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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..8993543 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #65127 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65127) diff --git a/old/65127-0.txt b/old/65127-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d16af3a..0000000 --- a/old/65127-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,942 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Menace From Vega, by Robert Randall - -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: Menace From Vega - -Author: Robert Randall - -Release Date: April 21, 2021 [eBook #65127] - -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 MENACE FROM VEGA *** - - - - - Why would strangers abduct an insane girl - from a psychiatric ward? Jim Lawrence found out - that to answer this question he had to face a-- - - Menace From Vega - - By Robert Randall - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy - June 1958 - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -The tall, darkly handsome man was grinning at Dr. James Lawrence from -the wrong side of a gun. - -"Don't do anything foolish," the stranger said. - -The psychiatrist swallowed and looked at the muzzle of the weapon. The -gun didn't look like any he had ever seen before, but he had no doubt -that it was deadly. - -"What do you want?" he asked. He had never faced a gun before, but he -found, oddly enough, that he wasn't at all frightened. There was simply -a tense expectancy, a feeling of what's-coming-next? and no more. - -"You have a patient at this hospital named Bette Bauer?" It was half a -question, half a statement. - -Jim Lawrence looked at the intruder without answering. He knew Bette -Bauer--a tall, beautiful brunette with deep grey-green eyes. There was -nothing behind those eyes. She had been in St. Paul's Neuropsychiatric -Hospital for three years--a schizophrenic catatonic, completely out of -touch with the real world. - -"You're behaving childishly," said the man with the odd-looking gun, -softly. "All I have to do is look through your files. Where is she?" - -Lawrence shrugged. "Ward 3, Room 41. Why do you want to know?" He -glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly midnight. - -"It doesn't matter," the stranger said. "Come along. Lead us to where -she is confined." - -Outside the office, there were four men. They held their hands in -their pockets as though there were guns there. Lawrence glanced from -one to another. They all looked somewhat alike, all with that same dark -slimness and hardness of feature. - -"What do you want?" Lawrence demanded. - -"Just take us to Bette Bauer," the leader said. "If you do not, you -will be shot." He smiled. - -It was the sight of that smile that made Jim Lawrence realize the cold -dangerousness of the man. - -"Very well," Jim said. "Come this way." - -As he led them down the hall toward Ward 3, Jim wondered about these -men. What interest could they have in Bette Bauer? She had once been -a brilliant physicist, and had shown signs of actual genius. But -something had happened to her shortly after she had received her -doctor's degree in theoretical physics. Her mind had become unbalanced, -and she had been committed to St. Paul's Hospital. - -As Chief Psychiatrist, Dr. James Lawrence had worked with her -regularly; he was deeply interested in the girl. But he had been -completely unable to break the dazed, trancelike state that she had -been in for the past three years. - -What did these five men want with her? And who _were_ they, anyway? -There was something odd about them, even aside from the peculiar -gun that the leader carried. Their clothes seemed wrong, as though -they weren't used to wearing them; their speech was strange in some -undefinable way. - -When they reached Ward 3, Jim Lawrence took the keys from his pocket -and unlocked the main door. A night nurse at the desk looked up and -smiled. - -"Good evening, Dr. Lawrence," she said sweetly. Then she saw the men -behind him, and her eyebrows lifted. - -"We want to see Bette Bauer," Jim said, keeping his voice even. - -"Certainly, Doctor." She led the way down the corridor to Room 41. -It was a padded cell; with Dr. Bette Bauer, naked to prevent her -from harming herself with her clothing, lying on the floor, crooning -mindlessly, her grey-green eyes staring out into nothingness. - -The dark man said, "That's her. Pick her up." - -As the four silent followers moved forward, Jim saw that the leader was -watching them--he had taken his eyes off Jim himself. - -Lawrence reached out and made a grab for the gun--but the dark man was -a move ahead of him. He moved away smoothly, whirled, and brought the -gun down stunningly on Jim's head. - -Jim threw a wild, wobbly punch at the man, and then the other four -moved in on him. He fought back blindly for a few moments, but then a -fist raked across his jaw, another smashed into his stomach, and the -gun descended a second time. It caught him on the side of the head, and -he sagged to the floor. - -The thick padding was the last thing he felt before he blacked out. - - * * * * * - -The pain of awakening was worse than the pain of the blow. Jim's head -throbbed as though there were a motorcycle engine inside it. - -When he opened his eyes, the pain became worse. A brilliant light was -shining directly into his eyes. He winced and closed them again. - -"Dim the light," said a softly slurred voice. - -Jim opened his eyes again. This time, he saw what was standing over -him, and he recoiled in horror. - -The being looked vaguely reptilian, but there was a touch of the insect -about it, too. It was green in color and covered with scales, like a -fish. It stood on two legs, towering above him and gazing at him with -bulging, faceted, insect-like eyes. - -After the initial reaction of disgust came another thought: _I've got -to get out of here!