THE INVADING ASTEROID
By MANLY WADE WELLMAN
Science Fiction Series No. 15
Published By
STELLAR PUBLISHING CORPORATION
96-98 PARK PLACE
NEW YORK
©1932, Gernsback Publications, Inc. Printed in U.S.A.
[Transcriber's Note: Extensive research did not uncover any
evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Higher and higher through the night mounted the small, trim
space-launch. Far below the lights of St. Louis, capital of the
Terrestrial League, shone as myriad stars and reflected gleams on
the flat surfaces and soaring spires of the uppermost levels. From
a great height the city resembled a rambling building of tremendous
size, wherein little specks of surface-cars scampered over miniature
traffic-ways and clouds of air and space-vehicles danced around and
over the town like midges.
It was a fighting ship that was mounting upward, one of the many that
sped through space in the days of 2675, when Earth and Mars were in the
throes of that gigantic and regrettable conflict, the Interplanetary
War. However, the disintegrating ray apparatus, a deadly weapon that
enabled Terrestrial forces to compete on something like equal terms
with the overwhelming numbers of the space-navies of Mars, had been
removed from bow and stern. Most of the space inside the cigar-shaped
hull was occupied by engines to insure highest maneuverability and
speed, but in the center was a cushioned chamber large enough to allow
its three occupants to ride in comfort.
They were in Terrestrial uniform, but did not look like the sternest
of warriors. A year ago they had been students together at the
International University in St. Louis, looking forward to graduation
in 2675. But 2675 was here, and already they had participated in
the bitter conflicts that marked the beginnings of the war. Even
now, when the two worlds had drawn far apart in their orbits and the
interplanetary passage was too far for war parties to travel, they were
kept in intensive training and their school days seemed memories of a
thousand years ago.
"This is a squadron-commander's gig, at the very least," chuckled Bull
Mike Tishinev, former star athlete of his university, as he squared his
colossal shoulders. "We'll never have a softer trip, nor a freer one,
so long as we're in the service."
"And, inasmuch as we _are_ in the service, we're apt to catch it for
absence without leave, and also for using property of the Terrestrial
government for private purposes," suggested Neil Andresson, slim and
handsome.
"I wouldn't have suggested it if I had thought there would be danger,"
assured Sukune, the little Japanese, his young Oriental face shining
with a smile. "However, I had free run of the rocketport for my
experimentation, and nobody thought anything of it when I checked the
ship out. And we have all had two days' liberty and won't be missed.
They won't check the rocketport until the day after tomorrow, so we'll
have full forty-eight hours in space--first chance we've had to do such
a thing without some officer on our necks, directing every move of our
fingers."
Into the stratosphere, with the speed steadily and carefully
increasing, the ship made its way. The broad Mississippi lay across the
terrain beneath them, shrunk to the apparent dimensions of a silver
thread. St. Louis was now only a vari-colored, light-flecked blotch
lying across the river's course, with the smaller dark areas of suburbs
close at hand.
"What a lot of Martian culture could be spread by dropping two or three
roving bombs down there!" observed Sukune.
"Where is Mars from here?" asked Neil. The Japanese spun the dial of
the television, showing an orange disk blotched with gray-green.
"There you are--seat of Earth's troubles," he said.
* * * * *
"What's that lump traveling along between us and Mars?" was Bull Mike's
question.
"That appears to be the asteroid that strayed from its path, the
astronomers say," replied Sukune. "It's not more than a mile or so in
diameter, and its distance has been computed to be about a hundred and
twelve million miles from the sun. That puts it nearly twenty million
miles beyond the Earth's orbit, or half-way between us and Mars.
However, science doesn't know much more about the thing. It's a bit too
far away for exploration just now, especially since all ships are now
built for war-service. It ought to come into opposition with us in the
spring of 2676."
He delivered this little lecture with the utmost fluency, and his
companions, less versed in sky-lore than he, listened admiringly. Bull
Mike grinned and patted the Japanese on the back.
