At his words, hope began to go out of the faded blue eyes. "Not a sign
of the _Andromeda_?" the old man persisted.
"Not a sign. Why don't you ever ask about the _Perseus_ or the
_Hercules_? They went out into deep space too, you know."
"I know," Adam March nodded. "But the _Andromeda_ was the first one to
go out, she was the first deep-space ship. It seems logical that she
might be the first one back. That's why I always ask about her."
"She went out twenty years ago," Craig said, then caught himself.
Whatever it was that the old man sought in the _Andromeda_, there was
no point in reminding him that the ship had unquestionably smashed up
long ago. Let hope remain! "Sorry, Adam. Nothing, yet."
"They might not catch her until she was real close in," Adam March
persisted. "She wouldn't be using her drive until she got in real close
and you probably wouldn't catch her until the drive was turned on. Let
me know, will you, if you catch anything?" The last was said quickly as
Craig Randall began to move away.
"Sure thing, Adam, you'll be the first to know," Craig answered.
Across the room, Mary Kirkham was trying to catch his eye, a needless
effort in this case. If she was in sight, she always had his eye. She
also had the eye of every other male in her vicinity, a quality which
occasionally gave Craig the impulse to destroy half the unmarried
men at the station. She was a bio-physicist, and a good one. She was
assigned to the bio-physical research laboratories that were a part of
the station. Mary pulled him down to the sofa beside her.
"Craig, we're going to get a whole new bio-physics lab here."
Excitement danced in her voice and glinted in her eyes.
"That's fine," Craig said. He knew how much this meant to her. "How do
you know?"
"The chief just got the news from Mr. Nuoy," Mary Kirkham answered.
* * * * *
"Nuoy. Oh." Craig's voice dropped a notch as Nuoy's name came into the
conversation. He felt his mood shift. "If Nuoy has approved it, of
course it will go through. He's got enough pull to get special quarters
constructed for him here, at the expense of Earth Government, so he
can have the advantages of living under a light gravity. But he never
considers that two billion humans scattered through the Solar System
have kicked in with taxes so that he can enjoy life." Bitterness crept
into his voice as he spoke. "What are you going to do in your new
bio-physics lab--find a way to make Nuoy virile?"
"Craig!" She was hurt at what he said. "You're spreading rumor!"
"Of course," he agreed. What he had said was rumor, without
substantiation and without proof. If anyone had been careless enough
to try to prove such rumors, the results would have been unpleasant
for the investigator. Officially there was no connection between Nuoy
and Pluto Station, or between Nuoy and Earth Government. But at high
official levels, in wire pulling that went on so far above the heads
of the average man as to be beyond his comprehension, there was little
doubt that Nuoy owned Pluto Station, and a big chunk of the Solar
System as well.
"I hope you're wrong, Craig," the girl said, seriously. "I would hate
to think we have such monsters as that riding on the back of all of us."
"I hope I'm wrong too. But I'm afraid I'm not."
"Randall!" the public address system broke in. "Craig Randall. Come to
the main observation dome at once, please."
"The military calls," Craig said, rising. "Us lesser mortals must obey."
The military ran Pluto Station, manned it, supplied it, armed it, and
used it as a base for keeping watch for mythical intruders who might
come wandering into the system from the far-off seas of space. There
was not a scientist in the station who did not feel deep in his bones
that the military could be dispensed with, that they wasted much money
and time keeping watch for non-existent pirates from the depths of
space. But the military insisted that this watch was important. Sure,
there was peace now, but there might not always be peace. Who knew
what monsters might come in from the sea that had no other shore? If
space was infinite, the danger might be infinite also. So argued the
military. Earth Government backed them up to the extent of manning its
planet station with armed forces. On Mars and Venus, they were needed.
But here on Pluto what was needed was a way to keep from freezing.
"Probably one of the lieutenants has spotted me down here with you and
is trying to get me up to the main dome to look at a meteor while he
sneaks down here and makes passes at you."
"Darling, I believe you're jealous. In that case I'll go with you."
"Good," Craig said, vastly pleased.
They used the elevator to the top of the big building. A lieutenant,
his face serious, was waiting for them at the landing. He led them into
the top dome.
Above them, through the plastic cover, a million stars sparkled. Seen
through airless space, the stars were so brilliant they seemed to be
just outside the dome. Pluto Station itself was set in the middle of a
vast valley, with low hills surrounding it. On the left, were frozen
runways extending the length of the valley. Then ended in the vast hump
of the huge dome that served as a hangar for the space ships landing on
Pluto. The hangar itself was part of the cluster of buildings that made
up the station.
Up above the rocky surface of Pluto, slanting downward toward the
runways, was a pale blue glow.
"Hell, that's not a meteor!" Craig gasped. "That's a ship coming in
from deep space for a landing here."
