NormalizeHEADmain

1 files changed, 0 insertions, 908 deletions

diff --git a/old/61766.txt b/old/61766.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index b23afc0..0000000
--- a/old/61766.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,908 +0,0 @@
-The Project Gutenberg EBook of Asteroid H277--Plus, by Harry Walton
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever.  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.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll
-have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using
-this ebook.
-
-
-
-Title: Asteroid H277--Plus
-
-Author: Harry Walton
-
-Release Date: April 6, 2020 [EBook #61766]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: ASCII
-
-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASTEROID H277--PLUS ***
-
-
-
-
-Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
-Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-                          Asteroid H277--Plus
-
-                            By HARRY WALTON
-
-              It was a pretty web that Akars spun aboard
-                 the Sun-freighter _Cinnabar_.... Mass
-                murder and piracy! But he wasn't clever
-               enough to allow for the innocent-sounding
-                   asteroid charted as "H277--Plus."
-
-           [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
-                      Planet Stories Summer 1940.
-         Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
-         the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
-
-
-Jon Akars, petty officer of the Sun Line freighter _Cinnabar_, backed
-away from the jimmied manifold of the air circulators and hastily
-felt for the emergency mask at his belt. Any moment now the Venusian
-_kui-knor_ he had filched from the ship's medicine cabinet and dropped
-into the circulators would take effect. Without warning men would drop
-at their posts, apparently insensible, rigid of muscle, eyes staring
-fixedly. Actually, they would be keenly aware of everything about them,
-their senses sharpened rather than dulled by the drug. But it was no
-part of Akars' plans to be one of them. He strapped on the mask, and,
-at the sound of approaching footsteps, shrank back into the shadows of
-the machines.
-
-An officer peered into the circulator chamber for an instant, then
-marched on down the corridor. Akars chuckled. Box Jordan _was_ part
-of his plan; in a way, he had a star role. But not an enviable one.
-Nor, to be sure, were the remainder of the _Cinnabar's_ crew going
-to be particularly lucky. The luck of the scheme was reserved for
-Akars himself, and it involved four kilos of precious Urulium which
-Box Jordan had unearthed during an emergency landing on an unexplored
-planetoid. Jordan had been fool enough to turn the stuff over as a
-ship's prize, to be equally divided. But with the metal on board, it
-was inevitable that a smarter man would see and grasp the chance that
-was offered. Akars was that man.
-
-He waited until the circulation meters told him that the _kui-knor_
-had been diffused through every cubic foot of air in the ship, then
-softly trod the steelene-walled corridor back to the navigating
-compartment. The sight there was a gruesome one. Captain Cardigan was
-slumped over the chart table, glassy-eyed, to all appearance dead. But
-he wasn't dead, Akars knew. The captain and the chief petty officer
-and the second navigator and the supercargo--all sprawled in grotesque
-attitudes about the compartment, all staring vacantly into space, were
-in the grip of an artificially induced coma.
-
-Deliberately Akars walked over and kicked Captain Cardigan in the
-chest. Cardigan's face remained impassive, the eyes expressionless,
-yet there was a barely perceptible quiver that told the blow had hurt.
-Akars grinned and landed another, then scowled and rubbed his ear with
-the back of a hairy hand. It was the first navigator, Box Jordan, whom
-he owed a special grudge. He'd nursed special ideas for Jordan, the
-agony of broken bones, of a merciless beating, before death should wipe
-him out. But Jordan wasn't here.
-
-Built into the chart table was the fireproof compartment that held the
-ship's log. Akars removed the bulky volume, opened it upon the table,
-and ripped out the last four page entries, crumpling the thin metallic
-foil before throwing it to the floor. With the log would perish all
-records of the Urulium find; if any spaceman's notes or diary held
-mention of it the _Cinnabar's_ fate would destroy that also.
-
-Akars moved toward the control board, grasped the refrigeration
-controls, swung them to "off." Immediately alarm bells clanged
-warning. He could feel the horror which his act engendered in the
-men who helplessly watched it--something of that horror chilled even
-him. For without refrigeration the fuel tanks would quickly warm up.
-The compressed gaseous fuel, held inert only by refrigeration, would
-spontaneously explode. The _Cinnabar_, by that simple movement of two
-levers, was doomed.