_ - -He rose to a sitting position, swung out with a fist. But the creature -ducked lithely away from the blow. Cold hands on his shoulders pressed -him down again, and he knew it was futile to attempt to fight his way -out. He closed his eyes again--hard. - -"You are afraid of us," said the soft voice. "You fear me because of my -appearance. Please do not. I--we--mean you no harm, Dr. Lawrence." - -The thing was calling him by his own name. Lawrence shook his head to -get the cobwebs out of it. What was going on? - -It had been an ordinary, peaceful day. Then, five hoodlums kidnapping -Bette Bauer, and that blow on the head-- - -And now this. Reptilian creatures with glittering eyes. Lawrence opened -his eyes again. The scene remained the same--but this time he could see -three similar creatures in the background. - -"Who--what are you?" - -And then, as he saw more of his surroundings, he asked, "Where is this?" - -The alien said: "You are aboard our spaceship, Dr. Lawrence. We are -following the Vegan ship." - -In spite of the alien's terrifying appearance, Jim sensed a curious -friendliness in its voice. "I'm--I'm afraid I don't understand. Those -men--" - -The lizard-like being with the insect eyes sat down on a chair near the -bunk. "Dr. Lawrence, I am Nestiv Illon. I am the captain of this ship, -which is a war vessel in the Stellar Navy of Viagon. - -"We are following the ship of Andsu Meero, the being who has kidnapped -your Dr. Bette Bauer. We--" - -Jim sat up in the bunk. "Just a minute," he said, holding up a hand. "I -may be having a nightmare, but I still like to be sure of what's going -on. The last I remember, I was trying to keep a bunch of gangsters from -kidnapping one of my patients. Now I find myself here. Suppose you -start from the beginning--" - -"I see," the alien said. "I did not realize you were so unfamiliar -with the situation. Those men who took the girl were working for Andsu -Meero. He is attempting to gain control of the entire galaxy--a goal -at which," the alien said, its voice dropping sadly, "at which he is -unfortunately succeeding." - -Lawrence blinked. "How?" - -"His race is telepathic to a certain extent. They can read the minds of -most other races, although they cannot read each other's minds." - -"These are the Vegans?" Lawrence asked, trying to keep the story -assembled into a coherent pattern. - -"Yes. They are the Vegans--a warlike people who are now trying to -overthrow the galactic government. Three years ago, Meero contacted the -mind of a brilliant young Earth girl who had discovered a weapon of -great significance--a death ray, to be precise." - -"You mean Bette Bauer?" - -"That was the girl's name. Meero discovered her shortly before we did. -My race is telepathic too. We found that Dr. Bauer had discovered -a system of mass annihilation that would enable any group to take -over the galaxy--but Meero had her first. He focussed a mind-static -generator on her and drove her insane. Naturally, he wanted the secret, -so he came here to Earth to get it, as soon as he decided it was safe. -By that time we, too, had found Earth, and followed." - -"Only Meero had already grabbed the girl," Lawrence said. - -"Exactly. We were too late. And now you understand the situation." - -"Ah--yes," Lawrence said uneasily. "All but one thing. Why did you drag -_me_ into this?" - -The alien paused for a moment and said, "We found you unconscious and -decided to take you into protective custody." - -"But why? The Vegans have no use for me." - -"No," Nestiv Illon said gently. "But we do." - - * * * * * - -Another of the reptilian beings approached at that moment and inclined -its head toward Illon. - -"What is it?" - -"We're approaching Vega IX, sir." - -"Very good," Illon said. "Shift into transparency-warp and go into -orbit." - -"Yes, sir." The subordinate inclined his head once again and backed -away. Illon turned to Jim Lawrence. - -"We are within striking range of the Vegan home base now. Here's where -you come in." - -"What do you mean?" Lawrence asked. - -The alien rose. "It is impossible, of course, for any of us to enter -the Vegan base, since no disguise will conceal our fundamental physical -appearance. But you--you are of the same general somatic type as the -Vegans. A little eye-shadow, a bit of plastotek applied here and there -to change the facial contours, and I think you could pass." - -"You want me to dip into the Vegan base and rescue the girl? Is that -it?" - -"Yes," Illon said. - -"All very nice--but then what? Do I hand the death ray over to you and -let you conquer the galaxy? No, thanks; I might as well let the Vegans -do it." - -Illon shook his head sadly. "We have no such plans, Jim Lawrence. We -are only concerned with keeping the annihilating ray out of the hands -of the Vegans, with placing it in the sane custody such a deadly weapon -deserves." - -"How can I trust you?" - -"It will be necessary, I'm afraid. You must believe that we plan no -aggression of our own. No--there is a way to prove it to you." He -leaned down and spoke rapidly into a microphone. - -A few moments later an alien appeared, bearing a gleaming chromium -helmet. He handed it silently to Lawrence, who examined it curiously. - -"What's this?" - -"Put it on," Illon said softly. - -"How do I know it's safe?" - -"You have my word it's safe." - -Suspiciously, Lawrence lifted the helmet and placed it on his head, -where it fit snugly. A stream of images filtered abruptly through his -mind. - -The helmet was--a history book. It was a thought-record that stretched -back over centuries, over millenia, detailing the eon-old conflict -between the Vegans and Nestiv Illon's people. As the story unfolded, -Lawrence could see the cold malevolence of the Vegans opposed to the -wise, kind people of Viagon. Through a pattern of cosmic conflicts and -world-destroying wars, Lawrence grasped the history of the two peoples. -Vega had been threatening to extend its empire throughout the universe, -but had been checked at every point by the Viagoni, the guardians of -civilization. - -Finally, Lawrence removed the helmet. It seemed that he had lived -through the history-record for hours, but a glance at his watch told -him that no more than a few seconds had passed. - -Nestiv Illon was staring patiently at him. "Well?" - -Lawrence smiled. "I'm with you," he said. - - * * * * * - -The small scoutship slipped easily through the hatch of the Viagoni -cruiser and spiralled down into the atmosphere of Vega IX. Aboard, Jim -Lawrence rocked in