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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..9d0d136 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #64076 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/64076) diff --git a/old/64076-h.zip b/old/64076-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index fdef796..0000000 --- a/old/64076-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/64076-h/64076-h.htm b/old/64076-h/64076-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 52dd7c1..0000000 --- a/old/64076-h/64076-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1308 +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 Out of the Dark Nebula, by Milton L. Coe. - </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; -} - -.caption p -{ - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0; - margin: 0.25em 0; -} - -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; -} - -.ph1 { text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; } -.ph1 { font-size: medium; margin: .83em auto; } - - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Out Of the Dark Nebula, by Milton L. Coe - -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: Out Of the Dark Nebula - -Author: Milton L. Coe - -Release Date: December 18, 2020 [EBook #64076] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OUT OF THE DARK NEBULA *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>Out of the DARK NEBULA</h1> - -<h2>By MILTON L. COE</h2> - -<p>Five thousand green space-cadets, manning<br /> -the mighty <i>Albion</i> on their shake-down cruise,<br /> -heard that grim message from HQ: "<i>War with<br /> -Xantu! Return immediately to Terra Base!</i>"<br /> -Which posed a problem ... for lurking in<br /> -starry battleground, somewhere between Earth<br /> -and the doom-ship, was half the Xantu fleet!</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Planet Stories May 1951.<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>The bulkheads of the mighty battleship rocked with the song welling -from five thousand throats. As the young, eager voices swelled into -the chorus of "The Spaceman's Hymn," Vice-Admiral Jack Harrigan felt a -lump grow in his own throat. Captain Mike O'Brien, short, muscular and -definitely Irish, joined the admiral at the balcony hatch; together -they looked down upon the huge ship's auditorium.</p> - -<p>"It's a long, long way to the Milky Way ..." the chorus rose, fell, -faded and died.</p> - -<p>Harrigan nodded to O'Brien and the two men matched strides down the -passageway.</p> - -<p>"Something on your mind, Jack?" O'Brien asked.</p> - -<p>"Oh, I don't know, Mike. I just got to thinking about the old days, -I guess, hearing those kids singing. The Force is all glory to them; -color, ceremony, power, flitting around the Galaxy like this. Cream -of the crop, they are, and every last one of them fought to get in -the Force. But I wonder how they'd face up to the other side of this -business?"</p> - -<p>"Combat?" O'Brien screwed up his face.</p> - -<p>"Yeh boy. Combat like we saw, with our backs to the wall and -nine-tenths of the Galaxy howling for our heart's blood. Wonder if -they'd change their minds about the force—" he jerked his thumb back -towards the auditorium—"if it came again?"</p> - -<p>"Dunno." Mike shrugged. "Maybe old Fitzsimmons wondered about us the -same way when we went on our shake-down cruise. We were a sad bunch, -I'll admit. But we didn't pan out too bad, did we Jack?"</p> - -<p>The two officers had reached the observation deck. The Milky Way -stretched a hazy filament across the heavens. Harrigan drew a long -breath, hooked his thumbs in his belt and smiled.</p> - -<p>"No, Mike, not bad at all, if I do say so. It was rugged while we were -going through it, I suppose. But things have been quiet for so long -now ... damn it, we did have fun, didn't we Mike?"</p> - -<p>Mike grinned crookedly. "Fun is right. Remember the time Shorty -Michaels caught those two Xantu ships flat-footed behind the Coal Sack?"</p> - -<p>"Yeah. Blew 'em to Hell and back and found out later they were the two -strongest ships in the Xantu fleet. If they had seen him first ... -brother, he shook for a week after they told him."</p> - -<p>Mike roared with laughter. "Battle wagons, and Shorty with a destroyer."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"And how about that time the gang of Zith stinkers ambushed us on -Sirius V.... Were they surprised when their water-pistols didn't kill -us! They didn't know that water isn't quite as fatal to a Terran as it -is to a Zith."</p> - -<p>"Yeah," O'Brien said; "and I'll never forget the smile on Cap Martin's -face as he sprayed 'em with the ship's fire hose."</p> - -<p>"Well," the admiral said, sobering, "if you'd seen the pitiful remains -in their slave camps on Sirius VII, the way Cap and I did...." He shook -his head slowly. "We should have bounced a couple Duodec bombs off -their home planet. And on Xantu too. Finished the job right."</p> - -<p>The captain gazed down at his shoes. "We might get the chance yet. Any -news lately?"</p> - -<p>"Not much. Just the usual rumblings from the Dark Nebulas. But I agree -with HQ that the Xantu are at the bottom of it, without a doubt. You -never know when those varmints are going to start trouble. That's the -reason for all this hush-up preparation; we're going to be ready at the -drop of a helmet if anybody wants to rassle."</p> - -<p>"Smart move by HQ for once," Mike said. "Never hurt to be ready for...."</p> - -<p>A communications orderly saluted smartly.</p> - -<p>"Pardon, Sir. HQ Double urgent."</p> - -<p>Harrigan took the flimsy from the orderly and scanned it quickly. His -face went slack. "Good Lord, O'Brien! Hear this: 'Dark Nebula forces -simultaneously attacked Rigel patrol post and Capella II settlement -1400 hours. Personnel annihilated. Fleet headed by Xantu elements -headed Sector I. Return to Base Immediately'."</p> - -<p>"Sector I. Sol—Alpha Centauri—Sirius sector!" Mike whistled and shook -his head. "They'll cut us off before we can reach Terra."</p> - -<p>"They will if we don't get a move on," the admiral snapped, "and, we -can't fight with a green crew. Gotta get these kids back to Terra."</p> - -<p>Harrigan leaped to the audio. His orders were short and sharp.</p> - -<p>"Drive room: Joe, full speed home, boy. The bubble's busted wide open.</p> - -<p>"Quartermaster: Wilson, prepare to issue battle suits.</p> - -<p>"Central: Give me the system. Thanks." He cleared his throat. "All -hands hear this. A state of war exists between the Solar Federation -and the Dark Nebula League. We will attempt to reach Terra base before -being cut off by the enemy fleet. However, just in case, we will be -ready. Battle stations!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The next few hours were hectic ones, especially for the few seasoned -officers aboard the battleship <i>Albion</i>. The <i>Albion</i> was a fairly -new ship. She was fast, heavily armored, and carried the latest guns, -three facts which Harrigan hoped would save them from disaster. He -realized that HQ had had to break radio silence to notify them of the -sudden outbreak of hostilities, but he also knew that the enemy had -undoubtedly intercepted the message, plotted the <i>Albion</i> course, -and sent a half-dozen of their fastest ships in hot pursuit. That's -the way the Dark Nebula League liked to fight: six to one. Harrigan -figured that he just might be able to outrun them; but if the League -ships did manage to cut them off from Terra ... well, he hated the -idea of fighting that bunch of cut-throats with a crew of green kids. -Ordinarily, new spacemen were distributed among crews of seasoned men -at a ratio of about one in ten. To be in top fighting condition, the -<i>Albion</i> should carry four thousand regulars and four hundred greenies. -There were five thousand men on board; one hundred and fifty old line -officers, fifty newly commissioned officers, and forty-eight hundred -Terran youngsters fresh out of ground school.</p> - -<p>The officers had done their best to whip the crew into the semblance of -a fighting unit. If a fracas did develop, they might squeeze through if -the kids could follow orders. But in battle things happened almost too -fast to be covered by orders. A man had to think for himself.</p> - -<p>Harrigan found himself staring through the forward screen, wishing -that three or four thousand hardened space-Marines would suddenly -materialize out of thin air. O'Brien came steaming up. He sat down -beside the admiral, lit a cigarette and said "Phwooee."</p> - -<p>"Right you are," Harrigan answered. "Things sure popped, didn't they?"</p> - -<p>"And how. Think we ought to prowl?"</p> - -<p>"Guess so. We're going to watch things mighty damned close till we hit -base. Better check the gun-banks. And by the way, Mike, who had the -controls when that order came in?"</p> - -<p>"Young chap named McDaniels."</p> - -<p>"And his navigator?"</p> - -<p>"Rose. Why?"</p> - -<p>"Have them report to me when they come off. They're to be congratulated -for getting us away fast and right. If the rest of the crew picks up -as fast as those two, we'll make out O.K. Let's have a look at those -banks."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The <i>Albion's</i> eight gun-banks spangled the ship from nose to tubes -like stripes on a watermelon. Each bank was divided into A, B and C -sections, fore, aft and center. Forty-eight men and two officers manned -each section. The atomic cannon in the nose were fired only by the -ship's Master gunner, a sardonic expert named Irvington.