-
-       *       *       *       *       *
-
-The alarm bells echoed madly about him as he left the navigation
-compartment and walked further aft, to the stern deck where the
-ship's tender nestled against her hull. An airtight telescoping tube
-connected parent ship and life ship, and Akars saw that the manhole
-cover was slid aside. Someone was either in the tender or had just left
-it--perhaps one of the spacemen now lying beside the manhole--on a
-routine maintenance job.
-
-Akars climbed the short ladder into the life ship's tiny control
-compartment. Lamps were burning, but there was nobody in the
-compartment, nor in the little vessel's supply compartment, engine
-room, or living quarters. Satisfied, Akars checked food stores, fuel
-and air gauges with keen satisfaction. Everything was in perfect order.
-His scheme couldn't fail. Only a fool would have let a chance like this
-slip by.
-
-Then, thinking of Jordan again, Akars cursed. The lean, red-headed
-first navigator had been poison to him ever since joining the ship.
-Jordan hadn't been afraid of him. Other officers had excused or
-overlooked badly done or neglected work--Box Jordan never. The red-head
-had tongue-lashed Akars too often, and Akars had promised himself a
-meeting with Jordan--Jordan helpless, paralyzed, but fully conscious
-and able to feel every blow that fury could inflict. Now it seemed he
-was to be cheated of that.
-
-The clanging alarm reminded him that time was dangerously short. Soon
-the tanks would let go; he couldn't afford to be near the doomed
-freighter when the exploding fuel did its work. Without glancing back,
-he shut the entrance port, pressed the button that collapsed the escape
-tube, and took his place at the glowing controls of the little vessel.
-
-The _Cinnabar's_ death knell was muffled now. Like a tocsin of the
-dead, it rang dully in his ears as he reached for the levers. But
-confidence returned as he felt the familiar handles beneath him. The
-life ship was complete, self-sufficient. Charts were reduced to a
-simple form, instruments were direct-reading, course plotting almost
-automatic, so that the commonest spaceman could navigate the tender
-at need. He had himself operated it during the _Cinnabar's_ emergency
-landing a month ago.
-
-He punched the internal-combustion engines into life, watched the
-generator output mount, then cut in a weak repulsion field. With a
-lurch the little ship tore free from its parent vessel and retreated
-from the long, gleaming shape of the freighter. He switched over to
-the space-induction field coils. Power thrummed in the depths of the
-tiny craft; it swerved about and obediently plunged ahead, fleeing the
-coming tragedy. After ten minutes at full field he turned it around and
-held it motionless in space with respect to the now distant _Cinnabar_.
-
-The slim freighter, gleaming gold in the light of the distant sun,
-seemed to float upon a soft, star-sprinkled darkness. There was no
-trace of movement, although she was still flying, with untended
-engines, at three-quarters field. He bit his lips, waiting. Then,
-soundlessly, catastrophe struck!
-
-       *       *       *       *       *
-
-From amidships flowered a terrible, consuming blossom of blue-white
-flame, a petalled fire that engulfed the _Cinnabar_ from bow to stem
-and limned itself fantastically against the velvet heavens behind.
-Streamers of white-hot gas, sunlike in intensity, burst and flared
-in the brief glory of destruction, then as swiftly collapsed upon
-themselves, dimmed to the lesser glow of molten metal. The _Cinnabar_,
-a slender, white-hot needle, broke into a thousand dripping fragments,
-droplets of fire spattering the sky.
-
-Akars chuckled uneasily, swore, rubbed his ear with the back of a hand.
-That was that. Somewhere in the swirling, far-flung wreckage he must
-find the tiny block of unbelievably heavy, practically indestructible
-Urulium, flung out of the shattered strong room which he could have
-penetrated in no other way. The explosion should have released the
-treasure and wiped out all evidence against him at the same time. Like
-the rest of his plan it was simple, direct, foolproof.
-
-He flung the little tender back through space toward the glowing debris
-which now milled about itself, spinning about a common center. A few
-fragments had ripped free from the gravitational whirlpool of the rest.