"Never knew you to be stumped by anything yet," he cried. "No wonder
the ancients used to be afraid that your people would conquer the
world!"
Returning to the television, the three young men looked curiously at
the new phenomenon in the heavens. They knew, of course, about the
asteroids--fragments of exploded planets revolving just inside the path
of mighty Jupiter--but this one, so far from its fellows, presented a
different problem.
Leaving the atmospheric envelope, the ship sailed beyond danger of
overheating from friction. Like a comet it rose through empty space.
A glance from one port showed Earth at quarter-full, a warm, gleaming
crescent that clasped a round globe of shadowy blue. Beside and beyond,
glowed the white incandescence of the sun, its light intensified by
the soft blackness of space. Jewel-like stars were scattered in all
directions.
"If Commander Raws could only see us now!" said Bull Mike, boyishly
delighted by a sense of freedom.
"If he could, he'd order us all into confinement," Sukune reminded him.
"Eh, Neil?"
Before them hung the full moon. Toward this they laid their course and,
after twelve hours' flight, they slowed down to drift like a vagrant
bit of thistledown above the silent, dead valleys and mountain ranges.
Once they dropped down and rested on the ashy surface of the satellite.
In a few moments they were able to appreciate the depressed spirits
that afflicted the occasional explorers of the lunar wilderness.
For, despite the heavenly-aspiring peaks, the abysmal depths, the
far-reaching plains, there was a certain sameness about the moon's
scenery. They could see no movement save the shadow of their own craft
sliding along beneath them. No green of grass, no brilliant color of
flowers showed. No creatures scampered, crept or flew. There was not so
much as a heat-flurry in the atmosphere--for there was no atmosphere.
Nothing but the glaring white of sun-drenched rock, the inky black of
airless shade.
"I wouldn't live here for all the money in St. Louis," said Bull Mike.
"As far as that goes, I couldn't."
"I don't see why not," argued Sukune. "Mars' two moons are smaller
and rockier than this, and haven't any more air, water or natural
comfort. Yet the Martians have built cities under glass domes; pumped
in artificial air, and settled right down to keep house."
"That's because they're crowded at home," was Bull Mike's rebuttal.
"Well, there's room enough on Earth for me just now. Plenty of girls to
keep me company and wine to keep me healthy and excitement to keep me
occupied."
They gladly left the Moon behind and continued their journey. They
passed the time by eating part of the provisions they had brought
along, by observing the heavens and by working practise problems in
astronautics and space-maneuvers. At last they idled, a little more
than half a million miles from Earth--twenty hours by direct space
flight at top speed.
Neil was at the television. Suddenly he started violently and gestured
to his comrades.
"Look here!" he cried. "A ship!"
"A patrol scout from the army," groaned Bull Mike. "Now we're in for
it."
"That's no army craft!" declared Sukune when he saw the image. "Look
at the lines of its hull, see that emblem on the side--_it's an armed
Martian scout!_"
"You're right," said Neil. "It's just about on top of us, too. Let's
shake on out of here."
* * * * *
Sukune jumped to the control board and began to strike a combination
of keys. As quickly as possible he turned the nose of their ship back
toward Earth. A glance through a port showed the Martian already within
sight of the naked eye.
From the enemy ship came a sudden streak of flame. Desperately Sukune
rattled the keys on the board. The Terrestrial craft writhed to one
side, barely escaping the explosion of a roving bomb.
"The ratty lizard!" yelled Bull Mike, clenching a mammoth fist. "He
sees that we're not armed for space-fighting!"
"What's he doing here, with Mars so far out of travel-shot, anyway?"
demanded Neil.
Nobody answered, for another bomb exploded at that moment, seemingly
just outside. It was soundless in the vacuum of space, but the force of
the detonation shook the ship like a leaf in a gust of wind.
"No chance for escape," said Sukune. He tapped the combination for a
halt and rose from his seat.
"Now he'll think he hit us," he told the others. "Let's play dead."
"Why?" asked Bull Mike.
