watching +with interest. Power was flowing in already at a rate of +nearly one hundred thousand horsepower per minute, thanks +to a special line given them by New York Power (a Kendall +property). At ten o'clock they were beginning to expect the +reaction to start. By this time the fields weren't gaining in intensity +very rapidly, a maximum intensity had been reached +that should, they felt, break the atoms soon.</p> + +<p>At eleven-thirty, through the little view window, Buck Kendall +saw something that made him cry out in amazement. +The mercury metal in the receiver, behind its layers +of screening was beginning to glow, with a dull reddish +light, and little solidifications were appearing in it! Eagerly +the men looked, as the solidifications spread slowly, like +crystals growing in an evaporating solution.</p> + +<p>Twelve o'clock came and went, and one o'clock and two +o'clock. Still the slow crystallization went on. Buck Kendall +was casting furtive glances at the kilowatt-hour meter. It +stood at a figure that represented twenty-seven thousand +dollars' worth of power. Long since the power rate had +been increased to the maximum available, as the power plant's +normal load reduced as the morning hours came. Surely, +this time something would start, but Buck had two worries. +If all the enormous amount of energy they had poured +in there decided to release itself at once—</p> + +<p>And at any rate, Buck saw they'd never dare to let a +generator stop, once it was started!</p> + +<p>The men were a tense group around the machine at three-fifteen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> +<span class="smcapl">A.M.</span> There remained only a tiny, dancing globule +of silvery mercury skittering around on the sharp, needle-like +crystals of the dull red metal that had resulted. Slowly that +skittering drop was shrinking—</p> + +<p>Three twenty-two and a half <span class="smcapl">A.M.</span> saw the last fraction +of it vanish. Tensely the men stared into the machine—backing +off slowly—watching the meters on the board. At +nearly eighty thousand volts the power had been fed into +it.</p> + +<p>The power continued to flow, and a growing halo of intense +violet light appeared suddenly on those red, needle-like +crystals, a swiftly expanding halo—</p> + +<p>Without a sound, without the slightest disturbance, the +halo vanished, and softly, gently, the needle-like crystals relapsed, +melted away, and a dull pool of metallic mercury +rested in the receiver.</p> + +<p>At eighty thousand volts, power was flowing in—</p> + +<p>And it didn't even sparkle.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="V" id="V"></a>V</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> apparatus of the magnetic shield had been completed +two days later, and set up in Buck's own laboratory. On the +bench was the powerful, but small, little projector of the +straight magnetic field, simply a specially designed accumulator, +a super-condenser, and the peculiar apparatus Devin +had designed to distort the electric field through ninety +degrees to a magnetic field. Behind this was a curious, paraboloid +projector made up of hundreds of tiny, carefully +orientated coils. This was Buck's own contribution. They were +ready for the tests.</p> + +<p>"I would invite McLaurin in to see this," said Kendall looking +at them, and then across the room bitterly toward the +alleged atomic power apparatus on the opposite bench. "I +think it will work. But after <i>that</i>—" He stared, glaring, at the +heavy tungsten dome with its heavy tungsten contacts, across +which the flame of released atomic energy was supposed to +have leapt. "That was probably the flattest flop any experiment +ever flopped."</p> + +<p>"Well—it didn't blow up. That's one comfort," suggested +Devin.</p> + +<p>"I wish it had. Then at least it would have shown some +response. The only response shown, actually, was shown on +the power meter. It damn near wore out the bearings turning +so fast."</p> + +<p>"Personally, I prefer the lack of action." Devin laughed. +"Have you got that circuit hooked up?"</p> + +<p>"Right," sighed Kendall, turning back to the work in hand. +"Is Douglass in on this?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes—in the next room. He'll let us know when he's +ready. He's setting up those instruments."</p> + +<p>Douglass, a young junior physicist, late of the IP Physics +Department, stuck his head in the door and announced his +instruments were all set up.</p> + +<p>"Keep an eye on them. They'll move somehow, at any +rate. This thing couldn't go as flat as that atom-buster +of mine."</p> + +<p>Carefully Kendall made a few last-minute adjustments on +the limiting relays, and took up his position at the power +board. Devin took his place near the apparatus, with another +series of instruments, similar to those Douglass was now +watching in the next room, some thirty feet away, through +the two-inch metal wall. "Ready," called Kendall.</p> + +<p>The switch shot home. Instantly Kendall, Devin, and all +the men in the building jumped some six feet from their +former positions. A monstrous roar of sound crashed out in +that laboratory that thundered from one wall to the other, +and bellowed in a Titan's fury. It thundered and growled, +it bellowed and howled, the walls shook with the march +and counter-march of crashing waves of sound.</p> + +<p>And a ten-foot wavering flame of blue-white, bellying +electric fire shuddered up to the ceiling from the contact +points of the alleged atomic generator. The heat, pouring +out from the flashing, roaring arc sent prickles of aching +burns over Kendall's skin. For ten seconds he stood in +utter, paralyzed surprise as his flop of flops bellowed its +anger at his disdain. Then he leapt to the power board and +shut off the roaring thing, by cutting the switch that had +started it.</p> + +<p>"Spirits of Space! Did <i>that</i> come to life!"</p> + +<p>"<i>Atomic Energy!</i>" Devin cried.</p> + +<p>"Atomic energy, hell. That's my thirty thousand dollars' +worth of power breaking loose again," chortled Kendall. "We +missed the atomic energy, but, sweet boy, what an accumulator +we stubbed our toes on! I wondered where in blazes +all that power went to. That's the answer. I'll bet I can +tell you right now what happened. We built that mercury<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> +up to a new level, and that transitional stage was the red, +crystalline metal. When it reached the higher stage, it was +temporarily stable—but that projector over there that we +designed for the purpose of holding open electric and magnetic +fields just opened the door and let all that power right +out again."</p> + +<p>"But why isn't it atomic energy? How do you know that +no more than your power that you put in is coming out?" +demanded Devin.</p> + +<p>"The arc, man, the arc. That was a high-current, and +low-voltage arc. Couldn't you tell by the sound that no +great voltage—as atomic voltages go—was smashing across +there? If we were getting atomic voltage—and power—there'd +have been a different tone to it, high and shriller.</p> + +<p>"Now, did you take any readings?"</p> + +<p>"What do you think, man? I'm human. Do you think I +got any readings with that thing bellowing and shrieking in +my ears, and burning my skin with ultra-violet? It itches +now."</p> + +<p>Kendall laughed. "You know what to do for an itch. Now, +I'm going to make a bet. We had those points separated for +a half-million volts discharge, but there was a dust-cover +thrown over them just now. That, you notice, is missing. I'll +bet that served as a starter lead for the main arc. Now +I'm going to start that projector thing again, and move the +points there through about six inches, and that thing probably +won't start itself."</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>Most of the laboratory staff had collected at the doorway, +looking in at the white-hot tungsten discharge points, +and the now silent "atomic engine." Kendall turned to them +and said: "The flop picked itself up. You go on back, +we seem to be all in one piece yet. Douglass, you didn't +get any readings, did you?"</p> + +<p>Sheepishly, Douglass grinned at him. "Eh—er—no—but I +tore my pants. The magnetic field grabbed me and I jumped. +They had some steel buttons, and a lot of steel keys—they're +kinda' hard to keep on now."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span></p> + +<p>The laboratory staff broke into a roar of laughter, as +Douglass, holding up his trousers with both hands was beheld.</p> + +<p>"I guess the field worked," he said.</p> + +<p>"I guess maybe it did," adjudged Kendall solemnly. "We +have some rope here if you need it—"</p> + +<p>Douglass returned to his post.</p> + +<p>Swiftly, Kendall altered the atomic distortion storage apparatus, +and returned to the power-board. "Ready?"</p> + +<p>"Check."</p> + +<p>Kendall shoved home the switch. The storage device was +silent. Only a slight feeling of strain made itself felt, and +the sudden noisy hum of a small transformer nearby. "She +works, Buck!" Devin called. "The readings check almost exactly."</p> + +<p>"All good then. Now I want to get to that atomic +thing. We can let that slide for a little bit—I'll answer it."</p> + +<p>The telephone had rung noisily. "Kendall Labs—Kendall +speaking."</p> + +<p>"This is Superintendent Foster, of the New York Power, +Mr. Kendall. We have some trouble just now that we think +your operations may be responsible for. The sub-station at +North Beaumont blew all the fuses, and threw the breakers +at the main station. The men out there said the transformers +began howling—"</p> + +<p>"Right you are—I'm afraid I did do that. I had no idea +that it would reach so far. How far is that from my place +here?"</p> + +<p>"It's about a thousand yards, according to the survey +maps."</p> + +<p>"Thanks—and I'll be careful about it. Any damage, I am +responsible for? All okay?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, Mr. Kendall."</p> + +<p>Kendall hung up. "We stirred +up a lot more dust than we expected, Devin. Now let's +start seeing if we can keep track of it. Douglass, how did your +readings show?"</p> + +<p>"I took them at the ten stations, and here they are. The +stations are two feet apart."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span></p> + +<p>"H-m-m—.5—.55—.6—.7—20—198—5950—6010—6012—5920. +Very, very nice—only the darned thing's got an arm as +long as the law. Your readings were about .2, Devin?"</p> + +<p>"That's right."</p> + +<p>"Then these little readings are just leakage. What's our +normal intensity here?"</p> + +<p>"About .19. Just a very small fraction less than the readings."</p> + +<p>"Perfect—we have what amounts to a hollow shell of magnetic +force—we can move inside, and you can move outside—far +enough. But you can't get a conductor or a magnetic +field through it." He put the readings on the bench, +and looked at the apparatus across the room. "Now I want +to start right on that other. Douglass, you move that magnetostat +apparatus out of the way, and leave just the 'can-opener' +of ours—the projector. I'm pretty sure that's what does +the deed. Devin, see if you can hunt up some electrostatic +voltmeters with a range in the neighborhood of—I think +it'll be about eighty thousand."</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>Rapidly, Douglass was dismounting the apparatus, as Devin +started for the stock room. Kendall started making some +new connections, reconnecting the apparatus they had intended +using on the "atomic engine," largely high-capacity +resistances. He seemed to perform this work mechanically, +his mind definitely on something else. Suddenly he stopped, +and looked carefully into the receiver of the machine. The +metal in it was silvery, liquid, and here and there a floating +crystal of the dull red metal. Slowly a smile spread across +his face. He turned to Douglass.</p> + +<p>"Douglass—ah, you're through. Get on the trail of MacBride, +and get him and his crew to work making half a +dozen smaller things like this. Tell 'em they can leave off the +tungsten shield. I want different metals in the receiver of +each. Use—hmmm—sodium—copper—magnesium—aluminium, +iron and chromium. Got it?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir." He left, just as Devin returned with a large +electrostatic voltmeter.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I'd like," said he, "to know how you know the voltage +will range around eighty thousand."</p> + +<p>"K-ring excitation potential for mercury. I'm willing to +bet that thing simply shoved the whole electron system of +the mercury out a notch—that it simply <i>hasn't</i> any K-ring +of electrons now. I'm trying some other metals. Douglass +is going to have MacBride make up half a dozen more +machines. Machines—they need a name. This—ah—this is +an 'atostor.' MacBride's going to make up half a dozen of +'em, and try half a dozen metals. I'm almost certain that's +not mercury in there now, at all. It's probably element 99 or +something like it."</p> + +<p>"It looks like mercury—"</p> + +<p>"Certainly. So would 99. Following the periodic table, +99 would probably have an even lower melting point than +mercury, be silvery, dense and heavy—and perhaps slightly +radioactive. The series under the B family of Group II is +Magnesium, Zinc, Cadmium, Mercury—and 99. The melting +point is going down all the way, and they're all silvery metals. +I'm going to try copper, and I fully expect it to turn +silvery—in fact, to become silver."</p> + +<p>"Then let's see." Swiftly they hooked up the apparatus, +realigned the projector, and again Kendall took his place +at the power-board. As he closed the switch, on no-load, +the electrostatic voltmeter flopped over instantly, and steadied +at just over 80,000 volts.</p> + +<p>"I hate to say 'I told you so,'" said Kendall. "But let's hook +in a load. Try it on about 100 amps first."</p> + +<p>Devin began cutting in load. The resistors began heating +up swiftly as more and more current flowed through them. +By not so much as by a vibration of the voltmeter needle, +did the apparatus betray any strain as the load mounted +swiftly. 100—200—500—1000 amperes. Still, that needle held +steady. Finally, with a drain of ten thousand amperes, all +the equipment available could handle, the needle was steady +as a rock, though the tremendous load of 800,000,000 watts +was cut in and out. That, to atoms, atoms by the nonillions, +was no appreciable load at all. There was <i>no</i> internal<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> +resistance whatever. The perfect accumulator had certainly +been discovered.</p> + +<p>"I'll have to call McLaurin—" Kendall hurried away with +a broad, broad smile.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="VI" id="VI"></a>VI</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">"Hello, Tom?"</span></p> + +<p>The telephone rattled in a peeved sort of way. "Yes, it +is. What now? And when am I going to see you in a social +sort of way again?"</p> + +<p>"Not for a long, long time; I'm busy. I'm busy right now +as a matter of fact. I'm calling up the vice-president of +Faragaut Interplanetary Lines, and I want to place an order."</p> + +<p>"Why bother me? We have clerks, you know, for that +sort of thing," suggested Faragaut in a pained voice.</p> + +<p>"Tom, do you know how much I'm worth now?"</p> + +<p>"Not much," replied Faragaut promptly. "What of it? I +hear, as a matter of fact that you're worth even less in a +business way. They're talking quite a lot down this way about +an alleged bank you're setting up on Luna. I hear it's +got more protective devices, and armor than any IP station +in the System, that you even had it designed by an +IP designer, and have a gang of Colonels and Generals in +charge. I also hear that you've succeeded in getting rid of +money at about one million dollars a day—just slightly shy +of that."</p> + +<p>"You overestimate me, my friend. Much of that is merely +contracted for. Actually it'll take me nearly nine months to +get rid of it. And by that time I'll have more. Anyway, I +think I have something like ten million left. And remember +that way back in the twentieth century some old fellow +beat my record. Armour, I think it was, lost a million dollars +a day for a couple of months running.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Anyway, what I called you up for was to say I'd like +to order five hundred thousand tons of mercury, for delivery +as soon as possible."</p> + +<p>"What! Oh, say, I thought you were going in for business." +Faragaut gave a slight laugh of relief.</p> + +<p>"Tom, I am. I mean exactly what I say. I want five—hundred—thousand—<i>tons</i> +of metallic mercury, and just as +soon as you can get it."</p> + +<p>"Man, there isn't that much in the system."</p> + +<p>"I know it. Get all there is on the market for me, and contract +to take all the 'Jupiter Heavy-Metals' can turn out. You +send those orders through, and clean out the market completely. +Somebody's about to pay for the work I've been doing, +and boy, they're going to pay through the nose. After +you've got that order launched, and don't make a christening +party of the launching either, why just drop out here, and I'll +show you why the value of mercury is going so high you +won't be able to follow it in a space ship."</p> + +<p>"The cost of that," said Faragaut, seriously now, "will be +about—fifty-three million at the market price. You'd have +to put up twenty-six cash, and I don't believe you've got it."