diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-02-04 10:35:33 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-02-04 10:35:33 -0800 |
| commit | 7bc4ca23117fe0875e7ca0d43075f60409687a44 (patch) | |
| tree | a4b3514efb62e761c3afac30a7698a0a7578d4da | |
| parent | 263806fd02cd72d04696299b5f28868dc8b8431b (diff) | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/63676-0.txt | 779 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/63676-0.zip | bin | 15025 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/63676-h.zip | bin | 418379 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/63676-h/63676-h.htm | 863 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/63676-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 253181 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/63676-h/images/illus.jpg | bin | 151205 -> 0 bytes |
9 files changed, 17 insertions, 1642 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3f77685 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #63676 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/63676) diff --git a/old/63676-0.txt b/old/63676-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d3d128e..0000000 --- a/old/63676-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,779 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pluto Lamp, by Charles A. Stearns - -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 -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this ebook. - -Title: The Pluto Lamp - -Author: Charles A. Stearns - -Release Date: November 08, 2020 [EBook #63676] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLUTO LAMP *** - - - - - THE PLUTO LAMP - - By CHAS. A. STEARNS - - _It was the most outrageous kind of irony that - fate, and the Commission of Galactic Astrography, - should select such a prime misfit as Knucklebone - Smith to light the lamp of Pluto._ - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Planet Stories Fall 1954. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -This is really two stories. The first is solar history; the second, the -mostly true legend of a misfit called Knucklebone Smith. - -Knucklebone, so far as anyone could ever determine, was his real -name--the sin of prankish, or perhaps disillusioned parents. He was -exactly six feet eight inches tall from the insulated soles of his -engineering boots to the top of his planeteer's helmet. He never in -his life weighed more than one hundred sixty-five pounds. His face was -angular and horse-like, and it had never, within the memory of anyone -who knew him, contained the slightest vestige of a smile. - -He was not nature's first error, nor her last, but he differed from the -unexceptional many in that he believed in Destiny ... with a capital -'L.' Throughout a lifetime of unfortunate ventures he remained firm in -the conviction that sooner or later he would find his own metier and -become famous. At last he did, and that is the story of Knucklebone -Smith. - -The Pluto Lamp, a relic of the pioneering days of interstellar flight, -is harder to explain, but easier to believe. It was once as well known -to spacemen as Rafferty Shoals to the ancient China clippers. - -The gulf between the stars was vast and uncharted in those days; still -a thing of superstitious dread for the planet-bound. But it was no more -unknown than the solitary planet which tails all the others in its -dark, millennial path about our own sun. The planetary freighters went -as far as Uranus and no farther. For the black little planet whose very -namesake is Hell had nothing to attract them that could not be gotten -at more conveniently. - -The starships passed it by warily, giving it a wide berth, for it had -an evil reputation. The old scanners were unreliable at best, what with -the confusing debris that fills space, and more than one ship, through -miscalculation, swerved from its course, brushing through the magnetic -field of the unillumined wasteland, and crashed on the hard frozen -surface of Pluto. - -It was inevitable that someone would give birth to the idea of the -Lamp. It was to be a permanent, unmanned beacon, strategically placed -on the Dead Planet to warn ships that should have passed in the night, -but didn't always make it. - -A magnificent idea, everyone thought. Everyone, that is, excepting -Knucklebone Smith. - -The very idea of Pluto made him ill. He had set his number twelve -size feet on all the inner planets at one time or another in the -disillusioning search for fortune. He had starved and thirsted, baked -and bled for his dream. But he had always hated and avoided cold. He -had, in fact, the look of a man born cold, and never entirely warmed. - -It was the most outrageous kind of irony, therefore, that fate, and the -Commission of Galactic Astrography, should select him to light the Lamp. - -The latter, at least, was innocent of paradoxical motive. They needed -a man like Smith. A man planet-wise enough to do the job, and not -intelligent enough to decline it. There would be another man along, of -course, to direct, but he presented no problem, for he was Professor -Salvor-Jones, who had invented the Light, and insisted upon