Kueelo came to them, as they were at the evening meal. "Be ready, Ric
Martin. The Earth broadcast will be in a few hours. Gorak is getting
the tele-magnum ready now." He handed Ric a closely-written paper.
"These are the things you will tell your Earth Council, and be sure you
follow it to the letter!"
Ric scarcely looked at the paper. They waited nervously, as the minutes
lengthened into hours, and Ric's thoughts whirled in chaos. To refuse
Gorak's dictates now would mean death to Praana's people on Luna. On
the other hand Ric knew that Earth would never capitulate! At the very
best, it would mean holocaust and a spatial war such as the System had
not known in two hundred years.
At last it was time. They were taken under special guard to Gorak's
quarters, where the tele-magnum was ready. The next few minutes would
determine the fate of two worlds, perhaps even the entire System!
Everyone was tense. Even Gorak's pallid features were pulled into tight
lines, as he said to Ric, "When we've gained control of the Earth beam,
you will announce yourself. Then you will read what is on the paper,
and no more! If you depart from it in the slightest, I shall order my
guards to blast you down." He turned to Praana. "When Ric Martin is
through, you may make a plea to the Earth Council on behalf of your
people."
Gorak turned to the tele-magnum, an instrument that dwarfed everything
in the room. The control panel was taller than the man himself,
connected to huge coils and tubes. He manipulated the controls with
swift surety. The tubes came aglow, danced with silvery radiance.
The coils hummed a smooth threnody, then shrieked as they absorbed
the increasing power. Soon the sound rose above the audible. Then ...
from far away, a faint voice was heard droning monotonously. This was
the Earth beam, the scheduled news broadcast to Venus. Gorak moved the
dials swiftly, and the voice filtered through.
"... at last report, has been determined that the Martians under
command of Dar Mihelson have maintained their temporary haven within
crater Tycho. The eight-day Battle of Luna, it is expected, will be
terminated shortly. An unconfirmed report says that Felix Wessell
has been captured, and is being returned to Earth where he will face
court-martial for high treason. Another amazing development concerning
the plague on Mars, is thought to be a hoax. Thirty hours ago--"
Gorak twisted the dials viciously, cutting off the voice. "A hoax! So
they think my demands are a hoax!" Fury mastered him for a moment, then
he went to work over the controls. "I'll cut into their beam. Be ready,
Ric Martin! They'd better listen now!"
The voice came again, then was drowned out as Gorak's increased
potential flooded the channel. Tal Horan, standing beside Ric, was
suddenly tense. He gripped his arm and whispered, "Listen!"
But Ric had heard it too, they all heard it. From the streets outside,
from far away, came an angry murmur--a _crowd_ murmur, wafted to them
through the night stillness. And it was coming nearer.
* * * * *
They saw Kueelo motion to several of the guards, and the men hurried
outside. Still the sounds came, louder now, a sort of angry chant. Now
it seemed to enter this street, to be heading this way.
Alarmed, Kueelo himself seized an electro and hurried out. Gorak
still worked over the tele-magnum. He looked up in annoyance. Then he
straightened.
"Very well, Ric Martin. I've established contact!"
Ric hesitated, then moved slowly to stand before the tele-sender. He
moistened his lips, glanced at the paper in his hand. At that moment a
guard came bursting back into the room. Blood streamed from his face.
"The workers! I--I think they've revolted!"
Gorak leaped to another instrument, pressed a row of buttons--six of
them, lightning-fast. Then he was across the room, hurrying out the
door.
"Ric Martin speaking!" Ric was shouting into the tele-sender. "Be alert
for spore-bombs aimed at Luna!" He could not be sure it got across,
but that was all he had time for. The remaining guards stood hesitant,
started to follow Gorak, and then turned back.
But Tal Horan was leaping into action now. He met two of the guards
before they could draw their weapons ... sent them crashing across
the room. Ric leaped to help him. An electro-beam slashed across his
shoulder, so close he could feel the swirling heat of it. The melee was
furious but brief. The remaining guards were no match for the two men
and Praana, who had seized a small ornamental vase from a table and was
battering one of the guards to pulp.
Tal grabbed one of the electros and came to his feet. "We'll have to
make a break for it! I know the way back to that outer air-lock!"
Outside, the Phobian workers were coming in a surging resolute mob.
There were hundreds of them. On the far side of the street were Gorak
and Kueelo and a few of the guards. Gorak was haranguing the advancing
mob, but it was useless. Then they saw him give an order ... and the
guards began opening up with the electros.
"To the right!" Tal said. "We've got to get past that mob. Stay on this
side!"
With Tal leading the way, they sprinted toward the advancing Phobians,
staying in the shadow of the walls. The electros were taking effect
now. The odor of burning flesh arose.
But there was no stemming that tide. The mob raced forward, yelling, as
those behind pressed on. Ric's work at the fields that day had roused
them, all right--perhaps too well! They found themselves being carried
forward in the mob.