</p> - -<p>At number six gun-bank, Harrigan and O'Brien entered section C -hatch. O'Brien's mouth fell open. Along the catwalk behind the gun -emplacements proper, men lounged and leaned. One slept. Several -were smoking and most of them had thrown back their helmets. Of the -forty-eight, three had their eyes on the finder screens.</p> - -<p>"Attention," Harrigan roared, and fifty men jerked erect like puppets -on a string. "Get your helmets up and your eyes on those screens. And -keep them there until you're ordered off. This isn't a shake-down any -longer; this is war!" He turned to O'Brien. "Who's in charge here?"</p> - -<p>"Lieutenant Sanderson."</p> - -<p>"Leave the Ensign in charge and have Sanderson report to the bridge at -once." Harrigan stooped through the hatch. "And Mike, see that the word -is passed along to the remaining gun-crews. Damned if I'll see a repeat -of this!"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir," Mike answered, and turned toward the nervous lieutenant. -"Report to the bridge, Mister, and prepare to be chewed."</p> - -<p>Sanderson managed a weak "Yes, sir."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Harrigan was pacing the bridge when McDaniels and Rose came in, stood -at attention and saluted crisply.</p> - -<p>The admiral returned the salute. "Relax, gentlemen. I called you here -to commend you both personally for your fast, clear thinking under -the stress of emergency. Cool-headedness under strain is taken as a -matter of course in the Space Forces, but in this case your actions -served as an example to an inexperienced crew and are therefore doubly -appreciated by the officers of this ship. Sit down."</p> - -<p>The two men took seats and Harrigan relaxed behind his own massive -desk. "I was with your father at Cadet school, McDaniels, and later at -the Battle of Canopus. Where is the Commander now?"</p> - -<p>McDaniels, short and pudgy, answered proudly. "He took command of -Polaris Base I just before we left on the cruise, sir."</p> - -<p>"Oh?"</p> - -<p>The kid doesn't know yet, Harrigan thought. If the Force can't stem -the League attack damned quick, old McDaniels and his men will be the -expendables in this scrap. But the kid sitting before him was so eager -and obviously proud of his father that the admiral hadn't the heart to -tell him the true score.</p> - -<p>"Sir," Rose piped up, "are you the same officer Harrigan that Dad -mentioned during the First Campaign? He was Master Navigator on the old -'Cometeer.'"</p> - -<p>"I certainly am." Harrigan smiled broadly. "'Red' Rose was the best -navigator I ever had. He could plot you half way around the Galaxy and -land you in your barracks just in time for supper. How long has it been -now, six years, seven?"</p> - -<p>Rose looked at the floor. "Seven, sir. He was hunting Kalabs on -Callisto when the landslide caught him."</p> - -<p>"I'm sorry, deeply sorry."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Footsteps sounded in the passageway and the lieutenant, Sanderson, came -in, followed closely by O'Brien. The lieutenant tucked his cap under -his elbow, smoothed back his thick hair and saluted.</p> - -<p>Harrigan gazed at the man for a long moment.</p> - -<p>"Lieutenant, perhaps the seriousness of our circumstances has not -impressed you fully. But the <i>Albion</i>, carrying this inexperienced -crew, stands in imminent danger of being overwhelmed by the League -fleet, or at best, being cut off from Terran base. Therefore I think -it.... Oops!" Harrigan had knocked his water pitcher to the floor. -The plastic didn't break, but water splashed. Sanderson jumped back -convulsively, his face white. O'Brien motioned an orderly to mop up -the mess, and the admiral went on. "You are a seasoned junior officer, -Sanderson. Your record is excellent, otherwise some form of punishment -would be in order. I shouldn't need to repeat that it is your duty to -keep your crew on the alert until we are out of danger. Dismissed."</p> - -<p>The lieutenant saluted and turned to leave.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Sanderson, one more thing." Harrigan rose and walked around the -desk.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir?"</p> - -<p>The admiral faced the lieutenant and, before the dumbfounded eyes of -Rose, McDaniels and the orderly, very deliberately drew his service -blaster and shot Sanderson dead center between the eyes.</p> - -<p>McDaniels gulped. Rose jumped up trembling. The orderly let his mop -fall with a clatter. O'Brien winked at Harrigan.</p> - -<p>"Great hell, you've killed him." Rose found his voice.</p> - -<p>"That I have. That, gentlemen ..." Harrigan pointed to the corpse, "is -a Zith."</p> - -<p>An immediate babble of "why's" and "how do you know's" filled the air.</p> - -<p>"Look," the admiral motioned and the men gathered around the corpse. -Harrigan stooped, ran his fingers through the thick black hair and -came up with two fleshy, antenna-like appendages about four inches -in length, which sprouted from the skull an inch or so above the -hair-line. "On the Zith home planet, their religion requires that the -head be cleanly shaven, and these antennae are a source of pride. But -when a Zith wishes to pass for a Terran, he allows his hair to grow, -and as long as the antennae are kept flat, he has a fair chance of -going undetected. It's one of the oddities of the Universe that the -Zith and Terran, so unlike in temperament, are, to the eye, unlike -only in this small way. But, in Terran company, most Ziths acquire the -nervous habit of continually running their hands over their hair, to -make sure that the antennae are well hidden."</p> - -<p>"But a lot of Terrans have the habit of smoothing down their hair," -Rose objected. "Isn't that pretty thin evidence to shoot a man by, if -you're not sure?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"Right," O'Brien broke in, "but you notice that the admiral said the -antennae were the only difference noticeable to the eye. There's -another, more important difference. The chemical make-up of the Zith -body is such that water reacts violently on contact with it, producing -what corresponds to severe burns, usually resulting in death. The -admiral and I both noticed Sanderson's nervous habit down in the -gun-bank a while ago. The pitcher incident a few minutes ago proved to -us that Sanderson was not a Terran. You men noticed how he shook and -paled when the water splashed near him."</p> - -<p>"Then this isn't Sanderson at all?" McDaniels asked, his dark eyes wide -with wonder.</p> - -<p>"Our records indicate that a Lieutenant Vern Sanderson left Aldebaran -II about three months ago to assist on the <i>Albion</i> shake-down cruise. -My guess is that the real Sanderson met with foul play somewhere along -the way and this ... thing ... was substituted. The League knew that -war was coming. They also knew that the Federation has lately installed -the new Dyer gun and is in the process of installing the Bergesson -Hyper-drive in its capital ships. This critter was probably one of many -sent to get those secrets. With them, victory for the League would be -assured."</p> - -<p>"But why kill him? Why didn't you take him prisoner and find out what -he knew?"</p> - -<p>"For just one damned good reason," Harrigan answered. "These boys are -telepathic over short distances—the antennae have something to do -with that. If I hadn't taken him by complete surprise, he would have -notified his pals, if any, on this ship. And, if there should happen to -be a dozen or a hundred of these babies on board, we really would be in -for it. O'Brien, arrange a watch on the mess hall. Have all hands who -do not take water with their meals reported. You and chief Scott will -have to call them in one at a time and give them the acid test."</p> - -<p>O'Brien went off to arrange the mess hall watch and Harrigan sat down, -heaving a great sigh, behind his desk. "Well, gentlemen," he said, "you -have seen the enemy. Or at least half the enemy."</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir," Rose responded, "but what about the Xantus, sir? I—we've -never seen one of them."</p> - -<p>The admiral shuddered inwardly. "I hope you never do," he confessed. -All the wretched memories of two galactic campaigns swept over him -again. "A Xantu looks like nothing more nor less than a beer barrel on -skids, with a cauliflower for a head. Eight independently focussing -eyes, one for each of the tentacles that sprout from the middle of the -chest. Get one of those monkeys behind a gun bank and you'll swear you -have a platoon facing you." Harrigan lit a cigarette, forked smoke from -his nostrils.</p> - -<p>"The Xantus don't do too much of the actual fighting, though. Back in -the early days of space conquest, they teamed up with the Ziths ... -I imagine because the Xantus have a terrific technical culture but -are few in number, relatively speaking, and the Ziths aren't great on -technology but have the manpower. And too, their home systems are only -a few light-years apart. So far, the partnership has worked out very -well for the Dark Nebula League; the Xantus providing the brains, and -the Ziths the muscle. They are both ancient races, and very probably -their plans for the conquest of this end of the Universe would have -gone nicely if they hadn't run up against the Solar Federation, led by -Terra. We stand smack across their path. It has come to the point now -where it's us or them, absolutely...."