being along -when it was installed. He was a dedicated man. - -Knucklebone Smith, however, was dedicated to something else, and it -was only his pressing need for money that prodded him into acceptance -of the offer. He didn't care a fig for the safety of starships. This -would be a dangerous job at best, decidedly unpleasant at worst. Smith -didn't mind the danger; he had seen much of it in his wanderings; but -of unpleasantness he had experienced even more, and being a sybarite -by nature, in spite of his hard life, he preferred real (but painless) -peril. He was sure that he would be cold on Pluto. He was right. - - * * * * * - -The lamp was not really a light, of course, nor did it faintly resemble -one. What it did, in fact, resemble, was a sleek space cruiser. This -was wholly misleading, for though it was designed for interplanetary -travel, it was to be a one-way voyage. Once in the orbit of Pluto -it would nose down, smash a few feet into the crystalline surface -of frozen ammonia, and remain there forever, standing on end like a -lighthouse. It was at this point that it would cease to be a spaceship -and become a beacon. - -At least that was what Professor Salvor-Jones said. - -The beacon was three hundred feet long, white in color, for some -mysterious reason, and had cost the government of Earth something less -than seventeen million dollars. It was packed with expensive robotic -equipment, and was designed to be completely self-sustaining, once its -controls were properly set. It did everything for passing starships -that could possibly be expected of a well-reared beacon. It cheered -them on the outward passage, making them feel less lonely. It greeted -them, like a remote, cold Statue of Liberty upon their return, warned -them of lurking meteorite storms within the vicinity of their course, -and advised them of their position with relation to their destination -when they contacted its sensitive radio. But most important, it warned -them to steer clear of Pluto. - -It very nearly failed before it had begun all this show of monkish -wayside hospitality, however. It would have failed if it hadn't been -for Knucklebone Smith. - -They cut the beaconship loose from its convoy five hundred miles out, -which was sufficient for it to spiral in on the minimum of power it -carried and land safely. - -Salvor-Jones and Smith had only to lie in their safety hammocks in the -cramped temporary passenger cubicle. The ship would land by itself. -Their duties began once it had established itself firmly on the bleak -expanse of dark planet below them. They were to adjust the automatic -controls, make tests, and generally see that the thing was as it should -be for the lonely vigil that lay ahead. - -Three weeks, Salvor-Jones indicated, should be plenty of time for all -this. When it was finished, they could send a patrol cruiser from -Ganymede to pick them up. - -That was what he said but he was a very zealous man, and doted on -thoroughness. - -The fact was that they were finished with the tests in seven and a half -hours, and there was nothing to do, unhappily, for the remaining twenty -days except to entertain themselves as best they could, and wait. It -might be said that things went too smoothly. - -Professor Salvor-Jones was a smallish man with a square mustache of -regulation black, and a lock of jet hair that hung at times over his -left eye. He had a perpetual motion machine built into him, and a -profound contempt for the normal pace of life. - -But worst of all, in view of his predicament, he had Knucklebone Smith. - -Salvor-Jones finished his checking at 1800 star time and came into the -living compartment from the chill outer ship, or beacon, as it had now -become. He blew on his hands, put away his check-sheet board, and stood -uncertainly, gnawing his thumb and gazing at the spectacle of Smith -hunkered silently in front of a portable radiant heater. Knucklebone -was, as usual, the picture of contemplative suicide. - -"Well, well," said Salvor-Jones briskly. - -Smith made no answer. He swallowed thoughtfully, his Adam's apple -convulsing, and continued to stare into the glowing sun of the heater. - -"We've not much to do from now on, I'm afraid," Salvor-Jones said, -"until a starship passes within range. Then we'll be able to see how -well it works." - -Smith nodded glumly. He was sulking. He had been assigned to assist, -but this little man insisted on doing everything himself. Didn't trust -a damn soul but himself. Pick up a tool and like as not he'd snatch it -from your hand and leave you standing there watching him. Smith hated -people like that. - -"Play chess?" Salvor-Jones asked. - -"I never played chess," Knucklebone Smith said. - -"Quite an assortment of games on board," Salvor-Jones said. "Checkers. -Maybe you'd rather play checkers." - -"Never tried it." - -"Poker?" - -"No." - -Salvor-Jones sighed. He got out the animated slide pictures, set up the -screen, and amused himself at length. The slides were mostly those of -lightly clad females in warm climates, doing pleasantly idle things. - -After the second slide, Knucklebone switched his chair around so that -his back was to the screen. The