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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..4c64524 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #64726 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/64726) diff --git a/old/64726-0.txt b/old/64726-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 73026bd..0000000 --- a/old/64726-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2254 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Z-Day on Centauri, by Henry T. Simmons - -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: Z-Day on Centauri - -Author: Henry T. Simmons - -Release Date: March 06, 2021 [eBook #64726] - -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 Z-DAY ON CENTAURI *** - - - - - Z-DAY ON CENTAURI - - By HENRY T. SIMMONS - - Erupting from hyper-space in the teeth - of startled DIC patrols and readying all - hands for a crash-landing, adventurer - Fletcher Pell could still wonder which he - dreaded more--the U-235 in the hold ... - or the strange girl by his side. - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Planet Stories Summer 1948. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -Pell twisted into the black maw of the alley and ran silently and -swiftly into its depths. His breath came in whistling agonized gasps. -Faintly he heard the footsteps of his assailant--now more clearly as -the latter turned into the alley after him. Vaguely Pell could make out -his silhouette outlined by the dim light that filtered in from the -street. - -"Ugh!" Pell struck a hard surface at the end of the alley with a grunt -that he could not stifle. - -Trapped! Frantically he felt about to find an opening. Softly and -steadily he cursed himself, trying to keep black despair at bay. Maybe -if he ... but the idea died in birth. - -"Chuu!" - -A blue lancet of flame arced over Pell's shoulder and struck the wall, -turning a small area into running slag. The heat and prickling of the -radiation Pell ignored. But the brief flash had given up his position. -Then he heard his pursuer laugh softly and he knew the game was up. He -felt rather than heard him moving in. - -_Paumm!_ - -Pell's universe rocked in the reverberating thunder of the explosion. - -_Paumm! Paumm!_ - -Twice more it was repeated and in the vivid flash Pell saw his -assailant twist and collapse on his face. His amazement fought with -a new dread. Someone had come to his aid, but with an ancient, -chemical-reaction, hand weapon. What did that mean? With his back -tensed against the wall, Pell strained his perceptions to the utmost, -trying to adjust his eyes once more to the darkness. Then he jumped. - -"Pell!" It was a woman's voice! "Fletcher Pell! Come out--I am a -friend!" - -He was aware of a faint outlander quality in her accent--as if she were -a colonial. Dimly he could make out her slight figure at the mouth of -the _cul de sac_. He moved cautiously toward her, stopping to pick up -the blaster of the fallen DIC agent. The comforting feel of its butt -gave him confidence as he walked toward her. - -"Who are you?" Pell asked. She was small and lithe, and in the dim -radiance of the street lights he noticed that she had brown hair with -glints of spun-gold in it. - -She did not reply to his question but put a soft hand over his mouth. -"Let your questions wait. We must leave quickly, else they find us," -she said huskily. She led him from the alley and walked breathlessly -down the dark street, two of her steps matching one of his long ones. - -There was a fast-looking black speeder at the corner. She motioned him -in and no sooner had the door closed than the speeder leaped forward -and melted into the traffic. The girl relaxed in the seat beside him, -the sudden easing of the tension making her hands shake. - -"Who are you?" Pell asked, repeating his earlier question. - -She looked at him keenly in the dim light that splashed through the -windows of the speeder. "Perhaps, Mr. Pell," she replied at length, -"it would not be too wise to reveal identities yet. I have a certain -proposition to discuss and I think it might be better to talk first -about that." - -Pell shrugged and said, "As long as you choose to remain my unknown -benefactor, how about benefiting me with a drink?" - -The voice of the driver replied unexpectedly from the front seat. -"Here." - -Pell accepted a gleaming flask and took a long drink. "Ahh," he said at -length. "Do you have much ulcer trouble on Centaura?" - -The girl looked at him, startled. "You are very shrewd, Pell. I hope -you won't become too clever for your own good." - -Out of the corner of his eye Pell saw her hand creep for the pocket of -her jumper and it occurred to him that silence would possibly be wiser -at that. - - * * * * * - -The voice of the driver broke in from the front seat. "Miss Helmuth, -the DIC patrols are thick around here--we had better head out of town." - -The girl looked through the plastine rear window and the dim glow of -the street lamps etched lines of strain about her mouth. "You're right, -Heintz. Slip out of the traffic and head for the space port." - -Heintz grunted affirmatively and presently the black speeder emerged -from the traffic and roared out of the city, leaving behind the red and -black DIC patrols aimlessly searching the city for Pell and the unknown -killer of the DIC agent. - -The girl turned to him once more and began to speak--rather cautiously, -it seemed to Pell. - -"We have been looking for you for a long time, Pell," she said. "It was -only by the purest accident that we found you in time to save your life -tonight. - -"Formerly you were a space pilot--in fact you owned a business. But -you were crushed by the Drake Interstellar Corporation, even to the -extent of losing your license. And now the DIC, taking no chances with -you, is determined to kill you. Because you are a hunted enemy of the -DIC _and_ a space pilot, we felt that you might be interested in our -proposition." - -"And what is that?" Pell asked. - -"If you are to remain alive," she replied, "you must leave Earth. But -you have no ship. I have the ship and also want to leave Earth, but -cannot without a pilot." - -"Then why don't you simply hire a licensed pilot and be done with it?" -Pell asked, his eyes narrowed. - -"No licensed pilot would accept the job." - -"Then how do you know I will?" - -"Have you followed in the daily papers the account of the Junta on -Centauri V?" she countered. - -Instantly Pell realized the fantastic truth. Indeed he had heard of -the coup. Insurgents had successfully taken over the government and -were keeping the DIC warships at bay with planet-mounted blast rifles. -But speculation was rife in the daily papers as to how long they could -hold out with their limited supply of U-235, for it was the colonial -policy of the DIC-controlled Earth Government never to allow more than -a meager amount of the universal fuel to be shipped at any one time to -a colonial planet. - -With growing amazement, Pell realized that the girl was an agent of old -Matt Faradson, the leader of the revolt. And her purpose here on Earth -was now obvious to him. He felt a quick rise in sympathy for her, but -kept it out of his voice. - -"In other words, you want me to pilot you and a load of U-235 to -Centauri V?" he asked bluntly. - -The girl nodded. "We have managed to secure secretly five kilos of -U-235 and it is now stored in the ship's cadmium and graphite vaults. -With it, Faradson will be able to stand off the constant skirmishing -attacks of the DIC until he can build his own refining plants." - -Pell whistled softly to himself, his mind busy on the train of thought -the girl had presented. Of course, the Earth Government was little more -than a semblance of democracy now; its short-sighted actions of more -than two hundred years ago had brought it to its present situation -where it was little more than a mouth-piece of huge economic empires -like the Drake Interstellar Corporation, one of the largest. - -When the planets of the solar system had been opened up for -exploitation, the Earth Government rashly granted proprietary charters -to the corporations to handle them. And even then, two hundred years -ago, colonial trouble existed. As a matter of fact, they prompted -Earth's decision not to allow the refining of U-235 anywhere except -Earth, although it could be mined on any planet and shipped to Earth -for refining. It was this control of the universal power source -that enabled the Earth Government to hold the colonial planets of -her interstellar empire in such tight rein. And the DIC practically -controlled the Earth Government, so there it was. - -Faradson's Insurgents had revolted against that control. In addition -they wanted an equal and democratic voice in the Earth-Mars-Venus -Federation, as well as freedom to manufacture their own U-235. - - * * * * * - -Pell looked up at the girl thoughtfully. He noticed that she had -been watching him anxiously, apparently awaiting his reply to her -proposition. - -"Okay," he said at last. "I'm game. Now how about answering a few -questions for me, Miss ... ah ..." - -"Helmuth, Margaret Helmuth--but I prefer Gret. What are your questions?" - -"That was one of them," Pell replied, grinning. "Why don't you get one -of your own men to pilot the ship?" - -"Colonials are not allowed the mastery of space navigation or -piloting. It's a security measure," she replied simply. "They are -allowed to master space mechanics, however. Heintz is your mechanic, -incidentally." She indicated the man in the front seat behind the wheel -of the speeder. - -"How about weapons? Why do you use such a cumbersome, ancient thing -like that pistol?" - -Gret Helmuth laughed. "I see you know very little about colonial -affairs, Pell. Of course we are not allowed the use of atomic -weapons--that would make revolt all too easy. And naturally I could -not risk acquiring one here. - -"You see, almost all of our technology is geared on a twentieth century -level. Only the DIC-controlled power stations and their mercenary army -on Centaura are allowed the use of atomic power and weapons." - -Pell shrugged and looked at the dark countryside rushing past the -speeder. He had not known that it was really as bad as all that. -Obviously the colonials had good reason for their revolution. And now -it was up to him to run a DIC blockade and deliver five kilos of U-235 -to the revolutionaries. Absently he put a cigarette in his mouth and -flicked the stud of his lighter. - -Gret Helmuth's startled whistling gasp snapped him out of his revery. -Even Heintz grunted audibly from behind the wheel and the speeder -swerved slightly as it sped down the road. - -Pell stared from one to the other with surprise. "What's the matter -with you two?" he asked. - -"That--that thing you're lighting that cigarette with! What is it?" -Gret gasped. - -"Oh!" Pell laughed. "I see you're not very familiar with Earth -technology," he mocked. "This is a 'Rippo Little-Blast Dandy Atomic -Cigarette Lighter.' Cute little novelty, isn't it?" - -He flicked the stud again, demonstrating its pale blue flame. In spite -of herself, Gret shuddered. Heintz sputtered something in the front -seat which Pell didn't quite catch. - - - II - -Silently the speeder drove down the ramp past rows of cradled space -ships. In the darkness Pell could see very little more than their -shadowy shapes. Over on the east part of the field Pell could make out -the nightly DIC liner to Mars loading passengers. He wondered vaguely -what kind of a ship they were using. From what Gret had said about not -desiring to attract attention, he was already a little dubious. - -Smoothly the black speeder drew to a halt and Pell got out to examine -the little ship before him. It was an obsolete Mark III interceptor. -Pell whistled softly as he looked at the hull where huge flakes of -rust were apparent, even in the dim light. Its jets were in bad -condition; their surfaces were corroded and scarred, but he noted with -satisfaction that they had recently been scraped clean of exhaust -deposits. Followed by the girl and Heintz, he entered the air-lock and -looked at the interior of the ship. - -"Let me show you the fine points of this can, Pell," the fat man said, -switching on the illumination. He squeezed by Pell and shoved his -ungainly body up the passage-way to the control room. - -When Pell entered, the fat man's face was creased with a smile that -extended from one huge ear to the other on his tiny bullet head. -Proudly he pointed at the celestial globe for extra-dimensional -navigation. - -"Ain't that a beauty? And here's the Thelmard Distorter Generator. -Installed it myself, just this afternoon." - -With a sinking feeling, Pell stared at the incomprehensible maze of -cables that spewed out of the thing and slithered across the deck to -their unknown destinations. Heintz squeezed by him again and thrust -himself back through the narrow passage-way to the waist where Gret -Helmuth was waiting. - -Heintz demonstrated the jerry-built uranium vaults which had been -welded hap-hazardly to any convenient spot. "It's all there," Heintz -beamed. "Enough to last ten years." - -He motioned for Pell to follow him and disappeared into the stern of -the ship. - -Pell emerged a few minutes later, his face an unnatural shade of green. -With great deliberation he lowered himself into one of the shock chairs -and looked up at Gret Helmuth helplessly. - -"That creaky converter won't even get us off the ground, much less take -the hyper-space jump," he said. - -She looked at him coolly and replied, "This is the best we could do, -Mr. Pell. If you are afraid, you can back out now, but--" she produced -the ancient automatic pistol she had used with such deadly effect -earlier in the evening, "I warn you that I will have to kill you if you -do. We cannot take chances." - -Pell looked at her eyes. They were bleak and frosty and as hard as blue -diamonds. He knew she meant what she said. He shrugged. With everyone -apparently intent upon erasing him, it didn't make too much difference -where he died. And he would certainly prefer death in space rather than -in some back alley. - -"Okay, baby, I'll pilot this tub. But you'd better be ready to get out -and push!" - -He turned to go forward, then stopped as if remembering something. "You -realize that this ship is strictly contraband, don't you?" - -She nodded. "So?" - -"So we simply cannot pass the Geiger Check." - -"Then we shall blast off without it," she replied, woman-like. - -Pell laughed harshly. "Before we reach the Heaviside the planet-mounted -blasters will fry us to a cinder!" - -She was still unperturbed. "Then you must figure a way to get us off -without that happening," she replied. "After all, you're the pilot." - -Pell spread his hands helplessly. "Ah, woman, thy logic is flawless," -he muttered half-aloud. - -Thoughtfully he looked through the waist port at the liner which had -almost completed loading. An idea struck him. He turned to the girl -again. - -"Get Heintz and harness yourselves in those shock suits. And use these -shock chairs in the waist--they're safer. We will blast off the instant -that liner does." - - * * * * * - -In spite of the iron control which had kept her face impassive, Gret -Helmuth gasped. - -"Do you think we can evade the planet-mounteds by that means?" she -asked, her outlander accent very apparent. - -He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. They won't be able to shoot even if -they track us both all the way to the Heaviside because they won't know -which one is us. But when we hit Heaviside, they'll know--our ship will -be pushing 20 G's and the liner a miserable four. We should be out of -their range by then, though. However, don't count on it too much--we'll -have every DIC warship in the system on our tail and we may have to -fight yet." He turned and disappeared up the little passage-way. - -In the control room Pell wriggled awkwardly into the ungainly shock -suit that would enable him to live during tremendous accelerations. -Squeezing in behind the massive board, he seated himself in the -throne-like shock chair and flipped on the inter-com. - -"Pell to waist ... can you hear me?" - -"Gotcha," the voice of Heintz came over. "We're ready." - -"Are the blasters on this tub armed, Heintz?" - -"Yeah. Armed 'em myself this afternoon." - -"Cross your fingers ... Pell out." - -Briefly the electros shrieked up the scale to inaudibility followed by -the muffled, reluctant keening of the converter. Pell looked through -the forward plastine observation shield. The liner was also warming up -its converters; occasionally a shower of red-hot cinders flew out of -the blast pit as the pilot gunned his converters. Any minute now ... -there it was! - -Slowly the huge liner wallowed from its elevated cradle cushioned on a -pillar of blue flame. Pell opened his own feed valves a trifle and his -primitive converter responded nicely, thrusting the Mark III out of its -cradle and up after the passenger liner. Slowly Pell advanced the feed, -trying to match the liner's lift. Presently he lost sight of the liner -as its speed mounted, but he was familiar with the trajectory it used -and he followed it at four G's. - -His vizer light was blinking an angry red. He flipped it on and the -corpulent, blotched face of a petty official blossomed out of the gray -nothingness of the screen. - -"What is the meaning of this outrage?" he blustered at Pell. "If you do -not decelerate at once, I shall order the planet-mounteds to fire on -you!" - -Pell tried to force a blank look on his face. "What do you mean, sir? -This is a DIC passenger liner headed for Mars. Didn't we pass the -Geiger Check?" - -The official looked sick. Then his face became an enraged, mottled red. -"If you think you can get away with this...." he sputtered. - -Pell laughed at him and flipped the vizer off. He looked at his -instruments ... another minute now. The back of his shoulders crawled -as he contemplated the unpleasant possibility of a planet-mounted -blaster burning the little ship to a cinder. Over his vizi-phone he -heard the official trying to contact the liner. Again he looked quickly -at his instruments. _Now!_ - -Savagely he opened the converter feed valves and the little ship leaped -forward. His fingers played with practiced ease on the jet keys, -forcing the ship into a wildly spiralling trajectory. Its path soon -resembled a jagged fork of lightning. Let 'em try to get a fix on that, -he reflected. - -Far off to his left he fancied he saw the dim, almost-spent radiance -of a blaster probing for him. Laughing to himself, he straightened the -course of the ship and piled on the acceleration. Like the second hand -of a clock, the acceleration dial moved up the scale. - -An eye-searing 12 G's ... then 15 ... 18.... Finally the needle came to -quivering rest at a lung-torturing, bone-crushing 20 G's. The converter -screamed just above audio-frequency. The wheezy thing seemed to be -pushing like a little trooper, Pell reflected. - -His inter-com crackled for a moment, then he heard the labored voice of -Gret Helmuth. - -"Nice work, Pell. Do you think there will be any more trouble getting -out of the system?" - -"No, but hold tight, just in case. How's Heintz?" - -"He's ... asleep." - -Pell grunted to himself. He was worried about the fat man; the -acceleration wouldn't do his heart much good. He tried to settle back -in his shock suit more comfortably, then realized that the acceleration -held him like a vise. Already the oil-cushioned buoyancy pads seemed -to thrust into him like spikes. Breathing deeply, he manipulated the -massagers in his shock suit. - -Just beyond Orbit Luna, Pell gradually swung the nose of the ship -toward the nadir of the solar elliptic and the ship streaked out of the -system. Turning up the detectors to full sensitivity, Pell tried to -relax and sleep--because sleep was actually the only thing to do under -tremendous accelerations. - - * * * * * - -Painfully Pell awoke. He let his eyes flicker over the instruments and -nodded with satisfaction as he saw that the ship's velocity had reached -400 miles per second. Stiffly he cut the converter to one G and locked -in the robot controls. Instantly the tremendous weight was removed from -his body. He shrugged out of his shock suit with every bone in his body -aching in discord. - -When he had clambered through the narrow passage-way to the waist he -saw that Gret was likewise divesting herself of the cumbersome garment. - -"We're pushing 400 a second now," he reported. "In another 20 hours we -can drop into hyper-space. How's it going back here?" - -Gret indicated Heintz who seemed to be asleep. But the ragged gasps of -his breathing belied this; Pell knew he was unconscious. - -"He's been like this since blast-off--his heart, I believe," she stated -matter-of-factly. - -Pell frowned. "I was afraid of that. We'd better give him some amytal." - -He rummaged around in the medical kit and brought out a hypo. He jabbed -Heintz and eased him back into his harness. The fat man's breath became -more relaxed and even. Then a question occurred to Pell. - -"By the way, why didn't you let me know over the inter-com that Heintz -was in this shape?" he asked her. - -"You would have cut acceleration and we would have lost time--maybe -even have been blasted. If the same thing had happened to me, Heintz -would have acted as I did." Her soft, tanned features were hard and -single-minded determination blazed from her eyes. - -"Pell," she continued, "if I don't come through this, you must deliver -the U-235 one way or another." - -Pell considered that "one way or another". It sounded ominous and he -wondered what it meant. He asked her. - -She answered bluntly. "DIC has a swarm of blockaders covering the -planet. Nothing can get in or out, except with the greatest risk." - -"Have you got any ideas?" he asked. - -"No. We are depending on you for that. But there is one way that can't -fail. We can drop into hyper-space, evade them, and drop out over the -planet. The U-235 is indestructible. They'll find it in the wreckage." - -She said it so simply that Pell shuddered in spite of himself. It was -nothing more than a proposal of suicide. To drop from hyper-space in -the neighborhood of any mass would set up a space-strain that would -crush their ship like an egg. - -He looked at her thoughtfully. Even in her rough plasto cover-all she -was strikingly beautiful. But blue eyes that should have been soft and -deep were hard and icy with determination. Her delicate red lips were -crushed in a straight brutal line and a beautifully molded chin was -out-thrust stubbornly. - -Pell chuckled, then said, "You don't seem to remember that you