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>After the Sanderson episode was settled, Harrigan suddenly felt -drained and exhausted, and retired to his quarters. While he slept, -O'Brien, Chief Scott and his men rounded up four more Zith spies who -were immediately executed and unceremoniously dumped into the rocket -chambers. On the double-check, a fifth was discovered cowering in the -captain's life boat and he soon followed his brothers. The great ship -plowed through the ink of space, and the only sounds were the muffled -throbbing from the rocket banks, the steady hum of the chronometer and -the clicking of the audio relay.</p> - -<p>At 0500 hours the alarm gong clanged raucously. Harrigan was struggling -into his trousers as O'Brien stuck his head in the door and shouted, -"Jack! They've cut us off!"</p> - -<p>The captain explained the situation hurriedly as they sprinted toward -the bridge. "Port watch just spotted 'em. Three o'clock, low, in an -arc. There's only seven of them, but apparently they've taken Polaris -Base and cut us off from Sector I."</p> - -<p>A series of muffled thuds was heard, and suddenly a succession of -electric, blue-white flashes from outside the ports turned the dimness -of the passageway into intense, eye-straining brilliance.</p> - -<p>"Hot hell! We must have got us one," Harrigan roared, and the two men -broke into a run.</p> - -<p>In the powerful bridge screens they could see the great cloud of smoke -hanging in the void, where the League ship had been hit, and, coming -through it, several more of the grim pursuers. Occasionally a beam of -ripping, ravaging energy would lick out towards the <i>Albion</i>, but the -slim fingers of death fell shorter of their goal by the minute.</p> - -<p>"Well," Mike breathed in relief, "we can outrun them. But what now?"</p> - -<p>"Better set a course for Antares IV," Harrigan advised. "The -maintenance depot there can install the Hyper-drive in a few days and -we can make it back to Terra then regardless of what the League holds."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>As soon as the <i>Albion</i> was safely out of range of the League ships, -the two officers were joined on the bridge by Master Gunner Cliff -Irvington. They discussed the narrow squeak for a few minutes. At -length Irvington punched out his cigar and confessed, "I could stand a -drink."</p> - -<p>Ten minutes later they were seated in Harrigan's Spartan quarters over -a bottle of good Terran Irish whiskey and a flagon of Jovian Blongah. -Irvington downed an heroic shot of the Jovian mixture, shivered, howled -and grabbed for the pitcher of water which the orderly had placed on -the small table.</p> - -<p>"Of all the chicken drinkers," O'Brien chaffed. "One little swig and -he's halfway under the table. Watch this, son, and learn from a master -of the aht." Whereupon the Captain poured a water glass full of the -volatile brew and swallowed it without batting an eye.</p> - -<p>"Nuts," Cliff grunted. "I have to stay off the stuff for months at a -time. You birds on the bridge can swill from one side of the galaxy to -the other, but I've got to watch my nerves. And how about that night in -Venusport when I had you two guys reeling, the night before we got our -commissions?"</p> - -<p>Harrigan stifled a belch. "Only an idiot could drink that ook and stay -on his pins. What was it now? Oh yes, Thunderbolt cocktail. Two parts -Terran vodka, one part Irish whiskey, gin, three raw eggs, nutmeg and a -jolt of Martian faylee. Cosmos! They say it made good rocket fuel in a -pinch."</p> - -<p>O'Brien sat up, glass in hand. "Why don't we mix a batch right now?"</p> - -<p>"Don't see why not." Harrigan flipped the audio switch. "Stores. -Hanson? Send a man up with formula thirteen, will you?"</p> - -<p>When the supplies arrived a few minutes later, the three men indulged -in an orgy of mixing and much testing, and, when the contents of the -huge bowl met their rigid specifications, sat around it and reminisced -about the early days in the Force.</p> - -<p>The three might easily have personified the Solar Federation Space -Force. Harrigan, the organizer par excellence, tall, lean and tanned -by the radiation of a thousand suns. O'Brien, the admiral's life-long -friend, squat and muscular—the fatherly but deadly Irishman who had -hated the League with all his powerful heart since the day, dim in time -but not in memory, that the Xantus had murdered his parents on Sirius -III in the First Campaign. And Irvington, one of the truly fabulous -characters in the Federation. The man who could reputedly hit a black -basketball at three million miles with an energy gun, who flunked out -of pilot's school and turned gunner, and who, annually, spent his leave -mining in the Solar asteroid belt and had become the richest man in the -Force.</p> - -<p>These men led the <i>Albion</i> on its questionable course into the future. -Human, and therefore prone to human failings, to be sure. But wise in -the ways of space they were too, and aware of its terrible dangers.</p> - -<p>At long last, when the ship's clock stood at 1100 hours, the party -broke up. Ash-trays were piled high, the magnificent punchbowl was -empty. Irvington and O'Brien left together, and Harrigan collapsed on -his bunk.</p> - -<p>In his dreams he roamed the narrow streets of Mars Center, watched -the pale, reed-like dancing girls sway their sensuous bodies before -the open-mouthed Federation Cadets, and heard the far-off, haunting -desert music. He walked through the fairy cities of Zithobar where -the fragile, ethereal architecture belied the sadistic temperament of -the inhabitants. And he cruised the tainted stratosphere of the Xantu -planet, that dark and sinister world whose peoples enjoyed nothing more -than heaving Terran prisoners, one by one, into the mouths of roaring -volcanoes.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Anaton, the Federation base on Antares IV, was six days at full blast -without Hyper-drive. After the round of hectic activity surrounding -their escape from Sector I, officers and crew alike found the -uneventful trip restful but boring. O'Brien played endless games of -solitaire; Irvington slept; and Harrigan planned. Anaton was the -biggest Federation base in Sector II, and the Hyper-drive was there. -He just hoped that the base itself was there yet. At 0300 hours on the -sixth day, Antares shone like a great red eye and they were three hours -out of base. Antares III swung slowly past and Harrigan alerted the -crew.</p> - -<p>They didn't have long to wait. O'Brien had just stacked his cards away -when the starboard watch howled and three Xantu ships screamed across -the <i>Albion</i> bow, almost on collision course. Harrigan's brow wrinkled -as the tail ship dropped back to engage the <i>Albion</i> and the other two -fled. These were not the usual Xantu tactics. Irvington coolly got -the black craft between his sights, there was a whoosh and a blinding -blast and four billion square miles of space flashed into daylight. -The <i>Albion</i> quickly overtook the two remaining ships and gun-banks -three, four and five riddled one of them. It slowed, spun and became a -lifeless, drifting shell.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> - <div class="caption"> - <p> A blinding blast, and four billion square miles of space flashed into daylight....</p> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>But the pilot of ship three was no fool. He suddenly swiveled his -ship, boomed off at a tangent, and, as the <i>Albion</i> whipped by, his -gunner caught her full in the tubes with a full charge from the stern -guns. Now it was the <i>Albion's</i> turn to spin end for end. But as the -Xantu craft spun into his sights for a fraction of a second, Irvington -tripped the atomic cannon again. The bolt ricochetted off the Xantu's -bow and the ship slowly split down the center like an over-ripe melon. -From the bridge, Harrigan counted three life boats deserting the mother -ship and he watched the gunners vainly try to pick them off. But they -were too small a target, and they quickly merged into the sanctuary of -darkness.</p> - -<p>He buzzed O'Brien. "Let's get down to Drive, quick. They got that Xantu -blast dead center."</p> - -<p>The drive section was a shambles. Men in weird asbestos suits and masks -staggered through the smoke and fumes with the broken bodies of the -rocket crew that had been caught in the explosion. Harrigan brushed at -angry tears as they carried Joe Merrick—the officer in charge—past -them and laid the charred body beside the others. Merrick had been with -him through both campaigns, and now the bitterness within Harrigan -turned to grim resolution. At length, thirty-seven men were counted out -of action permanently. The admiral turned solemnly away.</p> - -<p>"Think we'd better set her down on III?" O'Brien asked quietly.</p> - -<p>"Guess so, Mike. We can take her down on anti-grav and maneuver with -the bow jets." And then, slowly, "This puts us out of the war, you -realize that...."</p> - -<p>"Yeah. And we can't even holler for help or they'll swarm in on us like -a pack of harpies."</p> - -<p>"I don't know about that, Mike. Those boats that got away will probably -alert other elements of the League fleet as to our location. It's only -a matter of time anyway. So we might as well break radio silence and -try to get some Federation ships here first. It'll be a race, but it's -the only chance we've got."</p> - -<p>Radio room sent the S.O.S. and rang back the bridge almost immediately. -"Message away, sir, but our receiver was knocked out by the blast. We -get no acknowledgment on S.O.S."</p> - -<p>"Oh great," Harrigan groaned, "that's all we needed."</p> - -<p>"Maybe we could make Anaton on the bow jets," O'Brien offered.