"It's our only hope. Another bomb will do the business if we try to
run. But he'll want to capture our ship. If he sees it idling, he'll
figure that we're washed out. He'll come on board, and then----"
"And then!" repeated the giant, grinning. "Then we'll have a fair shake
with him!"
Quickly the three threw themselves down in attitudes of
unconsciousness. Neil flung himself on the sill of the port nearest the
Martian, in such a position that he could keep a cautious lookout.
Closer and closer came the enemy. Slowing down, he almost scraped
against their side. Peeping out, Neil could see a port directly
opposite. A Martian face, swarthy and skeleton-lean, was looking into
the interior.
What the fellow discovered evidently reassured him. He could be seen
pulling on a heavy space-suit over his scrawny limbs and clasping a
helmet into place. Then a long jointed arm of metal extended from his
ship to grapple and hold the supposedly disabled Terrestrial. A moment
later a lock-panel opened and the Martian emerged to jump lightly
across the few feet of intervening space.
They heard him working at their own entrance panel, evidently with some
sort of ray apparatus. Soon he had negotiated the lock and entered.
Fastening the panel behind him, he stepped over to where Bull Mike lay.
He did not even trouble to draw his automatic pistol from its holster
as he bent down to examine the silent form.
Easily, effortlessly, Bull Mike shot out his big hand and yanked the
Martian's feet out from under him.
Down crashed the Martian. His gloved hand fumbled with the butt of
his pistol, but Sukune was there first and snatched the weapon away.
Bull Mike sat up quickly, cradling the struggling enemy in his arms as
though he were a baby.
"Got him!" snorted the big fellow. "Let's appoint me as a committee of
one to break him in two across my knee."
"Wait a minute," said Sukune, flinging out a restraining hand. "I want
to question him first."
"What about?" asked Bull Mike.
"Lots of things. About where he came from, for instance."
"That's an easy one. He came from Mars," said Bull Mike. "Hi, you, lie
still or I'll do your legs in a braid!" This last to the prisoner.
"Not directly, he didn't come from Mars," said Neil. "He couldn't
travel that far. He must have a base somewhere near. Perhaps he's a
survivor from that bunch that was rubbed out on the Moon after they
landed their big space-ship there last spring."
"Thunder, that's so," admitted Bull Mike, as with no gentle hand he
unfastened and plucked away the space helmet. The prisoner grimaced in
impotent rage.
"You're a heroic customer, attacking a defenseless ship!" scolded
Bull Mike in very bad Martian. "What brought you here? Where's your
headquarters?"
They rose to their feet and allowed the prisoner to do likewise. He
looked at each in turn, undaunted by the reversal of fortunes.
"I'll tell you nothing," he said shortly in their own language. "Kill
me if you want to."
CHAPTER II
An Incredible Story
Bull Mike's open hand drove at him, its hard heel striking his chin.
With a gasp the Martian collapsed and would have fallen had not Neil
caught and supported him.
"Here, none of that, Bull Mike!" barked Sukune. "You don't know your
own strength--and very little else, either. Pour water on the fellow,
Neil."
The Martian revived. He fingered his bruised face and glared up at the
three Terrestrials. He still refused to answer questions.
But he couldn't have come all the way from home. "How far is it to
Mars?" queried Bull Mike.
"We'll see," said Neil, turning to the television and checking the
distance-finding device on it. "H'm, Mars is nearly on the other side
of the sun. 'Way out of flight-shot. That little asteroid shows at
about a hundred and fifty million miles."
"That asteroid!" repeated the Martian in a frightened voice. All three
stared at him in surprise. He recovered himself. "What asteroid?" he
queried more calmly.
"Asking, are you?" said Neil. "Well, I think you know. Where does that
asteroid come in?"
"I'm not talking," said the Martian doggedly.
"We'll remedy that," announced Sukune grimly. "Get that space-suit off
of him, you two."
The prisoner struggled fiercely, but his puny strength was futile
against their muscles, attuned to Earth's greater gravity. Quickly they
overpowered him and stripped away his armor of metal and insulated
fabric.