his deceleration cradle and tried to form a strategy -for landing. - -By the time the Viagoni medics had finished with him, he was the very -image of a Vegan--thin and dark, sinister-looking, tight-faced. That -might get him _into_ the Vegan base--but how was he going to get out? - -He shrugged his shoulders. _I'll worry about that when the time comes_, -he told himself. Now, he waited while the remote-controlled scoutship -brought him closer and closer to the planet below. - -Finally it dropped to the ground. He stepped out and found himself in -the midst of a vast, bleak plain. About a half-mile to the east, a -cluster of little buildings was evident--the upper portions, Illon had -told him, of the fortified underground Vegan base. - -He crossed the plain at a quick trot and slipped into a group of silent -Vegans who were coming out of one of the above-surface buildings and -heading toward a shaft that apparently led downward into the base. They -were clad in overalls, and looked like workers. None of them spoke to -him as he joined their ranks. - -He moved along down into the shaft with them. A fantastic underground -world opened before his eyes. - -Great lights overhead cast illumination on the scene. Buildings reared -up ten, fifteen, twenty stories; massive machines pumped pistons back -and forth, booming noisily. It was a gigantic base, a center for the -conquest of the universe. - -And somewhere in the heart of all this--somewhere was Andsu Meero and -the mindless body of Bette Bauer. If Meero had the chance to restore -the girl's mind and drain from her the secret of the annihilating ray-- - -But he didn't want to think about that. He kept going with the group of -workers he had fallen in with, and found that they were marching toward -a squat, windowless building that was the center of a good deal of -activity. - -The Vegans he was with were silent men, dark-faced and taciturn, and -he was thankful for that. There was none of the genial camaraderie -that might have been present between a bunch of Earthmen in a similar -position. He followed them into the building, and discovered that it -was a tool dispensary of some kind. Each man was marching up to a -closet and taking forth something that looked like a large, heavy brush. - -Jim dropped back toward the end of the line and chewed at his lip. No -doubt the tools would be apportioned one for each man in the squad, -which meant they would be short one. And he didn't want the men he was -with to suspect anything; he wanted to stay with them at least until -he had formulated a more definite plan of action. - -He lingered at the back of the line, looking around. There was no one -behind him. He reached out for the man just in front of him and whacked -him across the throat with the edge of his hand. - -The man coughed and retched, and Lawrence clamped a hand over his mouth -to silence him. Another quick blow and the Vegan dropped. Quietly, -Lawrence dragged him away and deposited him in a closet nearby. - -Then he returned to the line. Now there would be one broom for each -man, no more. - - * * * * * - -When everyone was supplied, they marched solemnly back out the door of -the supply-room. Obediently, Lawrence followed along. No one seemed to -notice that a man was missing or that there was a stranger in the group. - -They marched to the middle of the plaza, and there the first man in the -group bent and pried off a manhole. Then the Vegans began disappearing -even further into the earth. Tunnels within tunnels! - -His turn came and he followed on down into the tunnel. For the first -time, one of the Vegans spoke, barking a short instruction in a harsh, -guttural language. - -Lawrence heard the sound of air blowing through pipes, then the sound -of machinery grinding, then the slow whistle of the air-flow ceasing. -He realized where he was and what the crew was about to do, and his -heart surged. He had a plan, now. - -He was in one of the air-shafts that fed the great subterranean Vegan -base. The air had just been shut off in this particular tube, and the -crew of Vegans he had joined was about to set to work scrubbing the -tube, ridding it of any impurities that might have accumulated. - -Now he knew what to do. As he scrubbed merrily through the shining -length of the tube, he began to form his strategy. - -It involved getting out of the tube, for one thing, and getting to a -medical office, if they had any such thing in the base. That was the -first step. - -He counted to ten, then threw his broom in the air and uttered a -piercing shriek. Then he fell to the ground, panting and gasping, and -lay there flat against the cold metal of the airshaft. - -Instantly his co-workers gathered around him. Twenty dark, unfriendly -faces peered down, and they began to gabble something in their -language that probably was the equivalent of "What's the matter with -you?" - -He lolled his head from side to side as if to indicate that he had -suffered a stroke of some kind and couldn't speak. Drawing on his -psychiatric experience, Lawrence offered a good imitation of a -catatonic seizure, so convincing that before long he himself had burst -out in a cold sweat as he lay rigid there. - -Another Vegan came over--evidently a superior--and rattled out a quick -command. - -Immediately, two of the broom-workers put down their tools and hoisted -Lawrence between them. They began to march back through the airshaft -with him, up and out into the plaza again. They carried him into a -tall, gleaming building which was presumably the medical office. - -He allowed one corner of his lip to curl upward in a smile of -satisfaction. So far, so good. - - * * * * * - -Two doctors were in attendance. They studied him closely, tapped him, -prodded him, and held long colloquies with each other. After a few -minutes of this, one of them disappeared into the adjoining room of the -medical office, apparently to prepare some sort of test. - -The other Vegan doctor took a few steps back and consulted a bulky -red-bound volume on his desk. Apparently he'd never seen a seizure like -this before. - -With one bound Lawrence was off the bed and at the doctor's side. He -whirled him around, smashed a fist into the medic's lean