</p> - -<p>"Doubtful. Besides, we don't want to chance being caught in space with -the <i>Albion</i> in this shape. If my guess is any good, those three ships -were part of a fleet which has just attacked Anaton and by now the -base is probably a smoking hole in the ground. No point in going to -something like that."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It took superhuman maneuvering and quite a bit of luck, but at last -the scarred battleship came to rest, in partial hiding, at the foot -of a cliff wall on the rugged, boulder-strewn surface of Antares III. -Space Directory termed the planet "Earth-type; diam. 9,300; atmosphere -breathable for Terrans for a period not to exceed twelve hours."</p> - -<p>Harrigan had the portable Dyer guns arranged in a semi-circle at -advantageous spots behind boulders up to one mile from the <i>Albion</i>, -in case the survivors of the League ships might set their boats down -nearby and attempt a coup over land. The <i>Albion's</i> own boats carried -out patrols in the hope of locating the enemy before the enemy located -them.</p> - -<p>For sixteen hours after the landing, everything was absolutely quiet. -And then, as relief gun-crews slogged out the main hatch to take their -positions at the portables, all Hell broke loose.</p> - -<p>A short range, explosive rocket shell arched perfectly into the hatch -and exploded with a deafening roar, scattering the relief crews like -ten pins and slamming the two-ton hatch cover clean off its swivel -pins. The three League boats, with devastating surprise, zoomed in low -and fast over the outlying gun positions, spraying a trail of Reezi -powder which was ignited by their rockets. The countryside went up -in a swirl and a flash. Another explosive rocket struck the <i>Albion</i> -amidships before the crews got the more cumbersome fixed guns into -firing position.</p> - -<p>The lightning-fast boats were too small and swift to be speared by -anything save a lucky shot. Back and forth they raked the almost -helpless battleship. The attack waned momentarily as one of the black -boats was caught and instantly charred by cross-fire from the <i>Albion</i> -one and four banks. The remaining two changed tactics, roaring in over -the big ship, past the top of the cliff, only to spin back, hit and run.</p> - -<p>Five of the <i>Albion</i> patrol boats skittered home only to be caught in -the fray and immediately knocked down. Three more met the same fate -and a fourth was dodging desperately for its life when Harrigan's -eyes popped wide open with amazement. A pencil-like, silver destroyer -escort, bearing the insignia of the Federation Forces, fell on the -League boats from zenith position and in a screaming, twisting dive -blasted one and rammed the other into flying rubbish.</p> - -<p>The silver ship climbed a few miles vertically to see if the field had -been properly cleared, flashed down and dusted to a stop beside the -<i>Albion</i>. Harrigan stepped over the smoking bodies in the main hatchway -and dropped to the ground. O'Brien sprinted to join him, but before -they could reach the other ship, an officer leaped from a belly-lock -and walked briskly towards them.</p> - -<p>He snapped a salute. "Admiral Harrigan and the <i>Albion</i>?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Right, Lieutenant," Harrigan smiled wearily. "You're very welcome."</p> - -<p>"Lieutenant Sanderson, sir, Third Fleet attack arm. I was supposed...."</p> - -<p>"Sanderson," O'Brien roared.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir. I was assigned to the <i>Albion</i>, sir, but it took me ten -weeks to walk halfway around Pluto from where the Ziths dumped me and -catch a ship to Terra base. I take it they dubbed one of their beasties -in for me?"</p> - -<p>"They sure did," Harrigan answered, "but there wasn't much harm done. I -killed you on the bridge, Lieutenant."</p> - -<p>"Oh?" Sanderson looked puzzled for a brief moment, then smiled. "Oh, -that's good."</p> - -<p>"What's the score now?" O'Brien asked.</p> - -<p>"Well, sir, the Third attack fleet is standing off Anton now. You have -probably guessed that part of a League fleet attacked the base. We -picked up a few survivors, but damned few. Then we picked up a weak -distress signal from this area and Admiral Brands had us check on it."</p> - -<p>"Good thing he did," Harrigan admitted. "And now, Lieutenant, if you -will be so good as to radio for a tub to pick us up, I will be most -happy to leave this planet."</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir, at once." Sanderson saluted and ran for his ship.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Three hours and a few odd minutes later, the transport tub <i>Avalon</i> -settled its ponderous bulk beside the <i>Albion</i> and the slow transfer of -the living and the dead began. One hundred and fifty-five bodies were -slated for burial on Terra; another sixty were missing, whiffed into -gas by League guns.</p> - -<p>Harrigan sank deeper into gloom as he removed the ship's log and -helped O'Brien check the men off the <i>Albion</i>. At last the loading -was completed; the <i>Avalon</i> hung for a moment on its anti-gravs, and -Harrigan and Commander Johnson, in charge of the tub, looked down on -the battered remains of the great craft.</p> - -<p>"Better come to the bridge and sit," Johnson said softly.</p> - -<p>On the bridge, he poured Harrigan a stiff drink and cautioned, "Swallow -that, and get ready."</p> - -<p>Harrigan complied, puzzled. No sooner had he placed his glass on the -table than a small but virile mule kicked him in the stomach.</p> - -<p>"Suffering ... what was that?" he gasped.</p> - -<p>Johnson smiled. "Hyper-drive. Apparently Tech hasn't got the bugs -worked out yet, but it's good enough for me. Only four hours to Terra."</p> - -<p>"Well, well," Harrigan mused. He rose and looked at the swirling -grayness outside the ports. "Same deal on the other end?"</p> - -<p>"Yeah. A little wrench in the gut, but you get used to it."</p> - -<p>Harrigan said, "Well, well," again and sat down.</p> - -<p>"Admiral," Johnson hesitated, "no offense, now, you understand, but I -have been wondering what the <i>Albion</i> was doing way out here on Antares -III. I understood that you were coming into Terra from the other side -of Sector I when the fracas started."</p> - -<p>"We were. But when the League took Polaris Base and cut us off we had -to...."</p> - -<p>"Took Polaris Base! The League didn't take Polaris Base. They had a -dozen or so cruisers in that area, but they didn't tackle the Base. -Didn't even make a pass at it."</p> - -<p>Harrigan slowly dropped his head into his hands.</p> - -<p>"Oh my God," he moaned, "and I lost two hundred men on a bad guess. I -deserve to be broken to a Spaceman third class for this." He jumped up -and paced the bridge. "Great guns, what a fool I am! Polaris intact and -I risk a ship-load of green men on a bad guess. This washes me up in -the Force, that's for damn sure."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I don't think so, Admiral." Johnson smiled. "In fact I think -that...."</p> - -<p>"I don't give a damn what you think, Commander. The Force is no place -for fools. I'm done." And Harrigan slammed off the bridge towards his -quarters.</p> - -<p>Johnson smiled faintly and poured himself a drink.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was a tired and bedraggled admiral who stepped off the <i>Avalon</i> -four hours later into the sunlit bustle of Terra Base I. He felt pride -well up in him at the sight of the powerful base, the battlewagons -and cruisers and squat tubs, some with their guts spread on the steel -docks, waiting for the 'drive installation. Crane winches clanked and -howled, welding torches flashed, and many-wheeled trailers sped about -with ponderous equipment. But the activity was not frantic; it was -efficient and orderly.</p> - -<p>He turned for a word with O'Brien, who was now puffing down the -gangway, when a bright young Spaceman First stepped up and saluted with -a grin. "Admiral Garrison's regards to Admiral Harrigan and Captain -O'Brien, and would they report to HQ at once."</p> - -<p>"Well, here it comes, Mike."</p> - -<p>"Guess so," Mike agreed gloomily. "Why are all these baboons so happy?" -He indicated the clustered groups of Spacemen who regarded them -smilingly as they passed and talked excitedly among themselves.</p> - -<p>"Dunno. Maybe they like the thought of admirals and captains getting -chewed down."</p> - -<p>They paused briefly outside the door marked:</p> - -<p class="ph1">Adm. Garrison,<br /> -G.G. Port Admiral</p> - -<p>O'Brien shrugged. "Here goes nothin'."</p> - -<p>Inside, the tall, balding man behind the desk jumped to his feet with -a grin. "Jack! Mike! Boy, you two guys certainly beat anything I ever -saw. Talk about your heroes...."</p> - -<p>"Cut it, George," Harrigan growled, "you don't have to rub it in."</p> - -<p>"Rub what in? Great Caesar, hasn't anyone told you yet? You guys won -the war, that's all!"</p> - -<p>"Yeah. On the seat of our pants at Antares III," O'Brien muttered.</p> - -<p>"But I'm telling you, damnit!" Garrison came around the desk and -clapped them on the shoulders. "Those League ships you brought down -were heading for home with the Hyper-drive secret. And you stopped -them."</p> - -<p>Slow and stunning realization dawned on the two officers. O'Brien gave -a long, low whistle and sank in his chair. Harrigan broke into a slow -grin.</p> - -<p>"What a deal!" Garrison rubbed his hands. "What a deal. You guys will -get promotions out of this or my name isn't George Garr...."</p> - -<p>"But what the hell happened?" Harrigan demanded.