are -dealing with a drunken bum whom you picked out of a gutter, Gret. But -even though I don't claim to have any ideals and principles, I am a -space pilot, not a kamikaze. If there is no better way than that, we -won't do it." - -She stared at him with disgust in her eyes. "I thought you were a man, -not a coward!" - -The words stung Pell. Savagely he gripped her arm and snarled, face -close to her, "I don't give two cents for your paltry revolution and I -certainly don't intend to die in it. Furthermore, I don't particularly -give a damn for you and your refrigerated ways. But then I suppose all -of you colonial peasant women are of the same mold." He sneered. - -_Whack._ - -His face stung and his eyes smarted from the strength of her slap. Her -eyes blazed at him furiously. - -"Faradson is depending on this Uranium. It will get to him regardless -of the means." She produced the ancient automatic pistol. "If there is -no other way, I shall force you to do my bidding with this!" - -Pell looked at her contemptuously, turned, and groped back to the -control room. When he shrugged into his shock suit, she entered -similarly clad. She still held the weapon and her eyes were icy. Her -mouth twitched out of control. She seated herself in the shock chair -beside him, saying nothing. - -Pell switched his gaze from the dials before him to her face. With a -leisurely motion he reached out, took her pistol, and thrust it into -his pocket. - -"I'm getting tired of that thing, baby," he said. - -He turned his attention back to the maze of instruments spread before -him on the control board and spoke to the girl again without looking up. - -"You want speed? Well, baby, you'll get it, regardless of our fat -friend back there!" - -He jerked his thumb back at the waist. The craft leaped forward, -slamming him back into the shock chair. The indicators trembled in -their pads and the acceleration needle registered 23 G's. - - * * * * * - -Pell's head throbbed in rhythm to the shriek of the overworked -converter. He goaded his tired eyes to pierce the pain haze that filmed -them. The acceleration was more than 600 miles per second. His bones -had lead for marrow; each of his joints was a separate discord in a -cacophony of pains that tortured him. Bending his will with a great -effort, he cut the converter to one G. - -Instantly the body-smashing weight lifted from him. For several moments -he did not try to move. His heart raced madly as the pressure was -removed from it. Pell breathed deeply and looked at the girl. She was -slumped forward in the shock chair but even as he looked at her, she -began to stir. In spite of himself, Pell felt a twinge of respect for -her. - -He busied himself with the Thelmard Distorter Field. This would enable -the craft to drop into extra-dimensional space, so to speak, by -wrapping or folding space about itself. Working rapidly, Pell shot an -orbit in the celestial globe, computed it, and jotted some figures down -on a pad. - -He looked over his shoulder at the girl. "We'll have to fall free for a -moment to go into hyper-space, so brace yourself." - -He cut the converter entirely and his stomach reacted like that of -a diver with the bends. It almost literally tied itself in knots. -The girl moaned in pain and grasped the sides of the shock chair. -Pell's jaw hardened as he wound up the Thelmard Generator to build up -the field about the ship. The familiar stars danced and flickered; -then disappeared. He sighed and stepped up the converter to one G -acceleration. - -He arose from his chair wearily and shrugged from his heavy suit. -Addressing the girl behind him, he said, "We won't be needing these -things for awhile. You had better go back to the waist and look at -Heintz." - -Pell turned and looked at her. She was watching him curiously. Her face -was strained and lines were etched deeply about her mouth. Her eyes -were no longer cold; they were very tired. - -"You're a strange man, Pell," she said at length. "I am sorry about ... -about that business of awhile ago." - -Pell smiled. "I am sorry, too, Gret." - -For the first time since he had known her, Gret Helmuth smiled. It was -a warm smile and it did strange things to Pell. Before she could reply -to his peace offering, his arms were around her and he kissed her. She -seemed to respond instinctively for a moment, then pushed him away. - -She laughed and said cynically, "That was a rather obvious development, -wasn't it?" She disappeared down the narrow passage-way to the waist. - -Pell savored the memory of her lips for a moment, then grimaced to -himself. She was right, of course. - -He exhaled a cloud of smoke and watched its tendrils stream around -the control panel and fluff against the plastine observation shield. -He tried not to look at the blackness outside because it hurt his -eyes. Men had been known to go mad from looking too long at the alien -strangeness of this extra-dimensional space which was not for human -eyes. Its very nothingness seemed to twist at one's mind. - -He glanced at his instruments, then at the celestial navigation globe. -In normal space the ship had traveled some four and one-third light -years. But in hyper-space it had moved very little during the two hours -it had been under the Thelmard. - -He turned to Gret. "We've arrived--at least that's what this thing -says." He patted the globe. "How's Heintz?" - -"Okay now. I gave him some more amytal." - -"Umm. That's dangerous stuff--be careful," Pell said. "We're going to -fall free again--watch it!" - -He cut the converter and deftly cranked up the detectors to full -sensitivity. Then he held his breath as he cut the Thelmard and dropped -out of hyper-space for an instant. He jumped in spite of himself as all -hell broke loose. The detector alarm clamored deafeningly and its red -light blinked feverishly. - -Throwing up the Thelmard again, Pell turned to the girl and mopped his -brow. "I don't think they caught us on their own detectors, but we -almost dropped out in their laps." He grinned. - -"We now have a first class, double-barreled problem on our hands. This -bucket has momentum amounting to about 600 miles per second. We've got -to get rid of that. But if we do it too soon the DIC boys will be able -to match our speed. And if we do it too late, we'll make quite a puddle -on Centaura. - -"Naturally," he went on, "they've concentrated most of their strength -at zenith and nadir. So we'll drop out of hyper-space in the elliptic -and try to fall in free from there. They won't be able to detect us for -quite a while and they won't be able to match our 600 miles per second -in time to catch us. But I'm afraid we'll have to run the gauntlet of -DIC cruisers already in position." - -He glanced at her. Excitement burned two red spots high on her cheeks. - - - III - -Sixty-five million miles out beyond the huge red ball of Centauri VI -the small space ship suddenly dropped into normal space. It pitched -drunkenly, every separate member of its construction squealing in -protest. Pell realized they were all too close to mass, but it couldn't -be helped. - -At 600 miles per second the ship hurtled toward Centaura, steadily -eating up the distance. He cut the converter and every other power -source in the ship except the detector sensitives which he fastened to -his wrists. On DIC radar the little Mark III would be a black speck, -unnoticeable against the huge disc of Centauri VI, and the backlash of -enemy radiation detectors combined with their Heisenberg Factors ruled -that method out unless their ships were within a range of 500,000 miles. - -The pale glow of the Alpha Centauri sun shed a dim illumination about -the control room. Pell turned to Gret and grinned recklessly at her. -"You'll have to put up with 72 hours of this--then the fun begins." - -The slight motion of his head propelled his weightless body out of the -shock chair in which he had been sprawled. He instinctively extended -his arm to stop his upward motion and touched Gret's hand. He pulled it -slightly and she rose gently from the chair and into his arms. - -There was warmth in her lips, but even more in her kisses. - -The detector sensitives fastened to Pell's wrists had been twinging -more frequently and more painfully. They were less than five million -miles from their goal--only three hours from the blue-green disc that -blossomed and expanded even as they watched it in the screen. - -"Better put on your shock suit, Gret. We've come as far as it is -safe--we've got to decelerate now," he said. - -Grunting with annoyance, he tried to shrug himself into the weightless -garment which slithered about in his grasp. He flipped on the suit's -power and sighed with satisfaction at the gentle kneading of the -massagers. He clipped his liquid-cushioned eye-stops in place and -squeezed into his seat, putting on the helmet. - -"Ready now, Pell," Gret's voice came out over the inter-com. - -Pell grunted and began to wind up the converter. Somewhere deep in the -ship's bowels it began to sing up the scale as the starter electros -were clutched in. His detector began to clack and clatter busily as -its relays responded to the impact of DIC radar which converged on the -ship. Pell smiled mirthlessly as he fed full converter thrust to the -braking jets and waited expectantly for the detector to give him the -alarm. - -It did so--soon. - -The red warning lights flickered and the alarm clamored intermittently -up and down the scale. They had his position and orbit now. - -The minutes of waiting piled up with agonizing slowness. Pell turned -down the sensitives of the detector. Its constant shrilling assaulted -his ear-drums painfully. Steadily he fed braking thrust to the forward -jets until the needle stood at a body-battering 19 G's. He turned up -the oxygen flow in his helmet with a flexing of his cheek muscles. His -backbone felt as if it were in imminent danger of being forced through -his body and blackness hung just off the edges of his vision. - -Somewhere out there in that star-studded blackness was the enemy. -The main body was not in detector range yet, but it was there, -nevertheless. Jockeying into position, warming up their blasters, -swinging turrets to hair-line accuracy and waiting ... waiting.... - -His detector clattered determinedly now. Pell glanced at it. A brief -smile flitted over his hard, tensed features. At least two were out of -range. - -Experimentally he flicked his blaster switch and was pleased with the -deadly cones of blue radiance which flickered from the gun snouts. - -_There! And there!_ Converging above and below the nose of his ship -were swarms of deadly little two-man Mark IX's. Dimly he could make out -in the detector screen the deadly blue lattice-work of blaster beams -that awaited him. - -Under this pressure his mind worked like a machine with the speed of -light, analyzing, rejecting, planning, replanning.... As they blew up -in size with fantastic speed on the screen, Pell acted like lightning. -In a blurring motion he cut the converter, fell free for an instant, -wound up the converter to the aft jets and thrust up--up, and suddenly -out of range. - -But the enemy had anticipated his move. As he eased the thrust from the -aft jets, two points of light twinkled and blossomed in the duration of -a single heart-beat into his screen. A pair of DIC fighters! And they -had him like a cold pigeon! - - * * * * * - -For one brief instant Pell was paralyzed and that was long enough for -the enemy. The whistling _whoosh_ of air escaping through a rent in the -hull died away as the automatic self-sealers went into action, but it -gave vivid testimony of the enemy's aim. - -Reacting like a coiled spring, Pell jabbed his blaster switch, catching -one of the DIC fighters squarely in his sights. It seemed to fall to -pieces in the midst of the minor nova of its own disintegration. The -second enemy fighter flashed past like a bullet, but not before Pell -chewed off half its aft jets with his blasters. - -For a moment he was in the clear. Quickly he examined the function -dials; found to his dismay that his aft jets were nothing more than -slag now, with all the tube connections severed. - -"What ... what happened?" Gret gasped. - -"We've been in a fight, baby, and we got a black eye," Pell cracked. -"But don't worry--I'll set this can down in spite of those missing -jets." - -He bent over his instruments again, a furrow slowly forming between his -brows. That fight had taken time--too much valuable time. He had just -two hours to decelerate from the tremendous velocity of the ship to the -comparative slow velocity of Centauri V. - -Discarding the last of his caution, he crammed all the braking thrust -possible on the ancient converter. Up--up went the gravity needle; up -past the red line at 23 G's; up past a heart-wracking 27 G's; up to an -inconceivable thirty gravities where it quivered sluggishly. - -Pell's body weighed over two and a half tons! His eyes weighed five -pounds each and thrust agonizingly against their liquid cushion -transparent stops. The converter screamed its super-sonic thunder, -setting the separate members of the ship's body to vibrating madly. -Every moment was red-hazed agony of an eon's duration; every second a -year of exquisite pain. - -The blue-green disc of Centauri V expanded visibly in the screen. Even -through the observation shield Pell could make out its crescent. The -brake jets were doing their work--but it would be a near thing--a very -near thing. Pell prayed that there would be no more fighters; aside -from the fact that he couldn't maneuver, he could still less afford to -lose the time. - -When the ball of Centaura puffed over all the screen and its edges were -no longer visible, Pell broadcast the prearranged signal of recognition -to the planet-mounted blaster batteries below. Scrambled almost beyond -analysis and recognition, the acknowledging signal came back. - -Suddenly Pell realized that Centaura's curvature had ballooned to -flatness and on the heels of that realization came the whispering, -high-pitched wail of a ship travelling at high velocity in thin -atmosphere. Rapidly the wail became an ear-shattering, sustained -screech and the small warning lights of the hull thermometers began to -glow redly. - -Nose _outward_, rather than pointed _down_, Pell continued to brake the -ship with all forward thrust, depending upon the planet's attraction to -prevent him from hurtling off into space on a tangent and into the jaws -of the DIC fleet. - -Pell never remembered how many times he blacked out, nor how many -revolutions of the planet he made. Shaking the ever encroaching -blackness from the borders of his vision, Pell had a fleeting memory of -a heavily-forested mountain flashing by beneath, followed by a fertile -plateau, a river, then mountains rising ahead. - -Streaking over these with a cushion of fire thrust before it, the -ship hurtled at a visibly slower pace down a rocky gorge with jagged -mountains on each side. Then, decelerated almost to a stop, the -battered space ship seemed to poise for an instant, then turned over -gently and gouged a deep furrow in the soft ground. For perhaps 400 -yards it smashed through low timber and came to a halt at the brink of -a small stream where the scream of rending metal finally died away. - -The last thing Pell remembered was cutting out the converter. - - - IV - -Pell was first conscious of time--a duration between the recurring -sequence of pain jags. Gradually the pain left him to be transformed -into a dull ache which encompassed his whole body. Every separate nerve -end seemed to shoot subtle, rapid messages to his cortex, announcing -that they were not feeling well. - -He opened his eyes; blinked them several times to shake the web of -blackness from them. He tried to move. Pure, unadulterated anguish -backlashed at him. With a mighty effort he concentrated his will on the -task of overcoming the surging wash of pain. - -He rose unsteadily to his feet, gritting his teeth as agony swelled his -head. The ship was a crumpled mass of smoking wreckage. Pell noticed -dully through one of the shattered ports that it had scorched the area -in which it lay and its path through the low timber was charred and -black. - -Suddenly he realized it was hot inside the shock suit--very hot. He -stooped over Gret and picked her up. He tried the air-lock in the -waist; it was jammed shut. But further aft he found a gaping rent in -the ship's metal skin. Gently he lowered her still form through it. - -He returned to the waist and unharnessed Heintz from the shock chair. -Pell realized that the fat man was too ponderous for him to lift; -hence he dragged him awkwardly to the rent in the ship and stuffed him -through unceremoniously. Stopping only to pick up the kit of medical -supplies, Pell followed. - -He stripped off his shock suit and looked at Gret anxiously. He took -off her helmet and saw that her face was very pale. Gingerly he pulled -her out of the heavy suit and felt in the medical kit for a stimulant. -Her gold-blonde hair fell across his arm lightly as he administered the -hypo. A touch of color began to come into her cheeks beneath the tan -and she breathed more easily. - -He turned to Heintz and wrestled for a minute or two with his huge -body, trying to extricate it from the suit. The fat man's body sagged -lifelessly as if his joints were made of jelly. Cursing under his -breath, Pell upended him and dragged off the bulky garment. - -Reaching for his wrist, Pell found his pulse with some difficulty. -Heintz still lived, but the accelerated shallow pumping of his heart -indicated that something would have to be done in a hurry. Hastily Pell -jabbed his arm with a hypo and watched Heintz anxiously until he felt -his pulse pick up with greater strength. - -Sudden reaction hit Pell and he sat down heavily. For the first time he -noticed their surroundings. The crushed wreck of the little space ship -was poised on the brink of a small stream and faintly Pell heard it -tumbling over rapids in the distance. The stream disappeared around a -small rise in ground and to the right and left at a distance of perhaps -five miles, Pell could make out rocky escarpments of a mighty range of -mountains clearly defined in the light of the late afternoon sun. The -air had a distinct chill in it and Pell was on the point of returning -to the ship to try to salvage some garments when he heard Gret Helmuth -gasp. He bent over her as her eyes opened. - -"Pell ... did we make it?" she asked painfully. - -He smoothed the hair from her face tenderly and grinned. "Yeah, we made -it. But there isn't much left of the ship." - -She tried to rise from her prone position and half succeeded when she -fell back with a moan. - - * * * * * - -Pell laughed and said, "I wouldn't try that so soon, Gret. Better let -the corpuscles splash around before you do it again." - -He made as if to rise, touching her hand. Instinctively it tightened -on his and he settled beside her again. The Centauri sky was a deep -cobalt blue and the wind was keen and bracing. He felt in his jumper -pocket for a couple of cigarettes and his atomic lighter. The novelty's -vicious looking, hazy blue flame made Gret jump in spite of herself and -Pell grinned. - -At length the girl spoke. "Pell, I don't like the idea of waiting -around here. I mean ... well, I have a feeling that something is wrong." - -Pell glanced at her. It was plain to see that she was worried and -uncertain; he could almost feel it as a tangible thing. - -"How do you mean?" he asked her. - -"Well ... for one thing, these hills. We're somewhere in the Cheon -Range and there were remnants of DIC mercenaries dug in here when I -left. They were holding out in an abandoned blaster tower around here -somewhere. If they should happen to be in the neighborhood--" She -shrugged. - -Pell felt a distinct chill settle down the base of his spine. "If your -Insurgents are worth their U-235, they've tracked us on their radar. -They should be here any minute," he said reassuringly. - -He rose and clambered into the ship through the rent in its side in -order to salvage some outer garments because the air was becoming -colder. When he returned from the ship to the place where Gret lay, he -noticed that she was trembling--and not from the cold. - -"What's the matter, baby?" he asked, concerned. - -She tried to smile at him. "We outlanders are a queer bunch, Pell. -We ... we hear things. There are men--many men down the valley and they -are fighting. Both groups want to capture this ship." She shrugged her -shoulders helplessly. "But--" - -A memory of long-dead hackles rose along the back of Pell's neck. -Shadows were growing longer and in the west he could see Alpha Centauri -poised over the rocky rim of the mountain, ready to plunge beneath. - - * * * * * - -Suddenly he heard it. Far down the valley carved in the living rocks by -the small stream came the sound of firing. And it was moving closer. He -looked at Gret who had scrambled to her feet; evidently she had 'heard' -this long before him. Silently he handed her the huge automatic pistol -which he had taken from her in the ship and tightened his hand on the -butt of the tiny blaster which he had taken from the body of the DIC -assassin whom she had killed that first night. - -Breathing hard, they dragged Heintz to the lee of their ship to shelter -him from the fire. Then they waited. In the waning glow of the last of -the sunlight the woods off to the right took on an ominous appearance. -They could hear the sound of shooting quite plainly now, interspersed -with faint shouting. It carried well in the air which had become -bitterly cold. Pell strained his eyes in the direction of the firing -and for an instant he fancied he could see flashes. But which side was -which? - -Suddenly Gret grabbed at his arm and motioned violently behind them -on the other side of the wrecked ship. Pell swore softly and crawled -swiftly around the slag heap of the aft jets, blaster in hand. Dimly he -could make out figures hurrying toward the ship in the cover of the -trees. - -"Stop!" he called. - -A bomb exploding among them could have had no greater effect. They -began to run helter-skelter for the ship, the weapons in their hands -leaping into life. The ragged hack and roar of their machine-guns and -pistols momentarily stunned Pell, but, recovering, he let loose with -his blaster. Its cone of blue radiance was bright in the gathering dusk -and Pell knew he had given up his position immediately, but he had no -choice. The running figures seemed to falter and fall in heaps--then -his blaster failed! Rapidly he checked it and found to his dismay that -the tiny thing needed recharging. - -All at once the