</p> + +<p>Buck laughed. "Tom, loan me a dozen million, will you? +You send that order through, and then come see what I've +got. I've got a break, too! Mercury's the best metal for this +use—and it'll stop gamma rays too!"</p> + +<p>"So it will—but for the love of the system, what of it?"</p> + +<p>"Come and see—tonight. Will you send that order through?"</p> + +<p>"I will, Buck. I hope you're right. Cash is tight now, +and I'll probably have to put up nearer twenty million, +when all that buying goes through. How long will it be tied +up in that deal, do you think?"</p> + +<p>"Not over three weeks. And I'll guarantee you three +hundred percent—if you'll stay in with me after you start. +Otherwise—I don't think making this money would be fair +just now."</p> + +<p>"I'll be out to see you in about two hours, Buck. Where +are you? At the estate?" asked Faragaut seriously.</p> + +<p>"In my lab out there. Thanks, Tom."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span></p> + +<p>McLaurin was there when Tom Faragaut arrived. And +General Logan, and Colonel Gerardhi. There was a restrained +air of gratefulness about all of them that Tom Faragaut +couldn't quite understand. He had been looking up Buck +Kendall's famous bank, and more and more he had begun +to wonder just what was up. The list of stockholders had +read like a list of IP heroes and executives. The staff had +been a list of IP men with a slender sprinkling of accountants. +And the sixty-million dollar structure was to be a bank without +advertising of any sort! Usually such a venture is planned +and published months in advance. This had sprung up suddenly, +with a strange quietness.</p> + +<p>Almost silently, Buck Kendall led the way to the laboratory. +A small metal tank was supported in a peculiar piece +of apparatus, and from it led a small platinum pipe to a +domed apparatus made largely of insulum. A little pool of +mercury, with small red crystals floating in it rested in a +shallow hollow surrounded by heavy conductors.</p> + +<p>"That's it, Tom. I wanted to show you first what we have, +and why I wanted all that mercury. Within three weeks, +every man, woman and child in the system will be clamoring +for mercury metal. That's the perfect accumulator." Quickly +he demonstrated the machine, charging it, and then discharging +it. It was better than 99.95% efficient on the charge, +and was 100% efficient on the discharge.</p> + +<p>"Physically, any metal will do. Technically, mercury is +best for a number of reasons. It's a liquid. I can, and do it in +this, charge a certain quantity, and then move it up to the +storage tank. Charge another pool, and move it up. In discharge, +I can let a stream flow in continuously if I required +a steady, terrific drain of power without interruption. If I +wanted it for more normal service, I'd discharge a pool, +drain it, refill the receiver, and discharge a second pool. +Thus, mercury is the metal to use.</p> + +<p>"Do you see why I wanted all that metal?"</p> + +<p>"I do, Buck—Lord, I do," gasped Faragaut. "That is the +perfect power supply."</p> + +<p>"No, confound it, it isn't. It's a secondary source. It<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> +isn't primary. We're just as limited in the <i>supply</i> of power +as ever—only we have increased our distribution of power. +Lord knows, we're going to need a power <i>supply</i> badly +enough before long—" Buck relapsed into moody silence.</p> + +<p>"What," asked Faragaut, looking around him, "does that +mean?"</p> + +<p>It was McLaurin who told him of the stranger ship, and +Kendall's interpretation of its meaning. Slowly Faragaut +grasped the meaning behind Buck's strange actions of the +past months.</p> + +<p>"The Lunar Bank," he said slowly, half to himself. "Staffed +by trained IP men, experts in expert destruction. Buck, you +said something about the profits of this venture. What did +you mean?"</p> + +<p>Buck smiled. "We're going to stick up IP to the extent +necessary to pay for that fort—er—bank—on Luna. We'll +also boost the price so that we'll make enough to pay for +those ships I'm having made. The public will pay for that."</p> + +<p>"I see. And we aren't to stick the price too high, and just +make money?"</p> + +<p>"That's the general idea."</p> + +<p>"The IP Appropriations Board won't give you what you +need, Commander, for real improvements on the IP ships?"</p> + +<p>"They won't believe Kendall. Therefore they won't."</p> + +<p>"What did you mean about gamma rays, Buck?"</p> + +<p>"Mercury will stop them and the Commander here intends +to have the refitted ships built so that the engine room +and control room are one, and completely surrounded by +the mercury tanks. The men will be protected against the +gamma rays."</p> + +<p>"Won't the rays affect the power stored in the mercury—perhaps +release it?"</p> + +<p>"We tried it out, of course, and while we can't get the +intensities we expect, and can't really make any measurements +of the gamma-ray energy impinging on the mercury—it +seems to absorb, and store that energy!"</p> + +<p>"What's next on the program, Buck?"</p> + +<p>"Finish those ships I have building. And I want to do<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> +some more development work. The Stranger will return +within six months now, I believe. It will take all that time, +and more for real refitting of the IP ships."</p> + +<p>"How about more forts—or banks, whichever you want +to call them. Mars isn't protected."</p> + +<p>"Mars is abandoned," replied General Logan seriously. +"We haven't any too much to protect old Earth, and she +must come first. Mars will, of course, be protected as best +the IP ships can. But—we're expecting defeat. This isn't a +case of glorious victory. It will be a case of hard won survival. +We don't know anything about the enemy—except that +they are capable of interstellar flights, and have atomic +energy. They are evidently far ahead of us. Our battle is to +survive till we learn how to conquer. For a time, at +least, the Strangers will have possession of most of the planets +of the system. We do not think they will be able to reach +Earth, because Commander McLaurin here will withdraw +his ships to Earth to protect the planet—and the great 'Lunar +Bank' will display its true character."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="VII" id="VII"></a>VII</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Faragaut</span> looked unsympathetically at Buck Kendall, as he +stood glaring perplexedly at the apparatus he had been +working on.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter, Buck, won't she perk?"</p> + +<p>"No, damn it, and it should."</p> + +<p>"That," pointed out Faragaut, "is just what you think. +Nature thinks otherwise. We generally have to abide by her +opinions. What is it—or what is it meant to be?"</p> + +<p>"Perfect reflector."</p> + +<p>"Make a nice mirror. What else, and how come?"</p> + +<p>"A mirror is just what I want. I want something that will +reflect <i>all</i> the radiation that falls on it. No metal will, even +in its range of maximum reflectivity. Aluminum goes pretty +high, silver, on some ranges, a bit higher. But none of +them reaches 99%. I want a perfect reflector that I can +put behind a source of wild, radiant energy so I can focus +it, and put it where it will do the most good."</p> + +<p>"Ninety-nine percent. Sounds pretty good. That's better +efficiency than most anything else we have, isn't it?"</p> + +<p>"No, it isn't. The accumulator is 100% efficient on the +discharge, and a good transformer, even before that, ran +as high as 99.8 sometimes. They had to. If you have a +transformer handling 1,000,000 horsepower, and it's even +1% inefficient, you have a heat loss of nearly 10,000 horsepower +to handle. I want to use this as a destructive weapon, +and if I hand the other fellow energy in distressing amounts, +it's even worse at my end, because no matter how perfect +a beam I work out, there will still be some spread. I can<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> +make it mighty tight though, if I make my surface a perfect +parabola. But if I send a million horse, I have to handle +it, and a ship can't stand several hundred thousand horsepower +roaming around loose as heat, let alone the weapon +itself. The thing will be worse to me than to him.</p> + +<p>"I figured there was something worth investigating in +those fields we developed on our magnetic shield work. They +had to do, you know, with light, and radiant energy. There +must be some reason why a metal reflects. Further, though +we can't get down to the basic root of matter, the atom, +yet, we can play around just about as we please with molecules +and molecular forces. But it is molecular force that determines +whether light and radiant energy of that caliber +shall be reflected or transmitted. Take aluminum as an example. +In the metallic molecule state, the metal will reflect +pretty well. But volatilize it, and it becomes transparent. All +gases are transparent, all metals reflective. Then the secret +of perfect reflection lies at a molecular level in the organization +of matter, and is within our reach. Well—this thing +was supposed to make that piece of silver reflective. I missed +it that time." He sighed. "I suppose I'll have to try +again."</p> + +<p>"I should think you'd use tungsten for that. If you do +have a slight leak, that would handle the heat."</p> + +<p>"No, it would hold it. Silver is a better conductor of heat. +But the darned thing won't work."</p> + +<p>"Your other scheme has." Faragaut laughed. "I came out +principally for some signatures. IP wants one hundred thousand +tons of mercury. I've sold most of mine already in the +open market. You want to sell?"</p> + +<p>"Certainly. And I told you my price."</p> + +<p>"I know," sighed Faragaut. "It seems a shame though. +Those IP board men would pay higher. And they're so damn +tight it seems a crime not to make 'em pay up when they +have to."</p> + +<p>"The IP will need the money worse elsewhere. Where do +I—oh, here?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Right. I'll be out again this evening. The regular group +will be here?"</p> + +<p>Kendall nodded as he signed in triplicate.</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>That evening, Buck had found the trouble in his apparatus, +for as he well knew, the theory was right, only the +practical apparatus needed changing. Before the group +composed of Faragaut, McLaurin and the members of Kendall's +"bank," he demonstrated it.</p> + +<p>It was merely a small, model apparatus, with a mirror of +space-strained silver that was an absolutely perfect reflector. +The mirror had been ground out of a block of silver one +foot deep, by four inches square, carefully annealed, and +the work had all been done in a cooling bath. The result +was a mirror that was so nearly a perfect paraboloid that the +beam held sharp and absolutely tight for the half-mile range +they tested it on. At the projector it was three and one-half +inches in diameter. At the target, it was three and fifty-two +one hundredths inches in diameter.</p> + +<p>"Well, you've got the mirror, what are you going to reflect +with it now?" asked McLaurin. "The greatest problem +is getting a radiant source, isn't it? You can't get a temperature +above about ten thousand degrees, and maintain it very +long, can you?"</p> + +<p>"Why not?" Kendall smiled.</p> + +<p>"It'll volatilize and leave the scene of action, won't it?"</p> + +<p>"What if it's a gaseous source already?"</p> + +<p>"What? Just a gas-flame? That won't give you the point +source you need. You're using just a spotlight here, with a +Moregan Point-light. That won't give you energy, and if +you use a gas-flame, the spread will be so great, that no +matter how perfectly you figure your mirror, it won't beam."</p> + +<p>"The answer is easy. Not an ordinary gas-flame—a very +extra-special kind of gas-flame. Know anything about Renwright's +ionization-work?"</p> + +<p>"Renwright—he's an IP man isn't he?"</p> + +<p>"Right. He's developed a system, which, thanks to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> +power we can get in that atostor, will sextuply ionize oxygen +gas. Now: what does that mean?"</p> + +<p>"Spirits of space! Concentrated essence of energy!"</p> + +<p>"Right. And in preparation, Cole here had one made up +for me. That—and something else. We'll just hook it up—"</p> + +<p>With Devin's aid, Kendall attached the second apparatus, +a larger device into which the silver block with its mirror +surface fitted. With the uttermost care, the two physicists lined +it up. Two projectors pointed toward each other at an angle, +the base angles of a triangle, whose apex was the center +of the mirror. On very low power, a soft, glowing violet light +filtered out through the opening of the one, and a slight green +light came from the other. But where the two streams met, +an intense, violet glare built up. The center of action was +not at the focus, and slowly this was lined up, till a sharp, +violet beam of light reached out across the open yard to the +target set up.</p> + +<p>Buck Kendall cut off the power, and slowly got into position. +"Now. Keep out from in front of that thing. Put on +these glasses—and watch out." Heavy, thick-lensed orange-brown +goggles were passed out, and Kendall took his place. +Before him, a thick window of the same glass had been arranged, +so that he might see uninterruptedly the controls +at hand, and yet watch unblinded, the action of the beam.</p> + +<p>Dully the mirror-force relay clicked. A hazy glow ran +over the silver block, and died. Then—simultaneously the +power was thrown from two small, compact atostors into +the twin projectors. Instantly—a titanic eruption of light +almost invisibly violet, spurted out in a solid, compact stream. +With a roar and crash, it battered its way through the thick +air, and crashed into the heavy target plate. A stream of +flame and scintillating sparks erupted from the armor plate—and +died as Kendall cut the beam. A white-hot area a +foot across leaked down the face of the metal.</p> + +<p>"That," said Faragaut gently, removing his goggles. "That's +not a spotlight, and it's not exactly a gas-flame. But I still +don't know what that blue-hot needle of destruction is. +Just what do you call that tame stellar furnace of yours?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Not so far off, Tom," said Kendall happily, "except that +even S Doradus is cold compared to that. That sends almost +pure ultra-violet light—which, by the way, it is almost +impossible to reflect successfully, and represents a temperature +to be expressed not in thousands of degrees, nor +yet in tens of thousands. I calculated the temperature would +be about 750,000 degrees. What is happening is that a +stream of low-voltage electrons—cathode rays—in great quantity +are meeting great quantities of sextuply ionized oxygen. +That means that a nucleus used to having two electrons in the +K-ring, and six in the next, has had that outer six knocked +off, and then has been hurled violently into free air.</p> + +<p>"All by themselves, those sextuply ionized oxygen atoms +would have a good bit to say, but they don't really begin +to talk till they start roaring for those electrons I'm feeding +them. At the meeting point, they grab up all they can get—probably +about five—before the competition and the fierce +release of energy drives them out, part-satisfied. I lose a little +energy there, but not a real fraction. It's the howl they put +up for the first four that counts. The electron-feed is necessary, +because otherwise they'd smash on and ruin that mirror. +They work practically in a perfect vacuum. That beam +smashes the air out of the way. Of course, in space it would +work better."</p> + +<p>"How could it?" asked Faragaut, faintly.</p> + +<p>"Kendall," asked McLaurin, "can we install that in the IP +ships?"</p> + +<p>"You can start." Kendall shrugged. "There isn't a lot of +apparatus. I'm going to install them in my ships, and in the—bank. +I suspect—we haven't a lot of time left."</p> + +<p>"How near ready are those ships?"</p> + +<p>"About. That's all I can say. They've been torn up a bit +for installation of the atostor apparatus. Now they'll have +to be changed again."</p> + +<p>"Anything more coming?"</p> + +<p>Buck smiled slowly. He turned directly to McLaurin and +replied: "Yes—the Strangers. As to developments—I can't +tell, naturally. But if they do, it will be something entirely<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> +unexpected now. You see, given one new discovery, a half-dozen +will follow immediately from it. When we announced +that atostor, look what happened. Renwright must have +thought it was God's gift to suffering physicists. He stuck +some oxygen in the thing, added some of his own stuff—and +behold. The magnetic apparatus gave us directly the +shield, and indirectly this mirror. Now, I seem to have reached +the end for the time. I'm still trying to get that space-release +for high speed—speed greater than light, that is. So +far," he added bitterly, "all I've gotten as an answer is a +single expression that simply means practical zero—Heisenberg's +Uncertainty Expression."</p> + +<p>"I'm uncertain as to your meaning"—McLaurin smiled—"but +I take it that's nothing new."</p> + +<p>"No. Nearly four centuries old—twentieth century physics. +I'll have to try some other line of attack, I guess, but +that did seem so darned right. It just sounded right. Something +ought to happen—and it just keeps saying 'nothing +more except the natural uncertainty of nature.'"