</p> - -<p>"Like this," Garrison explained. "Three League ships picked up spies -just off Anaton. They had the Hyper-drive papers. Then they threw a -Duodec bomb into the Base and high-tailed. The <i>Albion</i> was the only -Federation ship of any size left in commission in the area. You got -them. Just before the last League ship went down, it beamed a message -to Zithobar, which we intercepted. So the Third attack arm swung -over quick to see what the trouble was. Then we got your S.O.S. and -went after you before the League could get back for a little of its -well-known vengeance."</p> - -<p>"Now, what the devil?" Harrigan rubbed his chin, grinning. "Is the war -over, then?"</p> - -<p>"Not altogether, but it's just a matter of mopping up now, and fixing -Zithobar and the Xantu planet once and for all. The Third and Seventh -attack arms are completely equipped with the 'drive and the Second is -just about ready to roll. Brother, are those babies surprised when we -pop out of nowhere into the middle of their formations and burn them -down before they can aim a gun ... but if <i>they</i> had hooked onto the -'drive secret, it would have been all day for the Federation!" Garrison -threw back his head and roared with laughter. "You birds ... with a -green crew—" he held his sides—"with a tub full of greenies you win -the war. And by accident yet. Oh Lordie ..." he sat down to catch his -breath.</p> - -<p>"Well ... I'll ... be ... a ..." Harrigan shook his head.</p> - -<p>"Yeah. I'll be one too," O'Brien muttered.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Out Of the Dark Nebula, by Milton L. 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Coe - -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: Out Of the Dark Nebula - -Author: Milton L. Coe - -Release Date: December 18, 2020 [EBook #64076] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OUT OF THE DARK NEBULA *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - Out of the DARK NEBULA - - By MILTON L. COE - - Five thousand green space-cadets, manning - the mighty _Albion_ on their shake-down cruise, - heard that grim message from HQ: "_War with - Xantu! Return immediately to Terra Base!_" - Which posed a problem ... for lurking in - starry battleground, somewhere between Earth - and the doom-ship, was half the Xantu fleet! - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Planet Stories May 1951. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -The bulkheads of the mighty battleship rocked with the song welling -from five thousand throats. As the young, eager voices swelled into -the chorus of "The Spaceman's Hymn," Vice-Admiral Jack Harrigan felt a -lump grow in his own throat. Captain Mike O'Brien, short, muscular and -definitely Irish, joined the admiral at the balcony hatch; together -they looked down upon the huge ship's auditorium. - -"It's a long, long way to the Milky Way ..." the chorus rose, fell, -faded and died. - -Harrigan nodded to O'Brien and the two men matched strides down the -passageway. - -"Something on your mind, Jack?" O'Brien asked. - -"Oh, I don't know, Mike. I just got to thinking about the old days, -I guess, hearing those kids singing. The Force is all glory to them; -color, ceremony, power, flitting around the Galaxy like this. Cream -of the crop, they are, and every last one of them fought to get in -the Force. But I wonder how they'd face up to the other side of this -business?" - -"Combat?" O'Brien screwed up his face. - -"Yeh boy. Combat like we saw, with our backs to the wall and -nine-tenths of the Galaxy howling for our heart's blood. Wonder if -they'd change their minds about the force--" he jerked his thumb back -towards the auditorium--"if it came again?" - -"Dunno." Mike shrugged. "Maybe old Fitzsimmons wondered about us the -same way when we went on our shake-down cruise. We were a sad bunch, -I'll admit. But we didn't pan out too bad, did we Jack?" - -The two officers had reached the observation deck. The Milky Way -stretched a hazy filament across the heavens. Harrigan drew a long -breath, hooked his thumbs in his belt and smiled. - -"No, Mike, not bad at all, if I do say so. It was rugged while we were -going through it, I suppose. But things have been quiet for so long -now ... damn it, we did have fun, didn't we Mike?" - -Mike grinned crookedly. "Fun is right. Remember the time Shorty -Michaels caught those two Xantu ships flat-footed behind the Coal Sack?" - -"Yeah. Blew 'em to Hell and back and found out later they were the two -strongest ships in the Xantu fleet. If they had seen him first ... -brother, he shook for a week after they told him." - -Mike roared with laughter. "Battle wagons, and Shorty with a destroyer." - - * * * * * - -"And how about that time the gang of Zith stinkers ambushed us on -Sirius V.... Were they surprised when their water-pistols didn't kill -us! They didn't know that water isn't quite as fatal to a Terran as it -is to a Zith." - -"Yeah," O'Brien said; "and I'll never forget the smile on Cap Martin's -face as he sprayed 'em with the ship's fire hose." - -"Well," the admiral said, sobering, "if you'd seen the pitiful remains -in their slave camps on Sirius VII, the way Cap and I did...." He shook -his head slowly. "We should have bounced a couple Duodec bombs off -their home planet. And on Xantu too. Finished the job right." - -The captain gazed down at his shoes. "We might get the chance yet. Any -news lately?" - -"Not much. Just the usual rumblings from the Dark Nebulas. But I agree -with HQ that the Xantu are at the bottom of it, without a doubt. You -never know when those varmints are going to start trouble. That's the -reason for all this hush-up preparation; we're going to be ready at the -drop of a helmet if anybody wants to rassle." - -"Smart move by HQ for once," Mike said. "Never hurt to be ready for...." - -A communications orderly saluted smartly. - -"Pardon, Sir. HQ Double urgent." - -Harrigan took the flimsy from the orderly and scanned it quickly. His -face went slack. "Good Lord, O'Brien! Hear this: 'Dark Nebula forces -simultaneously attacked Rigel patrol post and Capella II settlement -1400 hours. Personnel annihilated. Fleet headed by Xantu elements -headed Sector I. Return to Base Immediately'." - -"Sector I. Sol--Alpha Centauri--Sirius sector!" Mike whistled and shook -his head. "They'll cut us off before we can reach Terra." - -"They will if we don't get a move on," the admiral snapped, "and, we -can't fight with a green crew. Gotta get these kids back to Terra." - -Harrigan leaped to the audio. His orders were short and sharp. - -"Drive room: Joe, full speed home, boy. The bubble's busted wide open. - -"Quartermaster: Wilson, prepare to issue battle suits. - -"Central: Give me the system. Thanks." He cleared his throat. "All -hands hear this. A state of war exists between the Solar Federation -and the Dark Nebula League. We will attempt to reach Terra base before -being cut off by the enemy fleet. However, just in case, we will be -ready. Battle stations!" - - * * * * * - -The next few hours were hectic ones, especially for the few seasoned -officers aboard the battleship _Albion_. The _Albion_ was a fairly -new ship. She was fast, heavily armored, and carried the latest guns, -three facts which Harrigan hoped would save them from disaster. He -realized that HQ had had to break radio silence to notify them of the -sudden outbreak of hostilities, but he also knew that the enemy had -undoubtedly intercepted the message, plotted the _Albion_ course, -and sent a half-dozen of their fastest ships in hot pursuit. That's -the way the Dark Nebula League liked to fight: six to one. Harrigan -figured that he just might be able to outrun them; but if the League -ships did manage to cut them off from Terra ... well, he hated the -idea of fighting that bunch of cut-throats with a crew of green kids. -Ordinarily, new spacemen were distributed among crews of seasoned men -at a ratio of about one in ten. To be in top fighting condition, the -_Albion_ should carry four thousand regulars and four hundred greenies. -There were five thousand men on board; one hundred and fifty old line -officers, fifty newly commissioned officers, and forty-eight hundred -Terran youngsters fresh out of ground school. - -The officers had done their best to whip the crew into the semblance of -a fighting unit. If a fracas did develop, they might squeeze through if -the kids could follow orders. But in battle things happened almost too -fast to be covered by orders. A man had to think for himself. - -Harrigan found himself staring through the forward screen, wishing -that three or four thousand hardened space-Marines would suddenly -materialize out of thin air. O'Brien came steaming up. He sat down -beside the admiral, lit a cigarette and said "Phwooee." - -"Right you are," Harrigan answered. "Things sure popped, didn't they?" - -"And how. Think we ought to prowl?" - -"Guess so. We're going to watch things mighty damned close till we hit -base. Better check the gun-banks. And by the way, Mike, who had the -controls when that order came in?" - -"Young chap named McDaniels." - -"And his navigator?" - -"Rose. Why?" - -"Have them report to me when they come off. They're to be congratulated -for getting us away fast and right. If the rest of the crew picks up -as fast as those two, we'll make out O.K. Let's have a look at those -banks." - - * * * * * - -The _Albion's_ eight gun-banks spangled the ship from nose to tubes -like stripes on a watermelon. Each bank was divided into A, B and C -sections, fore, aft and center. Forty-eight men and two officers manned -each section. The atomic cannon in the nose were fired only by the -ship's Master gunner, a sardonic