attackers were on top of him--and behind him! The -thunderous bark of Gret's automatic was suddenly stilled and on the -heels of that knowledge, Pell was dealt a staggering blow on the head -from behind. - -Rough hands dragged him to his feet and dimly he realized he was -surrounded by a group of ragged, heavily-armed men. They looked at him -curiously, fingering their weapons uneasily. Finally a large man with -gimlet eyes came up to the group. He had an air of authority and the -men fell back with deference. - -The large man looked at him closely and smiled. "Pell! I might have -known they'd have hired you. What did you bring us, Pell?" - -Pell reeled. This man was Raul Gutridge, the man who had crushed -him out of business for the DIC. As a reward, DIC gave him what was -thought to be a soft job, that of commander of the colonial garrison on -Centaura. - -Before he could answer, however, the large man had turned on his heel -and was surveying the demolished ship. "Wrecking ships as usual, I -see," he remarked with mock pleasantry. "No wonder your license was -revoked." - -Pell realized one thing and only that. He must keep Gutridge out of the -ship! He could not let him find the U-235. Because with it, Gutridge, -in spite of his few numbers, could mop up the planet in only a few -days. The big man had ruined him once before; he must not be allowed to -triumph again. - -"Times are tough for unlicensed space pilots on Earth," Pell began -casually. "You've got to work to eat. So I took the job of running -these two through the blockade." - -"What two?" Gutridge asked, seeing only Gret. - -Pell cursed himself. He had blundered again. Silently he indicated the -fat man sprawled under the ship. - -Gutridge walked over to the recumbent Heintz and kicked him a couple -of times, but without succeeding in arousing him. Then he looked up at -Pell again. - -"Still can't lie worth a damn, can you, Pell?" he observed. "I trust -you will pardon me while I look in the ship?" - -Pell watched helplessly as he entered the ship. If only the Insurgents -would arrive in time! - -When Gutridge came out, Pell knew he had discovered the secret. He -moved slowly, as if in a dream. For once his narrow gimlet eyes were -wide as he looked dazedly at his men. Then he pulled himself up and -turned to Pell solemnly. All he said was one word, but it shattered all -meaning and all reality for Pell. - -That word was, "Thanks!" - - * * * * * - -The sound of firing from downstream was much clearer and louder now. -Gutridge looked over his shoulder with a trace of anxiety and nodded to -one of his men. "Callen," he ordered, "take my guests back to the tower -and entertain them until I return. You'll have to carry this one--but -it won't be for nothing. I have something special in store for them." - -Pell and Gret were yanked roughly away from their ship, while four men -labored heavily with the vast bulk of the fat man. After winding along -an obscure path in the woods, they emerged to find a steep cliff facing -them. The tortuous path rose sharply up its side. - -"Hell!" one of the mercenaries panted. "Callen, we ought to chuck this -elephant over the cliff." - -"Keep luggin' him," Callen directed. "The chief said he had a treat for -'em." He laughed unpleasantly. - -Pell shot a glance over his shoulder. Gret was trudging apathetically -behind him. A pall of black discouragement fell over Pell. Hopelessly -he berated the ironic twist of fate which had delivered them into the -hands of the DIC mercenaries. To think that they had gone through hell, -only to deliver the U-235 to the enemy after all--better to have died -out there than this! - -It was completely dark when the tired group of prisoners and guards -arrived at the encampment. The dim light of Centaura's half-risen moon -allowed Pell to make out a few details of the place. He realized that -it was nothing more than an abandoned planet-mounted blaster tower. -But the warrens in its base provided quite effective dug-outs for its -defense. - -Pell and Gret were escorted to one of the lower levels of the blaster -tower itself. There they were shoved into a hard, bare room and Heintz -was dumped on the floor. The door closed behind them. - -Heintz began to groan. The coldness of the floor added to the stiffness -already present in his joints. Pell bent over him anxiously. The fat -man had gone through a terrific strain and his recovery was quite -vociferous. Pell wondered how he could explain to him their bad luck. -Black despair seized him again as the fat man looked about their bare -room uncomprehendingly. Haltingly Pell explained. Gret Helmuth didn't -even bother to look up. - -"... but as long as we are still alive, we can fight them," Pell -finished, trying to keep the hopelessness out of his voice. - -Finally Heintz looked up at him. "You _would_ have to land us right in -the middle of the DIC, wouldn't you?" he snarled. - -Then almost immediately he was sorry. "Forget it, Pell. You couldn't -help it." - -For a long time they remained silent. Pell grasped the girl's hand in -his own, but said nothing. She looked up at him. Her eyes were empty -and the tiny lines of strain about her mouth seemed to have been etched -more deeply than ever. Pell vowed to himself that he could erase those -lines in spite of everything that was arrayed against them. He kissed -her and she responded absently. - -Suddenly she buried her head under his chin and embraced him tightly. -For a moment he thought she was sobbing, but she looked up at him, -clear eyed and determined. - -"I love you, Pell," she said softly. "If ... if we--" - -Pell knew what she was going to say and shushed her gently with his big -hand over her mouth. He was about to speak when he was interrupted by -the sound of heavy footsteps in the corridor outside. Gutridge entered, -his face flushed with triumph. - -"You are indeed kind, Pell," he said mockingly. "Five kilos are more -than enough for our little task. You will be well rewarded." He laughed. - -Pell guessed only too well what the reward would be. Death! Death for -all of them. He felt a surge of bitter hate for Gutridge's mocking -face. He wanted to batter it to a red pulp with his fists. - -Raul Gutridge smiled infuriatingly and turned to Gret. "I believe you -know of Major Dallard, do you not?" he asked her. "That was his yokel -militia outfit we were scrapping with at the ship. I'm going to save -you for a while--I want to give you a lesson in military tactics. I -intend to show you the tactical hopelessness of attacking an enemy -armed with atomic weapons." - -Like an angry cat she lashed out at him, striking him across the face. -Her nails left four bleeding welts. "You ... you sadist!" she burst out -helplessly. - -Gutridge moved toward her angrily. At the same instant Pell sprang at -him like a coiled spring. Gutridge reeled back as Pell's flying body -staggered him. Two of the guards at his side, caught unawares for an -instant, jumped on Pell and threw him to the floor. They kicked him a -couple of times, then yanked him to his feet and dragged him through -the door after Heintz. - -Dazed, Pell realized that he and Heintz were being separated from the -girl. He remembered that Gutridge had not left the room with them, but -had remained with Gret. A wave of hate for the DIC mercenary washed -over him, choking him. - - - V - -As they reached the ground level of the tower and prepared to descend -into its unknown depths, Pell could hear firing in the distance. They -were using weapons that had been obsolete for three hundred years. -In spite of what Gret had said, Pell had not really comprehended the -significance of her statements in that respect. He was bitter at the -shrewdly ruthless policy of the Earth Government. Gutridge wasn't -joking when he said the colonials under Dallard wouldn't have a chance -when he got his atomics into action. If only Dallard could fight into -the fortress in time.... - -But even as the thought flitted through his mind, he crushed it out. -Dallard would need days, not hours, to penetrate this labyrinth. - -For perhaps ten minutes they were escorted deeper and deeper into the -underground fortress. The twisting passage-ways threw Pell's sense of -direction for a loss immediately, but he did remember the long descent -in an auto-dropper before they reached the level of their prison. - -Finally they turned off into a side corridor which was damp and -illuminated only faintly. The walls as he brushed against them were -cold to the touch. One of the guards opened a door in the seemingly -blank surface of a wall and grunted at Pell. - -Shrugging, Pell followed Heintz inside and turned just in time to see -the heavy metal door slide back into place. - -Sighing, Heintz lowered his vast bulk to the cement floor and surveyed -the cell gloomily. Then he looked up at Pell and said, "Boy, if this -ain't a mess! If I know anything about atomics, we got about two hours -to figure a way out of this clink. Gutridge has one technician who's a -genius when it comes to atomics--guy named Bede. That devil will have -those blasters ready in no time." - -Pell swore to himself and nervously paced the cell looking for a -ventilator opening--anything that would allow him to gain egress from -the cell. His eyes roved restlessly along the walls seeking for a fault -or opening in its maddeningly smooth surface. At last he found the -vents--a small series of holes located high in the wall opposite the -door. Straining on tip-toes, he managed to insert his little finger in -one of them, only to meet with a steel mesh screen inside. - -Cursing fluently, he flopped down beside Heintz on the floor and stared -moodily at his surroundings. The fat man beside him was morosely -searching his pockets for a cigarette. He found one at last and began -to tinker with his cranky lighter. Pell watched him curiously as he -fumbled with its primitive flint. Taking pity on him, Pell produced his -own lighter, flicked the stud and held it toward Heintz. The fat man -jumped and looked at him reproachfully. - -"Say!" he protested, "Don't scare me like ... like...." He broke off, -his eyes wide with the dawn of an idea. - -"Pell!" he blurted eagerly, "that thing will cut through these walls -like butter!" - -"Huh?" Pell grunted, startled. - -"Yeah," Heintz asserted excitedly. "That gadget of yours will carve out -the lock on that door in two shakes." - -"Through _decyte_ alloy? Not in your life time!" Pell replied sadly. - -"Hell, bright boy, you ain't in an Earth jail. Those walls are steel, -nothing more." - -It was Pell's turn to be excited. Hastily he rose to his feet and -approached the door. He examined the metal surface and saw that the fat -man was correct. - - * * * * * - -Thoughtfully he looked at the lighter in his hand. On Earth it was -nothing more than a triviality--a novelty that could be acquired -anywhere. But here! Yes, here it might be a means to salvation. There -was just a chance, he reflected. The whole culture on Centaura seemed -to be geared on a pre-atomic level of technology except for the blaster -towers. And even the builders of those fabulous machines for defense -never considered the possibility that they might be attacked from -within. Such things as atomic lighters on Centaura were not dreamed -of; jail cells would not be constructed of _decyte_ alloys that could -resist their weak blasts. He looked at the black metal cylinder in his -hand; flicked it tentatively and smiled at its short blue flame. - -Holding his breath, Pell felt along the lock edge of the door for -indentations that would indicate the critical bolt joints. But it was -completely smooth and he was able to find nothing. - -"Whatcha think?" Heintz asked from behind him. - -Pell shushed him frantically. "Pretty good, I think. But don't speak so -loudly--I don't know whether there's a guard out there." - -He bent to the edge of the door and pressed the stud of the lighter. -Its small beam began to chew into the steel sheeting around the lock. -With agonizing slowness the beam cut into the steel until it reached a -depth beyond which it would not penetrate. Pell released the stud and -tinkered with the lighter with the thin edge of a coin. - -Then he directed it again at the door. Its seemingly innocuous blue -flame was brighter and longer. It cut into the steel with renewed vigor. - -Suddenly there was a small snap and the door slid slowly back into the -wall. Pell crouched, ready to spring upon the guard. But there was -none. The corridor was empty and silent as a tomb. Pell glanced at his -watch and the need for haste was pressed more firmly than ever upon -him. An hour gone by already! - -He crept cautiously into the corridor with Heintz on his heels. It was -dim and damp; the moisture seemed to congeal on his brow like sweat. -With Heintz dogging his footsteps like some huge, bloated shadow, Pell -approached the main corridor. It, too, was deserted. - -He turned to Heintz and asked in a low voice, "Where do you think they -keep the atomic weapons?" - -Heintz shrugged and grunted, "Probably on some higher level--some place -they could reach in a hurry from the tower. Pell, if we could grab one -of those blasters...." He left the thought unfinished, but Pell knew -what he was thinking. - -They reached the main corridor. Cautiously Pell looked up and down its -long, deserted length. The lines about his mouth were tense and hard. -If they should be caught--he motioned for Heintz to follow. - -They had not gone more than fifty feet on the main corridor toward the -automatic elevators when one of them suddenly opened and out stepped a -uniformed DIC mercenary! - -Pell sighed under his breath and muttered to Heintz, "Pay no attention -to him--just keep walking as casually as you can. When we reach him, -we'll jump him and take his guns." - -There was a single affirmative grunt from his rear. Pell watched -the soldier tensely while the latter regarded them with a blank and -incurious stare as he approached them. Suddenly a flash of suspicion -crossed the mercenary's eyes and he slowed his pace uncertainly. Pell -was no more than twenty feet from him when he charged, Heintz lumbering -at his heels. - -With an oath, the mercenary dragged at the heavy automatic pistol at -his side. The impact of Pell's body sent him sprawling to the hard -surface of the corridor. Like a cat, Pell scrambled on top of him and -proceeded to throttle out the cries of the soldier. Heintz pulled him -roughly aside and picked up the soldier with one hairy paw on the -collar of his jacket and the other over his face, completely eclipsing -it. - -Swiftly Pell snatched the man's pistol from its holster and slipped -it into his pocket. Then he unslung the soldier's machine-gun and -handed it to Heintz. Motioning toward the auto-dropper from which the -mercenary had just stepped, Pell helped Heintz shove the struggling -soldier inside and let the door slide shut. - -Heintz released the enemy soldier who immediately began to howl loudly. -The fat man shook him and he ceased his useless cries. Terrified, he -looked from Heintz to Pell and back again. - -"Where's the atomic armory?" Pell asked. - -The man remained silent. - -Pell repeated the question more vigorously, but still the man remained -silent. - -Heintz unslung the captured machine-gun and pointed it at the other. He -fumbled curiously at its levers and spoke softly, as if to no one in -particular. "I wonder how this thing works--now, if I pull this thing -here...." - -The soldier looked pleadingly at Pell, but he merely yawned and watched -disinterestedly. - -The man made a strangling noise and capitulated. "Okay, you win. The -sixth level--that's up." He looked again at Pell. "Tell that idiot to -put that thing away," he pleaded. - -Pell didn't answer, but looked at the controls for a moment. Then he -pressed the appropriate stud and turned to Heintz. - -"I'll cover this fellow while you keep that gun ready. Just to prevent -anything from going wrong, we'll let him walk in front of us with his -hands in his pockets and his mouth shut," he said, nodding meaningly at -the prisoner. - -Heintz grunted and held the machine-gun at ready as the elevator -drew to a stop. The door whined open softly and Pell tensed. Before -his startled eyes a swarm of men hurried up and down the corridor, -apparently too intent upon their business to notice Heintz and Pell. - -He was about to let the door close again when Heintz stopped him. He -pointed significantly at an instrument that flashed above the heads of -the hurrying men. Like lightning Pell realized that it was a Geiger -Counter and that it was registering the presence of Uranium! - -"Come on, Pell. They won't notice us," Heintz called over his shoulder -as he stepped from the cage. - - * * * * * - -Boldly he walked into the corridor and melted unnoticed into the crowd -of excited, hurrying soldiers. Pell followed him, his hand on the cool, -heavy pistol butt and the enemy prisoner preceding him with his hands -sunk in his pockets. As the crowd of men jostled and pushed about him, -Pell could hear breathless bits of conversation. - -"... blasters--yeah, real atomics. Bede will have 'em in shape in a few -minutes." - -"... hell, not a chance. Not when we turn those blasters loose." - -Pell went slightly sick. He saw that the main stream of men were -pouring into a corridor with a dead end. Tightening his hold on the -pistol butt in his pocket, he shoved his prisoner after them. - -Then he noticed that they were waiting at the heavily-guarded entrance -of a room and it dawned upon him that they were about to be issued -blasters. - -Quickly he surveyed the situation, noticing the position of the guards -at the room's entrance, and made his decision. Drawing the pistol from -his pocket, he jammed it into the captured mercenary's back and began -to shoulder his way boldly through the uncomprehending crowd. As he -approached the door he saw a surging around it, then suddenly all hell -broke loose. - -_Berada-da-da-da-da-da_.... Instantly Pell realized that Heintz had -already gone into action. The men melted away from the entrance in time -to allow Pell to see Heintz shoulder his way through the half-open -door. Forgetting his prisoner, Pell jumped past the bodies of three or -four guards and entered the room, slamming the heavily reinforced door -behind him. Then he whirled, pistol at ready. - -There were only four technicians in the armory and they were frozen -into an astonished tableau at the sight of a huge, bullet-headed, fat -man crouching before them with a machine-gun in his arms. Pell crouched -behind him, letting his glance flicker about the room. On the floor -were the cadmium and graphite vaults which had been ripped bodily from -the ship. Over half of them had been opened and strewn about the tables -were an array of hand-blasters undergoing the delicate process of being -charged with pellets of U-235. - -Pell broke the short silence. "Don't move, any of you! Heintz, pick up -a blaster that's charged!" - -Heintz shuffled forward cautiously to relieve a swarthy technician of a -blaster which had frozen in his hands when they had burst into the room. - -"Okay, Bede, gimme that!" Heintz growled, poking his machine-gun toward -the technician. - -His action seemed to touch off the fuse of a bomb. Suddenly the -technician leaped away from Heintz and leveled the blaster in his -hands. The other technicians leaped in unison for the tables, snatching -up blasters. Heintz fired at Bede, then whirled and loosed a long, -sustained burst at the other three. - -But he reckoned without Bede who had fallen to the floor wounded, but -not dead. With a look of venemous hate he swung the blaster in his -hands toward Heintz and pressed the stud. Pell fired at him, once, -twice, then again, but even as the heavy automatic crashed in his hand, -Bede fired at Heintz. - -Heintz exploded. With cataclysmic violence his body had vaporized in a -blue-white sheen of impossibly hot atomic radiance. - -Pell became violently sick. Recovering, he looked dazedly at the -slaughter about him and realized that he alone was left to deal with -the situation. For the first time he understood how great an ally the -fat man had been. - -Blind, unreasoning hate for the forces of the DIC surged into his -mind. He saw Gutridge's mocking face and it added fuel to the rage -burning fiercely within him. He recalled vividly that Gret was in his -possession and the fires of bitter hate blasted away all remnants of -his former caution. - -Outside he could hear the mutter of DIC soldiers who were obviously -confused by the shooting of the guards and the sound of further -shooting inside. Then the steel-reinforced door began to quiver on its -hinges. - -Pell slowly looked down at the ancient pistol in his hand and laughed -to himself. There was no further need for that thing, he reflected. He -threw it way from him and walked purposefully over to the body of Bede, -the dead technician. Without the slightest hesitation, he rolled the -bloody thing over and took the blaster from its lifeless hands. - -He looked back at the door. The pounding had stopped, but he saw a -little white flame dancing and flickering around the lock. Pell smiled -a bit, leveled the blaster in his arms, and depressed the stud. - -[Illustration: _Pell smiled, leveled the blaster and depressed the -stud._] - -In an instant the steel door turned a dazzling white and began to -run into slag. The vicious, expanding cone of blue flame played on -it an instant more and suddenly it exploded into vapor. The knot of -mercenaries around the door disintegrated into exploding cinders. Some -of them on the outer edges even had time to scream. - - - VI - -A tremendous feeling of power surged in Pell. He strode into the -corridor and stood in the midst of the havoc he had created, letting -the hungry, hellish blaster play across a few fleeing figures trying -to make the elevators. He was unconscious of the overpowering stench -in the hot, searing, almost unbreathable air. He didn't notice that -the soles of his heavy insulated boots were burning as he stood in the -corridor. He realized now only that he held in his hands the instrument -that would enable him to carry out ruthless vengeance against Gutridge -and his DIC mercenaries. - -The dead-end corridor off which the armory was located opened onto the -larger main corridor which led to the elevators. Pell padded silently -to the junction and walked boldly toward the automatic elevators which -would take him to the surface. He paused just once to let the blaster -play over the mouth of the dead-end corridor which led to the blasters. -The roof slowly collapsed in a shower of scorched cement, leaving the -lacy interwork