jaw, another -into his stomach. - -From behind him came a shout of surprise, as the other doctor returned -to the room. Quickly, Lawrence scooped the unconscious doctor up and -hurled him at the other. They both went down in a shower of crashing -glasswork, and Lawrence sprang on top of them. Three solid punches did -the job. - -He hastily ripped strips from the bed and bound them securely. Then he -began to prowl through the drug cabinet. - -It wasn't easy, trying to read the labels in the alien language, but -James Lawrence was skilled in the handling of drugs, and before long he -had found what he wanted despite his inability to read the labels. - -It was a pain-killing drug, one that was in use on Earth as well as -Vega. He could tell by the familiar sugary taste of the white powder -that this was the stuff. - -Humming softly to himself, he slipped the bottle under his overalls, -waved farewell to the sleeping doctors, and ducked out the door. - -Five minutes later, he was back in the airshaft, wielding his broom -energetically. He forged on to the front of the group, heading further -and further along in the airshaft, until finally he came to the place -he was looking for--the tube that led to the heart of the air supply. - -He looked around. No one was watching. He pushed open the door to the -tube and slid quietly inside, trotting lightly until he reached the -central pump. - -"Sweet dreams," he said thoughtfully, as he inverted the bottle of the -drug into the feeder that led to the pump. With that stuff filtering -through the air, the whole base would be out like a light within an -hour or so. There was enough knockout-potential in a bottle of that -stuff, he thought, to keep everyone under wraps long enough for him to -find Bette Bauer and get the blazes out of here. - - * * * * * - -Getting out was a harder job. It involved threading his way through the -maze of air-shafts once again, getting past the swabbing-crew, and out -into the open. But he made it. By now the air was beginning to smell -sweet, and he knew the drug was taking effect. - -The problem now was to locate Meero. But that proved to be simple. -Lawrence headed across the plaza toward the pair of great buildings -that seemed to be the administrative sections of the base, and stopped -the first Vegan he saw. - -"Andsu Meero?" he asked. - -The Vegan looked blankly at him. - -"_Andsu Meero_," Lawrence repeated, with great urgency. - -The Vegan pointed to the building on the left and uttered a stream -of words. Lawrence smiled politely and headed toward the left-hand -building. - -After he had gone about half the distance, he noticed the increase in -the sweetness in the air. He stopped, ripped off his shirt, and wrapped -it over his mouth and nose. That would be ample protection. - -By the time he reached the building, the guards posted outside were -safely asleep. He seized one of the strange pistols from them, and -entered. - -Where to find Meero and the girl, he wondered. Vegans were sagging into -sleep all over the lobby of the building. Shrugging his shoulders, he -decided there was only one way. He would have to look in every room of -the immense building. - -But he didn't have far to look. After about ten minutes' search of the -slumber-wrapped building, he stepped into an ornate, impressive-looking -building, and found Meero. - -Awake. - -The thin Vegan whirled in astonishment as Lawrence entered. He -was at the back of the room, bending over the nude form of Bette -Bauer. Lawrence noticed a strange odor in the room, even through his -improvised face-mask--and it wasn't the odor of the drug he'd slipped -into the air system. - -Angrily, Andsu Meero ripped out a barking sentence in Vegan. Then his -eyes narrowed. "Oh, the Earthman? How did _you_ get in here?" - -Lawrence's pistol rose. "Get away from that girl, Meero. Get away or -I'll shoot you." - -"Just try," Meero chuckled. He calmly drew his own gun from its -holster, and Lawrence realized with a shock that he was as good as -unarmed, because he did not know how to use the Vegan gun! - -He hurled the useless gun at Meero and dove behind a chair just as the -Vegan's pistol fired. A section of the wall caved in. Lawrence peered -out, then ducked back as he saw Meero looking for him. - -Cautiously, he began to thread his way along the side of the room -toward Meero. - -"Don't move, Earthman," Meero said coldly. "I see you." - -"But you don't see me!" cried a new voice. Surprised, the alien turned, -and in that moment Lawrence sprang and hit him with all he had. The -gun went flying from the Vegan's hands. He struck back, but Lawrence -parried the blow and smashed his fists into Meero's face. The alien -rolled over and lay still. - -Lawrence glanced up at Bette Bauer, who had spoken. - -"You saved my life," he said. - -"And you mine." She reddened, and snatched a drape from the wall to -cover her nakedness. "Meero was just about to drain my mind for--" She -paused. - -"I know what for," Lawrence said. "I know the whole thing." He glanced -around. "I might have known," he said. "Meero was using some kind of -drug on you, wasn't he?" - -She nodded. - -"There's time for explanation later," Lawrence said. "The Viagoni are -waiting for us, to take us back to Earth and to safety." - -"What about Meero?" - -"He'll go with all the rest of them," Lawrence said. "When we've built -your annihilator, and when we've wiped out this cancer spot of the -universe. Let's go." - -He took her by the hand, and they raced through the sleeping Vegan base -to the waiting Viagoni ship. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MENACE FROM VEGA *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <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: Menace From Vega</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Robert Randall</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: April 21, 2021 [eBook #65127]</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 MENACE FROM VEGA ***</div> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<p>Why would strangers abduct an insane girl<br /> -from a psychiatric ward? Jim Lawrence found out<br /> -that to answer this question he had to face a—</p> - -<h1>Menace From Vega</h1> - -<h2>By Robert Randall</h2> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy<br /> -June 1958<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>The tall, darkly handsome man was grinning at Dr. James Lawrence from -the wrong side of a gun.