-He dodged a piece half as large as the life ship itself. Red hot still,
-it swept past the port, more like a blazing meteor than anything, made
-by man. Past other wreckage he swept, evidence of the terrific energy
-of spontaneously exploded fuel--gruesome human debris as well as that
-of the _Cinnabar_ itself. The temperature within the tender climbed
-slowly as it absorbed heat from glowing fragments outside. Uneasily
-he checked his own fuel refrigerator, turned thermostatic controls to
-maintain a lower temperature.
-
-Something swept into his field of vision with startling speed. He
-ripped the helm over, swearing in sudden panic. The tender swerved,
-but not sharply enough. A grating shock, a metallic crash, told that
-the vessel had been hit. The jar of the concussion almost threw him
-from the control seat.
-
-His temples throbbing madly, Akars waited for the dread hiss of
-escaping air, the drop in pressure which his ear drums would quickly
-detect. The tender was small; a gash in the hull plates would empty it
-of air rapidly.
-
-But the pressure remained normal, and he relaxed at last, certain that
-the collision had done no more than dent the hull plates. He forgot the
-incident upon spying what had been the strong room door. Cautiously he
-worked the tender alongside it, scanning nearby debris closely.
-
-It took him fifteen minutes to find the thick-walled copper casket
-containing the treasure, scarred by impact, half fused by the terrific
-heat even though it had been protected by the walls of the strong
-room from the brunt of it. He knew that its precious contents could
-have suffered no harm, and carefully manipulated the ship's grappling
-mechanism until the casket was safely inside the tender's loading port.
-He swung the life ship about and drove for clear space.
-
-So easy it had been! A few minutes of effort had won him ten times as
-much as other men earned during a lifetime of hard, dangerous work in
-the space-lanes. Lucky he wasn't squeamish by nature. This way he was
-safe. Every witness against him was dead. His own word would be taken
-as gospel truth. Already he had planned every detail of the story--how
-he had been on routine inspection of the tender when the explosion
-started forward, in the fuel tanks. How the life ship, with him aboard,
-had been blown free by the blast--how he had barely managed to close
-the port in time to escape suffocation--how from the tender he had
-witnessed the destruction of the _Cinnabar_, and how--a touching detail
-this--he had cruised back into the wreckage in search of survivors, but
-found none. He would not try to explain the explosion. The lethally
-dangerous nature of the fuel would answer all doubts. Nobody could
-suspect him.
-
-Just before landing he would transfer the Urulium to his own duffle
-bag--a new one, of course, stocked with clothing taken from the
-tender's supplies. A welding torch would reduce the copper casket to a
-lump of reddish metal. He would dispose of a little Urulium illegally,
-outfit a one-man ship with the proceeds, and go on a prospecting cruise
-from which he could return with a legitimate store of the precious
-stuff. Disposed of to the Martians, who valued it as a healing agent,
-the four kilograms would bring a fortune.
-
-       *       *       *       *       *
-
-He pushed the little ship to top speed, which was slow at best. Hour
-after hour he hurled its silvery nose toward the distant stars, on
-a course which his charts told him led to earth. Mars, smaller than
-his own world, was on the other side of the sun. It was on earth that
-automatic cameras would have snapped the explosion of the _Cinnabar_.
-Perhaps salvage ships were already on their way; in a few hours he
-might meet them.
-
-Glancing at the chronometer, he saw that it was safe to remove his
-mask. The last vestige of _kui-knor_ which might have entered the
-tender from the _Cinnabar_ would have decomposed by now. By this time
-it would also have decomposed in the blood of the drugged men had any
-remained alive to experience it.
-
-"Akars! Blast my orbit, what happened?"
-
-He whirled at the voice, all his fear surging up within him, choking
-him. In the doorway stood Box Jordan, his tall, lean figure swaying a
-little, keen eyes questioning.
-
-"Jordan! I--where d'you come from?"
-
-"Routine inspection forward. I was checking the fuel tanks, started to
-back out of the tank compartment when I froze up. Couldn't move a toe."
-The navigator's sharp eyes narrowed. "What happened?"
-
-"Happened?" Akars fought the panic in his voice, the fear of this man
-who was not afraid of him. "Nothing much--just that the _Cinnabar_ blew
-up."
-
-"Blew up! You mean we're the only survivors?"