A few crazed Phobians swerved from their path to leap at the little
party. Tal and Praana had no choice but to bring their electros into
play. Ric swung one foolhardy Phobian high over his head and dashed him
back among his fellows.
[Illustration: _They brought their electros into play._]
"This way!" Tal hurried to a small building, blasted the lock with his
electro. Inside were a score of the three-wheeled, atom powered cars.
Minutes later they were speeding away from the city, heading for the
outer air-lock of Phobos.
They reached the place, and Tal worked over the mechanism until huge
metal doors rolled away. They saw the ship that had brought them here,
the Unit Twenty-Six of the Martian _Valiant_. But they had no eyes
for it now. Several of Gorak's own spacers were there, those with the
new-type rocket-tubes which Tal had mentioned.
"Tal!" An idea was building up in Ric's mind. "Remember what Kueelo
said about their power plant, anchored in the center of Phobos? He
said it was reverse gravity, expanding _outward_! What would happen if
we drove a spaceship straight into it?"
For a moment they looked at each other in delighted silence.
"About three hundred miles," Tal said, looking at the gray-blue
distances of the hollow world. "And Unit Twenty-Six, here, has a supply
of atomo-bombs! We'll have to ride it out there, and then get back
before the explosion ... it will take perfect timing ... but it can be
done!"
* * * * *
Feverishly they went to work. First they maneuvered one of Gorak's
smaller but speedier ships alongside the Mars spacer, anchored it there
with magnetic plates which could be thrown on or off in a split second.
But it pointed in a reverse direction, with its prow toward the larger
ship's stern. Tal Horan looked to the fuel tanks, gave all the rockets
experimental blasts to be sure the feed lines were working. At last all
was in readiness.
Tal Horan faced Praana. "Wait here in one of the other ships. Don't be
nervous. Watch for the explosion. You'll be able to see it. The moment
you do, get these rockets warmed up and ready!"
She nodded, but her face had gone pale. Suddenly she choked up. "Tal,
is--is it necessary?"
"It has to be done. This is the quickest and surest way! Don't worry,"
he took her hands in his. "We'll get back, I promise you!"
Quickly he turned away and entered the larger ship where Ric was
waiting.
"You're a spaceman, Ric; I'm not. You take the controls."
Ric nodded grimly. Slowly he threw over the rocket-feed control.
Yes, he was a spaceman. He'd handled all types of ships under all
conditions, but he knew he'd have to call on every bit of his training
now! The rockets throbbed to life. Gradually the ship dragged out of
the lock, across the vast ledge toward the inner space. Ric increased
the power ... then they were free of the planet's shell and heading
toward the center of Phobos!
The mass of the smaller ship anchored to them made the controls
unwieldy, but Ric was ready for that. What bothered him was that they
were fighting gravity all the way--a gravity that _spread outward_
toward them! The result was the same as a blast-off from a gravity
equal to that of Mars! But there were other conditions that were not
the same.
Tal Horan looked to the magni-plate controls that held the smaller ship
to them. He tightened the power a little and then came to stand by
Ric's side.
"About how long would you say?"
"We should be able to sight it in ten or fifteen minutes." Ric
never took his eyes from the view-finder. "At least I don't want to
accelerate until then. We'll need full power for the final drive."
The space around them now was tinged with the gray-blue light, but it
was thick and murky, as though they were driving beneath the waters of
a sea.
"Suppose we don't sight the gravity-station. If we miss it
altogether...."
"We're not heading blind," Ric nodded toward an indicator above his
head. "That magni-finder will indicate the direction of any mass larger
than ourselves, and then I can center our course. I'm just wondering if
the atomo-bombs will be enough!"
"They will!" Tal assured him. "The principle of this gravity-station is
electronic. It's been here at the center of Phobos for three hundred
years without a breakdown ... but once our bombs start the disruption,
the explosion will be like nothing you've ever seen!"
Ric straightened suddenly. The magni-finder had come to life--was
indicating a position a few degrees to starboard. He altered direction
until the needle centered, and held the controls there. His eyes sought
the proximity indicator.
"Heading at it now. Fifty miles! What do you think?"
"We can go closer," Tal said. Ric didn't question him; he was a
spaceteer, but Tal was the electronic expert.
Tal Horan was peering intently ahead, now, and he exclaimed, "There it
is! I can just make it out!"
Through the glaucous haze they could barely make out a spherical shape,
hanging stationary, with a faint aura around it lending to the ghostly
appearance. It must have encompassed miles, for even at this distance
it was looming larger by the minute.
"Close enough," Tal announced at last. "We'd better get ready to
trans-ship!"
* * * * *
They worked fast. Ric sighted the controls to pin-point precision, then
locked them into place. Tal Horan was standing ready at the inter-lock
by which they would trans-ship to the smaller spacer.
Ric gave a last look at the controls ... then threw them over to
full blast. He sprang through the lock, as the ship leaped ahead
like a monster unleashed. With a sweep of the hand Tal released the
magni-plates, and was leaping after him. It was close! Their smaller
ship was sent spinning free, end over end, "falling" back toward
Phobos' shell.