of the reinforcing girders bare and skeleton-like. -The mass of hot rubble effectively sealed off the entrance to the -armory--for the time being, at any rate. - -With that action, Pell realized that he was a god. Although not an -immortal god, certainly a god armed with a terrible destructive force -which was not immediately available to the others who might aspire to -be gods. - -Pell looked at the devastation he had created and became uncertain -as to what to do next. Little thought tendrils of unreason whispered -at him, telling him to create a reign of terror throughout the -multi-leveled warren which was the foundation of the mighty blaster -tower. But he closed his mind to their pleasing prospects and his -jaw hardened at the thought of the job before him. He must go to the -surface and destroy the mercenaries' defense of the fortress. He must -help Dallard crack their resistance as soon as possible so that the -precious U-235 might be retrieved from its burying place and turned -over to the Insurgents. - -Pell's eyes narrowed as he turned again to the auto-droppers. There -were so many things he would like to do with his weapon, but first -things first. Bleak-eyed Gret Helmuth who could become all woman in an -instant--she would have to wait. So would Gutridge. But not for long, -he promised himself. - -He pressed the button which should send one of the cages hurtling to -his level, then take him back to the surface. The first time he pressed -the button, there was no response. Nor was there the second time. A -third time his hand moved impatiently toward the red stud, only to -freeze in the act as a familiar, hated voice began to crackle from some -hidden speaker in the walls. It was Gutridge! - -"Pell! Pell! Can you hear me?" came the mocking voice. "You're trapped, -Pell. The droppers don't seem to respond, do they?" - -The deep, penetrating voice chuckled, then went on. "Pretty soon your -head will become heavy and your eye-lids will want to drop. You will -want to sleep, Pell, because the gas is very powerful. Do you feel it -yet? Its nice stuff, Pell. You will want to sleep so much ... so much." - -The heavy voice began to chuckle and its reverberations thundered -evilly in the deserted corridors. Pell found the source of the laugh -and blasted it furiously from its concealment high in the wall. -But from somewhere far down the corridor the powerful laugh echoed -ominously. - -Fear began to crawl at his throat, constricting it. He must find -a stair-way. Surely there must be one! But would he have time? -Frantically he ran down the empty corridors blasting open doors as he -came to them. At last he found what he sought behind the gaping maw of -a blasted panel. Through the coalescing haze of the vaporized door he -saw stairs spiralling upward. - -He was about to enter when he saw the first tendrils of smoky whiteness -reaching for him and plucking at him. Instantly he realized that the -heavy stuff was being forced down the stairwell. Holding his breath, he -retreated back down the corridor and let loose a blast from the weapon -cradled in his arms in an effort to seal up the shattered door. As he -retraced his steps back to the elevators, he realized that his head -was getting heavy. Vaguely he noticed the milky smoke issuing from the -corridor vents and he began to run. - -But with each step his body became heavier and heavier and only the -greatest effort of will kept him from collapsing on his face. He knew -he was trapped. Desperately he goaded his tired mind to discover a -means to escape. Reeling, he reached the elevators, dimly conscious -of Gutridge's mocking laugh far down the corridor. The white haze -was thick and nauseating and it caressed his nostrils with cloying -sweetness. - -Suddenly Pell saw a group of masked figures approach in the -sound-deadening haze. In what seemed an eternity he brought the blaster -up with tired hands and pressed the stud. As if in some horrible -nightmare, the figures seemed to shimmer and explode. - -Desperately Pell strived to keep his legs under him, but they wobbled -in spite of his control and he fell. His arms and legs were mere dead -weight; he could no longer force them to do his bidding, not even to -the extent of releasing the stud on the blaster. A wave of heat struck -him mightily on the face, as if he had been thrust bodily into an -atomic furnace. Then from somewhere a draught of cool, pure air played -about him, washing the fumes of the nerve gas from his system. - - * * * * * - -Astounded, Pell gasped in deep lungfuls of the precious air and -painfully stumbled to his feet. Slowly the incredible truth dawned upon -him. Accidentally he had blasted open the sliding steel door of the -elevator shaft and the cool breath of its untainted air had revived -him. Hastily he looked around him, trying to spot more of the enemy -creeping through the dense fog toward him. There were none; apparently -they had decided to let the gas do its work. They were in for a -surprise, Pell reflected. - -An idea had occurred to him. He might just possibly escape the trap -by climbing up the inside of the elevator shaft. He strained his eyes -into the dimness of the shaft and found what he was looking for; a -frail-looking steel ladder which extended in both directions up and -down the shaft. Looking up, he tried to pierce its puddled blackness -but could see nothing. If a dropper should hurtle down out of that -blackness, he would be smashed to a bloody pulp. Grimly he thrust the -thought out of his mind, slung the blaster over his shoulder, and -leaped for the ladder on the far wall of the shaft. - -It trembled dangerously as his writhing body struck it and swiftly he -began his long climb into the darkness above. For what seemed an eon of -agonizing effort, Pell hauled his weary body up the length of the steel -ladder. It stretched up and away into an infinity of blackness that -housed a sudden and terrible death. As he climbed, Pell strained his -senses in the all-enveloping darkness but could perceive nothing. - -Suddenly his hand, groping for another rung, met nothing but emptiness -and for one terrifying moment Pell tottered off balance on the ladder. -Cautiously he felt about above himself and his hand collided with the -underside of a dropper which was suspended just over his head. Had he -reached the top? It was impossible to tell in the blackness. He had no -choice but to chance it. - -Saying a silent prayer, Pell unlimbered the blaster and wrapped himself -about the tiny steel ladder as tightly as possible. Then he loosed its -devastating radiance at the wall opposite him. The brilliance of its -destructive flash blinded him momentarily as he clung tenaciously to -the frail ladder which whipped treacherously. - -Blessed, precious light filtered in through the shattered door opposite -him. Clinging tightly to his blaster, Pell leaped for the opening in -spite of the fact that his eyes had not yet adjusted to the sudden -light. Pain jagged his eyeballs as his pupils strove to contract but -Pell ignored it as he took in his new surroundings with rapid glances. - -The corridors of this wide, well-lit level were deserted and the air -was free of the deadly gas that had trapped him lower in the labyrinth. -Haste was the keynote now. From this point on, regardless of what he -did, he must do it quickly and decisively. He realized that he had not -yet reached the surface, although he knew he was very close. - -His eyes narrowed as he considered the situation. He couldn't use the -stairs since they were flooded with gas. And at any minute he might see -the deadly, white tendrils of the gas issuing from the vents. There was -only one thing to do. - -Sighing, Pell aimed the blaster at the ceiling and depressed the stud. -The innocuous-looking blue finger took huge bites from the heavily -reinforced cement and it cascaded down to the floor of the corridor -before him. - -Ignoring its burning heat, Pell leaped for a drooping girder and hauled -himself painfully through the ragged hole to the corridor above. - -Frozen with surprise, several DIC mercenaries watched a haggard, -blackened figure materialize suddenly from the midst of a gaping hole -in the floor. One or two fired wildly at Pell, but the majority fled -with terror up a low ramp nearby and through an exit at the top. Pell -ran after them, noting with relief that the soldiers wore no gas masks. - -The ramp continued its sharp upward rise on the other side of the -exit. As he panted up its steep ascent, Pell felt the breath of cool -air touch his face; with it the sound of firing increased. Evidently -Dallard was attempting to storm the fortress. Breathlessly he hammered -up the slope on the heels of the fleeing men and ducked instinctively -as several shots were fired at him. He was out on open ground. -Swiftly he ran for the cover of a dump of bushes and dived into their -concealment. - - * * * * * - -Centaura's lone satellite shed a strong light over the surrounding -ground and Pell was able to make out the dim figures of men around the -blaster tower. To his right the tower itself rose sharply into the sky, -the vicious helix of the blaster being etched by the moonlight into a -clearly defined blackness in the midst of the lesser blackness of the -star-studded sky. - -To Pell's left the sound of firing was intense, the sharp, hacking bark -of machine-guns dominating the chorus. But ragged firing seemed to be -present everywhere, apparently indicating that Dallard's Insurgents -had attacked the fortress from all sides. The mercenaries seemed to -be firmly entrenched, but not so firmly that a little diversion from -the rear could not root them out, Pell thought, smiling mirthlessly. -Gripping the blaster tightly, Pell peered into the darkness to locate a -juicy target. - -Beyond the clump of trees in which he was concealed there was a rise -in the rocky ground and silhouetted against the sky was a group of -men crouching around a machine-gun and firing it down the path up -which Heintz, Gret and himself had been brought. He had no doubts that -discovery would be only a matter of moments--no doubt word was already -being circulated about the madman with a blaster. - -Grimly he brought the blaster to his shoulder and depressed the firing -stud. Instantly great gouts of dirt began a short-lived trip into the -night sky, including the machine-gun and its crew. The effect of his -sudden attack was instantaneous and confusing. The startled cries of -the mercenaries was like music to Pell's ears. But a more ominous music -was the faint, chopping whisper of bullets as they spattered through -his clump of trees. Ignoring them, Pell leveled the blaster at every -likely place in which the mercenaries might be entrenched. - -Hell, in the form of violently reacting stones and rocks erupted into -the sky, showering the DIC soldiers with molten, lava-like droplets. -Seeking protection from the super-heated rain of molten particles, some -of the mercenaries panicked and fled to the blast tower that reared -bulkily behind them. Their action was like a trigger for others and -presently a whole mass of men were fleeing for the protection of the -tower. Heartlessly Pell let his ravening blaster play among the fleeing -men. And on their heels came a shouting, triumphant horde of ragged -Insurgents bearing antiquated weapons. - -Some of them dropped, but most streamed after the terrified mercenaries -into the fortress. Although they did not know whom to credit for the -unexpected aid, they knew it was from a friend. Pell, infected with the -wild excitement of the Insurgents, threw caution to the winds and left -his hiding place to storm the warrens with them. - -Somewhere in that mass of cement and steel were Raul Gutridge and Gret -Helmuth. For the Insurgents it was complete and utter triumph, but -for Pell it was a hollow victory unless he could find Gret alive and -Gutridge dead. His jaw was out-thrust with determination as he entered -the fortress with the Insurgents. The DIC had beaten him before, -crushing him out of business. But this time he was fighting with their -methods and he was determined to win. - -As he shoved through the press of Insurgents down the ramp up which he -had come a short time before, the revolutionaries looked at him askance -and fingered their weapons uneasily. They muttered among themselves and -one of them turned to Pell. - -"Who are you and where did you get that thing?" the man asked, -indicating Pell's blaster. - -"I'm with you," replied Pell to the first question. "Where's Dallard?" -he asked, ignoring the second. - -"Right behind you," replied a new voice from his rear. - -Pell turned, startled. Behind him stood a slight man with the bearing -of an officer. But his cold blue eyes and the large ancient revolver he -pointed at Pell hardly betokened friendship. - -"Who are you?" Dallard asked. - -Briefly Pell explained, indicating his desire to find Gret and -Gutridge. When he had finished, Dallard whistled softly and looked at -Pell with new respect. - -"We'll give you all the help we can, Pell--and in case we run into -some tough opposition, we'd like you to reciprocate--with that thing." -Dallard grinned and as he walked away with his men, called over his -shoulder, "Luck!" - -Pell nodded absently and turned away, considering the almost hopeless -hunt that confronted him. Certainly they were no longer in the blaster -tower; obviously Gutridge had taken the girl into the depths of -the fortress when the Insurgents had attacked. Then the unpleasant -possibility that Gutridge might be holding the girl as a hostage -occurred to him. It added new drive to his purpose. - - * * * * * - -Pell's actions that night, had they occurred in another age, would have -been the fiber of a legend. He never remembered exactly what he did -himself and the accounts of the Insurgents who saw only a part of his -exploits were disjointed and inconsistent. - -Suffice it to say that a haggard, smoke-blackened, wild man almost -single-handedly destroyed the last remnants of the DIC mercenary -army on Centauri VI that night. In the face of Pell's blaster they -surrendered faster than they could be captured. Points of resistance, -when they were touched by the deadly blue finger of the blaster, -vanished in violently reacting clouds. - -Perhaps the toughest struggle of all was with a group of fanatical -mercenaries on the sixth level who were scrabbling desperately in the -rubble of the entrance to the dead-end corridor which led to the -atomic armory. Fearing that its violent energies would explode the -U-235 in the armory, Pell was unable to use the blaster against them. -Desperately the Insurgents stormed the level, only to be cut down -sickeningly by the trapped mercenaries. In the end, however, there -could only be one result and the weary DIC soldiers had no choice but -to surrender. - -Pell's search was ended on the thirty-seventh level. Because of its -tremendous depth, this level was ventilated only with great difficulty. -The air, what there was of it, was close and sticky. The rumbling whine -of the ventilator turbine could be heard plainly as it labored to force -air into the dimly-lit, narrow passage-ways. The walls and pillars were -huge chunks of almost solid, heavily reinforced cement since they had -to support the ponderous weight of three dozen levels and the mighty -blaster tower itself. - -Uneasily the Insurgents crept into the depths behind Pell and Major -Dallard. Pell himself was worried. The entire warren above had been -combed unsuccessfully for Gutridge and Gret Helmuth. The gnawing fear -that had tormented Pell burst out more powerfully. Suppose Gutridge had -taken Gret into these depths and was holding her as a hostage? Pell -shrugged grimly to himself and strained his eyes to pierce the gloom. - -Suddenly the heavy silence that shrouded the place was broken by the -crackling of static and the sound of a well-known voice originating -from a speaker almost above Pell's head. It was Gutridge! - -"I see you've discovered my hiding place, Pell," boomed Gutridge, his -voice reverberating in the tomb-like passages. - -"I'm entertaining a guest," Gutridge continued. "I believe she is a -friend of yours. You wouldn't want anything to happen to her, would -you, Pell?" His laughter made the passage vibrate. - -"Pell!" thundered the speaker, "I want a guarantee of freedom. In -return, I will deliver the girl unharmed. This is a two-way speaker, so -you may reply into it." - -"How do I know she is alive?" Pell stalled desperately. - -"You may speak to her," Gutridge answered. "Say a few words to the -gentleman, my dear." - -"Pell!" Gret screamed over the speaker, "this whole place is mined. Get -out before he kills you all!" - -Pell heard distinctly the sound of a meaty fist colliding with flesh -and bone, followed by Gutridge's muttering voice, "You talk too much, -my dear." - -Rage--blind, helpless, unreasoning rage washed over Pell in prickly -waves. Then Gutridge spoke again. - -"There you have it. I will give you two minutes to decide," the speaker -echoed. Its crackling subsided and only the hum of its open circuit -could be heard. - -Then Pell felt a tapping on his shoulder. He turned and saw Dallard in -the dimness. - -"Guarantee his freedom, Pell. Offer him a space ship," Dallard -whispered. "It's either that or he blows us all up. Personally, I am -not particularly in favor of dying--especially with him." - -Pell grunted inaudibly and turned to the speaker. "Okay, Gutridge, you -win. Send the girl out first, then follow. You will be escorted to the -surface and given a ship." - -Gutridge chuckled. "If it were anyone but the honorable Fletcher Pell -who made that promise, I'd balk. All right, she's coming out." - -Straining his eyes in the darkness, Pell presently saw the slight -figure of Gret Helmuth approach. When she saw him, she broke into a -limping run and threw herself into his arms. - -"Oh, Pell, I never thought I'd see you again," she cried, burying her -face in his shoulder. - -Pell swore and looked up to see Gutridge loom out of the dark. The big -man had a small box in his hand which he waved debonairly at Pell. - -"You know, just in case. This little gadget can transmit a radio wave -that will touch off the explosives," Gutridge chuckled. "That woman of -yours is bad medicine--she scratches like a wild cat." - -Pell stifled his rage with difficulty, noting with small satisfaction -that his face, too, had sustained no small damage. - -"Where's that space ship?" Gutridge asked, now all business. - -Pell didn't reply, but gestured for the big man to follow and the party -made its way to the surface in an elevator that still functioned. - - * * * * * - -A beautiful dawn was breaking, but it affected Pell not at all. -Morosely he stared through the plastine window of his cramped quarters -in the blaster tower. - -Through the window he could make out the busy activities of the -Insurgents. Gingerly they had cleared away the rubble of the demolished -entrance to the armory and were now engaged in carrying the vaults of -U-235 out of the fortress. - -As he watched them absently, the door opened behind him and Gret -entered, her brown gold hair gleaming intoxicatingly in the early -light. Even her rough jumper couldn't hide the fresh young curves of -her body. - -"What's the matter, Grouchy?" she teased. "Still worrying about -Gutridge escaping?" - -"Yeah," Pell growled. "As long as he's alive, the game isn't finished. -But--" he smiled "--I've got you. That ought to be enough for any -perfectionist." - -He was about to kiss her when the door opened again and Dallard entered. - -He looked from Pell to Gret and raised his eyebrows. "I trust I wasn't -interrupting anything," he drawled slyly. - -"Oh, come in, Dallard," Pell said, although not very enthusiastically. -"How are your men coming along with the uranium?" - -"Fine. Fine. But, I say, you're hardly the bright and cheery fellow one -would expect to meet this morning." - -"He's worried about Gutridge escaping," Gret explained. - -Dallard laughed. "Pell, haven't you heard about his ... ah ... little -accident? It seems someone forgot to inform the planet-mounteds that -our friend would be departing, so I'm afraid he's little more than a -cinder now. Frightful mistake, eh?" - -He clucked innocently and, twirling his sandy mustache airily, walked -jauntily from the room. - -Pell looked after him amazed, a small shudder running the length of his -spine. "You colonials are forgetful people, aren't you?" he observed. - -"Perhaps," Gret replied, wrinkling her nose at him, "but sometimes it -pays." - -"Well, in the future," Pell said, "don't forget I like my ham and eggs -in bed." - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK Z-DAY ON CENTAURI *** - -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. 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Simmons</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -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 <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. 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. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Z-Day on Centauri</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Henry T. Simmons</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: March 06, 2021 [eBook #64726]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK Z-DAY ON CENTAURI ***</div> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>Z-DAY ON CENTAURI</h1> - -<h2>By HENRY T. SIMMONS</h2> - -<p>Erupting from hyper-space in the teeth<br /> -of startled DIC patrols and readying all<br /> -hands for a crash-landing, adventurer<br /> -Fletcher Pell could still wonder which he<br /> -dreaded more—the U-235 in the hold ...<br /> -or the strange girl by his side.</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Planet Stories Summer 1948.<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>Pell twisted into the black maw of the alley and ran silently and -swiftly into its depths. His breath came in whistling agonized gasps. -Faintly he heard the footsteps of his assailant—now more clearly as -the latter turned into the alley after him. Vaguely Pell could make out -his silhouette outlined by the dim light that filtered in from the -street.</p> - -<p>"Ugh!" Pell struck a hard surface at the end of the alley with a grunt -that he could not stifle.</p> - -<p>Trapped! Frantically he felt about to find an opening. Softly and -steadily he cursed himself, trying to keep black despair at bay. Maybe -if he ... but the idea died in birth.</p> - -<p>"Chuu!"