</p> + +<p>"Try it out, your math might be wrong somewhere."</p> + +<p>Kendall laughed. "If it was—I'd hate to try it out. If it +wasn't I'd have no reason to. And there's plenty of other +work to do. For one thing, getting that apparatus in production. +The IP board won't like me." Kendall smiled.</p> + +<p>"They don't," replied McLaurin. "They're getting more +and more and more worried—but they've got to keep the +IP fleet in such condition that it can at least catch an up-to-date +freighter."</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>Gresth Gkae looked back at Sthor rapidly dropping behind, +and across at her sister world, Asthor, circling a bare +100,000 miles away. Behind his great interstellar cruiser +came a long line of similar ships. Each was loaded now +not with instruments and pure scientists, but with weapons, +fuel and warriors. Colonists too, came in the last ships. One +hundred and fifty giant ships. All the wealth of Sthor and +Asthor had been concentrated in producing those great +machines. Every one represented nearly the equivalent of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> +thirty million Earth-dollars. Four and a half billions of dollars +for mere materials.</p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae had the honor of lead position, for he had +discovered the planets and their stable, though tiny, sun. +Still, Gresth Gkae knew his own giant Mira was a super-giant +sun—and a curse and a menace to any rational society. +Our yellow-white sun (to his eyes, an almost invisible +color, similar to our blue) was small, but stable, and warm +enough.</p> + +<p>In half an hour, all the ships were in space, and at a +given signal, at ten-second intervals, they sprang into the +superspeed, faster than light. For an instant, giant Mira ran +and seemed distorted, as though seen through a porthole +covered with running water, then steadied, curiously distorted. +Faster than light they raced across the galaxy.</p> + +<p>Even in their super-fast ships, nearly three and a half +weeks passed before the sun they sought, singled itself from +the star-field as an extra bright point. Two days more, and +the sun was within planetary distance. They came at an +angle to the plane of the ecliptic, but they leveled down to +it now, and slanted toward giant Jupiter and Jovian worlds. +Ten worlds, in one sweep, it was—four habitable worlds. +The nine satellites would be converted into forts at once, +nine space-sweeping forts guarding the approaches to the +planet. Gresth Gkae had made a fairly good search of the +worlds, and knew that Earth was the main home of civilization +in this system. Mars was second, and Venus third. But +Jupiter offered the greatest possibilities for quick settlement, +a base from which they could more easily operate, a +base for fuels, for the heavy elements they would need—</p> + +<p>Fifteen million miles from Jupiter they slowed below the +speed of light—and the IP stations observed them. Instantly, +according to instructions issued by Commander McLaurin, +a fleet of ten of the tiniest, fastest scouts darted out. As +soon as possible, a group of three heavy cruisers, armed +with all the inventions that had been discovered, the atostor +power system, perfectly conducting power leads, the +terrible UV ray, started out.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span></p> + +<p>The scouts got there first. Cameras were grinding steadily, +with long range telescopic lenses, delicate instruments +probed and felt and caught their fingers in the fields of +the giant fleet.</p> + +<p>At ten-second intervals, giant ships popped into being, and +glided smoothly toward Jupiter.</p> + +<p>Then the cruisers arrived. They halted at a respectful distance, +and waited. The Miran ships plowed on undisturbed. +Simultaneously, from the three leaders, terrific neutron rays +shot out. The paraffin block walls stopped those—and the +cruisers started to explain their feelings on the subject. They +were the IP-J-37, 39, and 42. The 37 turned up the full +power of the UV ray. The terrific beam of ultra-violet energy +struck the second Miran ship, and the spot it touched +exploded into incandescence, burned white-hot—and puffed +out abruptly as the air pressure within blew the molten +metal away.</p> + +<p>The Mirans were startled. This was not the type of thing +Gresth Gkae had warned them of. Gresth Gkae himself +frowned as the sudden roar of the machines of his ship +rose in the metal walls. A stream of ten-inch atomic bombs +shrieked out of their tubes, fully glowing green things floated +out more slowly, and immediately waxed brilliant. Gamma +ray bombs—but they could be guarded against—</p> + +<p>The three Solarian cruisers were washed in such frightful +flame as they had never imagined. Streams of atomic bombs +were exploding soundlessly, ineffectively in space, not thirty +feet from them as they felt the sudden resistance of the +magnetic shields. Hopefully, the 39 probed with her neutron +gun. Nothing happened save that several gamma ray +bombs went off explosively, and all the atomic bombs in its +path exploded at once.</p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae knew what that meant. Neutron beam guns. +Then this race was more intelligent than he had believed. +They had not had them before. Had he perhaps given them +too much warning and information?</p> + +<p>There was a sudden, deeper note in the thrumming roar<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> +of the great ship. Eagerly Gresth Gkae watched—and sighed +in relief. The nearer of the three enemy ships was crumbling +to dust. Now the other two were beginning to become blurred +of outline. They were fleeing—but oh, so slowly. Easily the +greater ship chased them down, till only floating dust, and a +few small pieces of—</p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae shrieked in pain, and horror. The destroyed +ships had fought in dying. All space seemed to blossom out +with a terrible light, a light that wrapped around them, +and burned into him, and through him. His eyes were dark +and burning lumps in his head, his flesh seemed crawling, +stinging—he was being flayed alive—in shrieking agony he +crumpled to the floor.</p> + +<p>Hospital attachés came to him, and injected drugs. Slowly +torturing consciousness left him. The doctors began working +over his horribly burned body, shuddering inwardly as +the protective, feather-like covering of his skin loosened, and +dropped from his body. Tenderly they lowered him into +a bath of chemicals—</p> + +<p>"The terrible light which caused so much damage to our +men," reported a physicist, "was analyzed, and found to +have some extraordinary lines. It was largely mercury-vapor +spectrum, but the spectrum of mercury-atoms in an +impossibly strained condition. I would suggest that great +care be used hereafter, and all men be equipped with protective +masks when observations are needed. This sun is +very rich in the infra-X-rays and ultra-visible light. The +explosion of light, we witnessed, was dangerous in its consisting +almost wholly of very short and hard infra-X-rays."</p> + +<p>The physicist had a special term for what we know as +ultra-violet light. To him, blue was ultra-violet, and exceedingly +dangerous to red-sensitive eyes. To him, our ultra-violet +was a long X-ray, and was designated by a special +term. And to him—the explosion of the atostor reservoirs +was a terrible and mystifying calamity.</p> + +<p>To the men in the five tiny scout-ships, it was also a +surprise, and a painful one. Even space-hardened humans +were burned by the terrifically hard ultra-violet from the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> +explosion. But they got some hint of what it had meant +to the Mirans from the confusion that resulted in the fleet. +Several of the nearer ships spun, twisted, and went erratically +off their courses. All seemed uncontrolled momentarily.</p> + +<p>The five scouts, following orders, darted instantly toward +the Lunar Bank. Why, they did not know. But those were +orders. They were to land there.</p> + +<p>The reason was that, faster than any Solarian ship, radio +signals had reached McLaurin, and he, and most of the +staff of the IP service had been moved to the Lunar Bank. +Buck Kendall had extended an invitation in this "unexpected +emergency." It so happened that Buck Kendall's invitation +got there before any description of the Strangers, or their actions +had arrived. The staff was somewhat puzzled as to how +this happened—</p> + +<p>And now for the satellites of great Jupiter.</p> + +<p>One hundred and fifty giant interstellar cruisers advanced +on Callisto. They didn't pause to investigate the mines and +scattered farms of the satellite, but ten great ships settled, +and a horde of warriors began pouring out.</p> + +<p>One hundred and forty ships reached Ganymede. One +hundred and thirty sailed on. One hundred and thirty +ships reached Europa—and they sailed on hurriedly, one +hundred and twenty-nine of them. Gresth Gkae did not know +it then, but the fleet had lost its first ship. The IP station on +Europa had spoken back.</p> + +<p>They sailed in, a mighty armada, and the first dropped +through Europa's thin, frozen atmosphere. They spotted the +dome of the station, and a neutron ray lashed out at it. +On the other, undefended worlds, this had been effective. +Here—it was answered by ten five-foot UV rays. Further, +these men had learned something from the destruction of +the cruisers, and ten torpedoes had been unloaded, reloaded +with atostor mercury, and sent out bravely.</p> + +<p>Easily the Mirans wiped out the first torpedo—</p> + +<p>Shrieking, the Miran pilots clawed their way from the controls +as the fearful flood of ultra-violet light struck their unaccustomed +skins. Others too felt that burning flood.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span></p> + +<p>The second torpedo they caught and deflected on a +beam of alternating-current magnetism that repelled it. It +did not come nearer than half a mile to the ship. The third +they turned their deflecting beam on—and something went +strangely wrong with the beam. It pulled that torpedo toward +the ship with a sickening acceleration—and the torpedo +exploded in that frightful violet flame.</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>Five-foot diameter UV beams are nothing to play with. +The Mirans were dodging these now as they loosed atomic +bombs, only to see them exploded harmlessly by neutron +guns, or caught in the magnetic screen. Gamma ray bombs +were as useless. Again the beam of disintegrating force +was turned on—</p> + +<p>The present opponent was not a ship. It was an IP defense +station, equipped with everything Solarian science +knew, and the dome was an eight-foot wall of tungsten-beryllium. +The eight feet of solid, ultra-resistant alloy drank +up that crumbling beam, and liked it. The wall did not fail. +The men inside the fort jerked and quivered as the strange +beam, a small, small fraction of it, penetrated the eight feet +of outer wall, the six feet or so of intervening walls, and +the mercury atostor reserves.</p> + +<p>"Concentrate all those UV beams on one spot, and see +if you can blast a hole in him before he shakes it loose," +ordered the ray technician. "He'll wiggle if you start off +with the beam. Train your sights on the nose of that first +ship—when you're ready, call out."</p> + +<p>"Ready—ready—" Ten men replied. "Fire!" roared the +technician. Ten titanic swords of pure ultra-violet energy, +energy that practically no unconditioned metal will reflect to +more than fifty per cent, emerged. There was a single spot of +intense incandescence for a single hundredth of a second—and +then the energy was burning its way through the inner, +thinner skins with such rapidity that they sputtered and +flickered like a broken televisor.</p> + +<p>One hundred and twenty-nine ships retreated hastily +for conference, leaving a gutted, wrecked hull, broken by its<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> +fall, on Europa. Triumphantly, the Europa IP station hurled +out its radio message of the first encounter between a fort +and the Miran forces.</p> + +<p>Most important of all, it sent a great deal of badly wanted +information regarding the Miran weapons. Particularly interesting +was the fact that it had withstood the impact of +that disintegrating ray.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="VIII" id="VIII"></a>VIII</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Grimly</span> Buck Kendall looked at the reports. McLaurin stood +beside him, Devin sat across the table from him. "What do +you make of it, Buck?" asked the Commander.</p> + +<p>"That we have just one island of resistance left on the +Jovian worlds. And that will, I fear, vanish. They haven't +finished with their arsenal by any means."</p> + +<p>"But what was it, man, what was it that ruined those ships?"</p> + +<p>"Vibration. Somehow—Lord only knows how it's done—they +can project electric fields. These projected fields are oscillated, +and they are tuned in with some parts of the ship. +I suspect they are crystals of the metals. If they can start +a vibration in the crystals of the metal—that's fatigue, metal +fatigue enormously speeded. You know how a quartz crystal +oscillator in a radio-control apparatus will break, if you +work it on a very heavy load at the peak? They simply smash +the crystals of metal in the same way. Only they project +their field."</p> + +<p>"Then our toughest metals are useless? Can't something +tough, rather than hard, like copper or even silver for instance, +stand it?"</p> + +<p>"Calcium metal's the toughest going—and even that +would break under the beating those ships give it. The only +way to withstand it is to have such a mass of metal that the +oscillations are damped out. But—"</p> + +<p>The set tuned in on the IP station on Europa was +speaking again. "The ships are returning. There are one +hundred and twenty-nine by accurate count. Jorgsen reports +that telescopic observation of the dead on the fallen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> +cruiser show them to be a <i>completely un-human race</i>! They +are of mottled coloring, predominately grayish brown. The +ships are returning. They have divided into ten groups, nine +groups of two each, and a main body of the rest of the fleet. +The group of eighteen is descending within range, and we +are focusing our beams on them—"</p> + +<p>Out by Europa, ten great UV beams were stabbing angrily +toward ten great interstellar ships. The metal of the +hulls glowed brilliant, and distorted slowly as the thick walls +softened under the heat, and the air behind pressed against +it. Grimly the ten ships came on. Torpedoes were being +launched, and exploded, and now they had no effect, for +the Mirans within were protected.</p> + +<p>The eighteen grouped ships separated, and arranged themselves +in a circle around the fort. Suddenly one staggered +as a great puff of gas shot out through the thin atmosphere +of Europa to flare brilliantly in the lash of the stabbing UV +beam. Instantly the ship righted itself, and labored upward. +Another dropped to take its place—</p> + +<p>And the great walls of the IP fort suddenly groaned and +started in their welded joints. The faint, whispering rustle of +the crumbling beam was murmuring through the station. Engineers +shouted suddenly as meters leapt the length of their +scales, and the needles clicked softly on the stop pins. A thin +rustle came from the atostors grouped in the great power +room. "Spirits of Space—a revolving magnetic field!" roared +the Chief Technician. "They're making this whole blasted +station a squirrel cage!"</p> + +<p>The mighty walls of eight-foot metal shuddered and trembled. +The UV beams lashed out from the fort in quivering +arcs now, they did not hold their aim steady, and the magnetic +shield that protected them from atomic bombs was +working and straining wildly. Eighteen great ships quivered +and tugged outside there now, straining with all their power +to remain in the same spot, as they passed on from one to +another the magnetic impulses that were now creating a titanic +magnetic vortex about the fort.</p> + +<p>"The atostors will be exhausted in another fifteen minutes,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> +the Chief Technician roared into his transmitter. "Can +the signals get through those fields, Commander?"</p> + +<p>"No, Mac. They've been stopped, Sparks tells me. We're +here—and let's hope we stay. What's happening?"</p> + +<p>"They've got a revolving magnetic field out there that would +spin a minor planet. The whole blasted fort is acting like +the squirrel cage in an induction motor! They've made us the +armature in a five hundred million horsepower electric motor."</p> + +<p>"They can't tear this place loose, can they?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know—it was never—" The Chief stopped. Outside +a terrific roar and crash had built up. White darts +of flame leapt a thousand feet into the air, hurling terrific +masses of shattered rock and soil.</p> + +<p>"I was going to say," the Chief went on, "this place wasn't +designed for that sort of a strain. Our own magnetic field is +supporting us now, preventing their magnetic field from +getting its teeth on metal. When the strain comes—well, +they're cutting loose our foundation with atomic bombs!"</p> + +<p>Five UV beams were combined on one interstellar ship. +Instantly the great machine retreated, and another dropped +in to take its place while the magnetic field spun on, uninterruptedly.