Ric crashed against a wall, was dazed for a moment. He managed to drag
himself forward to the controls. He groped blindly, was able to throw
on the rocket power which served to stabilize them somewhat. He dragged
himself upright, then, and realized that the worst was yet to come.
If that explosion reached them!... They must keep ahead of it at all
costs. Ric opened the rockets wide, and gasped at the surge of power.
These new rockets were blast proof indeed!
Tal was at the stern ports now, watching the larger ship driving away
from them. Soon it had vanished into the gray-blue distance. The
explosion would be soon....
Minutes passed. Then it came. They saw it first, a blinding flash of
light that seemed to encompass all of space within Phobos' shell! But
it would be more minutes before they felt the actual concussion. They
were speeding away recklessly, speeding _with_ gravity now! And before
Ric quite realized it, they were nearing the outer shell again and he
had to break speed.
Then his heart sank within him. Due to that wild spin, he had lost
direction! The huge air-lock, where Praana waited, was nowhere in sight.
Precious seconds passed, as Ric brought the spacer skimming the inside
of the shell like a pebble inside a bottle! Panic gripped him. This
would be the end, if they didn't find that air-lock! It was the only
passage to outer space. When the full concussion reached this shell, it
would flatten them!
He heard Tal shouting in his ear. "The city! There's the city!" He was
gesturing frantically, far to the left. Ric headed for it recklessly
and swept over the city at breakneck speed. The lock should be
somewhere a few miles beyond....
Then they saw it. They glimpsed tiny pin-points of fire as Praana
blasted the rockets of her ship as a signal to them. Ric braked with
the forward tubes. As it was, he came into the wall with a crashing
glide that sheared half of the underhull away.
They climbed out, raced for the lock just as the first wave of
onrushing air threatened to sweep them up. It became a hurricane. The
full concussion would be right behind it!
Praana was waiting and ready. They piled into the ship and without a
waste motion Ric was at the controls. They swept deeper into the
lock ... into darkness. Unbearable heat enveloped them. Already they
were feeling the concussion! There came a moment of giddy acceleration,
an unbearable pressure that sent the blood pounding in their ears.
Then a pattern of starlight swept across their vision. Sharp crags
loomed suddenly ahead ... they passed over them, a wild terrain dropped
sheerly away, and their spacer became a fiery pinwheel of rocket blasts
as they were hurled into free space!
* * * * *
Ric was fighting the controls, fighting the unbelievable pressure that
threatened to black him out. He caught a glimpse of Phobos behind them,
bursting apart in a blinding holocaust. Gradually, with alternate
rocket thrusts, he managed to stop their wild spin. Then, dazedly, they
turned to look.
The scene behind them now was like something on a slow-motion film.
Almost lazily Phobos was expanding, as a ghastly bluish radiance
enveloped the area. Then Ric came alert, as spinning, disintegrating
fragments larger than their ship began hurling about them.
He blasted away, and minutes later they were looking back at the deadly
area. Only a vast powdery haze occupied the former orbit of Phobos.
Soon even this haze would disappear as the infinitesimal particles drew
together. A few larger fragments were falling toward Mars now, where
doubtless they would take up individual orbits about the planet.
Ric set his course, and on full rocket blast they headed for Earth. Tal
was worried, as he scanned the visi-panel.
"Ric ... just before Gorak rushed out of the room ... when he touched
that row of buttons...."
"Yes, I know. I'm sure that released the bombs. He already had the
sights set for Luna!"
Hours later Earth came into view, became rapidly larger in their
visi-panel. They could see Luna, far to the left. And a moment later,
part of Earth's Fleet was seen blasting out to meet them. A voice
stabbed through their radio.
"Hello, hello! Commander Graham of Patrol ship _Terra_ speaking. We've
had you in our magniview for the past ten minutes. As you carry no
insignia, you will go into a drift immediately and announce yourself!"
Ric did so gladly. Then, briefly, he explained what had happened. He
chuckled as the Commander's amazed voice came back to him.
"We observed the disruption of Phobos! You came from there? What about
those spore-bombs?"
"They're on the way! You've sighted none of them yet?"
"No. We've been watching...."
Praana spoke into the sender, anxiously. "What about my people? Dar
Mihelson, and the others--"
"They're safe. The Battle of Luna is over, and already the Martians
have trans-shipped to Earth. We're patrolling the dark side of Luna. If
we sight the bombs, we can deflect them from their course, send them
into a free orbit and destroy them at our leisure."
"No!" Ric said. "They may land on Earth if you try that. Send a flash
to your patrol not to touch those bombs, but get away from there fast.
Take my word, it's urgent!"
He received the Commander's assurance, and the televise blanked out.
"It's better to let Luna go," Ric said to Tal, "than to place Earth
in danger. We can reclaim it later--Mars, too--now that you have the
counter-active."
Tal nodded. There would be work, long and hard and dangerous. There
would be problems. He and Praana stood arm in arm at the visi-panel,
watching eagerly as the welcome panorama of Earth spread out below.