-
-Akars shrugged. "I thought I was, until you popped up. Of course I
-looked around. There wasn't anybody else--" He stood up, stretching.
-"If you'll take over a while, I'll get the kinks out of me."
-
-For an instant Jordan hesitated. Akars watched him closely. He
-suspected, of course--knew that he had been drugged. Even when
-under the _kui-knor_, he must have felt the tender pull away from
-the _Cinnabar_, and that without any evidence of an explosion. In a
-moment he would add things up, reaching the only possible conclusion.
-Desperately Akars glanced about for a weapon.
-
-And Jordan, with a queer twisted smile, walked forward--not toward
-the pilot's seat, but toward Akars. Those big bony hands of his were
-working. His very silence was terrible.
-
-Akars flattened himself against a wall. Big as he was, he knew himself
-to be no match for the hard-muscled first navigator. Aroused as the
-latter now was, he would be doubly dangerous. Akars clawed the bare
-wall, breathing hard.
-
-"You drugged the air-cycle," said Jordan. "You shut off the
-refrigerators and took off in the tender. You stood by while the
-_Cinnabar_ went to hell, with every man aboard her. Then you went back
-and picked up the Urulium--"
-
-"No!" screamed Akars. "No! I swear I didn't--"
-
-Jordan's hard fingers closed over his windpipe, crushed in his throat
-like a steel clamp tightened about it. He could feel his eyes bulging
-from their sockets, his body turning cold and dwindling away from him.
-
-He slumped suddenly, as though unconscious. A moment longer Jordan
-held him in that terrible grip, then flung him away. Akars hit the
-wall, collapsed into a huddled heap, gasping and retching as breath
-passed his bruised throat. He took his time, gathering strength, sure
-that Jordan would not attack him while he was down. Desperation lent
-him courage. Concerned, there was nothing to do but fight it out. He
-wouldn't let the navigator get another throat hold.
-
-Pretending to be weaker than he was, Akars lurched to his feet. He
-had a plan now, and warily circled Jordan before closing in. Then he
-plunged forward, ducked a swift uppercut, took a solid body blow that
-left him gasping--but reached the wall behind Jordan which was his
-objective. A rack of oxygen tanks for use with space suits was fastened
-there. Akar's hands tore one free--a slender, blunt-ended cylinder,
-massive enough to be a dangerous club. As Jordan closed in Akars
-brought it down on the navigator's left arm, which fell limp. With a
-bellow of triumph Akars struck for the head.
-
-Jordan, still drug-hazy and crippled in one arm, took the blow on a
-temple. It stopped him like a shot; he crumpled to one knee and fell.
-Breath rattling in his swollen throat, Akars stared into the hated face
-and wondered whether he should finish the job with a few more blows.
-Caution whispered consent, but still he hesitated. This was Box Jordan.
-_Box Jordan!_ Why kill him like this? He wanted Jordan to know what was
-coming--to know it as long as possible.
-
-It struck him then that killing Jordan wasn't as simple as it seemed.
-Found aboard the tender, Jordan's body would convict him. Flung into
-space, this far from the _Cinnabar_ disaster, it would provoke awkward
-questions--unanswerable questions--when discovered. Here was an
-unexpected flaw in a scheme that had looked foolproof! Cursing, Akars
-pulled the chart book toward him.
-
-       *       *       *       *       *
-
-He had tied Jordan's feet and fastened his hands behind him, lashed to
-a wall railing. In a supply closet he had found a paralysis gun, which
-he now wore in a side holster. For these and other reasons he was as
-confident, when Jordan showed signs of returning life, as he had been
-at first. Grinning, he watched the navigator stir and weakly sit up.
-
-"Coming out of it, are you? Listen to me, Jordan. I've got the Urulium
-aboard. Want to come in on this with me?"
-
-Jordan rubbed his temple tenderly. "I suppose there isn't much choice--"
-
-Akars chuckled. "You'll come in, huh? And spill the first chance you
-get. I'd be asking for the mercury mines if I took you back. Skip it,
-Jordan. I was kidding."
-
-"So was I." The navigator smiled crookedly. "But when it comes to
-teaming up with a rat, I'm ashamed of myself for even kidding about it."