girls made him feel too sentimental. -The blue skies and golden beaches made him homesick. - - * * * * * - -On the fifth day Knucklebone Smith was fiddling with a power switch -and blew out a safety fuse. It required some three hours for Professor -Salvor-Jones to repair it, but he was glad for the diversion. - -On the eighth day Smith was pottering in the pile room with an electric -torch, making himself a wire bookrack. A lubrication reservoir caught -on fire and a minor generator was ruined. - -On the eleventh day he dropped a hammer from the fidley of the power -room to the floor, a hundred feet below. A gas line was smashed. -Salvor-Jones put on a gas mask and went down to fix it. It took quite a -long while. - -On the fourteenth day, without the slightest pretext, Salvor-Jones -called Knucklebone Smith a meddling fool. Smith hit him once and that -was that. They didn't speak to each other for four days. - -The meteor storm came only three days before their exile was to end. On -Pluto, where the frozen atmosphere lies inert on the surface, there was -nothing to stop the rain of debris from space. It sounded like sporadic -hail on the tough metal hull of the beacon, and their scopes showed the -mass to be more than a million miles in width, streaming in from the -direction of Orion. - -Salvor-Jones was worried. There was a tiny blip in the lower corner -of the solar coordinate on the radar screen; a blip that occulted -with alternating brightness and dimness, in a pattern of unnatural -regularity. A ship! - -Her radio came in an hour later. She announced her name, _Luna Star_, -and destination, Alpha Centauri. The hail of stones from space was -getting worse. The beacon was built to stand such stress, but a -starship, meeting them head on--! - -It was a dangerous situation. - -Within the Pluto Lamp a hundred relays clicked and buzzed. Automatic -switches closed. The power pack, deep in the body of the beacon hummed -with sudden power. Even Knucklebone Smith seemed slightly interested. -But nothing happened. - -The ship's signal came in loud and clear once more. "This is _Luna -Star_. Come in, robot station Pluto Lamp. Come in Pluto Lamp." - -Salvor-Jones sprang for the manual switch and flicked it on. "_Luna -Star_," he screamed, "Do you read me? This is Pluto Lamp. Do you read -me?" - -"This is _Luna Star_. We understand the robot station is now in -operation, but manned. Come in if you are there." - -"_Luna Star_, do you read me?" They waited a long, tense minute. There -was no answer. "We're not getting through," Salvor-Jones said. - -Knucklebone cleared his throat. "There's a red light on over at the -emergency panel. Would that have anything to do with it?" - -"You imbecile!" Salvor-Jones said, "Why didn't you say so. It's the -antenna. I knew it. I knew there'd be trouble with the antenna! A -meteorite must have damaged it." - -"I guess this thing ain't going to work," Knucklebone said. "We've been -here only a couple of weeks, and look what happens. I never thought it -would be any good anyway." - -Salvor-Jones bared his teeth. "There isn't a storm like this one every -twenty-five years," he growled. "Don't sit there; we've got to go up on -the dome. No! Stay where you are. I don't want this job botched." He -began to struggle into his exposure suit. - -"If the _Star_ hits it head-on there'll be hell to pay," Knucklebone -said diffidently. "I was in one of these storms once before on an -old crate out in the Belt." He got up and stretched his spidery frame -languidly. Then he went over and took down his impossibly long exposure -suit from its hook. - -"What are you doing?" Salvor-Jones said. - -"Guess I'll go with you." - -"You're going to play hell," Professor Salvor-Jones said in an -unscholarly manner. "What good could you possibly be?" - -There was a steely glint in Knucklebone Smith's eyes. Later on, at the -inquiry, Salvor-Jones testified concerning that glint. "Listen," Smith -said, "I guess I'm sick and tired of you trying to play the big hero -all alone on this here tub. A body would think I was a moron. They -picked me out of millions, didn't they? That's Destiny. I guess you -haven't thought about it, but everybody's got a Destiny--something they -can do better than anybody else. Everybody's good at something." It was -a long speech for Knucklebone Smith. There were two red spots of anger -on his sallow cheeks. - -"So I've heard," Salvor-Jones said wryly. "Well, come along, but don't -say I didn't warn you. It may be the end of us, you know." - -Knucklebone snorted. He had walked in the shadow of death before. A man -had his destiny. Something worthwhile to perform before he kicked off. -And if he had ever done anything worthwhile he couldn't remember it. He -zipped up his suit and reached for his helmet. - -The roof hatch, massively armored, opened noiselessly on its hydraulic -supports. The coldness rushed at them, and could not be entirely shut -out by the suits. Smith shivered throughout his long, skinny body. - -Clambering out on the roof of the beacon they became aware of what -seemed like a strong wind, but what was, in reality, microscopic -interstellar dust from the