expert named Irvington. - -At number six gun-bank, Harrigan and O'Brien entered section C -hatch. O'Brien's mouth fell open. Along the catwalk behind the gun -emplacements proper, men lounged and leaned. One slept. Several -were smoking and most of them had thrown back their helmets. Of the -forty-eight, three had their eyes on the finder screens. - -"Attention," Harrigan roared, and fifty men jerked erect like puppets -on a string. "Get your helmets up and your eyes on those screens. And -keep them there until you're ordered off. This isn't a shake-down any -longer; this is war!" He turned to O'Brien. "Who's in charge here?" - -"Lieutenant Sanderson." - -"Leave the Ensign in charge and have Sanderson report to the bridge at -once." Harrigan stooped through the hatch. "And Mike, see that the word -is passed along to the remaining gun-crews. Damned if I'll see a repeat -of this!" - -"Yes, sir," Mike answered, and turned toward the nervous lieutenant. -"Report to the bridge, Mister, and prepare to be chewed." - -Sanderson managed a weak "Yes, sir." - - * * * * * - -Harrigan was pacing the bridge when McDaniels and Rose came in, stood -at attention and saluted crisply. - -The admiral returned the salute. "Relax, gentlemen. I called you here -to commend you both personally for your fast, clear thinking under -the stress of emergency. Cool-headedness under strain is taken as a -matter of course in the Space Forces, but in this case your actions -served as an example to an inexperienced crew and are therefore doubly -appreciated by the officers of this ship. Sit down." - -The two men took seats and Harrigan relaxed behind his own massive -desk. "I was with your father at Cadet school, McDaniels, and later at -the Battle of Canopus. Where is the Commander now?" - -McDaniels, short and pudgy, answered proudly. "He took command of -Polaris Base I just before we left on the cruise, sir." - -"Oh?" - -The kid doesn't know yet, Harrigan thought. If the Force can't stem -the League attack damned quick, old McDaniels and his men will be the -expendables in this scrap. But the kid sitting before him was so eager -and obviously proud of his father that the admiral hadn't the heart to -tell him the true score. - -"Sir," Rose piped up, "are you the same officer Harrigan that Dad -mentioned during the First Campaign? He was Master Navigator on the old -'Cometeer.'" - -"I certainly am." Harrigan smiled broadly. "'Red' Rose was the best -navigator I ever had. He could plot you half way around the Galaxy and -land you in your barracks just in time for supper. How long has it been -now, six years, seven?" - -Rose looked at the floor. "Seven, sir. He was hunting Kalabs on -Callisto when the landslide caught him." - -"I'm sorry, deeply sorry." - - * * * * * - -Footsteps sounded in the passageway and the lieutenant, Sanderson, came -in, followed closely by O'Brien. The lieutenant tucked his cap under -his elbow, smoothed back his thick hair and saluted. - -Harrigan gazed at the man for a long moment. - -"Lieutenant, perhaps the seriousness of our circumstances has not -impressed you fully. But the _Albion_, carrying this inexperienced -crew, stands in imminent danger of being overwhelmed by the League -fleet, or at best, being cut off from Terran base. Therefore I think -it.... Oops!" Harrigan had knocked his water pitcher to the floor. -The plastic didn't break, but water splashed. Sanderson jumped back -convulsively, his face white. O'Brien motioned an orderly to mop up -the mess, and the admiral went on. "You are a seasoned junior officer, -Sanderson. Your record is excellent, otherwise some form of punishment -would be in order. I shouldn't need to repeat that it is your duty to -keep your crew on the alert until we are out of danger. Dismissed." - -The lieutenant saluted and turned to leave. - -"Oh, Sanderson, one more thing." Harrigan rose and walked around the -desk. - -"Yes, sir?" - -The admiral faced the lieutenant and, before the dumbfounded eyes of -Rose, McDaniels and the orderly, very deliberately drew his service -blaster and shot Sanderson dead center between the eyes. - -McDaniels gulped. Rose jumped up trembling. The orderly let his mop -fall with a clatter. O'Brien winked at Harrigan. - -"Great hell, you've killed him." Rose found his voice. - -"That I have. That, gentlemen ..." Harrigan pointed to the corpse, "is -a Zith." - -An immediate babble of "why's" and "how do you know's" filled the air. - -"Look," the admiral motioned and the men gathered around the corpse. -Harrigan stooped, ran his fingers through the thick black hair and -came up with two fleshy, antenna-like appendages about four inches -in length, which sprouted from the skull an inch or so above the -hair-line. "On the Zith home planet, their religion requires that the -head be cleanly shaven, and these antennae are a source of pride. But -when a Zith wishes to pass for a Terran, he allows his hair to grow, -and as long as the antennae are kept flat, he has a fair chance of -going undetected. It's one of the oddities of the Universe that the -Zith and Terran, so unlike in temperament, are, to the eye, unlike -only in this small way. But, in Terran company, most Ziths acquire the -nervous habit of continually running their hands over their hair, to -make sure that the antennae are well hidden." - -"But a lot of Terrans have the habit of smoothing down their hair," -Rose objected. "Isn't that pretty thin evidence to shoot a man by, if -you're not sure?" - - * * * * * - -"Right," O'Brien broke in, "but you notice that the admiral said the -antennae were the only difference noticeable to the eye. There's -another, more important difference. The chemical make-up of the Zith -body is such that water reacts violently on contact with it, producing -what corresponds to severe burns, usually resulting in death. The -admiral and I both noticed Sanderson's nervous habit down in the -gun-bank a while ago. The pitcher incident a few minutes ago proved to -us that Sanderson was not a Terran. You men noticed how he shook and -paled when the water splashed near him." - -"Then this isn't Sanderson at all?" McDaniels asked, his dark eyes wide -with wonder. - -"Our records indicate that a Lieutenant Vern Sanderson left Aldebaran -II about three months ago to assist on the _Albion_ shake-down cruise. -My guess is that the real Sanderson met with foul play somewhere along -the way and this ... thing ... was substituted. The League knew that -war was coming. They also knew that the Federation has lately installed -the new Dyer gun and is in the process of installing the Bergesson -Hyper-drive in its capital ships. This critter was probably one of many -sent to get those secrets. With them, victory for the League would be -assured." - -"But why kill him? Why didn't you take him prisoner and find out what -he knew?" - -"For just one damned good reason," Harrigan answered. "These boys are -telepathic over short distances--the antennae have something to do -with that. If I hadn't taken him by complete surprise, he would have -notified his pals, if any, on this ship. And, if there should happen to -be a dozen or a hundred of these babies on board, we really would be in -for it. O'Brien, arrange a watch on the mess hall. Have all hands who -do not take water with their meals reported. You and chief Scott will -have to call them in one at a time and give them the acid test." - -O'Brien went off to arrange the mess hall watch and Harrigan sat down, -heaving a great sigh, behind his desk. "Well, gentlemen," he said, "you -have seen the enemy. Or at least half the enemy." - -"Yes, sir," Rose responded, "but what about the Xantus, sir? I--we've -never seen one of them." - -The admiral shuddered inwardly. "I hope you never do," he confessed. -All the wretched memories of two galactic campaigns swept over him -again. "A Xantu looks like nothing more nor less than a beer barrel on -skids, with a cauliflower for a head. Eight independently focussing -eyes, one for each of the tentacles that sprout from the middle of the -chest. Get one of those monkeys behind a gun bank and you'll swear you -have a platoon facing you." Harrigan lit a cigarette, forked smoke from -his nostrils. - -"The Xantus don't do too much of the actual fighting, though. Back in -the early days of space conquest, they teamed up with the Ziths ... -I imagine because the Xantus have a terrific technical culture but -are few in number, relatively speaking, and the Ziths aren't great on -technology but have the manpower. And too, their home systems are only -a few light-years apart. So far, the partnership has worked out very -well for the Dark Nebula League; the Xantus providing the brains, and -the Ziths the muscle. They are both ancient races, and very probably -their plans for the conquest of this end of the Universe would have -gone nicely if they hadn't run up against the Solar Federation, led by -Terra. We stand smack across their path. It has come to the point now -where it's us or them, absolutely...." - - * * * * * - -After the Sanderson episode was settled, Harrigan suddenly felt -drained and exhausted, and retired to his quarters. While he slept, -O'Brien, Chief Scott and his men rounded up four more Zith spies who -were immediately executed and unceremoniously dumped into the rocket -chambers. On the double-check, a fifth was discovered cowering in the -captain's life boat and he soon followed his brothers. The great ship -plowed through the ink of space, and the only sounds were the muffled -throbbing from the rocket banks, the steady hum of the chronometer and -the clicking of the audio relay. - -At 0500 hours the alarm gong clanged