-
-Akars struck out--a hard flat hand blow that rocked Jordan's head and
-left red welts on his cheek. "You know what? I've got your spot picked
-out. Nice and cool. No air, except what'll be in your suit tank. And
-about as much chance of rescue as an ice cube in hell--"
-
-He picked up the chart book and with ruffled brow turned its
-alumin-foil pages, his tongue between his lips. The page found, he held
-it before Jordan.
-
-"See that? A dinky space-apple that's been passed up by every claiming
-bureau in the system. Ten miles through. Just big enough to keep you
-from drifting free where a nosy patrolship might find you. It's the
-nearest asteroid--I'd dump you on Pluto if it weren't out of my way."
-
-"Asteroid H277 plus," read Jordan calmly. "Not exactly exciting. Why
-not ray me here and chuck out the remains?"
-
-Akars swore. "Because you're supposed to be with what's left of the
-_Cinnabar_--damn you. I can't take you back there--salvage ships may be
-out by now. And I can't throw you out where you may be picked up by a
-patrol. I've got to ditch you where you'll stay put--"
-
-"So it's H277 plus for me?" murmured Jordan. "The plus part of it
-sounds interesting. What does it mean, Akars?"
-
-"How the hell would I know? And what do you care? You won't live long
-enough to worry about it."
-
-But Akars himself was worrying as the asteroid floated into sight. He'd
-had to go off-course to reach it, when he should be making a bee-line
-for earth. There was a slight chance that the tender might be observed
-stopping here--a risk he had to take, but which could be minimized
-by haste. To cut the time shorter he'd let Jordan wear a space suit
-and walk out of the airlock. That would save time. Otherwise, if he
-killed Jordan on board, there would be some delay while he disposed of
-the body. Besides, there was a savage satisfaction in marooning the
-navigator alive, in letting him live out those last hopeless hours in
-slow torture of body and mind. Akars himself shuddered as he thought of
-it--the fate reserved for murderers taken aboard ship. A ten hour tank
-of oxygen--and a barren island of the sky such as this.
-
-       *       *       *       *       *
-
-Asteroid H277 plus was a bleak lump of pitted rock, roughly oval in
-shape, gleaming where the sunlight fell, pitch-black in the shadows.
-No ship would ever come close enough to it to make out a man's body,
-even if it lay in the light. In fact, space-ships avoided such masses
-as this just as the ancient steamers avoided icebergs. The chance of
-rescue was practically non-existent.
-
-"Almost there, aren't we?" asked Jordan from the floor. "What do I
-do--a swan dive from the emergency lock?"
-
-Akars shut off power, held the tender immovable by a weak repulsion
-field, and freed the navigator's feet.
-
-"You get in a suit--and don't try any tricks or I'll beam you." He
-watched sharply as Jordan meekly obeyed and climbed into the stiff
-canvas garment. Akars set the helmet over his head and fastened the rim
-studs, tearing off the collar bridge bearing the legend "_SS Cinnabar_."
-
-"If you ever are found, you won't be recognized. They say a body loses
-heat slowly enough for decomposition to make a good start, in one of
-these suits. When we land, you close your face plate and go out through
-the lock."
-
-He watched Jordan narrowly as he jockeyed the ship closer to the tiny
-asteroid. Without knowing why, he was uneasy. Jordan was a fighter.
-Funny he'd go out like this, the hard way, without a scrap. But what
-could he do? If he didn't march out of the lock under his own power,
-Akars could beam him and throw him out through the loading port.
-
-Asteroid H277 plus swam up to meet the ship. Akars picked his landing
-spot and reduced his repulsion field carefully. The ship settled.
-Jordan seemed to stiffen expectantly. Akars lifted the paralysis gun
-from its holster.
-
-Directly beneath the basalt blackness of the asteroid shimmered oddly
-with a strange translucent light. Akars swore softly. There couldn't be
-anything down there. A trick of the sunlight--perhaps the shadow of the
-ship? But it was queer. Maybe he shouldn't land--just make Jordan jump
-from the ship. That was it.
-
-His eyes flickered to the navigator, stiff as a ramrod now, with that
-tense air of waiting for something to happen. Akars tightened his grip
-on the gun, jerked his eyes back to the asteroid--and froze with fear.