storm, traveling at supersonic speed, -flattening their suits against them. - -Here and there a pea-sized pebble clanged against the metal hull like a -bullet. Crouching in the shelter of the antenna tower, they scanned its -naked ribs of steel alloy for a break. - -At last Salvor-Jones, who knew what he was looking for, found it, six -feet up, where a meteorite had smashed into the coaxial and shorted it -against the frame. He climbed up and went to work, cursing to himself -in his helmet as the death missiles hurtled about him. - -It seemed to Salvor-Jones that he had been up there forever, with one -leg draped over a brace, clumsily working with his heavy gloves. The -cold was seeping in more and more in spite of the fact that it could -not have been more than half an hour from the time of his ascent. - -He clambered down at last, beating his hands together to restore -circulation. - -Knucklebone Smith, who had done nothing, leaned against the tower -on the storm side. He was staring fixedly at something out in that -perpetual night. But there was nothing to see. Only the faint glow of -the bluish-white methane crystals, swirling through the frozen gullies -of the rugged terrain; sweeping around the dark ridges as they were -agitated by the driving stellar dust. - -"You'll be killed out there," Salvor-Jones said into his mike. "Get -behind something, quick!" - -Smith said nothing. He just stood there, with his back to Salvor-Jones, -contemplating the horizon as the storm rippled his uniform. His -position had not shifted a fraction of an inch. It was this fact -that frightened Salvor-Jones suddenly. He caught his breath, and -crept around the edge of the shelter. He reached out and shook his -assistant's arm. - -Knucklebone Smith did not move. There was a gaping hole in the side of -his helmet where a rock had struck. He had frozen to death, standing up. - - * * * * * - -A sudden flurry of unseen particles buffeted Salvor-Jones and bowled -him over. Something big smashed against the roof hatch with such force -that the entire beacon shuddered. The lid of the hatch, its braces torn -from under it, clanged shut. Then the sudden gust abated. - -Salvor-Jones crawled over to the escape hatch and looked at it. It was -slightly askew; there was plenty of room to get his hands under the -edge of it. He tugged manfully in an effort to slide it aside enough to -admit him, but in vain. It weighed more than half a ton. - -He pried at it with his adjustable wrench but it wouldn't budge. He -looked around for something longer. There was nothing. - -Professor Salvor-Jones realized that he was going to die on Pluto. He -wished that he believed in prayer. - -He read the gage of his heating unit. Not much longer. - -He sat down on the hatch, heedless of the silent flak about him. He -envied Knucklebone Smith over there; the man had never known what hit -him. - -Knucklebone was still standing there, tall against the night, rigidly -leaning against the superstructure, an impossible caricature of death. - -Something clicked in Salvor-Jones's brain. One faint, mad hope. He -crawled over and tugged at Smith's legs. The tall corpse came crashing -down on top of him. - -He seized one unyielding foot, a big, all-important, boot-clad foot -that stuck out at just the right angle, and began to drag Knucklebone -across the width of the dome. - -The _Lunar Star_ got through safely. It was turned aside by a last -minute warning from the Pluto Lamp beacon. This impressed the -importance of the Lamp in the minds of the authorities, as is attested -to by history, for it was in service well over one hundred years after -Salvor-Jones's ordeal. - -In Selena City there is a small monument, equally dedicated to the -two heroes, Salvor-Jones and Smith. For the professor declared that -Smith had been as much responsible for the success of the Lamp as he, -himself. Hadn't he saved the day, there at the very last? - -As for Knucklebone Smith, his frozen body still lies in simple state on -Pluto. There is a faint, fixed smile on his face; or presumably there -is, for Salvor-Jones attests that it was there that night. And it can -hardly have escaped him now. - -For it was just as Knucklebone had always said. Every man is good for -something. - -Even if it is only to be used for a lever. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLUTO LAMP *** - -***** This file should be named 63676-0.txt or 63676-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/6/7/63676/ - -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 will 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. - diff --git a/old/63676-0.zip b/old/63676-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b12538b..0000000 --- a/old/63676-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/63676-h.zip b/old/63676-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 31d1ca5..0000000 --- a/old/63676-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/63676-h/63676-h.htm b/old/63676-h/63676-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 576a81c..0000000 --- a/old/63676-h/63676-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,863 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=us-ascii" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Pluto Lamp, by Chas. A. Stearns. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -/* Images */ -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -div.titlepage { - text-align: center; - page-break-before: always; - page-break-after: always; -} - -div.titlepage p { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; - font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5; - margin-top: 3em; -} - - - </style> - </head> -<body> -<pre style='margin-bottom:6em;'>The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pluto Lamp, by Charles A. Stearns - -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 -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this ebook. - -Title: The Pluto Lamp - -Author: Charles A. Stearns - -Release Date: November 08, 2020 [EBook #63676] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLUTO LAMP *** -</pre> -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>THE PLUTO LAMP</h1> - -<h2>By CHAS. A. STEARNS</h2> - -<p><i>It was the most outrageous kind of irony that<br /> -fate, and the Commission of Galactic Astrography,<br /> -should select such a prime misfit as Knucklebone<br /> -Smith to light the lamp of Pluto.</i></p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Planet Stories Fall 1954.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>This is really two stories. The first is solar history; the second, the -mostly true legend of a misfit called Knucklebone Smith.</p> - -<p>Knucklebone, so far as anyone could ever determine, was his real -name—the sin of prankish, or perhaps disillusioned parents. He was -exactly six feet eight inches tall from the insulated soles of his -engineering boots to the top of his planeteer's helmet. He never in -his life weighed more than one hundred sixty-five pounds. His face was -angular and horse-like, and it had never, within the memory of anyone -who knew him, contained the slightest vestige of a smile.</p> - -<p>He was not nature's first error, nor her last, but he differed from the -unexceptional many in that he believed in Destiny ... with a capital -'L.' Throughout a lifetime of unfortunate ventures he remained firm in -the conviction that sooner or later he would find his own metier and -become famous. At last he did, and that is the story of Knucklebone -Smith.</p> - -<p>The Pluto Lamp, a relic of the pioneering days of interstellar flight, -is harder to explain, but easier to believe. It was once as well known -to spacemen as Rafferty Shoals to the ancient China clippers.</p> - -<p>The gulf between the stars was vast and uncharted in those days; still -a thing of superstitious dread for the planet-bound. But it was no more -unknown than the solitary planet which tails all the others in its -dark, millennial path about our own sun. The planetary freighters went -as far as Uranus and no farther. For the black little planet whose very -namesake is Hell had nothing to attract them that could not be gotten -at more conveniently.</p> - -<p>The starships passed it by warily, giving it a wide berth, for it had -an evil reputation. The old scanners were unreliable at best, what with -the confusing debris that fills space, and more than one ship, through -miscalculation, swerved from its course, brushing through the magnetic -field of the unillumined wasteland, and crashed on the hard frozen -surface of Pluto.</p> - -<p>It was inevitable that someone would give birth to the idea of the -Lamp. It was to be a permanent, unmanned beacon, strategically placed -on the Dead Planet to warn ships that should have passed in the night, -but didn't always make it.</p> - -<p>A magnificent idea, everyone thought. Everyone, that is, excepting -Knucklebone Smith.</p> - -<p>The very idea of Pluto made him ill. He had set his number twelve -size feet on all the inner planets at one time or another in the -disillusioning search for fortune. He had starved and thirsted, baked -and bled for his dream. But he had always hated and avoided cold. He -had, in fact, the look of a man born cold, and never entirely warmed.</p> - -<p>It was the most outrageous kind of irony, therefore, that fate, and the -Commission of Galactic Astrography, should select him to light the Lamp.</p> - -<p>The latter, at least, was innocent of paradoxical motive. They needed -a man like Smith. A man planet-wise enough to do the job, and not -intelligent enough to decline it. There would be another man along, of -course, to direct, but he presented no problem, for he was Professor -Salvor-Jones, who had invented the Light, and insisted upon being along -when it was installed. He was a dedicated man.</p> - -<p>Knucklebone Smith, however, was dedicated to something else, and it -was only his pressing need for money that prodded him into acceptance -of the offer. He didn't care a fig for the safety of starships. This -would be a dangerous job at best, decidedly unpleasant at worst. Smith -didn't mind the danger; he had seen much of it in his wanderings; but -of unpleasantness he had experienced even more, and being a sybarite -by nature, in spite of his hard life, he preferred real (but painless) -peril. He was sure that he would be cold on Pluto. He was right.