</p> - -<p>A blue lancet of flame arced over Pell's shoulder and struck the wall, -turning a small area into running slag. The heat and prickling of the -radiation Pell ignored. But the brief flash had given up his position. -Then he heard his pursuer laugh softly and he knew the game was up. He -felt rather than heard him moving in.</p> - -<p><i>Paumm!</i></p> - -<p>Pell's universe rocked in the reverberating thunder of the explosion.</p> - -<p><i>Paumm! Paumm!</i></p> - -<p>Twice more it was repeated and in the vivid flash Pell saw his -assailant twist and collapse on his face. His amazement fought with -a new dread. Someone had come to his aid, but with an ancient, -chemical-reaction, hand weapon. What did that mean? With his back -tensed against the wall, Pell strained his perceptions to the utmost, -trying to adjust his eyes once more to the darkness. Then he jumped.</p> - -<p>"Pell!" It was a woman's voice! "Fletcher Pell! Come out—I am a -friend!"</p> - -<p>He was aware of a faint outlander quality in her accent—as if she were -a colonial. Dimly he could make out her slight figure at the mouth of -the <i>cul de sac</i>. He moved cautiously toward her, stopping to pick up -the blaster of the fallen DIC agent. The comforting feel of its butt -gave him confidence as he walked toward her.</p> - -<p>"Who are you?" Pell asked. She was small and lithe, and in the dim -radiance of the street lights he noticed that she had brown hair with -glints of spun-gold in it.</p> - -<p>She did not reply to his question but put a soft hand over his mouth. -"Let your questions wait. We must leave quickly, else they find us," -she said huskily. She led him from the alley and walked breathlessly -down the dark street, two of her steps matching one of his long ones.</p> - -<p>There was a fast-looking black speeder at the corner. She motioned him -in and no sooner had the door closed than the speeder leaped forward -and melted into the traffic. The girl relaxed in the seat beside him, -the sudden easing of the tension making her hands shake.</p> - -<p>"Who are you?" Pell asked, repeating his earlier question.</p> - -<p>She looked at him keenly in the dim light that splashed through the -windows of the speeder. "Perhaps, Mr. Pell," she replied at length, -"it would not be too wise to reveal identities yet. I have a certain -proposition to discuss and I think it might be better to talk first -about that."</p> - -<p>Pell shrugged and said, "As long as you choose to remain my unknown -benefactor, how about benefiting me with a drink?"</p> - -<p>The voice of the driver replied unexpectedly from the front seat. -"Here."</p> - -<p>Pell accepted a gleaming flask and took a long drink. "Ahh," he said at -length. "Do you have much ulcer trouble on Centaura?"</p> - -<p>The girl looked at him, startled. "You are very shrewd, Pell. I hope -you won't become too clever for your own good."</p> - -<p>Out of the corner of his eye Pell saw her hand creep for the pocket of -her jumper and it occurred to him that silence would possibly be wiser -at that.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The voice of the driver broke in from the front seat. "Miss Helmuth, -the DIC patrols are thick around here—we had better head out of town."</p> - -<p>The girl looked through the plastine rear window and the dim glow of -the street lamps etched lines of strain about her mouth. "You're right, -Heintz. Slip out of the traffic and head for the space port."</p> - -<p>Heintz grunted affirmatively and presently the black speeder emerged -from the traffic and roared out of the city, leaving behind the red and -black DIC patrols aimlessly searching the city for Pell and the unknown -killer of the DIC agent.</p> - -<p>The girl turned to him once more and began to speak—rather cautiously, -it seemed to Pell.</p> - -<p>"We have been looking for you for a long time, Pell," she said. "It was -only by the purest accident that we found you in time to save your life -tonight.</p> - -<p>"Formerly you were a space pilot—in fact you owned a business. But -you were crushed by the Drake Interstellar Corporation, even to the -extent of losing your license. And now the DIC, taking no chances with -you, is determined to kill you. Because you are a hunted enemy of the -DIC <i>and</i> a space pilot, we felt that you might be interested in our -proposition."</p> - -<p>"And what is that?" Pell asked.</p> - -<p>"If you are to remain alive," she replied, "you must leave Earth. But -you have no ship. I have the ship and also want to leave Earth, but -cannot without a pilot."</p> - -<p>"Then why don't you simply hire a licensed pilot and be done with it?" -Pell asked, his eyes narrowed.</p> - -<p>"No licensed pilot would accept the job."</p> - -<p>"Then how do you know I will?"</p> - -<p>"Have you followed in the daily papers the account of the Junta on -Centauri V?" she countered.</p> - -<p>Instantly Pell realized the fantastic truth. Indeed he had heard of -the coup. Insurgents had successfully taken over the government and -were keeping the DIC warships at bay with planet-mounted blast rifles. -But speculation was rife in the daily papers as to how long they could -hold out with their limited supply of U-235, for it was the colonial -policy of the DIC-controlled Earth Government never to allow more than -a meager amount of the universal fuel to be shipped at any one time to -a colonial planet.</p> - -<p>With growing amazement, Pell realized that the girl was an agent of old -Matt Faradson, the leader of the revolt. And her purpose here on Earth -was now obvious to him. He felt a quick rise in sympathy for her, but -kept it out of his voice.</p> - -<p>"In other words, you want me to pilot you and a load of U-235 to -Centauri V?" he asked bluntly.</p> - -<p>The girl nodded. "We have managed to secure secretly five kilos of -U-235 and it is now stored in the ship's cadmium and graphite vaults. -With it, Faradson will be able to stand off the constant skirmishing -attacks of the DIC until he can build his own refining plants."</p> - -<p>Pell whistled softly to himself, his mind busy on the train of thought -the girl had presented. Of course, the Earth Government was little more -than a semblance of democracy now; its short-sighted actions of more -than two hundred years ago had brought it to its present situation -where it was little more than a mouth-piece of huge economic empires -like the Drake Interstellar Corporation, one of the largest.</p> - -<p>When the planets of the solar system had been opened up for -exploitation, the Earth Government rashly granted proprietary charters -to the corporations to handle them. And even then, two hundred years -ago, colonial trouble existed. As a matter of fact, they prompted -Earth's decision not to allow the refining of U-235 anywhere except -Earth, although it could be mined on any planet and shipped to Earth -for refining. It was this control of the universal power source -that enabled the Earth Government to hold the colonial planets of -her interstellar empire in such tight rein. And the DIC practically -controlled the Earth Government, so there it was.</p> - -<p>Faradson's Insurgents had revolted against that control. In addition -they wanted an equal and democratic voice in the Earth-Mars-Venus -Federation, as well as freedom to manufacture their own U-235.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Pell looked up at the girl thoughtfully. He noticed that she had -been watching him anxiously, apparently awaiting his reply to her -proposition.</p> - -<p>"Okay," he said at last. "I'm game. Now how about answering a few -questions for me, Miss ... ah ..."</p> - -<p>"Helmuth, Margaret Helmuth—but I prefer Gret. What are your questions?"</p> - -<p>"That was one of them," Pell replied, grinning. "Why don't you get one -of your own men to pilot the ship?"</p> - -<p>"Colonials are not allowed the mastery of space navigation or -piloting. It's a security measure," she replied simply. "They are -allowed to master space mechanics, however. Heintz is your mechanic, -incidentally." She indicated the man in the front seat behind the wheel -of the speeder.</p> - -<p>"How about weapons? Why do you use such a cumbersome, ancient thing -like that pistol?"</p> - -<p>Gret Helmuth laughed. "I see you know very little about colonial -affairs, Pell. Of course we are not allowed the use of atomic -weapons—that would make revolt all too easy. And naturally I could -not risk acquiring one here.</p> - -<p>"You see, almost all of our technology is geared on a twentieth century -level. Only the DIC-controlled power stations and their mercenary army -on Centaura are allowed the use of atomic power and weapons."</p> - -<p>Pell shrugged and looked at the dark countryside rushing past the -speeder. He had not known that it was really as bad as all that. -Obviously the colonials had good reason for their revolution. And now -it was up to him to run a DIC blockade and deliver five kilos of U-235 -to the revolutionaries. Absently he put a cigarette in his mouth and -flicked the stud of his lighter.</p> - -<p>Gret Helmuth's startled whistling gasp snapped him out of his revery. -Even Heintz grunted audibly from behind the wheel and the speeder -swerved slightly as it sped down the road.</p> - -<p>Pell stared from one to the other with surprise. "What's the matter -with you two?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"That—that thing you're lighting that cigarette with! What is it?" -Gret gasped.</p> - -<p>"Oh!" Pell laughed. "I see you're not very familiar with Earth -technology," he mocked. "This is a 'Rippo Little-Blast Dandy Atomic -Cigarette Lighter.' Cute little novelty, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>He flicked the stud again, demonstrating its pale blue flame. In spite -of herself, Gret shuddered. Heintz sputtered something in the front -seat which Pell didn't quite catch.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">II</p> - -<p>Silently the speeder drove down the ramp past rows of cradled space -ships. In the darkness Pell could see very little more than their -shadowy shapes. Over on the east part of the field Pell could make out -the nightly DIC liner to Mars loading passengers. He wondered vaguely -what kind of a ship they were using. From what Gret had said about not -desiring to attract attention, he was already a little dubious.</p> - -<p>Smoothly the black speeder drew to a halt and Pell got out to examine -the little ship before him. It was an obsolete Mark III interceptor. -Pell whistled softly as he looked at the hull where huge flakes of -rust were apparent, even in the dim light. Its jets were in bad -condition; their surfaces were corroded and scarred, but he noted with -satisfaction that they had recently been scraped clean of exhaust -deposits. Followed by the girl and Heintz, he entered the air-lock and -looked at the interior of the ship.</p> - -<p>"Let me show you the fine points of this can, Pell," the fat man said, -switching on the illumination. He squeezed by Pell and shoved his -ungainly body up the passage-way to the control room.</p> - -<p>When Pell entered, the fat man's face was creased with a smile that -extended from one huge ear to the other on his tiny bullet head. -Proudly he pointed at the celestial globe for extra-dimensional -navigation.</p> - -<p>"Ain't that a beauty? And here's the Thelmard Distorter Generator. -Installed it myself, just this afternoon."</p> - -<p>With a sinking feeling, Pell stared at the incomprehensible maze of -cables that spewed out of the thing and slithered across the deck to -their unknown destinations. Heintz squeezed by him again and thrust -himself back through the narrow passage-way to the waist where Gret -Helmuth was waiting.</p> - -<p>Heintz demonstrated the jerry-built uranium vaults which had been -welded hap-hazardly to any convenient spot. "It's all there," Heintz -beamed. "Enough to last ten years."</p> - -<p>He motioned for Pell to follow him and disappeared into the stern of -the ship.</p> - -<p>Pell emerged a few minutes later, his face an unnatural shade of green. -With great deliberation he lowered himself into one of the shock chairs -and looked up at Gret Helmuth helplessly.</p> - -<p>"That creaky converter won't even get us off the ground, much less take -the hyper-space jump," he said.</p> - -<p>She looked at him coolly and replied, "This is the best we could do, -Mr. Pell. If you are afraid, you can back out now, but—" she produced -the ancient automatic pistol she had used with such deadly effect -earlier in the evening, "I warn you that I will have to kill you if you -do. We cannot take chances."</p> - -<p>Pell looked at her eyes. They were bleak and frosty and as hard as blue -diamonds. He knew she meant what she said. He shrugged. With everyone -apparently intent upon erasing him, it didn't make too much difference -where he died. And he would certainly prefer death in space rather than -in some back alley.</p> - -<p>"Okay, baby, I'll pilot this tub. But you'd better be ready to get out -and push!"</p> - -<p>He turned to go forward, then stopped as if remembering something. "You -realize that this ship is strictly contraband, don't you?"</p> - -<p>She nodded. "So?"</p> - -<p>"So we simply cannot pass the Geiger Check."</p> - -<p>"Then we shall blast off without it," she replied, woman-like.</p> - -<p>Pell laughed harshly. "Before we reach the Heaviside the planet-mounted -blasters will fry us to a cinder!"</p> - -<p>She was still unperturbed. "Then you must figure a way to get us off -without that happening," she replied. "After all, you're the pilot."</p> - -<p>Pell spread his hands helplessly. "Ah, woman, thy logic is flawless," -he muttered half-aloud.</p> - -<p>Thoughtfully he looked through the waist port at the liner which had -almost completed loading. An idea struck him. He turned to the girl -again.</p> - -<p>"Get Heintz and harness yourselves in those shock suits. And use these -shock chairs in the waist—they're safer. We will blast off the instant -that liner does."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In spite of the iron control which had kept her face impassive, Gret -Helmuth gasped.</p> - -<p>"Do you think we can evade the planet-mounteds by that means?" she -asked, her outlander accent very apparent.</p> - -<p>He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. They won't be able to shoot even if -they track us both all the way to the Heaviside because they won't know -which one is us. But when we hit Heaviside, they'll know—our ship will -be pushing 20 G's and the liner a miserable four. We should be out of -their range by then, though. However, don't count on it too much—we'll -have every DIC warship in the system on our tail and we may have to -fight yet." He turned and disappeared up the little passage-way.</p> - -<p>In the control room Pell wriggled awkwardly into the ungainly shock -suit that would enable him to live during tremendous accelerations. -Squeezing in behind the massive board, he seated himself in the -throne-like shock chair and flipped on the inter-com.</p> - -<p>"Pell to waist ... can you hear me?"</p> - -<p>"Gotcha," the voice of Heintz came over. "We're ready."</p> - -<p>"Are the blasters on this tub armed, Heintz?"</p> - -<p>"Yeah. Armed 'em myself this afternoon."</p> - -<p>"Cross your fingers ... Pell out."</p> - -<p>Briefly the electros shrieked up the scale to inaudibility followed by -the muffled, reluctant keening of the converter. Pell looked through -the forward plastine observation shield. The liner was also warming up -its converters; occasionally a shower of red-hot cinders flew out of -the blast pit as the pilot gunned his converters. Any minute now ... -there it was!</p> - -<p>Slowly the huge liner wallowed from its elevated cradle cushioned on a -pillar of blue flame. Pell opened his own feed valves a trifle and his -primitive converter responded nicely, thrusting the Mark III out of its -cradle and up after the passenger liner. Slowly Pell advanced the feed, -trying to match the liner's lift. Presently he lost sight of the liner -as its speed mounted, but he was familiar with the trajectory it used -and he followed it at four G's.</p> - -<p>His vizer light was blinking an angry red. He flipped it on and the -corpulent, blotched face of a petty official blossomed out of the gray -nothingness of the screen.</p> - -<p>"What is the meaning of this outrage?" he blustered at Pell. "If you do -not decelerate at once, I shall order the planet-mounteds to fire on -you!"</p> - -<p>Pell tried to force a blank look on his face. "What do you mean, sir? -This is a DIC passenger liner headed for Mars. Didn't we pass the -Geiger Check?"</p> - -<p>The official looked sick. Then his face became an enraged, mottled red. -"If you think you can get away with this...." he sputtered.</p> - -<p>Pell laughed at him and flipped the vizer off. He looked at his -instruments ... another minute now. The back of his shoulders crawled -as he contemplated the unpleasant possibility of a planet-mounted -blaster burning the little ship to a cinder. Over his vizi-phone he -heard the official trying to contact the liner. Again he looked quickly -at his instruments. <i>Now!</i></p> - -<p>Savagely he opened the converter feed valves and the little ship leaped -forward. His fingers played with practiced ease on the jet keys, -forcing the ship into a wildly spiralling trajectory. Its path soon -resembled a jagged fork of lightning. Let 'em try to get a fix on that, -he reflected.</p> - -<p>Far off to his left he fancied he saw the dim, almost-spent radiance -of a blaster probing for him. Laughing to himself, he straightened the -course of the ship and piled on the acceleration. Like the second hand -of a clock, the acceleration dial moved up the scale.</p> - -<p>An eye-searing 12 G's ... then 15 ... 18.... Finally the needle came to -quivering rest at a lung-torturing, bone-crushing 20 G's. The converter -screamed just above audio-frequency. The wheezy thing seemed to be -pushing like a little trooper, Pell reflected.</p> - -<p>His inter-com crackled for a moment, then he heard the labored voice of -Gret Helmuth.</p> - -<p>"Nice work, Pell. Do you think there will be any more trouble getting -out of the system?"</p> - -<p>"No, but hold tight, just in case. How's Heintz?"</p> - -<p>"He's ... asleep."</p> - -<p>Pell grunted to himself. He was worried about the fat man; the -acceleration wouldn't do his heart much good. He tried to settle back -in his shock suit more comfortably, then realized that the acceleration -held him like a vise. Already the oil-cushioned buoyancy pads seemed -to thrust into him like spikes. Breathing deeply, he manipulated the -massagers in his shock suit.</p> - -<p>Just beyond Orbit Luna, Pell gradually swung the nose of the ship -toward the nadir of the solar elliptic and the ship streaked out of the -system. Turning up the detectors to full sensitivity, Pell tried to -relax and sleep—because sleep was actually the only thing to do under -tremendous accelerations.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Painfully Pell awoke. He let his eyes flicker over the instruments and -nodded with satisfaction as he saw that the ship's velocity had reached -400 miles per second. Stiffly he cut the converter to one G and locked -in the robot controls. Instantly the tremendous weight was removed from -his body. He shrugged out of his shock suit with every bone in his body -aching in discord.</p> - -<p>When he had clambered through the narrow passage-way to the waist he -saw that Gret was likewise divesting herself of the cumbersome garment.</p> - -<p>"We're pushing 400 a second now," he reported. "In another 20 hours we -can drop into hyper-space. How's it going back here?"</p> - -<p>Gret indicated Heintz who seemed to be asleep. But the ragged gasps of -his breathing belied this; Pell knew he was unconscious.</p> - -<p>"He's been like this since blast-off—his heart, I believe," she stated -matter-of-factly.</p> - -<p>Pell frowned. "I was afraid of that. We'd better give him some amytal."</p> - -<p>He rummaged around in the medical kit and brought out a hypo. He jabbed -Heintz and eased him back into his harness. The fat man's breath became -more relaxed and even. Then a question occurred to Pell.</p> - -<p>"By the way, why didn't you let me know over the inter-com that Heintz -was in this shape?" he asked her.</p> - -<p>"You would have cut acceleration and we would have lost time—maybe -even have been blasted. If the same thing had happened to me, Heintz -would have acted as I did." Her soft, tanned features were hard and -single-minded determination blazed from her eyes.</p> - -<p>"Pell," she continued, "if I don't come through this, you must deliver -the U-235 one way or another."</p> - -<p>Pell considered that "one way or another". It sounded ominous and he -wondered what it meant. He asked her.</p> - -<p>She answered bluntly. "DIC has a swarm of blockaders covering the -planet. Nothing can get in or out, except with the greatest risk."</p> - -<p>"Have you got any ideas?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"No. We are depending on you for that. But there is one way that can't -fail. We can drop into hyper-space, evade them, and drop out over the -planet. The U-235 is indestructible. They'll find it in the wreckage."</p> - -<p>She said it so simply that Pell shuddered in spite of himself. It was -nothing more than a proposal of suicide. To drop from hyper-space in -the neighborhood of any mass would set up a space-strain that would -crush their ship like an egg.</p> - -<p>He looked at her thoughtfully. Even in her rough plasto cover-all she -was strikingly beautiful. But blue eyes that should have been soft and -deep were hard and icy with determination. Her delicate red lips were -crushed in a straight brutal line and a beautifully molded chin was -out-thrust stubbornly.</p> - -<p>Pell chuckled, then said, "You don't seem to remember that you are -dealing with a drunken bum whom you picked out of a gutter, Gret. But -even though I don't claim to have any ideals and principles, I am a -space pilot, not a kamikaze. If there is no better way than that, we -won't do it."</p> - -<p>She stared at him with disgust in her eyes. "I thought you were a man, -not a coward!"</p> - -<p>The words stung Pell. Savagely he gripped her arm and snarled, face -close to her, "I don't give two cents for your paltry revolution and I -certainly don't intend to die in it. Furthermore, I don't particularly -give a damn for you and your refrigerated ways. But then I suppose all -of you colonial peasant women are of the same mold." He sneered.</p> - -<p><i>Whack.</i></p> - -<p>His face stung and his eyes smarted from the strength of her slap. Her -eyes blazed at him furiously.