</p> + +<p>"Can they keep that up long?"</p> + +<p>"God knows—but they have a hundred and more ships +to send in when the power of one gives out, remember."</p> + +<p>"What's our reserve now?"</p> + +<p>The Chief paused a moment to look at the meters. "Half +what it was ten minutes ago!"</p> + +<p>Commander Wallace sent some other orders. Every torpedo +tube of the station suddenly belched forth deadly, fifteen-foot +torpedoes, most of them mud-torpedoes, torpedoes +loaded with high explosive in the nose, a delayed fuse, +and a load of soft clinging mud in the rear. The mud would +flow down over the nose and offer a resistance foot-hold for +the explosive which empty space would not. Four hundred +and three torpedoes, equipped with anti-magnetic apparatus<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> +darted out. One hundred and four passed the struggling +fields. One found lodgement on a Miran ship, and crushed +in a metal wall, to be stopped by a bulkhead.</p> + +<p>The Chief engineer watched his power declining. All ten +UV beams were united in one now, driving a terrible +sword of energy that made the attacked ship skip for safety +instantly, yet the beams were all but useless. For the Miran +reserves filled the gap, and the magnetic tornado continued.</p> + +<p>For seventeen long minutes the station resisted the attack. +Then the last of the strained mercury flowed into the +receivers, and the vast power of the atostors was exhausted. +Slowly the magnetic fields declined. The great walls of the +station felt the clutching lines of force—they began to heat +and to strain. A low, harsh grinding became audible over the +roar of the atomic bombs. The whole structure trembled, and +jumped slightly. The roar of bombs ceased suddenly, as the +station jerked again, more violently. Then it turned a bit, +rolled clumsily. Abruptly it began to spin violently, more +and more rapidly. It started rolling clumsily across the plateau—</p> + +<p>A rain of atomic bombs struck the unprotected metal, and +the eighth breached the walls. The twentieth was the +last. There was no longer an IP station on Europa.</p> + +<p>"The difference," said Buck Kendall slowly, when the reports +came in from scout-ships in space that had witnessed +the last struggle, "between an atomic generator and an +atomic power-store, or accumulator, is clearly shown. We +haven't an adequate <i>source</i> of power."</p> + +<p>McLaurin sighed slowly, and rose to his feet. "What can +we do?"</p> + +<p>"Thank our lucky stars that Faragaut here, and I, bought +up all the mercury in the system, and had it brought to +Earth. We at least have a supply of materials for the atostors."</p> + +<p>"They don't seem to do much good."</p> + +<p>"They're the best we've got. All the photocells on Earth +and Venus and Mercury are at present busy storing the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> +sun's power in atostors. I have two thousand tons of charged +mercury in our tanks here in the 'Lunar Bank.'"</p> + +<p>"Much good that will do—they can just pull and pull and +pull till it's all gone. A starfish isn't strong, but he can open +the strongest oyster just because he can pull from now on. +You may have a lot of power—but."</p> + +<p>"But—we also have those new fifteen-foot UV beams. +And one fifteen-foot UV beam is worth, theoretically, nine +five-foot beams, and practically, a dozen. We have a dozen +of them. Remember, this place was designed not only to +protect itself, but Earth, too."</p> + +<p>"They can still pull, can't they?"</p> + +<p>"They'll stop pulling when they get their fingers burned. +In the meantime, why not use some of those IP ships to +bring in a few more cargoes of charged mercury?"</p> + +<p>"They aren't good for much else, are they? I wonder if +those fellows have anything more we don't know?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, probably. I'm going to work on that crumbler thing. +That's the first consideration now."</p> + +<p>"Why?"</p> + +<p>"So we can move a ship. As it is, even those two we +built aren't any good."</p> + +<p>"Would they be anyway?"</p> + +<p>"Well—I think I might disturb those gentlemen slightly. +Remember, they each have a nose-beam eighteen feet across. +Exceedingly unpleasant customers."</p> + +<p>"Score: Strangers; magnetic field, atomic bombs, atomic +power, crumbler ray. Home team; UV beams."</p> + +<p>Kendall grinned. "I'd heard you were a pessimistic cuss +when battle started—"</p> + +<p>"Pessimistic, hell, I'm merely counting things up."</p> + +<p>"McClellan had all the odds on Lee back in the Civil War +of the States—but Lee sent him home faster than he came."</p> + +<p>"But Lee lost in the end."</p> + +<p>"Why bring that up? I've got work to do." Still smiling, +Kendall went to the laboratory he had built up in the +"Lunar Bank." Devin was already there, calculating. He +looked unhappy.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span></p> + +<p>"We can't do anything, as far as I can see. They're using +an electric field all right, and projecting it. I can't see how +we can do that."</p> + +<p>"Neither can I," agreed Kendall, "so we can't use that +weapon. I really didn't want to anyway. Like the neutron +gun which I told Commander McLaurin would be useless as +a weapon, they'd be prepared for it, you can be sure. All +I want to do is fight it, and make their projection useless."</p> + +<p>"Well, we have to know how they project it before we can +break up the projection, don't we?"</p> + +<p>"Not at all. They're using an electric field of very high +frequency, but variable frequency. As far as I can see, all +we need is a similar variable electric field of a slightly different +frequency to heterodyne theirs into something quite harmless."</p> + +<p>"Oh," said Devin. "We could, couldn't we? But how are +you going to do that?"</p> + +<p>"We'll have to learn, that's all."</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>Buck Kendall started trying to learn. In the meantime, the +Mirans were taking over Jupiter. There were three IP stations +on the planet itself, but they were vastly hindered by +the thick, almost ultra-violet-proof atmosphere of Jupiter. +Their rays were weak. And the magnetic fields of the Mirans +were unaffected. Only their atomic bombs were hindered by +the heavier gravity that pulled the rocks back in place faster +than the bombs could throw them out. Still—a few hours +of work, and the IP stations on Jupiter had rolled wildly +across the flat plains of the planet like dented cans, to end +in utter destruction.</p> + +<p>The Mirans had paid no attention to the fleeing passenger +and freighter ships that left the planet, loaded to the +utmost with human cargo, and absolutely no freight. The +IP fleet had to go to their rescue with oxygen tanks to +take care of the extra humans, but nearly three-quarters +of the population of Jupiter, a newly established population, +and hence a readily mobile one, was saved. The others, the +Mirans did not bother with particularly except when they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> +happened to be near where the Mirans wanted to work. +Then they were instantly destroyed by atomic bombing, or +gamma rays.</p> + +<p>The Mirans settled almost at once, and began their work +of finding on Jupiter the badly needed atomic fuels. Machines +were set up, and work begun, Mirans laboring under +the gravity of the heavy planet. Then, fifty ships swam up +again, reloaded with fuel, and with crews consisting solely +of uninjured warriors, and started for Mars.</p> + +<p>Mars was half way between her near conjunction and her +maximum elongation with respect to Jupiter at that time. The +Mirans knew their business though, for they started in on the +IP station on Phobos. They were practiced by this time, +and this IP station had only seven five-foot beams. In half +an hour that station fell, and its sister station on Deimos +followed. Three wounded ships returned to Jupiter, and ten +new ships came out. The attack on Mars itself was started.</p> + +<p>Mars was a different proposition. There were thirty-two IP +stations here, one of them nearly as powerful as the Lunar +Bank station. It was equipped with four of the huge fifteen-foot +beams. And it had fifteen tons of mercury, more than +seven-eighths charged. The Mars Center Station was located +a short ten miles from the Mars Center City, and under +the immediate orders of the IP heads, Mars Center City +had been vacated.</p> + +<p>For two days the Mirans hung off Mars, solidifying their +positions on Phobos and Deimos. Then, with sixty-two ships, +they attacked. They had made some very astute observations, +and they started on the smaller stations just beyond the +range of the Mars Center Station. Naturally, near so powerful +a center, these stations had never been strong. They fell +rapidly. But they had been counted on by Mars Center as +auxiliary supports. McLaurin had sent very definite orders +to Mars Center forbidding any action on their part, save +gathering of power-supplies.</p> + +<p>At last the direct attack on Mars Center was launched. For +the first time, the Mirans saw one of the fifteen-foot beams. +Mars' atmosphere is thin, and there is little ozone. The ultra-violet<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> +beams were nearly as effective as in empty space. +When the Mirans dropped their ships, a full thirty of them, +into the circle formation, Mars Center answered at once. All +four beams started.</p> + +<p>Those fifteen-foot beams, connected directly to huge atostor +release apparatus, delivered a maximum power of two +and three-quarter billion horsepower, each. The first Miran +ship struck, sparkled magnificently, and a terrific cascade of +white-hot metal rolled down from its nose. The great ship +nosed down and to the left abruptly, accelerated swiftly—and +crashed with tremendous energy on the plain outside of +Mars Center City. White, unwavering flames licked up suddenly, +and made a column five hundred feet high against +the dark sky. Then the wreck exploded with a violence that +left a crater half a mile across.</p> + +<p>Three other ships had been struck, and were rapidly retreating. +Another try was made for the ring formation, and +four more ships were wounded, and replaced. The ring did +not retreat, but the great magnetic field started. Atomic and +gamma ray bombs started now, flashing sometimes dangerously +close to the station as its magnetic field battled the +rotating field of the ships. The four greater beams, and many +smaller ones were in swift and angry action. Not more than +a ten-second exposure could be endured by any one ship, +before it must retreat.</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>For five minutes the Mirans hung doggedly at their task. +Then, wisely, they retreated. Of the fleet, not more than +seven ships remained untouched. Mars Center Station had +held—at what cost only they knew. Five hundred tons +of their mercury had been exhausted in that brief five minutes. +One hundred tons a minute had flowed into and out +of the atostor apparatus. Mars Center radioed for help, when +the fleet lifted.</p> + +<p>There was one other station on Mars that stood a good +chance of survival, Deenmor Station, with three of the big +beams installed, and apparatus for their fourth was in the +station, and being rapidly worked over. McLaurin did a wise<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> +and courageous thing, at which every man on Mars cursed. +He ordered that all IP stations save these two be deserted, +and all mercury fuel reserves be moved to Deenmor and +Mars Center.</p> + +<p>The Mirans could not land on the North Western section +of Mars, nor in the South Central region. Therefore Mars was +not exactly habitable to Miran ships, because the great beams +had been so perfectly figured that they were effective at a +range of nearly twelve hundred miles.</p> + +<p>Deenmor station was attacked—but it was a half-hearted +attack, for Mirans were becoming distinctly skittish about fifteen-foot +UV beams. Two badly blistered ships—and the +Mirans retreated to Jupiter. But Mira held Phobos and Deimos. +In two weeks, they had set up cannon there, and proved +themselves accurate long-range gunners. Against the feeble attraction +of Deimos, and with Mars' gravity to help them, +they began bombarding the two stations, and anything that +attempted to approach them, with gamma and atomic explosive +bombs. Meanwhile they amused themselves occasionally +by planting a gamma-ray bomb in each of Mars' major cities. +They made Mars uninhabitable for Solarians as well as for +Mirans, at least until the deadly slow-action atomic explosives +wore off, or were removed.</p> + +<p>Then the Mirans, after a lapse of three weeks while they +dug in their toes on Jupiter, prepared to leap. Earth was +the next goal. Miran scout-ships had been sent out before +this—and severely handled by the concentrated fleets of the +IP that hung grimly off Earth and Luna now. But the +scouts had learned one thing. Mirans could never hope to +attain a firm grasp on Earth while terribly armed Luna hung +like a Sword of Damocles over their heads. Further, attack +on Earth directly would be next to impossible, for, thanks +to Faragaut's Interplanetary Company, nearly all the mercury +metal in the system was safely lodged on Earth, and +saturated with power. Every major city had been equipped +with great UV apparatus. And neutron guns in plenty waited +on small ships just outside the atmosphere to explode harmlessly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> +any atomic or gamma bombs Miran ships might attempt +to deposit.</p> + +<p>An attack on Luna was the first step. But that terrible, +gigantic fort on Luna worried them. Yet while that fort +existed, Earth ships were free to come and go, for Mirans +could not afford to stand near. At a distance of twenty +thousand miles, small Miran ships had felt the touch of +those great UV beams.</p> + +<p>Finally, a brief test-attack was made, with an entire fleet +of one hundred ships. They drew almost into position, faster +than light, faster than the signaling warnings could send +their messages. In position, all those great ships strained and +heaved at the mighty magnetic vortex that twisted at the +field of the fort. Instantly, twelve of the fifteen-foot UV +beams replied. And—two great UV beams of a size the +Mirans had never seen before, beams from the two ships, "S +Doradus" and "Cepheid."</p> + +<p>The test-attack dissolved as suddenly as it had come. +The Mirans returned to Jupiter, and to the outer planets +where they had further established themselves. Most of the +Solar system was theirs. But the Solarians still held the +choicest planets—and kept the Mirans from using the mild-temperatured +Mars.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="IX" id="IX"></a>IX</h2> + + +<p>"<span class="smcap">They</span> can't take this, at least," sighed McLaurin as they +retreated from Luna.</p> + +<p>"I didn't think they could—right away. I'm wondering +though if they haven't something we haven't seen yet. Besides +which—give them time, give them time."</p> + +<p>"Well, give us time, too," snapped McLaurin. "How are +you coming?"</p> + +<p>Buck smiled. "I'm sure I don't know. I have a machine +but I haven't the slightest idea of whether or not it's any +good."</p> + +<p>"Why not?"</p> + +<p>"I can destroy—I hope—but I can't build up their ray. +I can't test the machine because I haven't their ray to test +it against."</p> + +<p>"What can we do to test it?"</p> + +<p>"The only thing I can see is to call for volunteers—and +send out a six-man cruiser. If the ship's too small, they may +not destroy it with the big crumbler rays. If it's too large—and +the machine didn't work—we'd lose too much."</p> + +<p>Twelve hours later, the IP men at the Lunar Bank fort +were lined up. McLaurin stepped up on the platform, and +addressed the men briefly, told them what was needed. Six +volunteers were selected by a process of elimination, those +who were married, had dependents, officers, and others were +refused. Finally, six men of the IP were chosen, neither rookies +nor veterans, six average men. And one average six-man +cruiser, one hundred and eleven feet long, twenty-two in +diameter. It was the T-208, a sister ship of the T-247, the +first ship to be destroyed.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span></p> + +<p>The T-208 started out from Luna, and with full acceleration, +sped out toward Phobos. Slowly she circled the +satellite, while distant scouts kept her under view. Lazily, +the Miran patrol on Phobos watched the T-208, indifferent +to her. The T-208 dove suddenly, after five fruitless circles +of the tiny world, and with her four-foot UV beam flaming, +stabbed angrily at a flight of Miran scouts berthed in the +very shadow of a great battle cruiser, one of the interstellar +ships stationed here on Phobos.</p> + +<p>Four of the little ships slumped in incandescence. Angrily +the terrific sword of energy slashed at the frail little scouts.</p> + +<p>Angrily the Miran interstellar ship shot herself abruptly +into action against this insolent cruiser. The cruiser launched +a flight of the mercury-torpedoes. Flashing, burning, ultra-violet +energy flooded the great ship, harmlessly, for the men +were, as usual, protected. The Miran answered with the +neutron beam, atomic and gamma bombs—and the crumbler +ray.