"That is their plan. Already they have the secret of all our weapons.
They have the Venus allotropic metal. They have the Frequency Tuner!
With it, they can return to their System and be back here within a
year! They'll bring hundreds of thousands of _Energons_.... They hope
we'll be at war ... our planets will be easy pickings!"
"The silver spacer!" Curt snapped. "They're leaving in it?"
"In a few days. The Frequency Tuner has been installed! Some of the men
took it for a test flight yesterday." Again Landreth staggered, as if
fighting a battle within. "The spacer is well guarded, but I might get
you weapons ... as for me...."
"Then hurry, man!" It was Rikert, eager. "Just let me get my hands on
an electro again!"
"Two of you come with me."
Curt and Rikert stepped forward. Landreth looked at his daughter as
if there was much more he wanted to say. But there wasn't time. He
held her close for a moment, then thrust her away. "Take care of her,
Jeffers!"
Lorine's eyes were red-rimmed, as if she knew she'd never see her
father alive again. They all knew it.
Landreth inserted a three-pronged device near the doorway. The curtain
vanished. The three men stepped through, and Landreth tossed the key
back to Jeffers.
* * * * *
Curt observed the man closely, as they reached a car which sped them
toward the compound above. Landreth seemed drawing upon his last
energy-reserves. Curt wondered how the man kept going! And if he was
_Energon_ controlled, why had he come to help them?
"The _tsith-drug_," Landreth gasped, as if sensing Curt's wonderment.
"It allows you to regain your identity ... but only briefly. I didn't
want Lorine to know ... that I'm dying!"
Curt was aghast. Only Callistans could withstand the ravages of this
drug, and eventually it destroyed even them. Landreth must have taken
enough to kill two ordinary men! Now the _Energon_ force within him
was regaining control. Tiny particles of light came from his bare face
and hands, similar to radium disintegration seen under a powerful
microscope.
"Landreth! Will electros kill these men?"
"The Earthian bodies--yes. But not the _Energons_. Watch out ... for
the potential! That one they call the Zemmd ... there is no--" His
words were suddenly cut off as he clutched at his throat. Their car
reached the upper level. Here the pervading blue had deepened to a
simulation of night, but still they heard the sounds of work going on.
"Hurry, man! The weapons first!" Rikert was urging.
Landreth nodded. Even that was an effort for him now. He seemed
suffering untold tortures. Supporting Landreth between them, they
neared a low-structured building which he indicated. But Landreth fell.
He was a dead weight in their grasp, then he crumpled to the ground.
"The spaceship--wait until--" He tried to say more, but the words came
slurred and unnatural.
They left Landreth there, hurried on to the building he had pointed
out. They pushed into a large shadowy room. It seemed a storeroom for
tools, as well as strange machines similar to those in the smashed
_Energon_ spacer.
"Here they are!" Rikert spied the weapons, apparently the same ones
Frane had taken from them. These _Energon_-controlled men were so
contemptuous of Earth weapons that these had been tossed aside! "What
next? Try and get to that spacer?"
"Too many men about! We'll have to wait." Curt felt that was what
Landreth had tried to tell him. Rikert grumbled; with an electro in his
hand he felt he could overcome any obstacle. Remembering Lorine and the
others, Curt thrust three electros in his belt and cradled the lensed
radiant-gun. They hurried from the room.
* * * * *
Landreth was dead. But now, with a feeling of danger, Curt suddenly
straightened away from the body. It glowed, as if from a weird inner
aura! The aura seemed to coalesce, take definite form. An _Energon_
emerged directly upward from the earthly remains! Spinning, crackling
angrily, it hung poised for a mere instant then darted straight at the
two men.
With an oath, Rikert swung his electro up and sent a charge at the
six-inch globe. It connected, sent the thing buffeting back--but that
was all. It swept beneath the beam and darted upon Rikert. It fastened
just below his throat. Rikert screamed, clutched at the vibrant shape,
but his fingers seemed to sink through it. Then the _Energon_ was
gone--had completely entered his body!
