[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Astounding Science-Fiction, January 1947.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
_Plutonium was an equalizer. Nations learned the art of being polite,
just as individuals had learned. To lash out with Plutonium wildly
would be inviting national disaster, and to behave in an antisocial
manner would get any nation the combined hatred of the rest of the
world--equally a national disaster._
_This was surface politeness. Beneath, the work went on to find an
adequate defense, for now that all nations were equal, the first
capable of defending itself was to be winner. Ultimately, atomic death
was licked. Nicely licked but only at the expenditure of more power
than it took to develop the atomic weapon itself. It was, however,
developed. And that nation then lashed out--to find that other nations
of less belligerency had also licked the problem._
_The war--fizzled. For the wall shield that killed the effectiveness of
the atomic bomb found no difficulty in stopping a lesser weapon._
_All war--fizzled. And nations looked at one another and formed the
Terran Union. Then the Terran Union looked to the stars for a new world
to conquer. They found Mars ready and waiting._
_The Terran Union colonized Mars and exploited the Red Planet as men
have always done with a new frontier. The next hundred years wrought
their changes and the Martian Combine fell away from the Terran Union
because of the distance, the differences of opinion, and because of
slight mutational changes._
_There were interplanetary wars. The First was fought to eliminate
the fact of governing Mars from Terra, the Second was fought to
stop interplanetary piracy and to force both planets to respect the
integrity of the other. The Third Interplanetary War was started
because of sheer greed._
_During the Third Interplanetary War, atomic bombing sprung up, died,
and then continued on a very strange nuisance value basis. It became
complex, and upon the 1327th Day of the Third Interplanetary War,
interplanetary robombing assumed a most dangerous aspect. The swift
action of a small group averted disaster, and from that day on, the
course of the Third Interplanetary War was assured.--I. A. Seldenov's
History of Sol, Vol. IV._
* * * * *
The call bell tinged gently in a code that pierced sleep.
Colonel Ralph Lindsay reached out sleepily and nudged a button at his
bedside. Equally sleepily, he donned trousers over his pajamas, slipped
his feet into scuffs, and carefully headed for the door. The open door
swung a shaft of light across the bed, and Lindsay opened his eyes wide
enough to determine whether Jenna was still asleep.
Satisfied, Lindsay went down the corridor of the ship blinking at the
ever-present light. He let himself into the scanning room and dropped
into his chair. He picked up the phone and said: "Lindsay speaking,
answering 3379X."
"General Haynes, Ralph. They got one through."
"How?" asked Lindsay, coming awake.
"Super velocity job. The finders were behind by a quarter radian, at
least."
"Jeepers," grunted Lindsay.
"Say it again," returned the general. "We thought we were bad when
we let one out of five hundred slip through to you. This, remember,
was one out of one. Period. If they use 'em in quantity--and I see
no reason why the devils won't--I can see a good record all shot to
pieces."
"Where's it headed?"
"According to the course-calc, it should be hitting Mojave most any
minute."
"Well, I'd better get on it," said Lindsay. "May I contact you later?"
"Do so, by all means," said the general, signing off. "We can't permit
things like this to happen. I won't hang my head in shame at one per
cent missed, but when one hundred per cent of a shipment runs through,
I'm scared."
Lindsay mumbled an agreement and then clicked the switch to another
line. That would be quicker than juggling the hook for communications
central. The new line came in immediately and Lindsay dialed a number.
It rang.
Lindsay waited.