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The lamp was not really a light, of course, nor did it faintly resemble -one. What it did, in fact, resemble, was a sleek space cruiser. This -was wholly misleading, for though it was designed for interplanetary -travel, it was to be a one-way voyage. Once in the orbit of Pluto -it would nose down, smash a few feet into the crystalline surface -of frozen ammonia, and remain there forever, standing on end like a -lighthouse. It was at this point that it would cease to be a spaceship -and become a beacon.</p> - -<p>At least that was what Professor Salvor-Jones said.</p> - -<p>The beacon was three hundred feet long, white in color, for some -mysterious reason, and had cost the government of Earth something less -than seventeen million dollars. It was packed with expensive robotic -equipment, and was designed to be completely self-sustaining, once its -controls were properly set. It did everything for passing starships -that could possibly be expected of a well-reared beacon. It cheered -them on the outward passage, making them feel less lonely. It greeted -them, like a remote, cold Statue of Liberty upon their return, warned -them of lurking meteorite storms within the vicinity of their course, -and advised them of their position with relation to their destination -when they contacted its sensitive radio. But most important, it warned -them to steer clear of Pluto.</p> - -<p>It very nearly failed before it had begun all this show of monkish -wayside hospitality, however. It would have failed if it hadn't been -for Knucklebone Smith.</p> - -<p>They cut the beaconship loose from its convoy five hundred miles out, -which was sufficient for it to spiral in on the minimum of power it -carried and land safely.</p> - -<p>Salvor-Jones and Smith had only to lie in their safety hammocks in the -cramped temporary passenger cubicle. The ship would land by itself. -Their duties began once it had established itself firmly on the bleak -expanse of dark planet below them. They were to adjust the automatic -controls, make tests, and generally see that the thing was as it should -be for the lonely vigil that lay ahead.</p> - -<p>Three weeks, Salvor-Jones indicated, should be plenty of time for all -this. When it was finished, they could send a patrol cruiser from -Ganymede to pick them up.</p> - -<p>That was what he said but he was a very zealous man, and doted on -thoroughness.</p> - -<p>The fact was that they were finished with the tests in seven and a half -hours, and there was nothing to do, unhappily, for the remaining twenty -days except to entertain themselves as best they could, and wait. It -might be said that things went too smoothly.</p> - -<p>Professor Salvor-Jones was a smallish man with a square mustache of -regulation black, and a lock of jet hair that hung at times over his -left eye. He had a perpetual motion machine built into him, and a -profound contempt for the normal pace of life.</p> - -<p>But worst of all, in view of his predicament, he had Knucklebone Smith.</p> - -<p>Salvor-Jones finished his checking at 1800 star time and came into the -living compartment from the chill outer ship, or beacon, as it had now -become. He blew on his hands, put away his check-sheet board, and stood -uncertainly, gnawing his thumb and gazing at the spectacle of Smith -hunkered silently in front of a portable radiant heater. Knucklebone -was, as usual, the picture of contemplative suicide.</p> - -<p>"Well, well," said Salvor-Jones briskly.</p> - -<p>Smith made no answer. He swallowed thoughtfully, his Adam's apple -convulsing, and continued to stare into the glowing sun of the heater.</p> - -<p>"We've not much to do from now on, I'm afraid," Salvor-Jones said, -"until a starship passes within range. Then we'll be able to see how -well it works."</p> - -<p>Smith nodded glumly. He was sulking. He had been assigned to assist, -but this little man insisted on doing everything himself. Didn't trust -a damn soul but himself. Pick up a tool and like as not he'd snatch it -from your hand and leave you standing there watching him. Smith hated -people like that.</p> - -<p>"Play chess?" Salvor-Jones asked.</p> - -<p>"I never played chess," Knucklebone Smith said.</p> - -<p>"Quite an assortment of games on board," Salvor-Jones said. "Checkers. -Maybe you'd rather play checkers."</p> - -<p>"Never tried it."</p> - -<p>"Poker?"</p> - -<p>"No."</p> - -<p>Salvor-Jones sighed. He got out the animated slide pictures, set up the -screen, and amused himself at length. The slides were mostly those of -lightly clad females in warm climates, doing pleasantly idle things.</p> - -<p>After the second slide, Knucklebone switched his chair around so that -his back was to the screen. The girls made him feel too sentimental. -The blue skies and golden beaches made him homesick.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>On the fifth day Knucklebone Smith was fiddling with a power switch -and blew out a safety fuse. It required some three hours for Professor -Salvor-Jones to repair it, but he was glad for the diversion.