-
-From the basalt surface leaped a fountain of fire--cold leaping fire
-licking upward at the ship. He jerked the controls over to full
-repulsion, screamed in terror as the ship dipped further instead of
-rising. An electrical flame sprang to meet it--a snapping, snarling
-fury of saw-edged lightning. Incredulously he saw it leave the prow of
-the vessel, flicker back to strike white flame from the hull plates
-just over the fuel tanks forward.
-
-A muffled roar beat upon his ears. Flame billowed forth before the
-pilot glass. The ship trembled and shuddered to the force of unleashed
-gases; acrid fumes swirled over the control board and seeped from the
-very floor plates beneath his feet. Through drifting smoke he saw
-the deck curl back, white hot, and drift lazily out of sight like a
-burnt leaf. His ear drums snapped as air fled into space. Vaguely he
-saw the black surface of the asteroid fly upward, felt a crunch and
-crash of metal as it exploded in his face, and fell through senseless
-darkness....
-
-       *       *       *       *       *
-
-"So you're alive?"
-
-It was Box Jordan's voice, Akars realized as he awoke to painful
-consciousness. Parts of him seemed to be on fire. He was wearing a
-space suit, as Jordan was, and they were no longer in the ship, but on
-the asteroid.
-
-"Hard time getting you into a suit when the ship's air went," remarked
-the navigator, his voice loud in Akars' earphones. "Of course I knew
-what was coming and had only to close my face plate, just as you told
-me. But I wanted to save you particularly. They need good, tough
-murderers like you at the mines. Some last as long as five years, I
-hear."
-
-Akars tried to sit up, discovered that he was bound--and that Jordan
-had the paralysis gun now.
-
-"I found the Urulium," continued the navigator. "The _Cinnabar's_
-widows and orphans will get their share, after all."
-
-"What happened?" asked Akars thickly. "That explosion--"
-
-"Only a feeble imitation of the _Cinnabar's_. Don't forget that her
-fuel exploded spontaneously--with a thousand times the force. In our
-case the fuel was inert, because our refrigeration didn't fail. It
-_burnt_, once ignited, but without an explosion--just as I expected.
-What I didn't tell you, Akars, was that the collision you had near the
-wrecked _Cinnabar_ knocked a hole in one fuel tank. I was lying almost
-against it--almost froze, too--and for hours I could hear fuel leaking
-out through the rip. Not much--just enough to catch fire when that
-spark hit us, and to carry back and ignite the whole tank."
-
-Akars groaned. "That spark--that damn spark!"
-
-Jordan was staring into space. He rose and looked long, then sat down
-again.
-
-"We're rescued, Akars. Naturally the salvage ships kept a lookout for
-the missing life ship and saw the flare-up here. They'll arrive soon."
-
-"That spark!" groaned Akars. "What the devil was it?"
-
-"That was what you weren't interested in, Akars. The 'plus' of H277
-plus. Did you know that the earth and most planets are negatively
-charged--have a surplus of electrons? And that our ships are also
-negatively charged--in fact super-charged because of the driving
-fields we use? A planetoid or asteroid with a simple name or number
-is also negative and no precautions are necessary. But a 'plus'
-following the designation means it is positively charged, whether
-because of interacting gravitational fields, internal radio-activity,
-or induction between the body and an atmosphere or some other reason.
-When an accredited navigator has to land on a 'plus' body he orders a
-careful check of all fuel tanks, because he knows there will be a heavy
-electrical discharge between it and the ship just before landing. But
-you didn't know that--
-
-"Another thing you didn't know, being a petty and not a commissioned
-officer, is that a new I.T.C. ruling requires an exact duplicate of the
-ship's log to be kept aboard life tenders at all times. Just before I
-went back to the tanks I replaced that duplicate log book. You took
-it along, Akars, and I found it when I found the Urulium, safe and
-sound in its fireproof case. That's what will convict you, Akars--not
-my words, but the story of the Urulium find and my turning it over as
-a ship's prize, written and signed by Captain Cardigan himself. The
-I.T.C. would have found that duplicate log anyhow, Akars. You never
-really had a chance to get away with it. Funny, isn't it? Funny how
-dumb a smart guy can be...."