</p> + +<p>Gently, softly a halo of shimmering-violet luminescence +built up about the T-208. The UV beam continued to flare, +wavering slightly in its aim—then fell way off to one side. +The T-208 staggered suddenly, wandered from her course—whole, +but uncontrolled. For the men within the ship were +dead.</p> + +<p>Majestically the Miran swung along beside the dead ship, +a great magnetic tow-cable shot out toward it, to shy off at +first, then slowly to be adjusted, and take hold in the magnetic +shield of the T-208. The pilots of the watching scout-ships +turned away. They knew what would happen.</p> + +<p>It did. Five—ten—twenty seconds passed. Then the "dead-man" +took over the ship—and the stored power in the atostor +tanks blasted in a terrible flame that shattered the metal +hull to molecular fragments. The interstellar cruiser shuddered, +and rolled half over at the blasting pressure. Leaking +seams appeared in her plates.</p> + +<p>The scouts raced back to Luna as the Miran settled heavily, +and a trifle clumsily to Phobos. Miran radio-beams were +forcing their way out toward the Miran station on Europa,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> +to be relayed to the headquarters on Jupiter, just as Solarian +radio beams were thrusting through space toward Luna. +Said the Miran messages: "Their ships no longer crumble." +Said the Solarian messages: "The ships no longer crumble—but +the men die."</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>His deep eyes burning tensely, Buck Kendall heard the +messages coming in, and rose slowly from his seat to pace +the floor. "I think I know why," he said at last. "I should +have thought. For that too can be prevented."</p> + +<p>"Why—what in the name of the Planets?" asked McLaurin. +"It didn't kill the men in the forts—why does it kill +the men in the ships, when the ships are protected?"</p> + +<p>"The protection kills them."</p> + +<p>"But—but they had the protective oscillations on all the +way out!" protested the Commander.</p> + +<p>"Think how it works though. Think, man. The enemy's +field is an electric-field oscillation. We combat it by setting up +a similar oscillating field in the metal of the hull ourselves. +Because the metal conducts the strains, they meet, +and oppose. It is not a shield—a shield is impossible, as +I have said, because of energy concentration factors. If their +beam carried a hundred thousand horsepower in a ten-foot +square beam, in every ten square feet of our shield, we'd +have to have one hundred thousand horsepower. In other +words, hundreds of times as much energy would be needed +in the shield, as they used in their beam. We can't afford +that. We had to let the beams oppose our oscillations in +the metal, where, because the metal conducts, they meet on +an equal basis. But—when two oscillations of slightly different +frequency meet, what is the result?"</p> + +<p>"In this case, a heterodyne frequency of a lower, and +harmless frequency."</p> + +<p>"So I thought. I was partly right. It does <i>not</i> harm the +metal. But it kills the men. It is super-sonic. The terrible, +shrill sounds destroy the cells of the men's bodies. Then, +when their dead hands release the controls, the automatic +switches blow up the ship."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span></p> + +<p>"God! We stop one menace—and it is like the Hydra. +For every head we lop off, two spring up."</p> + +<p>"Ah—but they are lesser heads. Look, what is the fundamental +difference between sound and light?"</p> + +<p>"One is a vibration of matter and the—ah—eliminate the +material contact!"</p> + +<p>"Exactly! All we need to do is to let the ships operate +airless, the men in space suits. Then the air cannot carry +the sounds to them. And by putting special damping materials +in their suits, we can stop the vibrations that would +reach them through their feet and hands. Another six-man +ship must go out—but this ship will come back!"</p> + +<p>And with the order for another experimental ship, went the +orders for commercial supplies of this new apparatus. Every +IP ship must be equipped to resist it.</p> + +<p>Buck Kendall sailed on the six-man scout that went out +this time. Again they swooped once at Phobos, again Miran +scout-ships crumbled under the attack of the vicious UV +beams. The Mirans were not waiting contemptuously this +time. In an instant the great interstellar ship rose from its +berth, its weapons working angrily. The crumbler ray snapped +out at the T-253.</p> + +<p>Kendall stared into the periscope visor intently. Clumsily +his padded hands worked at the specially adapted controls. +The soft hiss of the oxygen release into his suit disturbed him +slightly. The radio-phones in his helmet carried all the conversations +in the ship to him with equal clarity. He watched +as the great ship angled angrily up—</p> + +<p>His vision was momentarily obscured by a violet glow +that built up and reached out gently from every point of +metal in the ship. The instant Kendall saw that, the T-253 +was fleeing under his hands. The test had been made. Now all +he desired was safety again. The ion-rockets flared recklessly +as, crushed under an acceleration of four Earth-gravities, +he sank heavily into his seat. Grimly the Miran ship +was pursuing them, easily keeping up with the fleeing midget. +The crumbler became more intense, the violet glow more +vivid.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span></p> + +<p>The UV beam was reaching out directly behind now. The—</p> + +<p>With a cry of agony, Kendall ripped the radio-phone +connection out of his suit. A soft hiss of leaking air warned +him of too great violence only minutes later. For his ears +had been deafened by the sudden shriek of a tremendous +signal from outside!</p> + +<p>Instantly Kendall knew what that meant. And he could +not communicate with his men! There was no metal in these +special suits, even the oxygen tanks were made of synthetic +plastics of tremendous strength. No scrap of vibrating metal +was permissible. The padded gloves and boots protected him—but +there was a new and different type of crackle and +haze from the metal points now. It was almost invisible in +the practically airless ship, but Kendall saw it.</p> + +<p>Presently he felt it, as he desperately increased his acceleration. +Slow creeping heat was attacking him. The heat +was increasing rapidly now. Desperately he was working at +the crumbler-protection controls—but immediately set them +back as they were. He had to have the crumbler protection +as well—!</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>Grimly the great Miran ship hung right beside them. +Angrily the two four-foot UV beams flashed back—seeking +some weak spot. There were none. At her absolute maximum +of acceleration the little ship plunged on. Gamma and atomic +bombs were washing her in flame. The heavy blocks of paraffin +between her walls were long since melted, retained +only by the presence of the metal walls. Smoke was beginning +to filter out now, and Kendall recognized a new, +and deadlier menace! Heat—quantities of heat were being +poured into the little ship, and the neutron guns were doing +their best to add to it. The paraffin was confined in there—and +like any substance, it could be volatilized, and as +a vapor, develop pressure—explosive pressure!</p> + +<p>The Miran seemed satisfied in his tactics so far—and +changed them. Forty-seven million miles from Earth, the +Miran simply accelerated a bit more, and crowded the Solarian +ship a bit. White-faced, Buck Kendall was forced to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> +turn a bit aside. The Miran turned also. Kendall turned a +bit more—</p> + +<p>Flashing across his range of vision at an incredible speed, +a tiny thing, no more than twenty feet long and five in +diameter, a scout-ship appeared. Its tiny nose ultra-violet +beam was blasting a solid cylinder of violet incandescence +a foot across in the hull of the Miran—and, to the Miran, +angling swiftly across his range of vision. Its magnetic field +clashed for a thousandth of a second with the T-253, instantly +meeting, and absorbing the fringing edges. Then—it +swept through the Miran's magnetic shield as easily. The delicate +instruments of the scout instantaneously adjusted its +own magnetic field as much as possible. There was resistance, +enormous resistance—the ship crumpled in on itself, the tail +vanished in dust as a sweeping crumbler beam caught it at +last—and the remaining portion of the ship plowed into +the nose of the Miran.</p> + +<p>The Miran's force-control-room was wrecked. For perhaps +a minute and a half, the ship was without control, then the +control was re-established—and in vain the telescopes and +instruments searched for the T-253. Lightless, her rockets out +now, her fields damped down to extinction, the T-253 was lost +in the pulsing, gyrating fields of half a dozen scout-ships.</p> + +<p>Kendall looked grimly at the crushed spot on the nose of +the Miran. His ship was drifting slowly away from the +greater ship. Presently, however, the Miran put on speed in +the direction of Earth, and the T-253 fell far behind. The +Miran was not seriously injured. But that scout pilot, in +sacrificing life, had thrown dust in their eyes for just those +few moments Kendall had needed to lose a lightless ship +in lightless space—lightless—for the Mirans at any rate. The +IP ships had been covered with a black paint, and in no +time at all, Kendall had gotten his ship into a position where +the energy radiations of the sun made him undetectable from +the Miran's position, since the radiation of his own ship, +even in the heat range, was mingled with the direct radiation +of the sun. The sun was in the Miran's "eyes," both +actual and instrumental.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span></p> + +<p>An hour later the Miran returned, passed the still-lightless +ship at a distance of five million miles, and settled to +Phobos for the slight repairs needed.</p> + +<p>Twelve hours later, the T-253 settled to Luna, for the +many rearrangements she would need.</p> + +<p>"I rather knew it was coming," Kendall admitted sadly, +"but danged if I didn't forget all about it. And—cost the +life of one of the finest men in the system. Jehnson's family +get a permanent pension just twice his salary, McLaurin. +In the meantime—"</p> + +<p>"What was it? Pure heat, but how?"</p> + +<p>"Pure radio. Nothing but short-wave radio directed at +us. They probably had the apparatus, knew how to make +it, but that's not a good type of heat ray, because a radio +tube is generally less than eighty percent efficient, which is +a whale of a loss when you're working in a battle, and +a whale of an inconvenience. We were heated only four +times as much as the Miran. He had to pump that heat into +a heat-reservoir—a water tank probably—to protect himself. +Highly inefficient and ineffective against a large ship. +Also, he had to hold his beam on us nearly ten minutes +before it would have become unbearable. He was again, +trying to kill the men, and not the ship. The men are the +weakest point, obviously."</p> + +<p>"Can you overcome that?"</p> + +<p>"Obviously, no. The thing works on pure energy. I'd have +to match his energy to neutralize it. You knew it's an old +proposition, that if you could take a beam of pure, monochromatic +light and divide it exactly in half, and then recombine +it in perfect interference, you'd have annihilation of +energy. Cancellation to extinction. The trouble is, you never +do get that. You can't get monochromatic light, because +light can't be monochromatic. That's due to the Heisenberg +Uncertainty—my pet bug-bear. The atom that radiates the +light, must be moving. If it isn't, the emission of the light +itself gives it a kick that moves it. Now, no matter what the +quantum <i>might</i> have been, it loses energy in kicking the +atom. That changes the situation instantly, and incidentally<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> +the 'color' of the light. Then, since all the radiating atoms +won't be moving alike, etc., the mass of light can't be +monochromatic. Therefore perfect interference is impossible.</p> + +<p>"The way that relates to the problem in hand, is that we +can't possibly destroy his energy. We can, as we do in the +crumbler stunt, change it. He can't, I suspect, put too +much power behind his crumbler, or he'd have crumbling +going on at home. We get a slight heating from it, anyway. +Into the bargain, his radio was after us, and his neutrons +naturally carried energy. Now, no matter what we do, we've +got that to handle. When we fight his crumbler, we actually +add heat-energy to it, ourselves, and make the heating effect +just twice as bad. If we try to heterodyne his radio—presto—it +has twice the heat energy anyway, though we might +reduce it to a frequency that penetrated the ship instead of +all staying in it. But by the proposition, we have to use as +much energy, and in fact, remember the 80% rule. We've +got to take it and like it."</p> + +<p>"But," objected McLaurin, "we <i>don't</i> like it."</p> + +<p>"Then build ships as big as his, and he'll quit trying to +roast you. Particularly if the inner walls are synthetic plastics. +Did you know I used them in the 'S Doradus' and 'Cepheid'?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. Were you thinking of that?"</p> + +<p>"No—just luck—and the fact that they're light, strong as +steel almost, and can be manufactured in forms much more +quickly. Only the outer hull is tungsten-beryllium. The advantage +in this will be that nearly all the energy will be +absorbed outside, and we'll radiate pretty fast, particularly +as that tungsten-beryllium has a high radiation-factor in the +long heat range."</p> + +<p>"What does that mean?"</p> + +<p>"Well, ordinary polished silver is a mighty poor radiator. +Homely example: Try waiting for your coffee to cool if it's +in a polished silver pot. Then try it in a tungsten-beryllium +pot. No matter how you polish that tungsten-beryllium, +the stuff WILL radiate heat. That's why an IP ship is +always so blamed cold. You know the passenger ships use<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> +polished aluminum outer walls. The big help is, that the +tungsten-beryllium will throw off the energy pretty fast, and +in a big ship, with a whale of a lot of matter to heat, the +Strangers will simply give up the idea."</p> + +<p>"Yes, but only two ships in the system compare with them +in size."</p> + +<p>"Sorry—but I didn't build the IP fleet, and there are +lots of tungsten and beryllium on Earth. Enough anyway."</p> + +<p>"Will they use that beam on the fort? And can't we use +the thing on them?"</p> + +<p>"They won't and we won't—though we could. A bank +of those new million watt tubes—perhaps a hundred of +them—and we'd have a pretty effective heater—but an +awful waste of power. I've got something better."</p> + +<p>"New?"</p> + +<p>"Somewhat. I've found out how to make the mirror field +in a plate of metal, instead of a block. Come on to the lab, +and I'll show you."</p> + +<p>"What's the advantage? Oh—weight saved, and silver +metal saved."</p> + +<p>"A lot more than that, Mac. Watch."</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>At the laboratory, the new apparatus looked immensely +lighter and simpler than the old. The atostor, the ionizer, and +the twin ion-projectors were as before, great, rigid, metal +structures that would maintain the meeting point of the ions +with inflexible exactitude under any acceleration strains. +But now, instead of the heavy silver block in which a mirror +was figured, the mirror consisted of a polished silver +plate, parabolic to be sure, but little more than a half-inch +in thickness. It was mounted in a framework of complex, +stout metal braces.</p> + +<p>Kendall started the ion-flame at low intensity, so the UV +beam was little more than a spotlight.</p> + +<p>"You missed the point, Mac. Now—watch that tungsten-beryllium +plate. I'll hold the power steady. It's an eighteen-inch +beam—and now the energy is just sufficient to heat +that tungsten plate to bright red. But—"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span></p> + +<p>Kendall turned over a small rheostat control—and abruptly +the eighteen-inch diameter spot on the tungsten-beryllium +plate began contracting; it contracted till it was a blazing, +sparkling spot of molten incandescence less than an inch +across!</p> + +<p>"That's the advantage of focus. At this distance of a few +hundred feet with a small beam I can do that. With a +twenty-foot beam, I can get a two-foot spot at a distance of +nearly ten miles! That means that the receiving end will have +the pleasure of handling <i>one hundred times the energy concentration</i>. +That would punch a hole through most anything. +All you have to do is focus it. The trouble being, if it's out +of focus the advantage is more than lost. So if there's any +question about getting the focus, we'll get along without +it."</p> + +<p>"A real help, if you do. That would punch a hole before +the Stranger ship could turn away as they do now."</p> + +<p>Kendall nodded. "That's what I was after. It is mainly +for the forts, though. We'll have to signal the dope to the +Mars Center and Deenmor stations. They can fix it up, +themselves. In the meantime—all we can do is hold on +and hunt, and let's hope better than the Strangers do."