</p> - -<p>On the eighth day Smith was pottering in the pile room with an electric -torch, making himself a wire bookrack. A lubrication reservoir caught -on fire and a minor generator was ruined.</p> - -<p>On the eleventh day he dropped a hammer from the fidley of the power -room to the floor, a hundred feet below. A gas line was smashed. -Salvor-Jones put on a gas mask and went down to fix it. It took quite a -long while.</p> - -<p>On the fourteenth day, without the slightest pretext, Salvor-Jones -called Knucklebone Smith a meddling fool. Smith hit him once and that -was that. They didn't speak to each other for four days.</p> - -<p>The meteor storm came only three days before their exile was to end. On -Pluto, where the frozen atmosphere lies inert on the surface, there was -nothing to stop the rain of debris from space. It sounded like sporadic -hail on the tough metal hull of the beacon, and their scopes showed the -mass to be more than a million miles in width, streaming in from the -direction of Orion.</p> - -<p>Salvor-Jones was worried. There was a tiny blip in the lower corner -of the solar coordinate on the radar screen; a blip that occulted -with alternating brightness and dimness, in a pattern of unnatural -regularity. A ship!</p> - -<p>Her radio came in an hour later. She announced her name, <i>Luna Star</i>, -and destination, Alpha Centauri. The hail of stones from space was -getting worse. The beacon was built to stand such stress, but a -starship, meeting them head on—!</p> - -<p>It was a dangerous situation.</p> - -<p>Within the Pluto Lamp a hundred relays clicked and buzzed. Automatic -switches closed. The power pack, deep in the body of the beacon hummed -with sudden power. Even Knucklebone Smith seemed slightly interested. -But nothing happened.</p> - -<p>The ship's signal came in loud and clear once more. "This is <i>Luna -Star</i>. Come in, robot station Pluto Lamp. Come in Pluto Lamp."</p> - -<p>Salvor-Jones sprang for the manual switch and flicked it on. "<i>Luna -Star</i>," he screamed, "Do you read me? This is Pluto Lamp. Do you read -me?"</p> - -<p>"This is <i>Luna Star</i>. We understand the robot station is now in -operation, but manned. Come in if you are there."</p> - -<p>"<i>Luna Star</i>, do you read me?" They waited a long, tense minute. There -was no answer. "We're not getting through," Salvor-Jones said.</p> - -<p>Knucklebone cleared his throat. "There's a red light on over at the -emergency panel. Would that have anything to do with it?"</p> - -<p>"You imbecile!" Salvor-Jones said, "Why didn't you say so. It's the -antenna. I knew it. I knew there'd be trouble with the antenna! A -meteorite must have damaged it."</p> - -<p>"I guess this thing ain't going to work," Knucklebone said. "We've been -here only a couple of weeks, and look what happens. I never thought it -would be any good anyway."</p> - -<p>Salvor-Jones bared his teeth. "There isn't a storm like this one every -twenty-five years," he growled. "Don't sit there; we've got to go up on -the dome. No! Stay where you are. I don't want this job botched." He -began to struggle into his exposure suit.</p> - -<p>"If the <i>Star</i> hits it head-on there'll be hell to pay," Knucklebone -said diffidently. "I was in one of these storms once before on an -old crate out in the Belt." He got up and stretched his spidery frame -languidly. Then he went over and took down his impossibly long exposure -suit from its hook.</p> - -<p>"What are you doing?" Salvor-Jones said.</p> - -<p>"Guess I'll go with you."</p> - -<p>"You're going to play hell," Professor Salvor-Jones said in an -unscholarly manner. "What good could you possibly be?"</p> - -<p>There was a steely glint in Knucklebone Smith's eyes. Later on, at the -inquiry, Salvor-Jones testified concerning that glint. "Listen," Smith -said, "I guess I'm sick and tired of you trying to play the big hero -all alone on this here tub. A body would think I was a moron. They -picked me out of millions, didn't they? That's Destiny. I guess you -haven't thought about it, but everybody's got a Destiny—something they -can do better than anybody else. Everybody's good at something." It was -a long speech for Knucklebone Smith. There were two red spots of anger -on his sallow cheeks.</p> - -<p>"So I've heard," Salvor-Jones said wryly. "Well, come along, but don't -say I didn't warn you. It may be the end of us, you know."</p> - -<p>Knucklebone snorted. He had walked in the shadow of death before. A man -had his destiny. Something worthwhile to perform before he kicked off. -And if he had ever done anything worthwhile he couldn't remember it. He -zipped up his suit and reached for his helmet.</p> - -<p>The roof hatch, massively armored, opened noiselessly on its hydraulic -supports. The coldness rushed at them, and could not be entirely shut -out by the suits. Smith shivered throughout his long, skinny body.</p> - -<p>Clambering out on the roof of the beacon they became aware of what -seemed like a strong wind, but what was, in reality, microscopic -interstellar dust from the storm, traveling at supersonic speed, -flattening their suits against them.