"Make him lie down on his face--so!" The Japanese had a hard gleam in
his eye. "Hold him by the wrists, Neil. And you, Bull Mike, hold his
ankles."
They did so. "Will you talk now?" Sukune asked the Martian.
"I'll not!"
"Well," sighed Sukune, "this may seem a little crude, my friend, but
it's necessary. Earth needs the information--and, if you'll remember,
you _did_ attack an unarmed ship."
Kneeling, he laid the tips of his fingers on the prisoner's flanks. It
seemed no more than the lightest touch, yet the Martian shrieked out as
if in an ecstasy of pain.
"You'll talk?" prompted the torturer.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!"
"A little spot of jiu-jitsu," Sukune said to his friends, rising. "It
is strange how much the Martian nerve centers resemble the Terrestrial
in position and response to stimuli. Let him up again."
The Martian dropped weakly on a seat, the defiance gone out of him.
Sukune produced a metal flask and unscrewed the stopper.
"Here, drink this," he told the captive. "It's Terrestrial wine, it'll
strengthen you. There, feel better? All right, tell us where you came
from."
The Martian licked his lips with his dark, pointed tongue. "You guessed
it at once," he said. "I'm from the asteroid. I was on a lone scout,
like you; got too far away from home and ran out of fuel. I thought I'd
capture you and fill my tanks."
"Nonsense!" said Sukune. "That asteroid isn't as large as lots
of mountains on Earth. If a body of Martians had dwellings and
fortifications on it, our astronomers would have made them out. You
don't mean to tell us that you've been living on it."
The captive frowned and hesitated until he saw Sukune's wiry fingers
crook suggestively. Then he made haste to reply.
"Not on it. Inside it. It's an artificial asteroid."
They looked at him in astonishment, only half-comprehending.
"Already you know about the giant ship on the Moon, that housed so many
men----"
"You mean," said Neil, "that the asteroid is a giant ship also?"
* * * * *
"It's more than one. On Mars we built four tremendous craft, each about
one of your Earth miles in length and shaped like a quarter-slice from
a round fruit. Then we took the four into space, one at a time, to the
point where we wanted the asteroid's orbit to be. There we joined them
together, like the quarters of the fruit fitted into shape again. The
outer surfaces of them are roughcast to represent the natural rocky
landscape of a little planet. And there we have a little world of our
own, midway between Mars and your Earth."
The three Terrestrials were still mute with amazement. The Martian had
recovered enough of his courage to laugh at them.
"I know that it sounds impossible. And so it must be, to such as you.
Only on Mars, where we have the greatest metal resources, the most
skillful mechanics, the wisest scientists in all the great universe,
could such a thing be possible."
"Well," said Sukune, "what about it?"
"The Earth revolves around the sun every three hundred and sixty-five
days, Mars in twice that. They will not come into opposition again
for fully an Earth year from now. Naturally, Earth feels secure. Her
mighty ships of war are idle, her millions of manpower loll in peaceful
repose. They do not dream that this little artificial world may be
dangerous. But it makes its journey around the sun in approximately
four hundred and eighty days, and that can be speeded or slowed
somewhat by means of tremendous rocket-engines. It will come into
opposition with unthinking Earth in one hundred and fifty days, as I
approximate it."
"Next April!" figured Neil quickly. "And then?"
"And then the little world will empty itself. It can bring forth two
thousand heavily-armed ships, manned by six hundred thousand picked
men. The space armies of Earth with their ships and weapons will be
mighty and many, but unwary. Those two thousand Martian raiders will
sell themselves at the highest cost, crippling and destroying Earth's
defenses and cities to the utmost of their power. If they are lucky,
you and your comrades will be prostrated, so that, months later, the
expeditionary force from Mars can capture the planet without serious
opposition."
The Martian bowed slightly, as if he were concluding a public address.
"I wonder if he's lying," said Bull Mike.
"Not at all, gentlemen," said the Martian. "Do you give me credit for
inventing such a wonderful tale?"