</p> - -<p>"Faradson is depending on this Uranium. It will get to him regardless -of the means." She produced the ancient automatic pistol. "If there is -no other way, I shall force you to do my bidding with this!"</p> - -<p>Pell looked at her contemptuously, turned, and groped back to the -control room. When he shrugged into his shock suit, she entered -similarly clad. She still held the weapon and her eyes were icy. Her -mouth twitched out of control. She seated herself in the shock chair -beside him, saying nothing.</p> - -<p>Pell switched his gaze from the dials before him to her face. With a -leisurely motion he reached out, took her pistol, and thrust it into -his pocket.</p> - -<p>"I'm getting tired of that thing, baby," he said.</p> - -<p>He turned his attention back to the maze of instruments spread before -him on the control board and spoke to the girl again without looking up.</p> - -<p>"You want speed? Well, baby, you'll get it, regardless of our fat -friend back there!"</p> - -<p>He jerked his thumb back at the waist. The craft leaped forward, -slamming him back into the shock chair. The indicators trembled in -their pads and the acceleration needle registered 23 G's.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Pell's head throbbed in rhythm to the shriek of the overworked -converter. He goaded his tired eyes to pierce the pain haze that filmed -them. The acceleration was more than 600 miles per second. His bones -had lead for marrow; each of his joints was a separate discord in a -cacophony of pains that tortured him. Bending his will with a great -effort, he cut the converter to one G.</p> - -<p>Instantly the body-smashing weight lifted from him. For several moments -he did not try to move. His heart raced madly as the pressure was -removed from it. Pell breathed deeply and looked at the girl. She was -slumped forward in the shock chair but even as he looked at her, she -began to stir. In spite of himself, Pell felt a twinge of respect for -her.</p> - -<p>He busied himself with the Thelmard Distorter Field. This would enable -the craft to drop into extra-dimensional space, so to speak, by -wrapping or folding space about itself. Working rapidly, Pell shot an -orbit in the celestial globe, computed it, and jotted some figures down -on a pad.</p> - -<p>He looked over his shoulder at the girl. "We'll have to fall free for a -moment to go into hyper-space, so brace yourself."</p> - -<p>He cut the converter entirely and his stomach reacted like that of -a diver with the bends. It almost literally tied itself in knots. -The girl moaned in pain and grasped the sides of the shock chair. -Pell's jaw hardened as he wound up the Thelmard Generator to build up -the field about the ship. The familiar stars danced and flickered; -then disappeared. He sighed and stepped up the converter to one G -acceleration.</p> - -<p>He arose from his chair wearily and shrugged from his heavy suit. -Addressing the girl behind him, he said, "We won't be needing these -things for awhile. You had better go back to the waist and look at -Heintz."</p> - -<p>Pell turned and looked at her. She was watching him curiously. Her face -was strained and lines were etched deeply about her mouth. Her eyes -were no longer cold; they were very tired.</p> - -<p>"You're a strange man, Pell," she said at length. "I am sorry about ... -about that business of awhile ago."</p> - -<p>Pell smiled. "I am sorry, too, Gret."</p> - -<p>For the first time since he had known her, Gret Helmuth smiled. It was -a warm smile and it did strange things to Pell. Before she could reply -to his peace offering, his arms were around her and he kissed her. She -seemed to respond instinctively for a moment, then pushed him away.</p> - -<p>She laughed and said cynically, "That was a rather obvious development, -wasn't it?" She disappeared down the narrow passage-way to the waist.</p> - -<p>Pell savored the memory of her lips for a moment, then grimaced to -himself. She was right, of course.</p> - -<p>He exhaled a cloud of smoke and watched its tendrils stream around -the control panel and fluff against the plastine observation shield. -He tried not to look at the blackness outside because it hurt his -eyes. Men had been known to go mad from looking too long at the alien -strangeness of this extra-dimensional space which was not for human -eyes. Its very nothingness seemed to twist at one's mind.</p> - -<p>He glanced at his instruments, then at the celestial navigation globe. -In normal space the ship had traveled some four and one-third light -years. But in hyper-space it had moved very little during the two hours -it had been under the Thelmard.</p> - -<p>He turned to Gret. "We've arrived—at least that's what this thing -says." He patted the globe. "How's Heintz?"</p> - -<p>"Okay now. I gave him some more amytal."</p> - -<p>"Umm. That's dangerous stuff—be careful," Pell said. "We're going to -fall free again—watch it!"</p> - -<p>He cut the converter and deftly cranked up the detectors to full -sensitivity. Then he held his breath as he cut the Thelmard and dropped -out of hyper-space for an instant. He jumped in spite of himself as all -hell broke loose. The detector alarm clamored deafeningly and its red -light blinked feverishly.</p> - -<p>Throwing up the Thelmard again, Pell turned to the girl and mopped his -brow. "I don't think they caught us on their own detectors, but we -almost dropped out in their laps." He grinned.</p> - -<p>"We now have a first class, double-barreled problem on our hands. This -bucket has momentum amounting to about 600 miles per second. We've got -to get rid of that. But if we do it too soon the DIC boys will be able -to match our speed. And if we do it too late, we'll make quite a puddle -on Centaura.</p> - -<p>"Naturally," he went on, "they've concentrated most of their strength -at zenith and nadir. So we'll drop out of hyper-space in the elliptic -and try to fall in free from there. They won't be able to detect us for -quite a while and they won't be able to match our 600 miles per second -in time to catch us. But I'm afraid we'll have to run the gauntlet of -DIC cruisers already in position."</p> - -<p>He glanced at her. Excitement burned two red spots high on her cheeks.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">III</p> - -<p>Sixty-five million miles out beyond the huge red ball of Centauri VI -the small space ship suddenly dropped into normal space. It pitched -drunkenly, every separate member of its construction squealing in -protest. Pell realized they were all too close to mass, but it couldn't -be helped.</p> - -<p>At 600 miles per second the ship hurtled toward Centaura, steadily -eating up the distance. He cut the converter and every other power -source in the ship except the detector sensitives which he fastened to -his wrists. On DIC radar the little Mark III would be a black speck, -unnoticeable against the huge disc of Centauri VI, and the backlash of -enemy radiation detectors combined with their Heisenberg Factors ruled -that method out unless their ships were within a range of 500,000 miles.</p> - -<p>The pale glow of the Alpha Centauri sun shed a dim illumination about -the control room. Pell turned to Gret and grinned recklessly at her. -"You'll have to put up with 72 hours of this—then the fun begins."</p> - -<p>The slight motion of his head propelled his weightless body out of the -shock chair in which he had been sprawled. He instinctively extended -his arm to stop his upward motion and touched Gret's hand. He pulled it -slightly and she rose gently from the chair and into his arms.</p> - -<p>There was warmth in her lips, but even more in her kisses.</p> - -<p>The detector sensitives fastened to Pell's wrists had been twinging -more frequently and more painfully. They were less than five million -miles from their goal—only three hours from the blue-green disc that -blossomed and expanded even as they watched it in the screen.</p> - -<p>"Better put on your shock suit, Gret. We've come as far as it is -safe—we've got to decelerate now," he said.</p> - -<p>Grunting with annoyance, he tried to shrug himself into the weightless -garment which slithered about in his grasp. He flipped on the suit's -power and sighed with satisfaction at the gentle kneading of the -massagers. He clipped his liquid-cushioned eye-stops in place and -squeezed into his seat, putting on the helmet.</p> - -<p>"Ready now, Pell," Gret's voice came out over the inter-com.</p> - -<p>Pell grunted and began to wind up the converter. Somewhere deep in the -ship's bowels it began to sing up the scale as the starter electros -were clutched in. His detector began to clack and clatter busily as -its relays responded to the impact of DIC radar which converged on the -ship. Pell smiled mirthlessly as he fed full converter thrust to the -braking jets and waited expectantly for the detector to give him the -alarm.</p> - -<p>It did so—soon.</p> - -<p>The red warning lights flickered and the alarm clamored intermittently -up and down the scale. They had his position and orbit now.</p> - -<p>The minutes of waiting piled up with agonizing slowness. Pell turned -down the sensitives of the detector. Its constant shrilling assaulted -his ear-drums painfully. Steadily he fed braking thrust to the forward -jets until the needle stood at a body-battering 19 G's. He turned up -the oxygen flow in his helmet with a flexing of his cheek muscles. His -backbone felt as if it were in imminent danger of being forced through -his body and blackness hung just off the edges of his vision.</p> - -<p>Somewhere out there in that star-studded blackness was the enemy. -The main body was not in detector range yet, but it was there, -nevertheless. Jockeying into position, warming up their blasters, -swinging turrets to hair-line accuracy and waiting ... waiting....</p> - -<p>His detector clattered determinedly now. Pell glanced at it. A brief -smile flitted over his hard, tensed features. At least two were out of -range.</p> - -<p>Experimentally he flicked his blaster switch and was pleased with the -deadly cones of blue radiance which flickered from the gun snouts.</p> - -<p><i>There! And there!</i> Converging above and below the nose of his ship -were swarms of deadly little two-man Mark IX's. Dimly he could make out -in the detector screen the deadly blue lattice-work of blaster beams -that awaited him.</p> - -<p>Under this pressure his mind worked like a machine with the speed of -light, analyzing, rejecting, planning, replanning.... As they blew up -in size with fantastic speed on the screen, Pell acted like lightning. -In a blurring motion he cut the converter, fell free for an instant, -wound up the converter to the aft jets and thrust up—up, and suddenly -out of range.</p> - -<p>But the enemy had anticipated his move. As he eased the thrust from the -aft jets, two points of light twinkled and blossomed in the duration of -a single heart-beat into his screen. A pair of DIC fighters! And they -had him like a cold pigeon!</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>For one brief instant Pell was paralyzed and that was long enough for -the enemy. The whistling <i>whoosh</i> of air escaping through a rent in the -hull died away as the automatic self-sealers went into action, but it -gave vivid testimony of the enemy's aim.</p> - -<p>Reacting like a coiled spring, Pell jabbed his blaster switch, catching -one of the DIC fighters squarely in his sights. It seemed to fall to -pieces in the midst of the minor nova of its own disintegration. The -second enemy fighter flashed past like a bullet, but not before Pell -chewed off half its aft jets with his blasters.</p> - -<p>For a moment he was in the clear. Quickly he examined the function -dials; found to his dismay that his aft jets were nothing more than -slag now, with all the tube connections severed.</p> - -<p>"What ... what happened?" Gret gasped.</p> - -<p>"We've been in a fight, baby, and we got a black eye," Pell cracked. -"But don't worry—I'll set this can down in spite of those missing -jets."</p> - -<p>He bent over his instruments again, a furrow slowly forming between his -brows. That fight had taken time—too much valuable time. He had just -two hours to decelerate from the tremendous velocity of the ship to the -comparative slow velocity of Centauri V.</p> - -<p>Discarding the last of his caution, he crammed all the braking thrust -possible on the ancient converter. Up—up went the gravity needle; up -past the red line at 23 G's; up past a heart-wracking 27 G's; up to an -inconceivable thirty gravities where it quivered sluggishly.</p> - -<p>Pell's body weighed over two and a half tons! His eyes weighed five -pounds each and thrust agonizingly against their liquid cushion -transparent stops. The converter screamed its super-sonic thunder, -setting the separate members of the ship's body to vibrating madly. -Every moment was red-hazed agony of an eon's duration; every second a -year of exquisite pain.</p> - -<p>The blue-green disc of Centauri V expanded visibly in the screen. Even -through the observation shield Pell could make out its crescent. The -brake jets were doing their work—but it would be a near thing—a very -near thing. Pell prayed that there would be no more fighters; aside -from the fact that he couldn't maneuver, he could still less afford to -lose the time.</p> - -<p>When the ball of Centaura puffed over all the screen and its edges were -no longer visible, Pell broadcast the prearranged signal of recognition -to the planet-mounted blaster batteries below. Scrambled almost beyond -analysis and recognition, the acknowledging signal came back.</p> - -<p>Suddenly Pell realized that Centaura's curvature had ballooned to -flatness and on the heels of that realization came the whispering, -high-pitched wail of a ship travelling at high velocity in thin -atmosphere. Rapidly the wail became an ear-shattering, sustained -screech and the small warning lights of the hull thermometers began to -glow redly.</p> - -<p>Nose <i>outward</i>, rather than pointed <i>down</i>, Pell continued to brake the -ship with all forward thrust, depending upon the planet's attraction to -prevent him from hurtling off into space on a tangent and into the jaws -of the DIC fleet.</p> - -<p>Pell never remembered how many times he blacked out, nor how many -revolutions of the planet he made. Shaking the ever encroaching -blackness from the borders of his vision, Pell had a fleeting memory of -a heavily-forested mountain flashing by beneath, followed by a fertile -plateau, a river, then mountains rising ahead.</p> - -<p>Streaking over these with a cushion of fire thrust before it, the -ship hurtled at a visibly slower pace down a rocky gorge with jagged -mountains on each side. Then, decelerated almost to a stop, the -battered space ship seemed to poise for an instant, then turned over -gently and gouged a deep furrow in the soft ground. For perhaps 400 -yards it smashed through low timber and came to a halt at the brink of -a small stream where the scream of rending metal finally died away.</p> - -<p>The last thing Pell remembered was cutting out the converter.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">IV</p> - -<p>Pell was first conscious of time—a duration between the recurring -sequence of pain jags. Gradually the pain left him to be transformed -into a dull ache which encompassed his whole body. Every separate nerve -end seemed to shoot subtle, rapid messages to his cortex, announcing -that they were not feeling well.</p> - -<p>He opened his eyes; blinked them several times to shake the web of -blackness from them. He tried to move. Pure, unadulterated anguish -backlashed at him. With a mighty effort he concentrated his will on the -task of overcoming the surging wash of pain.</p> - -<p>He rose unsteadily to his feet, gritting his teeth as agony swelled his -head. The ship was a crumpled mass of smoking wreckage. Pell noticed -dully through one of the shattered ports that it had scorched the area -in which it lay and its path through the low timber was charred and -black.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he realized it was hot inside the shock suit—very hot. He -stooped over Gret and picked her up. He tried the air-lock in the -waist; it was jammed shut. But further aft he found a gaping rent in -the ship's metal skin. Gently he lowered her still form through it.</p> - -<p>He returned to the waist and unharnessed Heintz from the shock chair. -Pell realized that the fat man was too ponderous for him to lift; -hence he dragged him awkwardly to the rent in the ship and stuffed him -through unceremoniously. Stopping only to pick up the kit of medical -supplies, Pell followed.</p> - -<p>He stripped off his shock suit and looked at Gret anxiously. He took -off her helmet and saw that her face was very pale. Gingerly he pulled -her out of the heavy suit and felt in the medical kit for a stimulant. -Her gold-blonde hair fell across his arm lightly as he administered the -hypo. A touch of color began to come into her cheeks beneath the tan -and she breathed more easily.</p> - -<p>He turned to Heintz and wrestled for a minute or two with his huge -body, trying to extricate it from the suit. The fat man's body sagged -lifelessly as if his joints were made of jelly. Cursing under his -breath, Pell upended him and dragged off the bulky garment.</p> - -<p>Reaching for his wrist, Pell found his pulse with some difficulty. -Heintz still lived, but the accelerated shallow pumping of his heart -indicated that something would have to be done in a hurry. Hastily Pell -jabbed his arm with a hypo and watched Heintz anxiously until he felt -his pulse pick up with greater strength.</p> - -<p>Sudden reaction hit Pell and he sat down heavily. For the first time he -noticed their surroundings. The crushed wreck of the little space ship -was poised on the brink of a small stream and faintly Pell heard it -tumbling over rapids in the distance. The stream disappeared around a -small rise in ground and to the right and left at a distance of perhaps -five miles, Pell could make out rocky escarpments of a mighty range of -mountains clearly defined in the light of the late afternoon sun. The -air had a distinct chill in it and Pell was on the point of returning -to the ship to try to salvage some garments when he heard Gret Helmuth -gasp. He bent over her as her eyes opened.</p> - -<p>"Pell ... did we make it?" she asked painfully.</p> - -<p>He smoothed the hair from her face tenderly and grinned. "Yeah, we made -it. But there isn't much left of the ship."</p> - -<p>She tried to rise from her prone position and half succeeded when she -fell back with a moan.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Pell laughed and said, "I wouldn't try that so soon, Gret. Better let -the corpuscles splash around before you do it again."</p> - -<p>He made as if to rise, touching her hand. Instinctively it tightened -on his and he settled beside her again. The Centauri sky was a deep -cobalt blue and the wind was keen and bracing. He felt in his jumper -pocket for a couple of cigarettes and his atomic lighter. The novelty's -vicious looking, hazy blue flame made Gret jump in spite of herself and -Pell grinned.</p> - -<p>At length the girl spoke. "Pell, I don't like the idea of waiting -around here. I mean ... well, I have a feeling that something is wrong."</p> - -<p>Pell glanced at her. It was plain to see that she was worried and -uncertain; he could almost feel it as a tangible thing.</p> - -<p>"How do you mean?" he asked her.</p> - -<p>"Well ... for one thing, these hills. We're somewhere in the Cheon -Range and there were remnants of DIC mercenaries dug in here when I -left. They were holding out in an abandoned blaster tower around here -somewhere. If they should happen to be in the neighborhood—" She -shrugged.</p> - -<p>Pell felt a distinct chill settle down the base of his spine. "If your -Insurgents are worth their U-235, they've tracked us on their radar. -They should be here any minute," he said reassuringly.</p> - -<p>He rose and clambered into the ship through the rent in its side in -order to salvage some outer garments because the air was becoming -colder. When he returned from the ship to the place where Gret lay, he -noticed that she was trembling—and not from the cold.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter, baby?" he asked, concerned.</p> - -<p>She tried to smile at him. "We outlanders are a queer bunch, Pell. -We ... we hear things. There are men—many men down the valley and they -are fighting. Both groups want to capture this ship." She shrugged her -shoulders helplessly. "But—"</p> - -<p>A memory of long-dead hackles rose along the back of Pell's neck. -Shadows were growing longer and in the west he could see Alpha Centauri -poised over the rocky rim of the mountain, ready to plunge beneath.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Suddenly he heard it. Far down the valley carved in the living rocks by -the small stream came the sound of firing. And it was moving closer. He -looked at Gret who had scrambled to her feet; evidently she had 'heard' -this long before him. Silently he handed her the huge automatic pistol -which he had taken from her in the ship and tightened his hand on the -butt of the tiny blaster which he had taken from the body of the DIC -assassin whom she had killed that first night.</p> - -<p>Breathing hard, they dragged Heintz to the lee of their ship to shelter -him from the fire. Then they waited. In the waning glow of the last of -the sunlight the woods off to the right took on an ominous appearance. -They could hear the sound of shooting quite plainly now, interspersed -with faint shouting. It carried well in the air which had become -bitterly cold. Pell strained his eyes in the direction of the firing -and for an instant he fancied he could see flashes. But which side was -which?</p> - -<p>Suddenly Gret grabbed at his arm and motioned violently behind them -on the other side of the wrecked ship. Pell swore softly and crawled -swiftly around the slag heap of the aft jets, blaster in hand. Dimly he -could make out figures hurrying toward the ship in the cover of the -trees.</p> - -<p>"Stop!" he called.</p> - -<p>A bomb exploding among them could have had no greater effect. They -began to run helter-skelter for the ship, the weapons in their hands -leaping into life. The ragged hack and roar of their machine-guns and -pistols momentarily stunned Pell, but, recovering, he let loose with -his blaster. Its cone of blue radiance was bright in the gathering dusk -and Pell knew he had given up his position immediately, but he had no -choice. The running figures seemed to falter and fall in heaps—then -his blaster failed! Rapidly he checked it and found to his dismay that -the tiny thing needed recharging.