</p> - -<p>"Don't do anything foolish," the stranger said.</p> - -<p>The psychiatrist swallowed and looked at the muzzle of the weapon. The -gun didn't look like any he had ever seen before, but he had no doubt -that it was deadly.</p> - -<p>"What do you want?" he asked. He had never faced a gun before, but he -found, oddly enough, that he wasn't at all frightened. There was simply -a tense expectancy, a feeling of what's-coming-next? and no more.</p> - -<p>"You have a patient at this hospital named Bette Bauer?" It was half a -question, half a statement.</p> - -<p>Jim Lawrence looked at the intruder without answering. He knew Bette -Bauer—a tall, beautiful brunette with deep grey-green eyes. There was -nothing behind those eyes. She had been in St. Paul's Neuropsychiatric -Hospital for three years—a schizophrenic catatonic, completely out of -touch with the real world.</p> - -<p>"You're behaving childishly," said the man with the odd-looking gun, -softly. "All I have to do is look through your files. Where is she?"</p> - -<p>Lawrence shrugged. "Ward 3, Room 41. Why do you want to know?" He -glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly midnight.</p> - -<p>"It doesn't matter," the stranger said. "Come along. Lead us to where -she is confined."</p> - -<p>Outside the office, there were four men. They held their hands in -their pockets as though there were guns there. Lawrence glanced from -one to another. They all looked somewhat alike, all with that same dark -slimness and hardness of feature.</p> - -<p>"What do you want?" Lawrence demanded.</p> - -<p>"Just take us to Bette Bauer," the leader said. "If you do not, you -will be shot." He smiled.</p> - -<p>It was the sight of that smile that made Jim Lawrence realize the cold -dangerousness of the man.</p> - -<p>"Very well," Jim said. "Come this way."</p> - -<p>As he led them down the hall toward Ward 3, Jim wondered about these -men. What interest could they have in Bette Bauer? She had once been -a brilliant physicist, and had shown signs of actual genius. But -something had happened to her shortly after she had received her -doctor's degree in theoretical physics. Her mind had become unbalanced, -and she had been committed to St. Paul's Hospital.</p> - -<p>As Chief Psychiatrist, Dr. James Lawrence had worked with her -regularly; he was deeply interested in the girl. But he had been -completely unable to break the dazed, trancelike state that she had -been in for the past three years.</p> - -<p>What did these five men want with her? And who <i>were</i> they, anyway? -There was something odd about them, even aside from the peculiar -gun that the leader carried. Their clothes seemed wrong, as though -they weren't used to wearing them; their speech was strange in some -undefinable way.</p> - -<p>When they reached Ward 3, Jim Lawrence took the keys from his pocket -and unlocked the main door. A night nurse at the desk looked up and -smiled.</p> - -<p>"Good evening, Dr. Lawrence," she said sweetly. Then she saw the men -behind him, and her eyebrows lifted.</p> - -<p>"We want to see Bette Bauer," Jim said, keeping his voice even.</p> - -<p>"Certainly, Doctor." She led the way down the corridor to Room 41. -It was a padded cell; with Dr. Bette Bauer, naked to prevent her -from harming herself with her clothing, lying on the floor, crooning -mindlessly, her grey-green eyes staring out into nothingness.</p> - -<p>The dark man said, "That's her. Pick her up."</p> - -<p>As the four silent followers moved forward, Jim saw that the leader was -watching them—he had taken his eyes off Jim himself.</p> - -<p>Lawrence reached out and made a grab for the gun—but the dark man was -a move ahead of him. He moved away smoothly, whirled, and brought the -gun down stunningly on Jim's head.</p> - -<p>Jim threw a wild, wobbly punch at the man, and then the other four -moved in on him. He fought back blindly for a few moments, but then a -fist raked across his jaw, another smashed into his stomach, and the -gun descended a second time. It caught him on the side of the head, and -he sagged to the floor.</p> - -<p>The thick padding was the last thing he felt before he blacked out.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The pain of awakening was worse than the pain of the blow. Jim's head -throbbed as though there were a motorcycle engine inside it.</p> - -<p>When he opened his eyes, the pain became worse. A brilliant light was -shining directly into his eyes. He winced and closed them again.</p> - -<p>"Dim the light," said a softly slurred voice.</p> - -<p>Jim opened his eyes again. This time, he saw what was standing over -him, and he recoiled in horror.</p> - -<p>The being looked vaguely reptilian, but there was a touch of the insect -about it, too. It was green in color and covered with scales, like a -fish. It stood on two legs, towering above him and gazing at him with -bulging, faceted, insect-like eyes.</p> - -<p>After the initial reaction of disgust came another thought: <i>I've got -to get out of here!</i></p> - -<p>He rose to a sitting position, swung out with a fist. But the creature -ducked lithely away from the blow. Cold hands on his shoulders pressed -him down again, and he knew it was futile to attempt to fight his way -out. He closed his eyes again—hard.</p> - -<p>"You are afraid of us," said the soft voice. "You fear me because of my -appearance. Please do not. I—we—mean you no harm, Dr. Lawrence."</p> - -<p>The thing was calling him by his own name. Lawrence shook his head to -get the cobwebs out of it. What was going on?</p> - -<p>It had been an ordinary, peaceful day. Then, five hoodlums kidnapping -Bette Bauer, and that blow on the head—</p> - -<p>And now this. Reptilian creatures with glittering eyes. Lawrence opened -his eyes again. The scene remained the same—but this time he could see -three similar creatures in the background.</p> - -<p>"Who—what are you?"</p> - -<p>And then, as he saw more of his surroundings, he asked, "Where is this?"