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="X" id="X"></a>X</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Sadly</span> the convalescent Gresth Gkae listened to the reports +of his lieutenants. More and more disgraced he felt as he +realized how badly he had blundered in reporting the people +of this system unable to cope with the attackers' weapons. +Gresth Gkae looked up at his old friend and physician, Merth +Skahl. He shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid, Merth Skahl. I +am afraid. We have, perhaps, made a mistake. The better +and the stronger alone should rule. Aye, but is the <i>stronger</i> +always the <i>better</i>? I am afraid we have mistaken the Truth +in assuming this. If we have—then may Jarth, Lord of Truth +and Wisdom punish us. Mighty Jarth, if I have mistaken +in following my judgments, it is not from disobedience, it is +lack of Thy knowledge. The strongest—they are not always +the better, are they?"</p> + +<p>Merth Skahl bent sharply over his friend. "Quiet thyself, +Gresth Gkae. You know, and I know, you have done +only your best, and surely Jarth himself can ask no better of +any one. You must rest, for only by rest can those terrible +burns be healed. All your <i>stheen</i> over half the body-area +was burned off. You have been delirious for many days."</p> + +<p>"But Merth Skahl, think—have we disobeyed Jarth's will? +It is, we know, his will that only the best and the strongest +shall rule—but are the best always the strongest? An imbecile +adult could destroy the life of a genius-grade child. The +strongest wins, but not the best. Such would not be the will +of Jarth. If we be the stronger, <i>and</i> the best, then it is right +and just that these strange creatures should be destroyed +that we may have a stable world of stable light and heat. +But look and see, with what terrible swiftness these strange +creatures have learned! May it not be they are the better +race—that it is <i>we</i> who are the weaker and the poorer? +Can it be that Jarth has brought us together that these<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> +people might learn—and destroy us? If they be the stronger, +and the better—then may Jarth's will be done. But we must +test our strength to the utmost. I must rise, and go to my +laboratory soon. They have set it up?"</p> + +<p>"Aye, they have, Gresth Gkae. But remember, the weak +and the sick make faults the strong and the well do not. +Better that you rest yourself. There is little you can do while +your body seeks to recover from these terrible burns."</p> + +<p>"You are wrong, my friend, wrong. Don't you see that +my mind is clear—that it is the mind which must fight +in these battles, for surely the man is weak against such +things as this infra-X-radiation? Why, I am better able to +fight now than are you, for I am a trained fighter of the +mind, while you are a trained healer of the body. These +strange beings with their stiff arms and legs, their tender +skins, and—and their swift minds have fought us all too +well. If we must test, let it be a test. I have heard how +they so quickly solved the riddle of the crumbling field. +That took us longer, and we designed it. The Counsel of +Worlds put me in command, let me up, Skahl, I must work."</p> + +<p>Concerned, the physician looked down at him. Finally he +spoke again. "No, I will not permit you to leave the hospital-ship. +You must stay here, but if, as you have said, the +mind is what must fight, then surely you can fight well +from here, for your mind is here."</p> + +<p>"No, I cannot, and you well know it. I may shorten my +life, but what matter. 'Death is the end toward which the +chemical reaction, Life, tends,'" quoted the scientist. "You +know I have left my children—my immortality is assured +through them. I can afford to die in peace, if it assures their +welfare. Time is precious, and while my mind might work +from here, it must have data on which to work. For that, +I must go to the laboratories. Help me, Merth Skahl."</p> + +<p>Reluctantly the physician granted the request, but begged +of Gresth Gkae a promise of at least six hours rest in every +fifteen, and a good sleep of at least twenty-seven hours every +"night." Gresth Gkae agreed, and from a wheelchair, conducted +his work, began a new line of experimentation he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> +hoped would yield them the weapon they needed. Under +him, the staff of scientists worked, aiding and advising and +suggesting. The apparatus was built, tested, and found +wanting. Time and again as the days passed, they watched +Gresth Gkae, gaining strength very, very slowly, taken away +despondent at the end of his forty hours of work.</p> + +<p>A dozen expeditions were sent to Jupiter's poles to +watch and measure and study the tremendous auroral displays +there, where Jupiter's vast magnetic field sucked in +countless quintillions of the flying electrons from the sun, +and brought them circling in, in a vast, magnificent display +of auroral ionization.</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>Expeditions went to the great Southern Plateau, the Plateau +of Storms, where the titanic air currents resulted in an +everlasting display of terrific lightnings, great burning balls of +electric force floating dangerous and deadly across the frozen, +ultra-cold plain.</p> + +<p>And the expeditions brought back data. Yet still Gresth +Gkae could not sleep, his thoughts intruding constantly. +Hours Merth Skahl spent with him, calming him to sleep.</p> + +<p>"But what is this constant search? It is little enough I +know of science, but why do you send our men to these +spots of wonderfully beautiful, but useless natural forces. +Can we somehow, do you think, turn them against the people +of these worlds?"</p> + +<p>Softly the old Miran smiled. "Yes, you might say so. For +look, it is the strange balls of electric force I want to know +about. Sthor had few, but occasionally we saw them. Never +were they properly investigated. I want to know their secret, +for I am sure they are balls of electric forces not vastly +dissimilar from the nucleus of the atom. Always we have +known that no system of purely electrical forces could remain +stable. Yet these strange balls of energy do. How is it? +I am sure it will be of vast importance. But the direct secret +I hope to learn is in this: What can be done with electric +fields can nearly always be duplicated, or paralleled in +magnetic fields. If I can learn how to make these electric<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> +balls of energy, can I not hope to make similar magnetic +balls of energy?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, I see—that would seem true. But what benefit +would you derive from that? You have magnetic beams +now, and yet they are useless because you can get nowhere +near the forts. How then would these benefit you?"</p> + +<p>"We can do nothing to those forts, because of that magnetic +shield. Could we once break it down, then the +fort is helpless, and one or two small atomic bombs destroy +it. But—we cannot stay near, for the terrible infra-X-rays +of theirs burn holes in our ships, and—in our men.</p> + +<p>"But look you, I can drop many atomic bombs from a +distance where their beams are ineffective. Suppose I <i>do</i> make +a magnetic ball of energy, a magnetic bomb. Then—I can +drop it from a distance! We have learned that the power +supply of these forts is very great—but not endless, as is +ours now, thanks to the vast supplies of power metal on this +heavy planet. Then all we need do is stay at a distance where +they cannot reach us—and drop magnetic bombs. Ah, they +will be stopped, and their energy absorbed. But we can +keep it up, day after day, and slowly drain out their power. +Then—then our atomic bombs can destroy those forts, and +we can move on!" But suddenly the animation and strength +left his voice. He turned a sad, downcast face to his friend. +"But Merth Skahl, we can't do it," he complained.</p> + +<p>"Ah—now I can see why you so want to continue this +wearing and worrying work. You need time, Gresth Gkae, +only time for success. Tomorrow it may be that you will +see the first hint that will lead you to success."</p> + +<p>"Ah—I only hope it, Merth Skahl, I only hope it."</p> + +<p>But it was the next day that they saw the first glimpse of +the secret, and saw the path that might lead to hope and +success. In a week they were sending electric bombs across +the laboratory. And in three days more, a magnetic bomb +streaked dully across the laboratory to a magnetic shield they +had set up, and buried itself in it, to explode in brilliant light +and heat.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span></p> + +<p>From that day Gresth Gkae began to mend. In the three +weeks that were needed to build the apparatus into ships, +he regained strength so that when the first flight of five +interstellar ships rose from Jupiter, he was on the flagship.</p> + +<p>To Phobos they went first, to the little inner satellite of +Mars, scarcely eight miles in diameter, a tiny bit of broken +metal and rock, utterly airless, but scarcely more than 3700 +miles from the surface of Mars below. The Mars Center +and Deenmor forts were wasting no power raying a ship +at that distance. They could, of course, have damaged it, but +not severely enough to make up for the loss of their strictly +limited power. The photocells had been working overtime, +every minute of available light had been used, and +still scarcely 2100 tons of charged mercury remained in the +tanks of Mars Center and 1950 in the tanks at Deenmor.</p> + +<p>The flight of five ships settled comfortably upon Phobos, +while the three relieved of duty started back to Jupiter. +Immediately work was begun on the attack. The ships +were first landed on the near side, while the apparatus of +the projectors was unloaded, then the great ships moved +around to the far side. Phobos of course rotated with one +face fixed irrevocably toward Mars itself, the other always +to the cold of space. Great power leads trailed beneath the +ships, and to the dark side. Then there were huge water +lines for cooling. On this almost weightless world, where +the great ships weighing hundreds of thousands of tons +on a planet, weighed so little they were frequently moved +about by a single man, the laying of five miles of water +conduit was no impossibility.</p> + +<p>Then they were ready. Mars Center came first. Automatic +devices kept the aim exact, as the first of the magnetic +bombs started down. At five-second intervals they were +projected outward, invisible globes of concentrated magnetic +energy, undetectable in space. Seven seconds passed before +the first became dimly visible in the thin air of Mars. It +floated down, it would miss the fort it seemed—so far to +one side— Abruptly it turned, and darted with tremendously +accelerating speed for the great magnetic field of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> +fort. With a vast blast of light, it exploded. Five seconds +later a second exploded. And a third.</p> + +<p>Mars Center signaled scoffingly that the bombs were all +being stopped dead in the magnetic atmosphere, after the +bombardment had been witnessed from Earth and Luna. An +hour later they gave a report that they were concentrated +magnetic fields of energy that would be rather dangerous—if +it weren't that they couldn't even stand into the magnetic +atmosphere. Three hours later Mars Center reported +that they contained considerably more energy than had at +first been thought. Further, which they had not carefully +considered at first, they were taking energy with them! +They were taking away about an equal amount of energy as +each blew up.</p> + +<p>It was only a half-hour after that that the men at Mars +Center realized perfectly what it meant. Their power was +being drained just a little bit better than twice as fast as +they generated during the day—and since Phobos spun +so swiftly across the sky.</p> + +<p>Deenmor got the attack just about the time Mars Center +was released. Deenmor immediately began seeking for the +source of it. Somewhere on Phobos—but where?</p> + +<p>The Mirans were experts at camouflage. Deenmor Station, +realizing the menace, immediately rayed the "projector." They +tore up a great deal of harmless rock with their huge UV +rays. But the bomb device continued to throw one bomb +each five seconds.</p> + +<p>When Deenmor operated from Phobos' position, Mars Center +was exposed to the deadly, constant drain. A day or +two later, the bombs were coming one each second and a +half, for more ships had joined in the work on Phobos.</p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae saw the work was going nicely. He knew +that now it was only a question of time before those magnetic +shields would fail—and then the whole fort would be +powerless. Maybe—it might be a good idea, when the forts +were powerless to investigate instead of blowing them up. +There might be many interesting and worthwhile pieces of +apparatus—particularly the UV beam's apparatus.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XI" id="XI"></a>XI</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Buck Kendall</span> entered the Communications room rather +furtively. He hated the place. Cole was there, and McLaurin. +Mac was looking tired and drawn, Cole not so tired, but +equally drawn. The signals were coming through fairly well, +because most of the disturbance was rising where the signals +rose, and all the disturbance, practically, was magnetic +rather than electric.</p> + +<p>"Deenmor is sending, Buck," McLaurin said as he entered. +"They're down to the last fifty-five tons. They'll have more +time now—a rest while Phobos sinks. Mars Center has another +250 tons, but—it's just a question of time. Have you +any hope to offer?"</p> + +<p>"No," said Kendall in a strained voice. "But, Mac, I don't +think men like those are afraid to die. It's dying uselessly +they fear. Tell 'em—tell 'em they've defended not alone +Mars, but all the system, in holding up the Strangers on Mars. +We here on Luna have been safer because of them. And +tell—Mac, tell them that in the meantime, while they defended +us, and gave us time to work, we have begun to +see the trail that will lead to victory."</p> + +<p>"<i>You have!</i>" gasped McLaurin.</p> + +<p>"No—but they will never know!" Kendall left hastily. +He went and stood moodily looking at the calculator machines—the +calculator machines that refused to give the answers +he sought. No matter how he might modify that original +idea of his, no matter what different line of attack he +might try in solving the problems of Space and Matter, while +he used the system he <i>knew</i> was right—the answer came +down to that deadly, hope-blasting expression that meant +only "uncertain."</p> + +<p>Even Buck was beginning to feel uncertain under that constant<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> +crushing of hope. Uncertainty—uncertainty was eating +into him, and destroying—</p> + +<p>From the Communications room came the hum and drive +of the great sender flashing its message across seventy-two +millions of miles of nothing. <span class="spaced">"B-u-c-k K-e-n-d-a-l-l s-a-y-s +h-e h-a-s l-e-a-r-n-e-d s-o-m-e-t-h-i-n-g t-h-a-t w-i-l-l l-e-a-d +t-o v-i-c-t-o-r-y w-h-i-l-e y-o-u h-e-l-d b-a-c-k t-h-e—"</span></p> + +<p>Kendall switched on a noisy, humming fan viciously. The +too-intelligible signals were drowned in its sound.</p> + +<p>"And—tell them to—destroy the apparatus before the last +of the power is gone," McLaurin ordered softly.</p> + +<p>The men in Deenmor station did slightly better than +that. Gradually they cut down their magnetic shield, and +some of the magnetic bombs tore and twisted viciously at the +heavy metal walls. The thin atmosphere of Mars leaked in. +Grimly the men waited. Atomic bombs—or ships to investigate? +It did not matter much to them personally—</p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae smiled with his old vigor as he ordered one +of the great interstellar ships to land beside the powerless +station, approaching from such an angle that the still-active +Mars Center station could not attack. One of the fleet of Phobos +rose, and circled about the planet, and settled gracefully +beside the station. For half an hour it lay there quietly, +waiting and watching. Then a crew of two dozen Mirans +started across the dry, crumbly powder of Mars' sands, +toward the fort. Simultaneously almost, three things happened. +A three-foot UV beam wiped out the advancing +party. A pair of fifteen-foot beams cut a great gaping hole +in the wall of the interstellar ship, as it darted up, like a +startled quail, its weapons roaring defiance, only to fall +back, severely wounded.</p> + +<p>And the radio messages pounded out to Earth the first description +of the Miran people. Methodically the men in Deenmor +station used all but one ton of their power to completely +and forever wreck and destroy the interstellar cripple that +floundered for a few moments on the sands a bare mile +away. Presently, before Deenmor was through with it, the +atomic bombs stopped coming, and the atomic shells. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> +magnetic shield that had been re-established for the few +minutes of this last, dying sting, fell.</p> + +<p>Deenmor station vanished in a sudden, colossal tongue +of blue-green light as the ton of atomically distorted mercury +was exploded by a projector beam turned on the tank.</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>It was long gone, when the first atomic bombs and magnetic +bombs dropped from Phobos reached the spot, and +only hot rock and broken metal remained.