raucously. Harrigan was struggling -into his trousers as O'Brien stuck his head in the door and shouted, -"Jack! They've cut us off!" - -The captain explained the situation hurriedly as they sprinted toward -the bridge. "Port watch just spotted 'em. Three o'clock, low, in an -arc. There's only seven of them, but apparently they've taken Polaris -Base and cut us off from Sector I." - -A series of muffled thuds was heard, and suddenly a succession of -electric, blue-white flashes from outside the ports turned the dimness -of the passageway into intense, eye-straining brilliance. - -"Hot hell! We must have got us one," Harrigan roared, and the two men -broke into a run. - -In the powerful bridge screens they could see the great cloud of smoke -hanging in the void, where the League ship had been hit, and, coming -through it, several more of the grim pursuers. Occasionally a beam of -ripping, ravaging energy would lick out towards the _Albion_, but the -slim fingers of death fell shorter of their goal by the minute. - -"Well," Mike breathed in relief, "we can outrun them. But what now?" - -"Better set a course for Antares IV," Harrigan advised. "The -maintenance depot there can install the Hyper-drive in a few days and -we can make it back to Terra then regardless of what the League holds." - - * * * * * - -As soon as the _Albion_ was safely out of range of the League ships, -the two officers were joined on the bridge by Master Gunner Cliff -Irvington. They discussed the narrow squeak for a few minutes. At -length Irvington punched out his cigar and confessed, "I could stand a -drink." - -Ten minutes later they were seated in Harrigan's Spartan quarters over -a bottle of good Terran Irish whiskey and a flagon of Jovian Blongah. -Irvington downed an heroic shot of the Jovian mixture, shivered, howled -and grabbed for the pitcher of water which the orderly had placed on -the small table. - -"Of all the chicken drinkers," O'Brien chaffed. "One little swig and -he's halfway under the table. Watch this, son, and learn from a master -of the aht." Whereupon the Captain poured a water glass full of the -volatile brew and swallowed it without batting an eye. - -"Nuts," Cliff grunted. "I have to stay off the stuff for months at a -time. You birds on the bridge can swill from one side of the galaxy to -the other, but I've got to watch my nerves. And how about that night in -Venusport when I had you two guys reeling, the night before we got our -commissions?" - -Harrigan stifled a belch. "Only an idiot could drink that ook and stay -on his pins. What was it now? Oh yes, Thunderbolt cocktail. Two parts -Terran vodka, one part Irish whiskey, gin, three raw eggs, nutmeg and a -jolt of Martian faylee. Cosmos! They say it made good rocket fuel in a -pinch." - -O'Brien sat up, glass in hand. "Why don't we mix a batch right now?" - -"Don't see why not." Harrigan flipped the audio switch. "Stores. -Hanson? Send a man up with formula thirteen, will you?" - -When the supplies arrived a few minutes later, the three men indulged -in an orgy of mixing and much testing, and, when the contents of the -huge bowl met their rigid specifications, sat around it and reminisced -about the early days in the Force. - -The three might easily have personified the Solar Federation Space -Force. Harrigan, the organizer par excellence, tall, lean and tanned -by the radiation of a thousand suns. O'Brien, the admiral's life-long -friend, squat and muscular--the fatherly but deadly Irishman who had -hated the League with all his powerful heart since the day, dim in time -but not in memory, that the Xantus had murdered his parents on Sirius -III in the First Campaign. And Irvington, one of the truly fabulous -characters in the Federation. The man who could reputedly hit a black -basketball at three million miles with an energy gun, who flunked out -of pilot's school and turned gunner, and who, annually, spent his leave -mining in the Solar asteroid belt and had become the richest man in the -Force. - -These men led the _Albion_ on its questionable course into the future. -Human, and therefore prone to human failings, to be sure. But wise in -the ways of space they were too, and aware of its terrible dangers. - -At long last, when the ship's clock stood at 1100 hours, the party -broke up. Ash-trays were piled high, the magnificent punchbowl was -empty. Irvington and O'Brien left together, and Harrigan collapsed on -his bunk. - -In his dreams he roamed the narrow streets of Mars Center, watched -the pale, reed-like dancing girls sway their sensuous bodies before -the open-mouthed Federation Cadets, and heard the far-off, haunting -desert music. He walked through the fairy cities of Zithobar where -the fragile, ethereal architecture belied the sadistic temperament of -the inhabitants. And he cruised the tainted stratosphere of the Xantu -planet, that dark and sinister world whose peoples enjoyed nothing more -than heaving Terran prisoners, one by one, into the mouths of roaring -volcanoes. - - * * * * * - -Anaton, the Federation base on Antares IV, was six days at full blast -without Hyper-drive. After the round of hectic activity surrounding -their escape from Sector I, officers and crew alike found the -uneventful trip restful but boring. O'Brien played endless games of -solitaire; Irvington slept; and Harrigan planned. Anaton was the -biggest Federation base in Sector II, and the Hyper-drive was there. -He just hoped that the base itself was there yet. At 0300 hours on the -sixth day, Antares shone like a great red eye and they were three hours -out of base. Antares III swung slowly past and Harrigan alerted the -crew. - -They didn't have long to wait. O'Brien had just stacked his cards away -when the starboard watch howled and three Xantu ships screamed across -the _Albion_ bow, almost on collision course. Harrigan's brow wrinkled -as the tail ship dropped back to engage the _Albion_ and the other two -fled. These were not the usual Xantu tactics. Irvington coolly got -the black craft between his sights, there was a whoosh and a blinding -blast and four billion square miles of space flashed into daylight. -The _Albion_ quickly overtook the two remaining ships and gun-banks -three, four and five riddled one of them. It slowed, spun and became a -lifeless, drifting shell. - -[Illustration: A blinding blast, and four billion square miles of space -flashed into daylight....] - -But the pilot of ship three was no fool. He suddenly swiveled his -ship, boomed off at a tangent, and, as the _Albion_ whipped by, his -gunner caught her full in the tubes with a full charge from the stern -guns. Now it was the _Albion's_ turn to spin end for end. But as the -Xantu craft spun into his sights for a fraction of a second, Irvington -tripped the atomic cannon again. The bolt ricochetted off the Xantu's -bow and the ship slowly split down the center like an over-ripe melon. -From the bridge, Harrigan counted three life boats deserting the mother -ship and he watched the gunners vainly try to pick them off. But they -were too small a target, and they quickly merged into the sanctuary of -darkness. - -He buzzed O'Brien. "Let's get down to Drive, quick. They got that Xantu -blast dead center." - -The drive section was a shambles. Men in weird asbestos suits and masks -staggered through the smoke and fumes with the broken bodies of the -rocket crew that had been caught in the explosion. Harrigan brushed at -angry tears as they carried Joe Merrick--the officer in charge--past -them and laid the charred body beside the others. Merrick had been with -him through both campaigns, and now the bitterness within Harrigan -turned to grim resolution. At length, thirty-seven men were counted out -of action permanently. The admiral turned solemnly away. - -"Think we'd better set her down on III?" O'Brien asked quietly. - -"Guess so, Mike. We can take her down on anti-grav and maneuver with -the bow jets." And then, slowly, "This puts us out of the war, you -realize that...." - -"Yeah. And we can't even holler for help or they'll swarm in on us like -a pack of harpies." - -"I don't know about that, Mike. Those boats that got away will probably -alert other elements of the League fleet as to our location. It's only -a matter of time anyway. So we might as well break radio silence and -try to get some Federation ships here first. It'll be a race, but it's -the only chance we've got." - -Radio room sent the S.O.S. and rang back the bridge almost immediately. -"Message away, sir, but our receiver was knocked out by the blast. We -get no acknowledgment on S.O.S." - -"Oh great," Harrigan groaned, "that's all we needed." - -"Maybe we could make Anaton on the bow jets," O'Brien offered. - -"Doubtful. Besides, we don't want to chance being caught in space with -the _Albion_ in this shape. If my guess is any good, those three ships -were part of a fleet which has just attacked Anaton and by now the -base is probably a smoking hole in the ground. No point in going to -something like that." - - * * * * * - -It took superhuman maneuvering and quite a bit of luck, but at last -the scarred battleship came to rest, in partial hiding, at the foot -of a cliff wall on the rugged, boulder-strewn surface of Antares III. -Space Directory termed the planet "Earth-type; diam. 9,300; atmosphere -breathable for Terrans for a period not to exceed twelve hours." - -Harrigan had the portable Dyer guns arranged in a semi-circle at -advantageous spots behind boulders up to one mile from the _Albion_, -in case the survivors of the League ships might set their boats down -nearby and attempt a coup over land. The _Albion's_ own boats carried -out patrols in the hope