</p> - -<p>All at once the attackers were on top of him—and behind him! The -thunderous bark of Gret's automatic was suddenly stilled and on the -heels of that knowledge, Pell was dealt a staggering blow on the head -from behind.</p> - -<p>Rough hands dragged him to his feet and dimly he realized he was -surrounded by a group of ragged, heavily-armed men. They looked at him -curiously, fingering their weapons uneasily. Finally a large man with -gimlet eyes came up to the group. He had an air of authority and the -men fell back with deference.</p> - -<p>The large man looked at him closely and smiled. "Pell! I might have -known they'd have hired you. What did you bring us, Pell?"</p> - -<p>Pell reeled. This man was Raul Gutridge, the man who had crushed -him out of business for the DIC. As a reward, DIC gave him what was -thought to be a soft job, that of commander of the colonial garrison on -Centaura.</p> - -<p>Before he could answer, however, the large man had turned on his heel -and was surveying the demolished ship. "Wrecking ships as usual, I -see," he remarked with mock pleasantry. "No wonder your license was -revoked."</p> - -<p>Pell realized one thing and only that. He must keep Gutridge out of the -ship! He could not let him find the U-235. Because with it, Gutridge, -in spite of his few numbers, could mop up the planet in only a few -days. The big man had ruined him once before; he must not be allowed to -triumph again.</p> - -<p>"Times are tough for unlicensed space pilots on Earth," Pell began -casually. "You've got to work to eat. So I took the job of running -these two through the blockade."</p> - -<p>"What two?" Gutridge asked, seeing only Gret.</p> - -<p>Pell cursed himself. He had blundered again. Silently he indicated the -fat man sprawled under the ship.</p> - -<p>Gutridge walked over to the recumbent Heintz and kicked him a couple -of times, but without succeeding in arousing him. Then he looked up at -Pell again.</p> - -<p>"Still can't lie worth a damn, can you, Pell?" he observed. "I trust -you will pardon me while I look in the ship?"</p> - -<p>Pell watched helplessly as he entered the ship. If only the Insurgents -would arrive in time!</p> - -<p>When Gutridge came out, Pell knew he had discovered the secret. He -moved slowly, as if in a dream. For once his narrow gimlet eyes were -wide as he looked dazedly at his men. Then he pulled himself up and -turned to Pell solemnly. All he said was one word, but it shattered all -meaning and all reality for Pell.</p> - -<p>That word was, "Thanks!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The sound of firing from downstream was much clearer and louder now. -Gutridge looked over his shoulder with a trace of anxiety and nodded to -one of his men. "Callen," he ordered, "take my guests back to the tower -and entertain them until I return. You'll have to carry this one—but -it won't be for nothing. I have something special in store for them."</p> - -<p>Pell and Gret were yanked roughly away from their ship, while four men -labored heavily with the vast bulk of the fat man. After winding along -an obscure path in the woods, they emerged to find a steep cliff facing -them. The tortuous path rose sharply up its side.</p> - -<p>"Hell!" one of the mercenaries panted. "Callen, we ought to chuck this -elephant over the cliff."</p> - -<p>"Keep luggin' him," Callen directed. "The chief said he had a treat for -'em." He laughed unpleasantly.</p> - -<p>Pell shot a glance over his shoulder. Gret was trudging apathetically -behind him. A pall of black discouragement fell over Pell. Hopelessly -he berated the ironic twist of fate which had delivered them into the -hands of the DIC mercenaries. To think that they had gone through hell, -only to deliver the U-235 to the enemy after all—better to have died -out there than this!</p> - -<p>It was completely dark when the tired group of prisoners and guards -arrived at the encampment. The dim light of Centaura's half-risen moon -allowed Pell to make out a few details of the place. He realized that -it was nothing more than an abandoned planet-mounted blaster tower. -But the warrens in its base provided quite effective dug-outs for its -defense.</p> - -<p>Pell and Gret were escorted to one of the lower levels of the blaster -tower itself. There they were shoved into a hard, bare room and Heintz -was dumped on the floor. The door closed behind them.</p> - -<p>Heintz began to groan. The coldness of the floor added to the stiffness -already present in his joints. Pell bent over him anxiously. The fat -man had gone through a terrific strain and his recovery was quite -vociferous. Pell wondered how he could explain to him their bad luck. -Black despair seized him again as the fat man looked about their bare -room uncomprehendingly. Haltingly Pell explained. Gret Helmuth didn't -even bother to look up.</p> - -<p>"... but as long as we are still alive, we can fight them," Pell -finished, trying to keep the hopelessness out of his voice.</p> - -<p>Finally Heintz looked up at him. "You <i>would</i> have to land us right in -the middle of the DIC, wouldn't you?" he snarled.</p> - -<p>Then almost immediately he was sorry. "Forget it, Pell. You couldn't -help it."</p> - -<p>For a long time they remained silent. Pell grasped the girl's hand in -his own, but said nothing. She looked up at him. Her eyes were empty -and the tiny lines of strain about her mouth seemed to have been etched -more deeply than ever. Pell vowed to himself that he could erase those -lines in spite of everything that was arrayed against them. He kissed -her and she responded absently.</p> - -<p>Suddenly she buried her head under his chin and embraced him tightly. -For a moment he thought she was sobbing, but she looked up at him, -clear eyed and determined.</p> - -<p>"I love you, Pell," she said softly. "If ... if we—"</p> - -<p>Pell knew what she was going to say and shushed her gently with his big -hand over her mouth. He was about to speak when he was interrupted by -the sound of heavy footsteps in the corridor outside. Gutridge entered, -his face flushed with triumph.</p> - -<p>"You are indeed kind, Pell," he said mockingly. "Five kilos are more -than enough for our little task. You will be well rewarded." He laughed.</p> - -<p>Pell guessed only too well what the reward would be. Death! Death for -all of them. He felt a surge of bitter hate for Gutridge's mocking -face. He wanted to batter it to a red pulp with his fists.</p> - -<p>Raul Gutridge smiled infuriatingly and turned to Gret. "I believe you -know of Major Dallard, do you not?" he asked her. "That was his yokel -militia outfit we were scrapping with at the ship. I'm going to save -you for a while—I want to give you a lesson in military tactics. I -intend to show you the tactical hopelessness of attacking an enemy -armed with atomic weapons."</p> - -<p>Like an angry cat she lashed out at him, striking him across the face. -Her nails left four bleeding welts. "You ... you sadist!" she burst out -helplessly.</p> - -<p>Gutridge moved toward her angrily. At the same instant Pell sprang at -him like a coiled spring. Gutridge reeled back as Pell's flying body -staggered him. Two of the guards at his side, caught unawares for an -instant, jumped on Pell and threw him to the floor. They kicked him a -couple of times, then yanked him to his feet and dragged him through -the door after Heintz.</p> - -<p>Dazed, Pell realized that he and Heintz were being separated from the -girl. He remembered that Gutridge had not left the room with them, but -had remained with Gret. A wave of hate for the DIC mercenary washed -over him, choking him.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">V</p> - -<p>As they reached the ground level of the tower and prepared to descend -into its unknown depths, Pell could hear firing in the distance. They -were using weapons that had been obsolete for three hundred years. -In spite of what Gret had said, Pell had not really comprehended the -significance of her statements in that respect. He was bitter at the -shrewdly ruthless policy of the Earth Government. Gutridge wasn't -joking when he said the colonials under Dallard wouldn't have a chance -when he got his atomics into action. If only Dallard could fight into -the fortress in time....</p> - -<p>But even as the thought flitted through his mind, he crushed it out. -Dallard would need days, not hours, to penetrate this labyrinth.</p> - -<p>For perhaps ten minutes they were escorted deeper and deeper into the -underground fortress. The twisting passage-ways threw Pell's sense of -direction for a loss immediately, but he did remember the long descent -in an auto-dropper before they reached the level of their prison.</p> - -<p>Finally they turned off into a side corridor which was damp and -illuminated only faintly. The walls as he brushed against them were -cold to the touch. One of the guards opened a door in the seemingly -blank surface of a wall and grunted at Pell.</p> - -<p>Shrugging, Pell followed Heintz inside and turned just in time to see -the heavy metal door slide back into place.</p> - -<p>Sighing, Heintz lowered his vast bulk to the cement floor and surveyed -the cell gloomily. Then he looked up at Pell and said, "Boy, if this -ain't a mess! If I know anything about atomics, we got about two hours -to figure a way out of this clink. Gutridge has one technician who's a -genius when it comes to atomics—guy named Bede. That devil will have -those blasters ready in no time."</p> - -<p>Pell swore to himself and nervously paced the cell looking for a -ventilator opening—anything that would allow him to gain egress from -the cell. His eyes roved restlessly along the walls seeking for a fault -or opening in its maddeningly smooth surface. At last he found the -vents—a small series of holes located high in the wall opposite the -door. Straining on tip-toes, he managed to insert his little finger in -one of them, only to meet with a steel mesh screen inside.</p> - -<p>Cursing fluently, he flopped down beside Heintz on the floor and stared -moodily at his surroundings. The fat man beside him was morosely -searching his pockets for a cigarette. He found one at last and began -to tinker with his cranky lighter. Pell watched him curiously as he -fumbled with its primitive flint. Taking pity on him, Pell produced his -own lighter, flicked the stud and held it toward Heintz. The fat man -jumped and looked at him reproachfully.</p> - -<p>"Say!" he protested, "Don't scare me like ... like...." He broke off, -his eyes wide with the dawn of an idea.</p> - -<p>"Pell!" he blurted eagerly, "that thing will cut through these walls -like butter!"</p> - -<p>"Huh?" Pell grunted, startled.</p> - -<p>"Yeah," Heintz asserted excitedly. "That gadget of yours will carve out -the lock on that door in two shakes."</p> - -<p>"Through <i>decyte</i> alloy? Not in your life time!" Pell replied sadly.</p> - -<p>"Hell, bright boy, you ain't in an Earth jail. Those walls are steel, -nothing more."</p> - -<p>It was Pell's turn to be excited. Hastily he rose to his feet and -approached the door. He examined the metal surface and saw that the fat -man was correct.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Thoughtfully he looked at the lighter in his hand. On Earth it was -nothing more than a triviality—a novelty that could be acquired -anywhere. But here! Yes, here it might be a means to salvation. There -was just a chance, he reflected. The whole culture on Centaura seemed -to be geared on a pre-atomic level of technology except for the blaster -towers. And even the builders of those fabulous machines for defense -never considered the possibility that they might be attacked from -within. Such things as atomic lighters on Centaura were not dreamed -of; jail cells would not be constructed of <i>decyte</i> alloys that could -resist their weak blasts. He looked at the black metal cylinder in his -hand; flicked it tentatively and smiled at its short blue flame.</p> - -<p>Holding his breath, Pell felt along the lock edge of the door for -indentations that would indicate the critical bolt joints. But it was -completely smooth and he was able to find nothing.</p> - -<p>"Whatcha think?" Heintz asked from behind him.</p> - -<p>Pell shushed him frantically. "Pretty good, I think. But don't speak so -loudly—I don't know whether there's a guard out there."</p> - -<p>He bent to the edge of the door and pressed the stud of the lighter. -Its small beam began to chew into the steel sheeting around the lock. -With agonizing slowness the beam cut into the steel until it reached a -depth beyond which it would not penetrate. Pell released the stud and -tinkered with the lighter with the thin edge of a coin.</p> - -<p>Then he directed it again at the door. Its seemingly innocuous blue -flame was brighter and longer. It cut into the steel with renewed vigor.</p> - -<p>Suddenly there was a small snap and the door slid slowly back into the -wall. Pell crouched, ready to spring upon the guard. But there was -none. The corridor was empty and silent as a tomb. Pell glanced at his -watch and the need for haste was pressed more firmly than ever upon -him. An hour gone by already!</p> - -<p>He crept cautiously into the corridor with Heintz on his heels. It was -dim and damp; the moisture seemed to congeal on his brow like sweat. -With Heintz dogging his footsteps like some huge, bloated shadow, Pell -approached the main corridor. It, too, was deserted.</p> - -<p>He turned to Heintz and asked in a low voice, "Where do you think they -keep the atomic weapons?"</p> - -<p>Heintz shrugged and grunted, "Probably on some higher level—some place -they could reach in a hurry from the tower. Pell, if we could grab one -of those blasters...." He left the thought unfinished, but Pell knew -what he was thinking.</p> - -<p>They reached the main corridor. Cautiously Pell looked up and down its -long, deserted length. The lines about his mouth were tense and hard. -If they should be caught—he motioned for Heintz to follow.</p> - -<p>They had not gone more than fifty feet on the main corridor toward the -automatic elevators when one of them suddenly opened and out stepped a -uniformed DIC mercenary!</p> - -<p>Pell sighed under his breath and muttered to Heintz, "Pay no attention -to him—just keep walking as casually as you can. When we reach him, -we'll jump him and take his guns."</p> - -<p>There was a single affirmative grunt from his rear. Pell watched -the soldier tensely while the latter regarded them with a blank and -incurious stare as he approached them. Suddenly a flash of suspicion -crossed the mercenary's eyes and he slowed his pace uncertainly. Pell -was no more than twenty feet from him when he charged, Heintz lumbering -at his heels.</p> - -<p>With an oath, the mercenary dragged at the heavy automatic pistol at -his side. The impact of Pell's body sent him sprawling to the hard -surface of the corridor. Like a cat, Pell scrambled on top of him and -proceeded to throttle out the cries of the soldier. Heintz pulled him -roughly aside and picked up the soldier with one hairy paw on the -collar of his jacket and the other over his face, completely eclipsing -it.</p> - -<p>Swiftly Pell snatched the man's pistol from its holster and slipped -it into his pocket. Then he unslung the soldier's machine-gun and -handed it to Heintz. Motioning toward the auto-dropper from which the -mercenary had just stepped, Pell helped Heintz shove the struggling -soldier inside and let the door slide shut.</p> - -<p>Heintz released the enemy soldier who immediately began to howl loudly. -The fat man shook him and he ceased his useless cries. Terrified, he -looked from Heintz to Pell and back again.</p> - -<p>"Where's the atomic armory?" Pell asked.</p> - -<p>The man remained silent.</p> - -<p>Pell repeated the question more vigorously, but still the man remained -silent.</p> - -<p>Heintz unslung the captured machine-gun and pointed it at the other. He -fumbled curiously at its levers and spoke softly, as if to no one in -particular. "I wonder how this thing works—now, if I pull this thing -here...."</p> - -<p>The soldier looked pleadingly at Pell, but he merely yawned and watched -disinterestedly.</p> - -<p>The man made a strangling noise and capitulated. "Okay, you win. The -sixth level—that's up." He looked again at Pell. "Tell that idiot to -put that thing away," he pleaded.</p> - -<p>Pell didn't answer, but looked at the controls for a moment. Then he -pressed the appropriate stud and turned to Heintz.</p> - -<p>"I'll cover this fellow while you keep that gun ready. Just to prevent -anything from going wrong, we'll let him walk in front of us with his -hands in his pockets and his mouth shut," he said, nodding meaningly at -the prisoner.</p> - -<p>Heintz grunted and held the machine-gun at ready as the elevator -drew to a stop. The door whined open softly and Pell tensed. Before -his startled eyes a swarm of men hurried up and down the corridor, -apparently too intent upon their business to notice Heintz and Pell.</p> - -<p>He was about to let the door close again when Heintz stopped him. He -pointed significantly at an instrument that flashed above the heads of -the hurrying men. Like lightning Pell realized that it was a Geiger -Counter and that it was registering the presence of Uranium!</p> - -<p>"Come on, Pell. They won't notice us," Heintz called over his shoulder -as he stepped from the cage.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Boldly he walked into the corridor and melted unnoticed into the crowd -of excited, hurrying soldiers. Pell followed him, his hand on the cool, -heavy pistol butt and the enemy prisoner preceding him with his hands -sunk in his pockets. As the crowd of men jostled and pushed about him, -Pell could hear breathless bits of conversation.</p> - -<p>"... blasters—yeah, real atomics. Bede will have 'em in shape in a few -minutes."</p> - -<p>"... hell, not a chance. Not when we turn those blasters loose."</p> - -<p>Pell went slightly sick. He saw that the main stream of men were -pouring into a corridor with a dead end. Tightening his hold on the -pistol butt in his pocket, he shoved his prisoner after them.</p> - -<p>Then he noticed that they were waiting at the heavily-guarded entrance -of a room and it dawned upon him that they were about to be issued -blasters.</p> - -<p>Quickly he surveyed the situation, noticing the position of the guards -at the room's entrance, and made his decision. Drawing the pistol from -his pocket, he jammed it into the captured mercenary's back and began -to shoulder his way boldly through the uncomprehending crowd. As he -approached the door he saw a surging around it, then suddenly all hell -broke loose.</p> - -<p><i>Berada-da-da-da-da-da</i>.... Instantly Pell realized that Heintz had -already gone into action. The men melted away from the entrance in time -to allow Pell to see Heintz shoulder his way through the half-open -door. Forgetting his prisoner, Pell jumped past the bodies of three or -four guards and entered the room, slamming the heavily reinforced door -behind him. Then he whirled, pistol at ready.</p> - -<p>There were only four technicians in the armory and they were frozen -into an astonished tableau at the sight of a huge, bullet-headed, fat -man crouching before them with a machine-gun in his arms. Pell crouched -behind him, letting his glance flicker about the room. On the floor -were the cadmium and graphite vaults which had been ripped bodily from -the ship. Over half of them had been opened and strewn about the tables -were an array of hand-blasters undergoing the delicate process of being -charged with pellets of U-235.</p> - -<p>Pell broke the short silence. "Don't move, any of you! Heintz, pick up -a blaster that's charged!"</p> - -<p>Heintz shuffled forward cautiously to relieve a swarthy technician of a -blaster which had frozen in his hands when they had burst into the room.</p> - -<p>"Okay, Bede, gimme that!" Heintz growled, poking his machine-gun toward -the technician.</p> - -<p>His action seemed to touch off the fuse of a bomb. Suddenly the -technician leaped away from Heintz and leveled the blaster in his -hands. The other technicians leaped in unison for the tables, snatching -up blasters. Heintz fired at Bede, then whirled and loosed a long, -sustained burst at the other three.</p> - -<p>But he reckoned without Bede who had fallen to the floor wounded, but -not dead. With a look of venemous hate he swung the blaster in his -hands toward Heintz and pressed the stud. Pell fired at him, once, -twice, then again, but even as the heavy automatic crashed in his hand, -Bede fired at Heintz.</p> - -<p>Heintz exploded. With cataclysmic violence his body had vaporized in a -blue-white sheen of impossibly hot atomic radiance.</p> - -<p>Pell became violently sick. Recovering, he looked dazedly at the -slaughter about him and realized that he alone was left to deal with -the situation. For the first time he understood how great an ally the -fat man had been.</p> - -<p>Blind, unreasoning hate for the forces of the DIC surged into his -mind. He saw Gutridge's mocking face and it added fuel to the rage -burning fiercely within him. He recalled vividly that Gret was in his -possession and the fires of bitter hate blasted away all remnants of -his former caution.</p> - -<p>Outside he could hear the mutter of DIC soldiers who were obviously -confused by the shooting of the guards and the sound of further -shooting inside. Then the steel-reinforced door began to quiver on its -hinges.</p> - -<p>Pell slowly looked down at the ancient pistol in his hand and laughed -to himself. There was no further need for that thing, he reflected. He -threw it way from him and walked purposefully over to the body of Bede, -the dead technician. Without the slightest hesitation, he rolled the -bloody thing over and took the blaster from its lifeless hands.</p> - -<p>He looked back at the door. The pounding had stopped, but he saw a -little white flame dancing and flickering around the lock. Pell smiled -a bit, leveled the blaster in his arms, and depressed the stud.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> - <div class="caption"> - <p><i>Pell smiled, leveled the blaster and depressed the stud.</i></p> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>In an instant the steel door turned a dazzling white and began to -run into slag. The vicious, expanding cone of blue flame played on -it an instant more and suddenly it exploded into vapor. The knot of -mercenaries around the door disintegrated into exploding cinders. Some -of them on the outer edges even had time to scream.