The event was so swift that Curt stood numbed with horror. To fire
would have meant hitting Rikert. Now Curt saw the man stiffen, saw the
startled expression leave his eyes. A queer emotion rippled across
Rikert's features ... then he whirled upon Curt, the electro uplifted.
"Rikert, you fool!" Curt's cry was instinctive as he flung himself
aside. The electro-beam passed so close to his face he could feel the
swirling heat of it.
"Rikert--" But Rikert was no longer Earthian, he was _Energon_! The
thought stabbed at Curt even as he brought the radiant beam around in
a swift arc. It slashed across Rikert's body. A sickness rose within
Curt, but it was his life or Rikert's now! He held the beam fast, saw
Rikert go down in a mass of disintegrant flame. In seconds it was all
over. Curt waited tensely, but this time there was no sign of the
_Energon_ form.
Could the radiant beam have destroyed it too? But here was no time
for speculation. Through the deepening gloom he saw a group of men
approaching. If they'd seen the flash of the gun--
Curt seized what was left of Rikert's body, shuddering as it seemed to
fall apart in his hands. But he managed to drag it into the building's
shadow, then did the same with Landreth's. The men were coming nearer.
Curt crouched back in the shadows, gun ready. They passed him by,
heading toward some rough stone buildings that apparently served as
barracks.
Now other men were heading toward the barracks, as the sound of work
died away. Apparently they needed rest, despite the _Energon_ forces.
Curt peered toward the central building where the Zemmd reposed. Did it
sleep too? Curt doubted that. At all costs they must avoid the supernal
power of the thing!
He remembered Frane's words, "You will become a part of us; I promise
it will be soon."
He must get back to the others! Curt waited until the way seemed clear,
then darted across the compound to where Landreth had left the car.
Seconds later he was descending to the lower corridors.
* * * * *
A glow from the electron curtain showed him the room. Curt raced
forward, a single thought hammering at him now. They had weapons! It
meant a fighting chance, if they could avoid the thing that happened to
Rikert....
Then Curt stopped. The curtain still crackled across the doorway, an
impenetrable barrier. But he heard Jeffers' voice.
"I tell you it's true! Emmons is an official agent of Earth government.
Suppose we do pull out of this, what'll your life be worth? He'll take
you back for trial--" A pause, then:
"That spacer is allotropic metal! And we'd have the Frequency
Tuner--think of it! We could build up the organization again, you and
I, Lorine. We know all the secret bases, and how your father operated.
He'd want you to go on, Lorine--"
Through the rage that rose up to choke him, Curt called out to them.
He saw the blurred figure of Jeffers move toward the door, then the
curtain vanished as Jeffers used the key. Curt stepped quickly inside.
"So that's your game, Jeffers! Back to space-piracy, and you think
you'll use the spacer the _Energons_ have built here! You'd even talk
Lorine into it with you."
Jeffers' dark face creased in the barest semblance of a smile.
"Landreth told me to take care of her, didn't he? After all, she used
to be part of our crew, and before I see _you_ take her back for
trial--"
Curt turned to the girl, spoke softly.
"Your father is dead, Lorine. I'm sorry." He saw her features tighten.
She seemed a mere automation, beyond all emotion or grief. Jeffers
had taken advantage of this in trying to talk her into his plan. Curt
touched one of the electros at his waist.
"I should burn you!" he told Jeffers in a cold, tight voice, and
Jeffers went pale. "As it is, we're a hell of a way from being out
of this spot, and we'll need you! We'll have to make a try for that
spacer." He tossed an electro to Jeffers, handed one to Lorine.
"What happened to Rikert?"
"He's dead too." Curt didn't explain further, for he suddenly knew what
was wrong here. He whirled upon Jeffers.
"Tor Ekkov! Where'd he go? Why'd you let him leave here?"
"He insisted on it. Something about a Tele-Magnum! He was driving me
crazy with that damned tune of his--"