of locating the enemy before the enemy located -them. - -For sixteen hours after the landing, everything was absolutely quiet. -And then, as relief gun-crews slogged out the main hatch to take their -positions at the portables, all Hell broke loose. - -A short range, explosive rocket shell arched perfectly into the hatch -and exploded with a deafening roar, scattering the relief crews like -ten pins and slamming the two-ton hatch cover clean off its swivel -pins. The three League boats, with devastating surprise, zoomed in low -and fast over the outlying gun positions, spraying a trail of Reezi -powder which was ignited by their rockets. The countryside went up -in a swirl and a flash. Another explosive rocket struck the _Albion_ -amidships before the crews got the more cumbersome fixed guns into -firing position. - -The lightning-fast boats were too small and swift to be speared by -anything save a lucky shot. Back and forth they raked the almost -helpless battleship. The attack waned momentarily as one of the black -boats was caught and instantly charred by cross-fire from the _Albion_ -one and four banks. The remaining two changed tactics, roaring in over -the big ship, past the top of the cliff, only to spin back, hit and run. - -Five of the _Albion_ patrol boats skittered home only to be caught in -the fray and immediately knocked down. Three more met the same fate -and a fourth was dodging desperately for its life when Harrigan's -eyes popped wide open with amazement. A pencil-like, silver destroyer -escort, bearing the insignia of the Federation Forces, fell on the -League boats from zenith position and in a screaming, twisting dive -blasted one and rammed the other into flying rubbish. - -The silver ship climbed a few miles vertically to see if the field had -been properly cleared, flashed down and dusted to a stop beside the -_Albion_. Harrigan stepped over the smoking bodies in the main hatchway -and dropped to the ground. O'Brien sprinted to join him, but before -they could reach the other ship, an officer leaped from a belly-lock -and walked briskly towards them. - -He snapped a salute. "Admiral Harrigan and the _Albion_?" he asked. - -"Right, Lieutenant," Harrigan smiled wearily. "You're very welcome." - -"Lieutenant Sanderson, sir, Third Fleet attack arm. I was supposed...." - -"Sanderson," O'Brien roared. - -"Yes, sir. I was assigned to the _Albion_, sir, but it took me ten -weeks to walk halfway around Pluto from where the Ziths dumped me and -catch a ship to Terra base. I take it they dubbed one of their beasties -in for me?" - -"They sure did," Harrigan answered, "but there wasn't much harm done. I -killed you on the bridge, Lieutenant." - -"Oh?" Sanderson looked puzzled for a brief moment, then smiled. "Oh, -that's good." - -"What's the score now?" O'Brien asked. - -"Well, sir, the Third attack fleet is standing off Anton now. You have -probably guessed that part of a League fleet attacked the base. We -picked up a few survivors, but damned few. Then we picked up a weak -distress signal from this area and Admiral Brands had us check on it." - -"Good thing he did," Harrigan admitted. "And now, Lieutenant, if you -will be so good as to radio for a tub to pick us up, I will be most -happy to leave this planet." - -"Yes, sir, at once." Sanderson saluted and ran for his ship. - - * * * * * - -Three hours and a few odd minutes later, the transport tub _Avalon_ -settled its ponderous bulk beside the _Albion_ and the slow transfer of -the living and the dead began. One hundred and fifty-five bodies were -slated for burial on Terra; another sixty were missing, whiffed into -gas by League guns. - -Harrigan sank deeper into gloom as he removed the ship's log and -helped O'Brien check the men off the _Albion_. At last the loading -was completed; the _Avalon_ hung for a moment on its anti-gravs, and -Harrigan and Commander Johnson, in charge of the tub, looked down on -the battered remains of the great craft. - -"Better come to the bridge and sit," Johnson said softly. - -On the bridge, he poured Harrigan a stiff drink and cautioned, "Swallow -that, and get ready." - -Harrigan complied, puzzled. No sooner had he placed his glass on the -table than a small but virile mule kicked him in the stomach. - -"Suffering ... what was that?" he gasped. - -Johnson smiled. "Hyper-drive. Apparently Tech hasn't got the bugs -worked out yet, but it's good enough for me. Only four hours to Terra." - -"Well, well," Harrigan mused. He rose and looked at the swirling -grayness outside the ports. "Same deal on the other end?" - -"Yeah. A little wrench in the gut, but you get used to it." - -Harrigan said, "Well, well," again and sat down. - -"Admiral," Johnson hesitated, "no offense, now, you understand, but I -have been wondering what the _Albion_ was doing way out here on Antares -III. I understood that you were coming into Terra from the other side -of Sector I when the fracas started." - -"We were. But when the League took Polaris Base and cut us off we had -to...." - -"Took Polaris Base! The League didn't take Polaris Base. They had a -dozen or so cruisers in that area, but they didn't tackle the Base. -Didn't even make a pass at it." - -Harrigan slowly dropped his head into his hands. - -"Oh my God," he moaned, "and I lost two hundred men on a bad guess. I -deserve to be broken to a Spaceman third class for this." He jumped up -and paced the bridge. "Great guns, what a fool I am! Polaris intact and -I risk a ship-load of green men on a bad guess. This washes me up in -the Force, that's for damn sure." - -"Oh, I don't think so, Admiral." Johnson smiled. "In fact I think -that...." - -"I don't give a damn what you think, Commander. The Force is no place -for fools. I'm done." And Harrigan slammed off the bridge towards his -quarters. - -Johnson smiled faintly and poured himself a drink. - - * * * * * - -It was a tired and bedraggled admiral who stepped off the _Avalon_ -four hours later into the sunlit bustle of Terra Base I. He felt pride -well up in him at the sight of the powerful base, the battlewagons -and cruisers and squat tubs, some with their guts spread on the steel -docks, waiting for the 'drive installation. Crane winches clanked and -howled, welding torches flashed, and many-wheeled trailers sped about -with ponderous equipment. But the activity was not frantic; it was -efficient and orderly. - -He turned for a word with O'Brien, who was now puffing down the -gangway, when a bright young Spaceman First stepped up and saluted with -a grin. "Admiral Garrison's regards to Admiral Harrigan and Captain -O'Brien, and would they report to HQ at once." - -"Well, here it comes, Mike." - -"Guess so," Mike agreed gloomily. "Why are all these baboons so happy?" -He indicated the clustered groups of Spacemen who regarded them -smilingly as they passed and talked excitedly among themselves. - -"Dunno. Maybe they like the thought of admirals and captains getting -chewed down." - -They paused briefly outside the door marked: - - Adm. Garrison, - G.G. Port Admiral - -O'Brien shrugged. "Here goes nothin'." - -Inside, the tall, balding man behind the desk jumped to his feet with -a grin. "Jack! Mike! Boy, you two guys certainly beat anything I ever -saw. Talk about your heroes...." - -"Cut it, George," Harrigan growled, "you don't have to rub it in." - -"Rub what in? Great Caesar, hasn't anyone told you yet? You guys won -the war, that's all!" - -"Yeah. On the seat of our pants at Antares III," O'Brien muttered. - -"But I'm telling you, damnit!" Garrison came around the desk and -clapped them on the shoulders. "Those League ships you brought down -were heading for home with the Hyper-drive secret. And you stopped -them." - -Slow and stunning realization dawned on the two officers. O'Brien gave -a long, low whistle and sank in his chair. Harrigan broke into a slow -grin. - -"What a deal!" Garrison rubbed his hands. "What a deal. You guys will -get promotions out of this or my name isn't George Garr...." - -"But what the hell happened?" Harrigan demanded. - -"Like this," Garrison explained. "Three League ships picked up spies -just off Anaton. They had the Hyper-drive papers. Then they threw a -Duodec bomb into the Base and high-tailed. The _Albion_ was the only -Federation ship of any size left in commission in the area. You got -them. Just before the last League ship went down, it beamed a message -to Zithobar, which we intercepted. So the Third attack arm swung -over quick to see what the trouble was. Then we got your S.O.S. and -went after you before the League could get back for a little of its -well-known vengeance." - -"Now, what the devil?" Harrigan rubbed his chin, grinning. "Is the war -over, then?" - -"Not altogether, but it's just a matter of mopping up now, and fixing -Zithobar and the Xantu planet once and for all. The Third and Seventh -attack arms are completely equipped with the 'drive and the Second is -just about ready to roll. Brother, are those babies surprised when we -pop out of nowhere into the middle of their formations and burn them -down before they can aim a gun ... but if _they_ had hooked onto the -'drive secret, it would have been all day for the Federation!" Garrison -threw back his head and roared with laughter. "You birds ... with a -green crew--" he held his sides--"with a tub full of greenies you win -the war. And by accident yet. Oh Lordie ..." he sat down to catch his -breath. - -"Well ... I'll ... be ... a ..." Harrigan shook his head. - -"Yeah. I'll be one too," O'Brien muttered. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Out Of the Dark Nebula, by Milton L. 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