"Let's get back to Earth," suggested Neil.
"Right," seconded Sukune. "Back there we'll turn ourselves in for being
absent without leave, but they'll forget about us when they check this
lad's veracity under the truth-ray."
The three agreed. First they bound their prisoner hand and foot. Bull
Mike was told off to mount guard over him and Sukune returned to
the controls. Putting on the Martian's space-suit, Neil hopped out
and across the abyss to the other ship where it still clung by its
automatic grapple. Transferring some new fuel to its tanks, he sent it
speeding along in the wake of Sukune's craft.
In the stratosphere above St. Louis a patrol sighted and hailed them.
The Martian craft was instantly boarded and seized, and the commander
of the patrol bombarded the occupants of the two vessels with sharp,
suspicious questions. At last he listened to the pleadings of the
young Terrestrials and took them and their prisoner direct to their
home rocketport, where Commander Scholom Raws, the officer of the
space-scout squadron to which they belonged, was called to hear their
story.
His first sharp accusation of truancy was stilled as they poured out
their strange tale. When they had finished he ordered them to form a
guard for the Martian and led the way at once to staff headquarters of
the Intelligence Department many levels below.
* * * * *
The group of intelligence officers who heard the report was deadly
serious. First it held a whispered conference behind closed doors. Then
the officers emerged again to question Neil, Bull Mike and Sukune, one
at a time. The three were sworn not to discuss their adventure, even
among themselves, and directed to return to their quarters.
The Martian prisoner also repeated his story. Subjected to the
truth-rays, which, properly administered, eliminate the power of lying,
he answered all questions in substantially the same manner as before.
He was prevailed upon to draw diagrams of the artificial planetoid in
which his fellows were whirling ever nearer to their opposition with
Earth.
Finally he was imprisoned and a trusted guard set over him, with every
precaution taken to insure absolute secrecy. Should Martian spies,
still thick in every Terrestrial community, despite the ceaseless war
waged upon them, find out the facts of the man's capture, the plans of
the Terrestrial high command might go for naught.
Commander Raws mentioned the affair once only. That was when he called
Neil and his two friends into his quarters; and first making sure that
nobody could hear them, spoke as follows:
"I do not condone your absence without leave although it may have
chanced to bring fortune to our cause. Yet the high command feels that
there is some reward due you."
He paused and studied the three young faces.
"That reward will be the knowledge of what your part will be in further
action against this Martian force," he continued. "Well, I have asked
for and received permission for my squadron to be included in the
raiding group that is going to tackle them. No, ask no questions.
Dismiss!"
Thereafter nothing more was said and no further hint of the nature of
the plan of campaign was forthcoming. Only here and there, all over
Earth's surface, isolated flights and squadrons of war-craft were given
extra-duty training, were led in longer and more intricate maneuvers
than their fellows; were ordered to install fighting equipment on their
ships and to practice its use.
The number of Martians inside the round hull of the asteroid, according
to the prisoner, was about six hundred thousand. The asteroid would
have several thousand swift, light raiding ships, all fully armed and,
in addition, the sham world would assuredly be defended and fortified
to a high degree. Undoubtedly it was well guarded and observers with
television and astronomical equipment would keep close watch on Earth
as they approached. A fleet of space-ships could hardly steal upon that
mile-size ball through coverless space--surprise would be out of the
question. And chances seemed hardly better that the battle could be won
by sheer force of arms.
However, a group of six thousand space-ships was organized for the
attempt, ranging in size and model from small scouts such as were
included in Commander Raws' squadron to huge and powerful dreadnaughts
of space. Since these larger, heavier craft were less fitted for long
journeys, the start of the expedition was delayed until the middle
of January, 2676. Should the group start from Earth at that time,
computations showed, the Martian asteroid would be met at a point some
seventy million miles away, shortly after the first of March. Even
for that comparatively short journey the big ships would have to be
refitted with special tanks for reserve fuel and the crews would have
to be cut down accordingly. In the end, barely three hundred thousand
men were included in the plans.