</p> - -<p>The alien said: "You are aboard our spaceship, Dr. Lawrence. We are -following the Vegan ship."</p> - -<p>In spite of the alien's terrifying appearance, Jim sensed a curious -friendliness in its voice. "I'm—I'm afraid I don't understand. Those -men—"</p> - -<p>The lizard-like being with the insect eyes sat down on a chair near the -bunk. "Dr. Lawrence, I am Nestiv Illon. I am the captain of this ship, -which is a war vessel in the Stellar Navy of Viagon.</p> - -<p>"We are following the ship of Andsu Meero, the being who has kidnapped -your Dr. Bette Bauer. We—"</p> - -<p>Jim sat up in the bunk. "Just a minute," he said, holding up a hand. "I -may be having a nightmare, but I still like to be sure of what's going -on. The last I remember, I was trying to keep a bunch of gangsters from -kidnapping one of my patients. Now I find myself here. Suppose you -start from the beginning—"</p> - -<p>"I see," the alien said. "I did not realize you were so unfamiliar -with the situation. Those men who took the girl were working for Andsu -Meero. He is attempting to gain control of the entire galaxy—a goal -at which," the alien said, its voice dropping sadly, "at which he is -unfortunately succeeding."</p> - -<p>Lawrence blinked. "How?"</p> - -<p>"His race is telepathic to a certain extent. They can read the minds of -most other races, although they cannot read each other's minds."</p> - -<p>"These are the Vegans?" Lawrence asked, trying to keep the story -assembled into a coherent pattern.</p> - -<p>"Yes. They are the Vegans—a warlike people who are now trying to -overthrow the galactic government. Three years ago, Meero contacted the -mind of a brilliant young Earth girl who had discovered a weapon of -great significance—a death ray, to be precise."</p> - -<p>"You mean Bette Bauer?"</p> - -<p>"That was the girl's name. Meero discovered her shortly before we did. -My race is telepathic too. We found that Dr. Bauer had discovered -a system of mass annihilation that would enable any group to take -over the galaxy—but Meero had her first. He focussed a mind-static -generator on her and drove her insane. Naturally, he wanted the secret, -so he came here to Earth to get it, as soon as he decided it was safe. -By that time we, too, had found Earth, and followed."</p> - -<p>"Only Meero had already grabbed the girl," Lawrence said.</p> - -<p>"Exactly. We were too late. And now you understand the situation."</p> - -<p>"Ah—yes," Lawrence said uneasily. "All but one thing. Why did you drag -<i>me</i> into this?"</p> - -<p>The alien paused for a moment and said, "We found you unconscious and -decided to take you into protective custody."</p> - -<p>"But why? The Vegans have no use for me."</p> - -<p>"No," Nestiv Illon said gently. "But we do."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Another of the reptilian beings approached at that moment and inclined -its head toward Illon.</p> - -<p>"What is it?"</p> - -<p>"We're approaching Vega IX, sir."</p> - -<p>"Very good," Illon said. "Shift into transparency-warp and go into -orbit."</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir." The subordinate inclined his head once again and backed -away. Illon turned to Jim Lawrence.</p> - -<p>"We are within striking range of the Vegan home base now. Here's where -you come in."</p> - -<p>"What do you mean?" Lawrence asked.</p> - -<p>The alien rose. "It is impossible, of course, for any of us to enter -the Vegan base, since no disguise will conceal our fundamental physical -appearance. But you—you are of the same general somatic type as the -Vegans. A little eye-shadow, a bit of plastotek applied here and there -to change the facial contours, and I think you could pass."</p> - -<p>"You want me to dip into the Vegan base and rescue the girl? Is that -it?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," Illon said.</p> - -<p>"All very nice—but then what? Do I hand the death ray over to you and -let you conquer the galaxy? No, thanks; I might as well let the Vegans -do it."</p> - -<p>Illon shook his head sadly. "We have no such plans, Jim Lawrence. We -are only concerned with keeping the annihilating ray out of the hands -of the Vegans, with placing it in the sane custody such a deadly weapon -deserves."</p> - -<p>"How can I trust you?"</p> - -<p>"It will be necessary, I'm afraid. You must believe that we plan no -aggression of our own. No—there is a way to prove it to you." He -leaned down and spoke rapidly into a microphone.</p> - -<p>A few moments later an alien appeared, bearing a gleaming chromium -helmet. He handed it silently to Lawrence, who examined it curiously.</p> - -<p>"What's this?"</p> - -<p>"Put it on," Illon said softly.</p> - -<p>"How do I know it's safe?"</p> - -<p>"You have my word it's safe."</p> - -<p>Suspiciously, Lawrence lifted the helmet and placed it on his head, -where it fit snugly. A stream of images filtered abruptly through his -mind.</p> - -<p>The helmet was—a history book. It was a thought-record that stretched -back over centuries, over millenia, detailing the eon-old conflict -between the Vegans and Nestiv Illon's people. As the story unfolded, -Lawrence could see the cold malevolence of the Vegans opposed to the -wise, kind people of Viagon. Through a pattern of cosmic conflicts and -world-destroying wars, Lawrence grasped the history of the two peoples. -Vega had been threatening to extend its empire throughout the universe, -but had been checked at every point by the Viagoni, the guardians of -civilization.</p> - -<p>Finally, Lawrence removed the helmet. It seemed that he had lived -through the history-record for hours, but a glance at his watch told -him that no more than a few seconds had passed.</p> - -<p>Nestiv Illon was staring patiently at him. "Well?"</p> - -<p>Lawrence smiled. "I'm with you," he said.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The small scoutship slipped easily through the hatch of the Viagoni -cruiser and spiralled down into the atmosphere of Vega IX. Aboard, Jim -Lawrence rocked in his deceleration cradle and tried to form a strategy -for landing.