</p> - -<p>Here and there a pea-sized pebble clanged against the metal hull like a -bullet. Crouching in the shelter of the antenna tower, they scanned its -naked ribs of steel alloy for a break.</p> - -<p>At last Salvor-Jones, who knew what he was looking for, found it, six -feet up, where a meteorite had smashed into the coaxial and shorted it -against the frame. He climbed up and went to work, cursing to himself -in his helmet as the death missiles hurtled about him.</p> - -<p>It seemed to Salvor-Jones that he had been up there forever, with one -leg draped over a brace, clumsily working with his heavy gloves. The -cold was seeping in more and more in spite of the fact that it could -not have been more than half an hour from the time of his ascent.</p> - -<p>He clambered down at last, beating his hands together to restore -circulation.</p> - -<p>Knucklebone Smith, who had done nothing, leaned against the tower -on the storm side. He was staring fixedly at something out in that -perpetual night. But there was nothing to see. Only the faint glow of -the bluish-white methane crystals, swirling through the frozen gullies -of the rugged terrain; sweeping around the dark ridges as they were -agitated by the driving stellar dust.</p> - -<p>"You'll be killed out there," Salvor-Jones said into his mike. "Get -behind something, quick!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Smith said nothing. He just stood there, with his back to Salvor-Jones, -contemplating the horizon as the storm rippled his uniform. His -position had not shifted a fraction of an inch. It was this fact -that frightened Salvor-Jones suddenly. He caught his breath, and -crept around the edge of the shelter. He reached out and shook his -assistant's arm.</p> - -<p>Knucklebone Smith did not move. There was a gaping hole in the side of -his helmet where a rock had struck. He had frozen to death, standing up.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>A sudden flurry of unseen particles buffeted Salvor-Jones and bowled -him over. Something big smashed against the roof hatch with such force -that the entire beacon shuddered. The lid of the hatch, its braces torn -from under it, clanged shut. Then the sudden gust abated.</p> - -<p>Salvor-Jones crawled over to the escape hatch and looked at it. It was -slightly askew; there was plenty of room to get his hands under the -edge of it. He tugged manfully in an effort to slide it aside enough to -admit him, but in vain. It weighed more than half a ton.</p> - -<p>He pried at it with his adjustable wrench but it wouldn't budge. He -looked around for something longer. There was nothing.</p> - -<p>Professor Salvor-Jones realized that he was going to die on Pluto. He -wished that he believed in prayer.</p> - -<p>He read the gage of his heating unit. Not much longer.</p> - -<p>He sat down on the hatch, heedless of the silent flak about him. He -envied Knucklebone Smith over there; the man had never known what hit -him.</p> - -<p>Knucklebone was still standing there, tall against the night, rigidly -leaning against the superstructure, an impossible caricature of death.</p> - -<p>Something clicked in Salvor-Jones's brain. One faint, mad hope. He -crawled over and tugged at Smith's legs. The tall corpse came crashing -down on top of him.</p> - -<p>He seized one unyielding foot, a big, all-important, boot-clad foot -that stuck out at just the right angle, and began to drag Knucklebone -across the width of the dome.</p> - -<p>The <i>Lunar Star</i> got through safely. It was turned aside by a last -minute warning from the Pluto Lamp beacon. This impressed the -importance of the Lamp in the minds of the authorities, as is attested -to by history, for it was in service well over one hundred years after -Salvor-Jones's ordeal.</p> - -<p>In Selena City there is a small monument, equally dedicated to the -two heroes, Salvor-Jones and Smith. For the professor declared that -Smith had been as much responsible for the success of the Lamp as he, -himself. Hadn't he saved the day, there at the very last?</p> - -<p>As for Knucklebone Smith, his frozen body still lies in simple state on -Pluto. There is a faint, fixed smile on his face; or presumably there -is, for Salvor-Jones attests that it was there that night. And it can -hardly have escaped him now.</p> - -<p>For it was just as Knucklebone had always said. Every man is good for -something.</p> - -<p>Even if it is only to be used for a lever.</p> - -<pre style='margin-top:6em'> -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PLUTO LAMP *** - -This file should be named 63676-h.htm or 63676-h.zip - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/6/7/63676/ - -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 will 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. - -</pre> -</body> -</html> diff --git a/old/63676-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/63676-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index bcd6295..0000000 --- a/old/63676-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/63676-h/images/illus.jpg b/old/63676-h/images/illus.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 109beff..0000000 --- a/old/63676-h/images/illus.jpg +++ /dev/null |