</p> + +<p>Mars Center failed in fact the next time Phobos rode high +over it. The apparatus here had been carefully destroyed by +technicians with a view of making it indecipherable, but the +Mirans made it even more certain, for no ship settled here +to investigate, but a stream of atomic bombs that lasted for +over an hour, and churned the rock to dust, and the dust +to molten lava, in which pools of fused tungsten-beryllium +alloy bubbled slowly and sank.</p> + +<p>"Ah, Jarth—they are a brave race, whatever we may say +of their queer shape," sighed Gresth Gkae as the last of Mars +Center sank in bubbling lava. "They stung as they died." +For some minutes he was silent.</p> + +<p>"We must move on," he said at length. "I have been thinking, +and it seems best that a few ships land here, and establish +a fort, while some twenty move on to the satellite +of the third planet and destroy the fort there. We cannot +operate against the planet while that hangs above us."</p> + +<p>Seven ships settled to Mars, while the fleet came up from +Jupiter to join with Gresth Gkae's flight of ships on its way +to Luna.</p> + +<p>An automatically controlled ship was sent ahead, and began +the bombardment. It approached slowly, and was not +destroyed by the UV beams till it had come to within 40,000 +miles of the fort. At 60,000 Gresth Gkae stationed his +fleet—and returned to 150,000 immediately as the titanic +UV beams of the Lunar Fort stretched out to their maximum +range. The focus made a difference. One ship started limping +back to Jupiter, in tow of a second, while the rest began<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> +the slow, methodical work of wearing down the defenses +of the Lunar Fort.</p> + +<p>Kendall looked out at the magnificent display of clashing, +warring energies, the great, whirling spheres and discs of +opalescent flame, and turned away sadly. "The men at +Deenmor must have watched that for days. And at Mars +Center."</p> + +<p>"How long can we hold out?" asked McLaurin.</p> + +<p>"Three weeks or so, at the present rate. That's a long time, +really. And we can escape if we want to. The UV beams +here have a greater range than any weapon the Strangers +have, and with Earth so near—oh, we could escape. Little +good."</p> + +<p>"What are you going to do?"</p> + +<p>"I," said Buck Kendall, suddenly savage, "am going to +consign all the math machines in the universe to eternal +damnation—and go ahead and build a machine anyway. +I <i>know</i> that thing ought to be right. The math's wrong."</p> + +<p>"There is no other thing to try?"</p> + +<p>"A billion others. I don't know how many others. We +ought to get atomic energy somehow. But that thing infuriates +me. A hundred things that math has predicted, that +I have checked by experiment, simple little things. But—when +I carry it through to the point where I can get something +useful—it wriggles off into—uncertainty."</p> + +<p>Kendall stalked off to the laboratory. Devin was there working +over the calculus machines, and Kendall called him +angrily. Then more apologetic, he explained it was anger +at himself. "Devin, I'm going to make that thing, if it blows +up and kills me. I'm going to make that thing if this whole +fort blows up and kills me. That math has blown up in my +face for four solid months, and half killed me, so I'm going +to kill it. Come on, we'll make that damned junk."</p> + +<p>Angrily, furiously, Kendall drove his helpers to the task. +He had worked out the apparatus in plan a dozen times, +and now he had the plans turned into patterns, the patterns +into metal.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span></p> + +<p>Saucily, the "S Doradus" made the trip to and from Earth +with patterns, and with metal, with supplies and with +apparatus. But she had to dodge and fight every inch of the +way as the Miran ships swooped down angrily at her. A +fighting craft could get through when the Miran fleet was +withdrawn to some distance, but the Mirans were careful +that no heavy-loaded freighter bearing power supply should +get through.</p> + +<p>And Gresth Gkae waited off Luna in his great ship, and +watched the steady streams of magnetic bombs exploding on +the magnetic shield of the Lunar Fort. Presently more ships +came up, and added their power to the attack, for here, +the photo-cell banks could gather tremendous energy, and +Gresth Gkae knew he would need to overcome this, and +drain the accumulated power.</p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae felt certain if he could once crack this nut, +break down Earth, he would have the system. This was the +home planet. If this fell, then the two others would follow +easily, despite the fact that the few forts on the innermost +planet, Mercury, could gather energy from the sun at a rate +greater than their ships could generate.</p> + +<p>It took Kendall two weeks and three days to set up his +preliminary apparatus. They had power for perhaps four days +more, thanks to the fact that the long Lunar day had begun +shortly after Gresth Gkae's impatient attack had started. +Also, the "S Doradus" had brought in several hundred tons +of charged mercury on each trip, though this was no great +quantity individually, it had mounted up in the ten trips +she had made. The "Cepheid," her sister ship, had gone +along on seven of the trips, and added to the total.</p> + +<p>But at length the apparatus was set up. It was peculiar +looking, and it employed a great deal of power, nearly +as much as a UV beam in fact. McLaurin looked at it sceptically +toward the last, and asked Buck: "What do you expect +it to do?"</p> + +<p>"I am," said Kendall sourly, "uncertain. The result will +be uncertainty itself."</p> + +<p>Which, considering things, was a surprisingly accurate<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> +statement. Kendall gave the exact answer. He meant to give +an ironic comment. For the mathematics had been perfectly +correct, only Buck Kendall misinterpreted the answer.</p> + +<p>"I've followed the math with mechanism all the way +through," he explained, "and I'm putting power into it. +That's all I know. Somewhere, by the laws of cause and +effect, this power <i>must</i> show itself again—despite what the +damn math says."</p> + +<p>And in that, of course, Kendall was wrong. Because the +laws of cause and effect didn't hold in what he was doing +now.</p> + +<p>"Do you want to watch?" he asked at length. "I'm all +set to try it."</p> + +<p>"I suppose I may as well." McLaurin smiled. "In our close-knit +little community the fate of one is of interest to all. +If it's going to blow up, I might as well be here, and if it +isn't, I want to be."</p> + +<p>Kendall smiled appreciatively and replied: "Let it be on +thy own head. Here she goes."</p> + +<p>He walked over to the power board, and took command. +Devin, and a squad of other scientists were seated about +the room with every conceivable type and combination of +apparatus. Kendall wanted to see what this was doing. +"Tubes," he called. "Circuits A and D. Tie-ins." He stopped, +the preliminary switches in. "Main circuit coming." With a +jerk he threw over the last contact. A heavy relay thudded +solidly. The hum of a straining atostor. Then—</p> + +<p>An electric motor, humming smoothly stopped with a +jerk. "This," it remarked in a deep throaty voice, "is probably +the last stand of humanity."</p> + +<p>The galvanometer before which Devin was seated apparently +agreed. In a rather high pitched voice it pointed +out that: "If the Lunar Fort falls, the Earth—" It stopped +abruptly, and an electroscope beside Douglass took up the +thread in a high, shrill voice, rather slurred, "—will be +directly attacked."</p> + +<p>"This," resumed the motor in a hoarse voice, "will certainly +mean the end of humanity." The motor gave up the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> +discourse and hummed violently into action—in reverse!</p> + +<p>"My God!" Kendall pulled the switch open with a sagging +jaw and staring eyes.</p> + +<p>The men in the room burst into sudden startled exclamations.</p> + +<p>Kendall didn't give them time. His jaw snapped shut, and +a blazing light of wondrous joy shone in his eyes. He instantly +threw the switch in again. Again the humming atostor, +the strain—</p> + +<p>Slowly Devin lifted from his seat. With thrashing arms +and startled, staring eyes, he drifted gently across the room. +Abruptly he fell to the floor, unhurt by the light Lunar +gravity.</p> + +<p>"I advise," said the motor in its grumbling voice, "an +immediate exodus." It stopped speaking, and practiced what +it preached. It was a fifty-horse motor-generator, on a five-ton +tungsten-beryllium base, but it rose abruptly, spun rapidly +about an axis at right angles to the axis of its armature, +and stopped as suddenly. In mid air it continued its +interrupted lecture. "Mercury therefore is the destination I +would advise. There power is sufficient for—all machines." +Gently it inverted itself and settled to the middle of the floor. +Kendall instantly cut the switch. The relay did not chunk +open. It refused to obey. Settled in the middle of the +floor now, torn loose from its power leads, the motor-generator +began turning. It turned faster and faster. It was shrilling +in a thin scream of terrific speed, a speed that should +have torn its windings to fragments under the lash of +centrifugal force. Contentedly it said throatily. "Settled."</p> + +<p>The galvanometer spoke again in its peculiar harsh voice. +"Therefore, move." Abruptly, without apparent reason, the +stubborn relay clicked open. The shrilly screaming motor +stopped dead instantly, as though it had had no real momentum, +or had been inertialess.</p> + +<p>Startled, white-faced men looked at Kendall. Buck's eyes +were shining with an unholy glee.</p> + +<p>"<i>Uncertainty!</i>" he shouted. "Uncertainty—uncertainty—uncertainty,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> +you fools! Don't you see it? All the math—it said +uncertainty—man, man—<i>we've got just that—uncertainty</i>!"</p> + +<p>"You're crazy," gasped McLaurin. "I'm crazy, everything's +gone crazy."</p> + +<p>Kendall roared with sudden, joyous laughter. "Absolutely. +Everything goes crazy—<i>the laws of nature break down</i>! +Heisenberg's principle showed that the law of cause and effect +weren't absolute. We've made them absolutely uncertain!"</p> + +<p>"But—but motors <i>talking</i>, instruments giving lectures—"</p> + +<p>"Certainly—or rather uncertainly—anything, absolutely +anything. The destruction of the laws of gravity, freedom +from inertia—why, merely picking up a radio lecture is nothing!"</p> + +<p>Suddenly, abruptly, a thousand questions poured in on +him. Jubilantly he answered what he could, told what he +thought—and then brought order. "The battle's still on, +men—we've still got to find out how to use this, now we've +got it. I have an idea—that there's a lot more. I know +what I'll get this time. Now help me remake this apparatus +so we don't broadcast the thing."</p> + +<p>At once, ten times the former pace, work was done. On +the radio, news was sent out that Kendall was on the right +track after all. In two hours the apparatus had been vastly +altered, it was in the final stage, and an entirely different +sort of field set up. Again they watched as Buck applied the +power.</p> + +<p>The atostor hummed—but no strange tricks of matter +happened this time. The more concentrated, altered field was, +as Buck was to find out later, "Uncertainty of the Second +Degree." It was molecular uncertainty. In a field a foot and +a half in diameter, Buck saw the thing created—and suddenly +a brilliant green-blue flame shot up, and a great dark +cloud of terrible, red-brown deadly vapor. Then an instant +later, Kendall had opened the relay. Gasping, the men ran +from the laboratory, shutting the deadly fumes in. "N<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>" +gasped Morton, the chemist, as they reached safety. "It's +exothermic—but it formed there!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span></p> + +<p>In that instant, Kendall grasped the meaning the choking +fumes carried. "Molecular uncertainty!" he decided. +"We're going back—we're getting there—"</p> + +<p>He altered the apparatus again, added another atostor +in series, reduced the size of his sphere of forces—of +strange chaos of uncertainty. Within—little was certain. Without—the +laws of nature applied as ever.</p> + +<p>Again the apparatus was started, cautiously this time. +Only a strange jumbled ionization appeared this time, then +a slow, rising blue flame began to creep up, and burn hot +and blue. Buck looked at it for a moment, then his face +grew tense and thoughtful. "Devin—give me a half-dollar." +Blankly, Devin reached in his pocket, and handed over +the metal disc. Cautiously Buck Kendall tossed it toward +the sphere of force. Instantly there was a flash of flame, soundless +and soft-colored. Then the silver disc was outlined in +light, and swiftly, inevitably crumbling into dust so fine +only a blue haze appeared. In less than two seconds, the +metal was gone. Only the dense blue fog remained. Then +this began to go, and the leaping blue flame grew taller, +and stronger.</p> + +<p>"We're on the track—I'm going to stop here, and calculate. +Bring the data—"</p> + +<p>Kendall shut off the machine, and went to the calculation +room. Swiftly he selected already prepared graphs, graphs +of the math he had worked on. Devin came soon, and others. +They assembled the data and with tables and arithmetical +machines turned it into graphs.</p> + +<p>Then all these graphs were fed into the machine. There +were curves, and sine-curves, abrupt breaking lines—but the +answer that came when all were compounded was a perfect +diagram of a flight of four steps, descending in unequal +treads to zero.</p> + +<p>Kendall looked at it for long minutes. "That," he said at +length, "is what I expected. There are four degrees of uncertainty, +we generated 'Uncertainty of the First Degree,' +'Mass Uncertainty,' when we started. That, as here shown, +takes little energy concentration. Then we increased the energy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> +concentration and got 'Uncertainty of the Second Degree,' +'Molecular Uncertainty.' Then I added more power, and reduced +the field, and got 'Uncertainty of the Third Degree'—'Atomic +Uncertainty.' There is 'Uncertainty of the Fourth +Degree.' It is barely attainable with our atostors. It is—utter +uncertainty.</p> + +<p>"In the First Degree, the laws of mass action fail, the +great broad-reaching laws. In the Second Degree, the laws +of the molecules, a finer organization, break down, and anything +can happen in chemistry. In the Third Degree, the +laws of atomic physics break down slowly. The atom is +tough. It is very compact, and we just barely attained the +concentration needed with that apparatus. But—in the Third +Degree, when the Atomic Laws break down into utter uncertainty, +the atoms break, and only hydrogen can exist. +That was the blue flame.</p> + +<p>"But the Fourth Degree—<i>there is no law whatsoever</i>, +nothing in all the Universe can exist. It means—<i>the utter +destruction and release of the energy of matter</i>!" Kendall +paused for a moment. "We have won, with this. We need +only make up this apparatus—and maybe make it into a +weapon. You know, in the Fourth Degree, nothing in all +the Universe could resist, deflect, or control it, if launched +freely, and self-maintaining. I think that might be done. +You see, no law affects it, for it breaks down the law. Magnetism +cannot attract or repel it because magnetic fields +cannot exist; there is no law of magnetic force, where this +field is.</p> + +<p>"And you know, Devin, how I have analyzed and duplicated +their magnetic ball-fields. This should be capable of +formation into a ball-field.</p> + +<p>"We need only make it up now. We will install it in the +'S Doradus' and the 'Cepheid' as a weapon. We need only +install it as an energy source here. Let us start."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="XII" id="XII"></a>XII</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Buck Kendall</span> with a slow smile, looked out of the port +in the thick metal wall. The magnetic shield of the Lunar +Fort was washed constantly with the fires of exploding magnetic +bombs. The smile spread broader. "My friends," he +said softly, "you can pull from now till doomsday as far +as I'm concerned, and you won't even disturb us now." He +looked back over his shoulder into the power room. A hunched +bulk, beautifully designed and carefully finished, the apparatus +that created 'Uncertainty of the Fourth Degree' was +destroying matter, and creating by its destruction terrific +electric fields. These fields were feeding the magnetic shield +now. Under the present drain, the machine was not noticeably +working. In fact, Kendall was a bit annoyed. He had +tested out the energy generating properties of this machine, +trying to find a limit. He had found there was no limit. The +great copper conductors, charged with the same atostor +force that was used in the mercury fuel, were perfect conductors, +they had not heated. But the eleven thousand tons +of discharged mercury metal had been completely charged +in just a bit better than eleven minutes. The pumps wouldn't +force it through the charging apparatus any faster than +that.</p> + +<p>Two weeks more had passed, while the "S Doradus" and +the "Cepheid" were fitted out with the new apparatus Buck +had designed. They were almost ready to start now.</p> + +<p>McLaurin came down the corridor, and stopped near Kendall. +He too smiled at the Miran's attempts. "They've got +a long way to go, Buck."