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">VI</p> - -<p>A tremendous feeling of power surged in Pell. He strode into the -corridor and stood in the midst of the havoc he had created, letting -the hungry, hellish blaster play across a few fleeing figures trying -to make the elevators. He was unconscious of the overpowering stench -in the hot, searing, almost unbreathable air. He didn't notice that -the soles of his heavy insulated boots were burning as he stood in the -corridor. He realized now only that he held in his hands the instrument -that would enable him to carry out ruthless vengeance against Gutridge -and his DIC mercenaries.</p> - -<p>The dead-end corridor off which the armory was located opened onto the -larger main corridor which led to the elevators. Pell padded silently -to the junction and walked boldly toward the automatic elevators which -would take him to the surface. He paused just once to let the blaster -play over the mouth of the dead-end corridor which led to the blasters. -The roof slowly collapsed in a shower of scorched cement, leaving the -lacy interwork of the reinforcing girders bare and skeleton-like. -The mass of hot rubble effectively sealed off the entrance to the -armory—for the time being, at any rate.</p> - -<p>With that action, Pell realized that he was a god. Although not an -immortal god, certainly a god armed with a terrible destructive force -which was not immediately available to the others who might aspire to -be gods.</p> - -<p>Pell looked at the devastation he had created and became uncertain -as to what to do next. Little thought tendrils of unreason whispered -at him, telling him to create a reign of terror throughout the -multi-leveled warren which was the foundation of the mighty blaster -tower. But he closed his mind to their pleasing prospects and his -jaw hardened at the thought of the job before him. He must go to the -surface and destroy the mercenaries' defense of the fortress. He must -help Dallard crack their resistance as soon as possible so that the -precious U-235 might be retrieved from its burying place and turned -over to the Insurgents.</p> - -<p>Pell's eyes narrowed as he turned again to the auto-droppers. There -were so many things he would like to do with his weapon, but first -things first. Bleak-eyed Gret Helmuth who could become all woman in an -instant—she would have to wait. So would Gutridge. But not for long, -he promised himself.</p> - -<p>He pressed the button which should send one of the cages hurtling to -his level, then take him back to the surface. The first time he pressed -the button, there was no response. Nor was there the second time. A -third time his hand moved impatiently toward the red stud, only to -freeze in the act as a familiar, hated voice began to crackle from some -hidden speaker in the walls. It was Gutridge!</p> - -<p>"Pell! Pell! Can you hear me?" came the mocking voice. "You're trapped, -Pell. The droppers don't seem to respond, do they?"</p> - -<p>The deep, penetrating voice chuckled, then went on. "Pretty soon your -head will become heavy and your eye-lids will want to drop. You will -want to sleep, Pell, because the gas is very powerful. Do you feel it -yet? Its nice stuff, Pell. You will want to sleep so much ... so much."</p> - -<p>The heavy voice began to chuckle and its reverberations thundered -evilly in the deserted corridors. Pell found the source of the laugh -and blasted it furiously from its concealment high in the wall. -But from somewhere far down the corridor the powerful laugh echoed -ominously.</p> - -<p>Fear began to crawl at his throat, constricting it. He must find -a stair-way. Surely there must be one! But would he have time? -Frantically he ran down the empty corridors blasting open doors as he -came to them. At last he found what he sought behind the gaping maw of -a blasted panel. Through the coalescing haze of the vaporized door he -saw stairs spiralling upward.</p> - -<p>He was about to enter when he saw the first tendrils of smoky whiteness -reaching for him and plucking at him. Instantly he realized that the -heavy stuff was being forced down the stairwell. Holding his breath, he -retreated back down the corridor and let loose a blast from the weapon -cradled in his arms in an effort to seal up the shattered door. As he -retraced his steps back to the elevators, he realized that his head -was getting heavy. Vaguely he noticed the milky smoke issuing from the -corridor vents and he began to run.</p> - -<p>But with each step his body became heavier and heavier and only the -greatest effort of will kept him from collapsing on his face. He knew -he was trapped. Desperately he goaded his tired mind to discover a -means to escape. Reeling, he reached the elevators, dimly conscious -of Gutridge's mocking laugh far down the corridor. The white haze -was thick and nauseating and it caressed his nostrils with cloying -sweetness.</p> - -<p>Suddenly Pell saw a group of masked figures approach in the -sound-deadening haze. In what seemed an eternity he brought the blaster -up with tired hands and pressed the stud. As if in some horrible -nightmare, the figures seemed to shimmer and explode.</p> - -<p>Desperately Pell strived to keep his legs under him, but they wobbled -in spite of his control and he fell. His arms and legs were mere dead -weight; he could no longer force them to do his bidding, not even to -the extent of releasing the stud on the blaster. A wave of heat struck -him mightily on the face, as if he had been thrust bodily into an -atomic furnace. Then from somewhere a draught of cool, pure air played -about him, washing the fumes of the nerve gas from his system.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Astounded, Pell gasped in deep lungfuls of the precious air and -painfully stumbled to his feet. Slowly the incredible truth dawned upon -him. Accidentally he had blasted open the sliding steel door of the -elevator shaft and the cool breath of its untainted air had revived -him. Hastily he looked around him, trying to spot more of the enemy -creeping through the dense fog toward him. There were none; apparently -they had decided to let the gas do its work. They were in for a -surprise, Pell reflected.</p> - -<p>An idea had occurred to him. He might just possibly escape the trap -by climbing up the inside of the elevator shaft. He strained his eyes -into the dimness of the shaft and found what he was looking for; a -frail-looking steel ladder which extended in both directions up and -down the shaft. Looking up, he tried to pierce its puddled blackness -but could see nothing. If a dropper should hurtle down out of that -blackness, he would be smashed to a bloody pulp. Grimly he thrust the -thought out of his mind, slung the blaster over his shoulder, and -leaped for the ladder on the far wall of the shaft.</p> - -<p>It trembled dangerously as his writhing body struck it and swiftly he -began his long climb into the darkness above. For what seemed an eon of -agonizing effort, Pell hauled his weary body up the length of the steel -ladder. It stretched up and away into an infinity of blackness that -housed a sudden and terrible death. As he climbed, Pell strained his -senses in the all-enveloping darkness but could perceive nothing.</p> - -<p>Suddenly his hand, groping for another rung, met nothing but emptiness -and for one terrifying moment Pell tottered off balance on the ladder. -Cautiously he felt about above himself and his hand collided with the -underside of a dropper which was suspended just over his head. Had he -reached the top? It was impossible to tell in the blackness. He had no -choice but to chance it.</p> - -<p>Saying a silent prayer, Pell unlimbered the blaster and wrapped himself -about the tiny steel ladder as tightly as possible. Then he loosed its -devastating radiance at the wall opposite him. The brilliance of its -destructive flash blinded him momentarily as he clung tenaciously to -the frail ladder which whipped treacherously.</p> - -<p>Blessed, precious light filtered in through the shattered door opposite -him. Clinging tightly to his blaster, Pell leaped for the opening in -spite of the fact that his eyes had not yet adjusted to the sudden -light. Pain jagged his eyeballs as his pupils strove to contract but -Pell ignored it as he took in his new surroundings with rapid glances.</p> - -<p>The corridors of this wide, well-lit level were deserted and the air -was free of the deadly gas that had trapped him lower in the labyrinth. -Haste was the keynote now. From this point on, regardless of what he -did, he must do it quickly and decisively. He realized that he had not -yet reached the surface, although he knew he was very close.</p> - -<p>His eyes narrowed as he considered the situation. He couldn't use the -stairs since they were flooded with gas. And at any minute he might see -the deadly, white tendrils of the gas issuing from the vents. There was -only one thing to do.</p> - -<p>Sighing, Pell aimed the blaster at the ceiling and depressed the stud. -The innocuous-looking blue finger took huge bites from the heavily -reinforced cement and it cascaded down to the floor of the corridor -before him.</p> - -<p>Ignoring its burning heat, Pell leaped for a drooping girder and hauled -himself painfully through the ragged hole to the corridor above.</p> - -<p>Frozen with surprise, several DIC mercenaries watched a haggard, -blackened figure materialize suddenly from the midst of a gaping hole -in the floor. One or two fired wildly at Pell, but the majority fled -with terror up a low ramp nearby and through an exit at the top. Pell -ran after them, noting with relief that the soldiers wore no gas masks.</p> - -<p>The ramp continued its sharp upward rise on the other side of the -exit. As he panted up its steep ascent, Pell felt the breath of cool -air touch his face; with it the sound of firing increased. Evidently -Dallard was attempting to storm the fortress. Breathlessly he hammered -up the slope on the heels of the fleeing men and ducked instinctively -as several shots were fired at him. He was out on open ground. -Swiftly he ran for the cover of a dump of bushes and dived into their -concealment.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Centaura's lone satellite shed a strong light over the surrounding -ground and Pell was able to make out the dim figures of men around the -blaster tower. To his right the tower itself rose sharply into the sky, -the vicious helix of the blaster being etched by the moonlight into a -clearly defined blackness in the midst of the lesser blackness of the -star-studded sky.</p> - -<p>To Pell's left the sound of firing was intense, the sharp, hacking bark -of machine-guns dominating the chorus. But ragged firing seemed to be -present everywhere, apparently indicating that Dallard's Insurgents -had attacked the fortress from all sides. The mercenaries seemed to -be firmly entrenched, but not so firmly that a little diversion from -the rear could not root them out, Pell thought, smiling mirthlessly. -Gripping the blaster tightly, Pell peered into the darkness to locate a -juicy target.</p> - -<p>Beyond the clump of trees in which he was concealed there was a rise -in the rocky ground and silhouetted against the sky was a group of -men crouching around a machine-gun and firing it down the path up -which Heintz, Gret and himself had been brought. He had no doubts that -discovery would be only a matter of moments—no doubt word was already -being circulated about the madman with a blaster.</p> - -<p>Grimly he brought the blaster to his shoulder and depressed the firing -stud. Instantly great gouts of dirt began a short-lived trip into the -night sky, including the machine-gun and its crew. The effect of his -sudden attack was instantaneous and confusing. The startled cries of -the mercenaries was like music to Pell's ears. But a more ominous music -was the faint, chopping whisper of bullets as they spattered through -his clump of trees. Ignoring them, Pell leveled the blaster at every -likely place in which the mercenaries might be entrenched.</p> - -<p>Hell, in the form of violently reacting stones and rocks erupted into -the sky, showering the DIC soldiers with molten, lava-like droplets. -Seeking protection from the super-heated rain of molten particles, some -of the mercenaries panicked and fled to the blast tower that reared -bulkily behind them. Their action was like a trigger for others and -presently a whole mass of men were fleeing for the protection of the -tower. Heartlessly Pell let his ravening blaster play among the fleeing -men. And on their heels came a shouting, triumphant horde of ragged -Insurgents bearing antiquated weapons.</p> - -<p>Some of them dropped, but most streamed after the terrified mercenaries -into the fortress. Although they did not know whom to credit for the -unexpected aid, they knew it was from a friend. Pell, infected with the -wild excitement of the Insurgents, threw caution to the winds and left -his hiding place to storm the warrens with them.</p> - -<p>Somewhere in that mass of cement and steel were Raul Gutridge and Gret -Helmuth. For the Insurgents it was complete and utter triumph, but -for Pell it was a hollow victory unless he could find Gret alive and -Gutridge dead. His jaw was out-thrust with determination as he entered -the fortress with the Insurgents. The DIC had beaten him before, -crushing him out of business. But this time he was fighting with their -methods and he was determined to win.</p> - -<p>As he shoved through the press of Insurgents down the ramp up which he -had come a short time before, the revolutionaries looked at him askance -and fingered their weapons uneasily. They muttered among themselves and -one of them turned to Pell.</p> - -<p>"Who are you and where did you get that thing?" the man asked, -indicating Pell's blaster.</p> - -<p>"I'm with you," replied Pell to the first question. "Where's Dallard?" -he asked, ignoring the second.</p> - -<p>"Right behind you," replied a new voice from his rear.</p> - -<p>Pell turned, startled. Behind him stood a slight man with the bearing -of an officer. But his cold blue eyes and the large ancient revolver he -pointed at Pell hardly betokened friendship.</p> - -<p>"Who are you?" Dallard asked.</p> - -<p>Briefly Pell explained, indicating his desire to find Gret and -Gutridge. When he had finished, Dallard whistled softly and looked at -Pell with new respect.</p> - -<p>"We'll give you all the help we can, Pell—and in case we run into -some tough opposition, we'd like you to reciprocate—with that thing." -Dallard grinned and as he walked away with his men, called over his -shoulder, "Luck!"</p> - -<p>Pell nodded absently and turned away, considering the almost hopeless -hunt that confronted him. Certainly they were no longer in the blaster -tower; obviously Gutridge had taken the girl into the depths of -the fortress when the Insurgents had attacked. Then the unpleasant -possibility that Gutridge might be holding the girl as a hostage -occurred to him. It added new drive to his purpose.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Pell's actions that night, had they occurred in another age, would have -been the fiber of a legend. He never remembered exactly what he did -himself and the accounts of the Insurgents who saw only a part of his -exploits were disjointed and inconsistent.</p> - -<p>Suffice it to say that a haggard, smoke-blackened, wild man almost -single-handedly destroyed the last remnants of the DIC mercenary -army on Centauri VI that night. In the face of Pell's blaster they -surrendered faster than they could be captured. Points of resistance, -when they were touched by the deadly blue finger of the blaster, -vanished in violently reacting clouds.</p> - -<p>Perhaps the toughest struggle of all was with a group of fanatical -mercenaries on the sixth level who were scrabbling desperately in the -rubble of the entrance to the dead-end corridor which led to the -atomic armory. Fearing that its violent energies would explode the -U-235 in the armory, Pell was unable to use the blaster against them. -Desperately the Insurgents stormed the level, only to be cut down -sickeningly by the trapped mercenaries. In the end, however, there -could only be one result and the weary DIC soldiers had no choice but -to surrender.</p> - -<p>Pell's search was ended on the thirty-seventh level. Because of its -tremendous depth, this level was ventilated only with great difficulty. -The air, what there was of it, was close and sticky. The rumbling whine -of the ventilator turbine could be heard plainly as it labored to force -air into the dimly-lit, narrow passage-ways. The walls and pillars were -huge chunks of almost solid, heavily reinforced cement since they had -to support the ponderous weight of three dozen levels and the mighty -blaster tower itself.</p> - -<p>Uneasily the Insurgents crept into the depths behind Pell and Major -Dallard. Pell himself was worried. The entire warren above had been -combed unsuccessfully for Gutridge and Gret Helmuth. The gnawing fear -that had tormented Pell burst out more powerfully. Suppose Gutridge had -taken Gret into these depths and was holding her as a hostage? Pell -shrugged grimly to himself and strained his eyes to pierce the gloom.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the heavy silence that shrouded the place was broken by the -crackling of static and the sound of a well-known voice originating -from a speaker almost above Pell's head. It was Gutridge!</p> - -<p>"I see you've discovered my hiding place, Pell," boomed Gutridge, his -voice reverberating in the tomb-like passages.</p> - -<p>"I'm entertaining a guest," Gutridge continued. "I believe she is a -friend of yours. You wouldn't want anything to happen to her, would -you, Pell?" His laughter made the passage vibrate.</p> - -<p>"Pell!" thundered the speaker, "I want a guarantee of freedom. In -return, I will deliver the girl unharmed. This is a two-way speaker, so -you may reply into it."</p> - -<p>"How do I know she is alive?" Pell stalled desperately.</p> - -<p>"You may speak to her," Gutridge answered. "Say a few words to the -gentleman, my dear."</p> - -<p>"Pell!" Gret screamed over the speaker, "this whole place is mined. Get -out before he kills you all!"</p> - -<p>Pell heard distinctly the sound of a meaty fist colliding with flesh -and bone, followed by Gutridge's muttering voice, "You talk too much, -my dear."</p> - -<p>Rage—blind, helpless, unreasoning rage washed over Pell in prickly -waves. Then Gutridge spoke again.</p> - -<p>"There you have it. I will give you two minutes to decide," the speaker -echoed. Its crackling subsided and only the hum of its open circuit -could be heard.</p> - -<p>Then Pell felt a tapping on his shoulder. He turned and saw Dallard in -the dimness.</p> - -<p>"Guarantee his freedom, Pell. Offer him a space ship," Dallard -whispered. "It's either that or he blows us all up. Personally, I am -not particularly in favor of dying—especially with him."</p> - -<p>Pell grunted inaudibly and turned to the speaker. "Okay, Gutridge, you -win. Send the girl out first, then follow. You will be escorted to the -surface and given a ship."</p> - -<p>Gutridge chuckled. "If it were anyone but the honorable Fletcher Pell -who made that promise, I'd balk. All right, she's coming out."</p> - -<p>Straining his eyes in the darkness, Pell presently saw the slight -figure of Gret Helmuth approach. When she saw him, she broke into a -limping run and threw herself into his arms.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Pell, I never thought I'd see you again," she cried, burying her -face in his shoulder.</p> - -<p>Pell swore and looked up to see Gutridge loom out of the dark. The big -man had a small box in his hand which he waved debonairly at Pell.</p> - -<p>"You know, just in case. This little gadget can transmit a radio wave -that will touch off the explosives," Gutridge chuckled. "That woman of -yours is bad medicine—she scratches like a wild cat."</p> - -<p>Pell stifled his rage with difficulty, noting with small satisfaction -that his face, too, had sustained no small damage.</p> - -<p>"Where's that space ship?" Gutridge asked, now all business.</p> - -<p>Pell didn't reply, but gestured for the big man to follow and the party -made its way to the surface in an elevator that still functioned.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>A beautiful dawn was breaking, but it affected Pell not at all. -Morosely he stared through the plastine window of his cramped quarters -in the blaster tower.</p> - -<p>Through the window he could make out the busy activities of the -Insurgents. Gingerly they had cleared away the rubble of the demolished -entrance to the armory and were now engaged in carrying the vaults of -U-235 out of the fortress.</p> - -<p>As he watched them absently, the door opened behind him and Gret -entered, her brown gold hair gleaming intoxicatingly in the early -light. Even her rough jumper couldn't hide the fresh young curves of -her body.</p> - -<p>"What's the matter, Grouchy?" she teased. "Still worrying about -Gutridge escaping?"</p> - -<p>"Yeah," Pell growled. "As long as he's alive, the game isn't finished. -But—" he smiled "—I've got you. That ought to be enough for any -perfectionist."</p> - -<p>He was about to kiss her when the door opened again and Dallard entered.</p> - -<p>He looked from Pell to Gret and raised his eyebrows. "I trust I wasn't -interrupting anything," he drawled slyly.</p> - -<p>"Oh, come in, Dallard," Pell said, although not very enthusiastically. -"How are your men coming along with the uranium?"</p> - -<p>"Fine. Fine. But, I say, you're hardly the bright and cheery fellow one -would expect to meet this morning."</p> - -<p>"He's worried about Gutridge escaping," Gret explained.</p> - -<p>Dallard laughed. "Pell, haven't you heard about his ... ah ... little -accident? It seems someone forgot to inform the planet-mounteds that -our friend would be departing, so I'm afraid he's little more than a -cinder now. Frightful mistake, eh?"</p> - -<p>He clucked innocently and, twirling his sandy mustache airily, walked -jauntily from the room.</p> - -<p>Pell looked after him amazed, a small shudder running the length of his -spine. "You colonials are forgetful people, aren't you?" he observed.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps," Gret replied, wrinkling her nose at him, "but sometimes it -pays."</p> - -<p>"Well, in the future," Pell said, "don't forget I like my ham and eggs -in bed."</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK Z-DAY ON CENTAURI ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -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. 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