-
-
-
-
-
-End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Asteroid H277--Plus, by Harry Walton
-
-*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASTEROID H277--PLUS ***
-
-***** This file should be named 61766.txt or 61766.zip *****
-This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
-        http://www.gutenberg.org/6/1/7/6/61766/
-
-Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan 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 print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
-law 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. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
-of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
-concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
-and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive
-specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this
-eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook
-for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports,
-performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given
-away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks
-not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the
-trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.
-
-START: FULL LICENSE
-
-THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
-PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
-
-To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
-distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
-(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
-Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
-Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at
-www.gutenberg.org/license.
-
-Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-
-1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
-and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
-(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
-the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
-destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your
-possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
-Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
-by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the
-person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph
-1.E.8.
-
-1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
-used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
-agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
-things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
-paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this
-agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
-
-1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
-Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
-of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual
-works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
-States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
-United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
-claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
-displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
-all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
-that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting
-free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm
-works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
-Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily
-comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
-same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when
-you share it without charge with others.
-
-1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
-what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
-in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
-check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
-agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
-distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
-other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no
-representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
-country outside the United States.
-
-1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
-
-1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
-immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear
-prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work
-on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the
-phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed,
-performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
-
-  This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-  most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
-  restrictions whatsoever. 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. If you are not located in the
-  United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you
-  are located before using this ebook.
-
-1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is
-derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
-contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
-copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
-the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
-redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project
-Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
-either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
-obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm
-trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
-
-1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
-with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
-must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
-additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
-will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works
-posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
-beginning of this work.
-
-1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
-License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
-work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
-
-1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
-electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
-prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
-active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm License.
-
-1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
-compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
-any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
-to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format
-other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official
-version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site
-(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
-to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
-of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain
-Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the
-full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
-
-1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
-performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
-unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
-
-1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
-access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
-provided that
-
-* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
-  the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
-  you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
-  to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has
-  agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
-  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
-  within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
-  legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
-  payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
-  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
-  Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
-  Literary Archive Foundation."
-
-* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
-  you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
-  does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
-  License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
-  copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
-  all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm
-  works.
-
-* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
-  any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
-  electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
-  receipt of the work.
-
-* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
-  distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
-
-1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than
-are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
-from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The
-Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm
-trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
-
-1.F.
-
-1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
-effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
-works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
-Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
-contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
-or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
-intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
-other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
-cannot be read by your equipment.
-
-1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
-of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
-Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
-Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
-liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
-fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
-LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
-PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
-TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
-LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
-INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
-DAMAGE.
-
-1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
-defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
-receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
-written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
-received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
-with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
-with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
-lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
-or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
-opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
-the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
-without further opportunities to fix the problem.
-
-1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
-in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO
-OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
-LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
-
-1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
-warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
-damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
-violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
-agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
-limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
-unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
-remaining provisions.
-
-1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
-trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
-providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in
-accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
-production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm
-electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
-including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
-the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
-or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or
-additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any
-Defect you cause.
-
-Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
-electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
-computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
-exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
-from people in all walks of life.
-
-Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
-assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
-goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
-remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
-Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
-and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future
-generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
-Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
-www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg
-Literary Archive Foundation
-
-The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
-501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
-state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
-Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
-number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
-U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
-
-The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the
-mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its
-volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous
-locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt
-Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to
-date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and
-official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
-
-For additional contact information:
-
-    Dr. Gregory B. Newby
-    Chief Executive and Director
-    gbnewby@pglaf.org
-
-Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
-Literary Archive Foundation
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
-spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
-increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
-freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
-array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
-($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
-status with the IRS.
-
-The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
-charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
-States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
-considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
-with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
-where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
-DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular
-state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate
-
-While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
-have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
-against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
-approach us with offers to donate.
-
-International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
-any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
-outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
-
-Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
-methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
-ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
-donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
-
-Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works.
-
-Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
-Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be
-freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
-distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of
-volunteer support.
-
-Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
-editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
-the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
-necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
-edition.
-
-Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search
-facility: www.gutenberg.org
-
-This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
-including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
-Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
-subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
-