</p> - -<p>By the time the Viagoni medics had finished with him, he was the very -image of a Vegan—thin and dark, sinister-looking, tight-faced. That -might get him <i>into</i> the Vegan base—but how was he going to get out?</p> - -<p>He shrugged his shoulders. <i>I'll worry about that when the time comes</i>, -he told himself. Now, he waited while the remote-controlled scoutship -brought him closer and closer to the planet below.</p> - -<p>Finally it dropped to the ground. He stepped out and found himself in -the midst of a vast, bleak plain. About a half-mile to the east, a -cluster of little buildings was evident—the upper portions, Illon had -told him, of the fortified underground Vegan base.</p> - -<p>He crossed the plain at a quick trot and slipped into a group of silent -Vegans who were coming out of one of the above-surface buildings and -heading toward a shaft that apparently led downward into the base. They -were clad in overalls, and looked like workers. None of them spoke to -him as he joined their ranks.</p> - -<p>He moved along down into the shaft with them. A fantastic underground -world opened before his eyes.</p> - -<p>Great lights overhead cast illumination on the scene. Buildings reared -up ten, fifteen, twenty stories; massive machines pumped pistons back -and forth, booming noisily. It was a gigantic base, a center for the -conquest of the universe.</p> - -<p>And somewhere in the heart of all this—somewhere was Andsu Meero and -the mindless body of Bette Bauer. If Meero had the chance to restore -the girl's mind and drain from her the secret of the annihilating ray—</p> - -<p>But he didn't want to think about that. He kept going with the group of -workers he had fallen in with, and found that they were marching toward -a squat, windowless building that was the center of a good deal of -activity.</p> - -<p>The Vegans he was with were silent men, dark-faced and taciturn, and -he was thankful for that. There was none of the genial camaraderie -that might have been present between a bunch of Earthmen in a similar -position. He followed them into the building, and discovered that it -was a tool dispensary of some kind. Each man was marching up to a -closet and taking forth something that looked like a large, heavy brush.</p> - -<p>Jim dropped back toward the end of the line and chewed at his lip. No -doubt the tools would be apportioned one for each man in the squad, -which meant they would be short one. And he didn't want the men he was -with to suspect anything; he wanted to stay with them at least until -he had formulated a more definite plan of action.</p> - -<p>He lingered at the back of the line, looking around. There was no one -behind him. He reached out for the man just in front of him and whacked -him across the throat with the edge of his hand.</p> - -<p>The man coughed and retched, and Lawrence clamped a hand over his mouth -to silence him. Another quick blow and the Vegan dropped. Quietly, -Lawrence dragged him away and deposited him in a closet nearby.</p> - -<p>Then he returned to the line. Now there would be one broom for each -man, no more.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>When everyone was supplied, they marched solemnly back out the door of -the supply-room. Obediently, Lawrence followed along. No one seemed to -notice that a man was missing or that there was a stranger in the group.</p> - -<p>They marched to the middle of the plaza, and there the first man in the -group bent and pried off a manhole. Then the Vegans began disappearing -even further into the earth. Tunnels within tunnels!</p> - -<p>His turn came and he followed on down into the tunnel. For the first -time, one of the Vegans spoke, barking a short instruction in a harsh, -guttural language.</p> - -<p>Lawrence heard the sound of air blowing through pipes, then the sound -of machinery grinding, then the slow whistle of the air-flow ceasing. -He realized where he was and what the crew was about to do, and his -heart surged. He had a plan, now.</p> - -<p>He was in one of the air-shafts that fed the great subterranean Vegan -base. The air had just been shut off in this particular tube, and the -crew of Vegans he had joined was about to set to work scrubbing the -tube, ridding it of any impurities that might have accumulated.</p> - -<p>Now he knew what to do. As he scrubbed merrily through the shining -length of the tube, he began to form his strategy.</p> - -<p>It involved getting out of the tube, for one thing, and getting to a -medical office, if they had any such thing in the base. That was the -first step.</p> - -<p>He counted to ten, then threw his broom in the air and uttered a -piercing shriek. Then he fell to the ground, panting and gasping, and -lay there flat against the cold metal of the airshaft.</p> - -<p>Instantly his co-workers gathered around him. Twenty dark, unfriendly -faces peered down, and they began to gabble something in their -language that probably was the equivalent of "What's the matter with -you?"</p> - -<p>He lolled his head from side to side as if to indicate that he had -suffered a stroke of some kind and couldn't speak. Drawing on his -psychiatric experience, Lawrence offered a good imitation of a -catatonic seizure, so convincing that before long he himself had burst -out in a cold sweat as he lay rigid there.</p> - -<p>Another Vegan came over—evidently a superior—and rattled out a quick -command.</p> - -<p>Immediately, two of the broom-workers put down their tools and hoisted -Lawrence between them. They began to march back through the airshaft -with him, up and out into the plaza again. They carried him into a -tall, gleaming building which was presumably the medical office.</p> - -<p>He allowed one corner of his lip to curl upward in a smile of -satisfaction. So far, so good.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Two doctors were in attendance. They studied him closely, tapped him, -prodded him, and held long colloquies with each other. After a few -minutes of this, one of them disappeared into the adjoining room of the -medical office, apparently to prepare some sort of test.</p> - -<p>The other Vegan doctor took a few steps back and consulted a bulky -red-bound volume on his desk. Apparently he'd never seen a seizure like -this before.