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span></p> + +<p>"They're going a long way. Clear back home—and we'll +be right along. I don't think they can outdistance us."</p> + +<p>"I still don't see why you couldn't use one of those Uncertainty +conditions—the First Degree perhaps, and annihilate +our inertia."</p> + +<p>"You can't control Uncertainty. By its essential character +it's beyond control."</p> + +<p>"What's that Fourth Degree machine of yours—the material +energy—if it isn't controlled and utilized Uncertainty?"</p> + +<p>"It's utter and utterly uncontrolled Uncertainty. The matter +within that field breaks down to absolutely nothing. +Within, no law whatsoever applies, but fortunately, outside +the old laws of physics apply—and we can gather and use +the energy which is released outside, though nothing can +be done inside. Why, think, man, if I could control that +Uncertainty, I could do anything at all, absolutely anything. +It would be a world as unreasonable as a bad dream. Think +how unreasonable those manifestations we first got were!"</p> + +<p>"But can't you get any control at all?"</p> + +<p>"Very little. Anyway, if I could get inertialess conditions +at will, I'd be afraid of them. They'd make chemical reactions +impossible in all probability—and life is chemical. Two +atoms must come into more or less violent contact before a +union takes place, and cannot if they have neither momentum +nor inertia.</p> + +<p>"Anyway—why worry. I can't do it, because I can't +control this thing. And we have the extra-space drive."</p> + +<p>"How does that darned thing work? Can't you drop the +math and tell me about it?"</p> + +<p>Kendall smiled. "Not too readily. Remember first, as to the +driving system, that it works on the fabric of space. Space is, +in the physical sense, a fabric woven of the threads of lines +of force from every body in the universe, made up of fields +and forces. It is elastic, and can transmit strains. But anything +that can transmit strains, can be strained against. With +the tremendous field intensities available by the material engines, +I can get such fields as will 'dig their toes' into space +and push.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That's the drive itself. It is accelerationless, because it +enfolds us, and acts equally on every atom of us. By maintaining +in addition a slight artificial gravity—thanks also to +the intensity of those material engine fields—we can be +comfortable, while we accelerate at tremendous rates.</p> + +<p>"That is, I think, at least allied to the Stranger's system. +For the high-speed drive, I do in fact use the Uncertainty. +I can control it in a certain sense by determining its powers, +and the limits of uncertainty, whether First, Second, Third +or Fourth Degree. It advances in jumps—but on a finer plotting +of the curve, you can see that each jump represents a +vast series of smaller jumps. That is, there is Class A, B, C, D, +and so forth Uncertainty of the First Degree. Now Class A +First Degree Uncertainty involves only the deepest, broadest +principles. Only they break down. One of these is the law of +the speed of light.</p> + +<p>"I'm sure that isn't the system the Strangers use, but I'm +also sure there's no limit to the speed we can get."</p> + +<p>"Doesn't that wreck your drive system?"</p> + +<p>"No, because gravity and the fields I use in driving are +First Degree Uncertainties of the higher classes.</p> + +<p>"But at any rate, it will work. And—I suspect you came +to say you were ready to go."</p> + +<p>"I did." McLaurin nodded.</p> + +<p>"Still stick to your original plan?"</p> + +<p>McLaurin nodded. "I think it's best. You follow those +fellows back to their system in the 'S Doradus' and I'll stay +here in the 'Cepheid' to protect the system. They may need +some time to get out of the place here. And remember, +we ought to be as decent as they were. They didn't bother +the transports leaving Jupiter when they came in, only attacked +the warships. We're bound to do the same, but we'll +have to keep a watch on them, nonetheless. So you go on +ahead."</p> + +<p>They started down the corridor, and came presently to +the huge locks where the "S Doradus" and the "Cepheid" +were berthed. The super-ships lay cold and gray now, men +swarming in and out with last-minute supplies. Air, water,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> +spare parts, bedding and personal equipment. Douglass, Cole, +and most of the laboratory staff would go with Kendall when +he followed the Strangers home. Devin and a few of the +most advanced physicists would stay with McLaurin in case +of need.</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>An hour later the "S Doradus" rose gently, soundlessly +from her berth, and floated out of the open lock-door. The +"Cepheid" followed her in five seconds. Still under the great +screen of the fort, the lashing, coruscating colors of the magnetic +bombs and the magnetic screen flashed and was iridescent. +The "S Doradus" poked her great nose gently through +the screen, and an instant later her titanically powerful, material-engine +effortlessly discharged a great magnetic bomb, +sent with the combined power of five atomic-powered interstellar +ships. The two ships separated now, the "Cepheid" +under McLaurin flashing ahead with sudden, terrific acceleration +toward Mars, whispering through space at a speed +that made it undetectable, faster than light. The "S Doradus" +journeyed out leisurely toward the fleet of forty-seven Miran +ships.</p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae saw the "S Doradus" and as he watched the +steady progress, felt sudden fear at his heart. The ship seemed +so certain—</p> + +<p>At a distance of thirty thousand miles, Kendall stopped. +Magnetic bombs were washing his screen continuously now, +seeking to exhaust the ship as all the great ships beyond +poured their energy against it. A slow smile spread over Kendall's +mouth as he heard the gentle hum of the barely working +material-engine. Carefully he aligned the nose UV beam +of the "S Doradus" on the nearest of the Miran ships. Then +he depressed a switch.</p> + +<p>There was no ion-release before the force-mirror now. Just +a jet of gas whirling into a half-inch field of "Uncertainty of +the Fourth Degree." The matter vanished instantly in released +energy so stupendous that the greatest previous UV beams +had been harmless things by comparison. Material energy +maintained the mirror forces. Material energy gave the power<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> +that was released. And only material energy could have stood +up before it. Thirty thousand miles away, a Miran ship +flamed instantaneously into inconceivable incandescence, vanishing +almost in blue-violet light of terrific intensity. The +ship reeled away, a half-molten wreck.</p> + +<p>The beam spotted two more ships before it winked out. +Then Kendall began sending bombs. He moved up to within +2000 miles that his aim might be accurate. They were bombs +of "Uncertainty of the Third Degree," the Uncertainty of +atomic law in bomb form. One hit the nose of the nearest +ship, and a sphere five feet in diameter glowed mistily blue +for a moment. Then very easily, the matter that formed the +wall of the cruiser began to run and change, and presently +there was only a hole, and an expanding cloud of gas. Three +more flowed toward it—and the hole enlarged, and another +hole appeared in a bulkhead behind.</p> + +<p>Kendall made a change. For the first time there came the +staccato bark of the material engine under strain, as it fashioned +the terrific fields of "Uncertainty of the Ultimate Degree." +Abruptly they leapt out, invisible till they entered a +magnetic screen, then run over with opalescent light as the +energy of the field was sucked into them and released.</p> + +<p>It struck the nose of a ship—a field no larger than an +apple—</p> + +<p>A titanic gout of energy burst out that was soundless in +space. The ship suddenly opened back, opened like the peel +of a banana, till a little nub remained at the further end, +and the metal flaps dropped back across and behind it dejectedly. +A second ship was struck, and it was struck on one +side, so that it was shattered like a spent firecracker.</p> + +<p>Then the Miran fleet vanished in speed.</p> + +<p>Kendall followed them. "I think," he said with a grin, +"they tried to use their radio beam, but it spread too much +to do anything at that distance. And they used their rotating +magnetic field, which we couldn't feel. And their +crumbler ray too, of course. I wonder—are they headed only +for Jupiter? No—no, they've passed it!"</p> + +<p>Faster than light, faster than energy could follow through<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> +space, or Uncertainty Bombs pursue, the Mirans were fleeing +for home. They knew now that only in speed lay safety. +Already they knew that a similar ship had appeared off Jupiter, +and, after wiping out the Phobos and Mars stations +with one bomb each, had cleared the Jovian Satellites with +equal terrible efficiency.</p> + +<p>In one of the fleeing ships was a broken, tired old man, +and his staff. Gresth Gkae looked back at the blank, distorted +space behind them, at the swiftly dwindling sun, and +spoke. "I was at fault, my friends. Jarth has spoken. <i>They</i> +are the stronger and the wiser race. Farth Skalt has shown +you—they use space fields of intensity 100. That means the +energy of the ultimate destruction. Jarth used us as his +instrument of testing, only to drive and stimulate that race. +I do not—nay. There is no doubt now, for look."</p> + +<p>Plainly visible, rapidly overtaking them, the "S Doradus" +appeared sharp, and luminous on the jet of distorted space.</p> + +<p>"We cannot escape, my friends. Shall we return to Sthor +or remain in space, lost?"</p> + +<p>"Let us deflect our course—at least he may not know our +destination." The interstellar ship turned very slightly in her +course. Plainly they saw the "S Doradus" flash on, in a +straight line, headed for distant, red-glowing Mira. Gresth +Gkae watched, and shrugged. Silently he put the ship back +on its course, at its utmost speed. Parallel with them, near to +them, the "S Doradus" flashed on. Day after day, the two +hurled through space faster than light. Gradually Mira brightened, +and at last became a disc.</p> + +<hr class="hrhide" /> + +<p>Gresth Gkae slowed his ships, and Kendall, watching, +slowed to match his speed. Five billion miles from Sthor, +they had reached normal space speeds. Viciously the Miran +fleet attacked the lone ship from Earth. Their rays, their +bombs, their every weapon was flaming. Great interstellar +ships flashed suddenly into speeds greater than that of light, +seeking to ram and destroy the smaller ship. The "S Doradus" +flashed into equal or greater speed, and eluded them.</p> + +<p>Kendall had determined now, which was the leader's ship.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span></p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae watched dully as his ships attempted to +destroy the single, small ship. He sighed in resignation, and +turned to walk back to the chapel aboard the ship. One last +prayer to Jarth—</p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae stopped abruptly. The great ship was lurching +strangely. Men shouted sudden, frightened cries. The +clanking and thud of relays sounded, the shrill of alarms. +Then the alarms stopped, and suddenly the whole great +ship vibrated to an infinitely deep voice speaking in perfect +Sthorian. The voice remarked solemnly, in great, vibrant +tones, that they would certainly receive news presently +from the Expeditions. It went on for some seconds to +discuss the conditions as reported in the new system. Then +it stopped abruptly. An electric motor just above Gresth +Gkae's head suddenly hummed into action without reason +or power connection. Almost simultaneously he heard the +shouts of startled men as the great lock doors began to +open into space of their own accord, bulkhead doors slipped +shut as the roar of escaping air echoed in the ship.</p> + +<p>Then it was all over. Gresth Gkae ran to the control +room. The Mirans there looked up at him with drawn +faces.</p> + +<p>"The instruments—Gresth Gkae—the instruments. The instruments +read impossible things, the motors worked without +reason, the fields fluctuated—the atomic engines stopped +and the magnetic shield broke down and gripped part of the +ship instead!" reported the bewildered pilot.</p> + +<p>"I do not know—some strange weapon of—" began the +old scientist. Something luminous and huge twisted suddenly +through space toward them, a bomb of "Uncertainty +of the First Degree." It wrapped the ship silently—and again +strange things happened. Abruptly the ship started whirling +violently, yet without centrifugal force. The heavens wheeled +crazily, and turned about three axes simultaneously. There +was no gyroscopic effect to hold them!</p> + +<p>Gradually the thing died out. Then a great field seemed +to catch the ship, and hurl it away from its companions. +Abruptly the pilot applied all his power to pull free. In vain.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span></p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae shook his head slowly, and raised the pilot's +hands from the board. "Let them do as they will. I think +they mean us no real harm, Thart Kralt. They can, we know, +destroy us in an instant. Perhaps he wants us to go somewhere +with him"—Gresth Gkae smiled sadly—"and anyway, +we can do nothing."</p> + +<p>For nearly a billion miles the great ship was hurled through +space at tremendous normal-space velocity. Then abruptly +it was halted, without a sign of strain or hurt. The great twenty-foot +UV beam on the nose of the "S Doradus" broke +into glowing gentle red light. It flashed twice. There was +a pause. Then it flashed four times. A long wait. Then three +times, a pause and nine times. A wait. Four times, a pause, +sixteen times. Then it stopped.</p> + +<p>A slow smile of ineffable joy spread over Gresth Gkae's +face. "Jarth Be Praised. He can destroy, but does not wish +to. Ah, Thart Kralt, turn your spotlight toward him, and +flash it twenty-five times, for he is trying to start communications +with us. Jarth is wise beyond all understanding. They +were the weaker race, and they are the stronger. But also +they are the better, for they could destroy, and they do +not, but seek only to communicate."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="EPILOGUE" id="EPILOGUE"></a>EPILOGUE</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> interstellar liner "Mirasol" settled gently to Sthor, having +circled wide of Asthor, and from her hold a cargo of the +heavy Jovian elements was discharged, while a mixed stream +of Solarians and Mirans came from her passenger quarters.</p> + +<p>A delegation of Mirans met the new Ambassador from +Sol, Commander McLaurin, and conducted him joyfully to +the Central Government Group. Beside the great buildings, +a battered, scarred interstellar ship lay, her rear section a +mass of great patches, rudely applied, and rudely made, mere +cast metal plates.</p> + +<p>Gresth Gkae welcomed Commander McLaurin to the Government +Hall. "Your arrival today, Commander McLaurin, +was most fortunate," he said in the interstellar language that +had been developed, "for but yesterday Gresth Talak, my +brother, arrived in his ship. Before we made that fortunate-unfortunate +expedition against your system, we waited for +him, and he did not come, so we knew his ship had, like +others, been lost.</p> + +<p>"He arrived only yesterday, some seventy hours ago, and +explained how it had come about. He too found a solar +system. But he was less fortunate than I, and while exploring +this uninhabited system, far out still from the central +sun, where there should have been no masses of matter, +one of those rare things, a giant stony meteor that even a +magnetic shield will not stop careened into the rear of his +ship. Damaged badly, barely able to move, they settled to a +planet. The atmosphere was breathable, the temperature +mild. But while they could navigate planetary distances,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> +they could not return, so for nearly four and a half of your +years they remained there, working, working to repair their +ship.</p> + +<p>"They have done it at last. And they have returned. And +best of all, after a four-year stay there, they know all they +need know about that system of eleven planets. It is compact +as yours, with an ultra-light sun such as yours, and four +of the planets are habitable. Together we can colonize that +system! It is a system of stable heat and stable light. And +it is small, yet large enough. And with the devices such as +your new energy has permitted, we need never fear the stony +meteors again." Gresth Gkae smiled happily. "Still better—it +is inhabited only by the lowest forms of life. It is too costly +to both races when Jarth sees fit to stimulate them by +throwing one against the other, despite the good things that +may come later."</p> + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Ultimate Weapon, by John Wood Campbell + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ULTIMATE WEAPON *** + +***** This file should be named 23790-h.htm or 23790-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/3/7/9/23790/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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