</p> - -<p>With one bound Lawrence was off the bed and at the doctor's side. He -whirled him around, smashed a fist into the medic's lean jaw, another -into his stomach.</p> - -<p>From behind him came a shout of surprise, as the other doctor returned -to the room. Quickly, Lawrence scooped the unconscious doctor up and -hurled him at the other. They both went down in a shower of crashing -glasswork, and Lawrence sprang on top of them. Three solid punches did -the job.</p> - -<p>He hastily ripped strips from the bed and bound them securely. Then he -began to prowl through the drug cabinet.</p> - -<p>It wasn't easy, trying to read the labels in the alien language, but -James Lawrence was skilled in the handling of drugs, and before long he -had found what he wanted despite his inability to read the labels.</p> - -<p>It was a pain-killing drug, one that was in use on Earth as well as -Vega. He could tell by the familiar sugary taste of the white powder -that this was the stuff.</p> - -<p>Humming softly to himself, he slipped the bottle under his overalls, -waved farewell to the sleeping doctors, and ducked out the door.</p> - -<p>Five minutes later, he was back in the airshaft, wielding his broom -energetically. He forged on to the front of the group, heading further -and further along in the airshaft, until finally he came to the place -he was looking for—the tube that led to the heart of the air supply.</p> - -<p>He looked around. No one was watching. He pushed open the door to the -tube and slid quietly inside, trotting lightly until he reached the -central pump.</p> - -<p>"Sweet dreams," he said thoughtfully, as he inverted the bottle of the -drug into the feeder that led to the pump. With that stuff filtering -through the air, the whole base would be out like a light within an -hour or so. There was enough knockout-potential in a bottle of that -stuff, he thought, to keep everyone under wraps long enough for him to -find Bette Bauer and get the blazes out of here.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Getting out was a harder job. It involved threading his way through the -maze of air-shafts once again, getting past the swabbing-crew, and out -into the open. But he made it. By now the air was beginning to smell -sweet, and he knew the drug was taking effect.</p> - -<p>The problem now was to locate Meero. But that proved to be simple. -Lawrence headed across the plaza toward the pair of great buildings -that seemed to be the administrative sections of the base, and stopped -the first Vegan he saw.</p> - -<p>"Andsu Meero?" he asked.</p> - -<p>The Vegan looked blankly at him.</p> - -<p>"<i>Andsu Meero</i>," Lawrence repeated, with great urgency.</p> - -<p>The Vegan pointed to the building on the left and uttered a stream -of words. Lawrence smiled politely and headed toward the left-hand -building.</p> - -<p>After he had gone about half the distance, he noticed the increase in -the sweetness in the air. He stopped, ripped off his shirt, and wrapped -it over his mouth and nose. That would be ample protection.</p> - -<p>By the time he reached the building, the guards posted outside were -safely asleep. He seized one of the strange pistols from them, and -entered.</p> - -<p>Where to find Meero and the girl, he wondered. Vegans were sagging into -sleep all over the lobby of the building. Shrugging his shoulders, he -decided there was only one way. He would have to look in every room of -the immense building.</p> - -<p>But he didn't have far to look. After about ten minutes' search of the -slumber-wrapped building, he stepped into an ornate, impressive-looking -building, and found Meero.</p> - -<p>Awake.</p> - -<p>The thin Vegan whirled in astonishment as Lawrence entered. He -was at the back of the room, bending over the nude form of Bette -Bauer. Lawrence noticed a strange odor in the room, even through his -improvised face-mask—and it wasn't the odor of the drug he'd slipped -into the air system.</p> - -<p>Angrily, Andsu Meero ripped out a barking sentence in Vegan. Then his -eyes narrowed. "Oh, the Earthman? How did <i>you</i> get in here?"</p> - -<p>Lawrence's pistol rose. "Get away from that girl, Meero. Get away or -I'll shoot you."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Just try," Meero chuckled. He calmly drew his own gun from its -holster, and Lawrence realized with a shock that he was as good as -unarmed, because he did not know how to use the Vegan gun!</p> - -<p>He hurled the useless gun at Meero and dove behind a chair just as the -Vegan's pistol fired. A section of the wall caved in. Lawrence peered -out, then ducked back as he saw Meero looking for him.</p> - -<p>Cautiously, he began to thread his way along the side of the room -toward Meero.</p> - -<p>"Don't move, Earthman," Meero said coldly. "I see you."</p> - -<p>"But you don't see me!" cried a new voice. Surprised, the alien turned, -and in that moment Lawrence sprang and hit him with all he had. The -gun went flying from the Vegan's hands. He struck back, but Lawrence -parried the blow and smashed his fists into Meero's face. The alien -rolled over and lay still.</p> - -<p>Lawrence glanced up at Bette Bauer, who had spoken.</p> - -<p>"You saved my life," he said.</p> - -<p>"And you mine." She reddened, and snatched a drape from the wall to -cover her nakedness. "Meero was just about to drain my mind for—" She -paused.</p> - -<p>"I know what for," Lawrence said. "I know the whole thing." He glanced -around. "I might have known," he said. "Meero was using some kind of -drug on you, wasn't he?"</p> - -<p>She nodded.</p> - -<p>"There's time for explanation later," Lawrence said. "The Viagoni are -waiting for us, to take us back to Earth and to safety."</p> - -<p>"What about Meero?"</p> - -<p>"He'll go with all the rest of them," Lawrence said. "When we've built -your annihilator, and when we've wiped out this cancer spot of the -universe. Let's go."</p> - -<p>He took her by the hand, and they raced through the sleeping Vegan base -to the waiting Viagoni ship.</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MENACE FROM VEGA ***</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. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. 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