"That's what I thought," the lieutenant answered. "But I wanted one
of you astronomy boys to make a positive identification for me before
I aroused the whole station." With one hand, the lieutenant pushed
the button marked _Call to Action Stations_. With his other hand, he
snapped open the inter-communication line that led directly to the
office of Cyrus Stanley, commanding general of Pluto Station.
The long watch of the military was finally paying off. Life was coming
in from the void to them. The entire station awakened to the sudden
violent jangle of alarm bells.
The military had everything prepared for a situation such as this. Plan
A went into operation at once. This plan called for the manning of the
powerful Z-beams mounted not only in the station but in the low hills
surrounding the vast valley. The same power that had made possible the
conquest of space had also made possible the building of weapons strong
enough to annihilate the targets against which they were directed.
Guided by radar, the Z-beams began tracking the incoming ship.
However, Plan A called for the peaceful reception of the visiting ship,
if that were possible. Life coming in from the vast void of space was
too important to be destroyed if there was any way to make contact with
it and to establish peaceful relations. A race that could come across
deep space itself probably had enough power at its disposal to warrant
cautious and careful handling.
As the alarm bells went into action, radio beams leaped out, attempting
contact with the ship. No reply was expected for any reply that came
would be a meaningless jumble of sounds. No one knew what a deep-space
tongue would sound like. But the attempt was a part of Plan A, and it
was made.
With the jangle of the alarm, a sudden flurry of anticipation ran
through the whole station. Deep in his heart every man here hoped
that some day life might come in from across the void, ending the
utter loneliness of the Solar System. Sol and his attendant planets
might encompass a fairly large area of space, but this area was
microscopically small in comparison to the vastness of the universe.
The human race was hungry for contact with another life form.
In his quarters General Stanley hastily donned his jacket.
In his private suite of rooms Meyer Nuoy heard the alarm. Here, the
jangle of the bells was a thin whisper of pleasant sound, suited to
his sensitive ears. He stirred restlessly in the padded contour chair
that had been specially made to fit his body. Irritation rose in him.
He hadn't given permission for an alarm to be sounded. He picked up the
private phone beside his chair.
"Stanley?" His voice was a growl.
"Why, yes, Mr. Nuoy," the general hastily answered.
"What's all this clatter about?"
"A ship is coming in, Mr. Nuoy."
"What of it? Ships land regularly, don't they? Is this any reason to
disturb us with alarm bells?"
"But this ship is not coming in from Earth. It's coming in from deep
space."
"Oh!" Nuoy was so startled by this news that he dropped the cigar
he was smoking. As he slapped at the coal, the general took the
opportunity to hang up. When he got the cigar slapped out and
discovered that the general had hung up, Nuoy was infuriated.
"I'll have that stupid fool transferred to Venus!" he thundered.
The general had had good reason for hanging up. Suddenly, an aide had
entered with the astonishing news that this ship was responding to
radio contact, and that the ship's operator was speaking English.
"Hell on wheels, do they know English in deep space?" the general
gasped.
* * * * *
Up in the dome, Craig Randall and Mary Kirkham watched the glows move
through the sky as the ship approached. They could hear the clatter of
voices coming from the radio room as contact was attempted. Suddenly a
new voice came from the loud speaker in the radio room.
"Calling Pluto Station? Calling Pluto Station? Go ahead, please."
They heard the startled operator gasp as he caught his breath. "Holy
cats, the ship is talking back to me! This boat is not coming in from
deep space, not unless they speak English out there too!"
"Correction, please," the loud speaker answered. "This ship _is_ coming
from deep space."
"But--but--but--"
"This is the _Andromeda_ returning to the Solar System after twenty
years in space. Contact your commanding officer immediately and advise
him that we are preparing to land."
"Whoops!" Craig Randall shouted. "The _Andromeda_!"
The Solar System, like a vast ark riding the flood of infinity, had
sent doves into deep space. After twenty years, after all hope had been
given up, one of the doves was returning.
The jangling of the alarm bells went into quick silence as the startled
station prepared itself to welcome the wanderer home. Home, after years
between the stars, home after wandering the vastness of deep space
itself.
The Z-weapons in their hidden emplacements left off their tracking of
this visitor and the whole station turned itself from an armed camp
into a jubilant reception committee.
The _Andromeda_ came down to the runway, the vast outer doors of the
hangar swung ponderously open, and the _Andromeda_ came to a halt at
Pluto Station. From the waiting humans came the sound of a tremendous
cheer. A sloping runway was run up to the main lock of the _Andromeda_.
The lock opened. A tall man, dressed in light shorts and a shirt,
appeared in the lock. He was bronzed and lean and he looked thoroughly
fit. The only mark of authority on him was on the tattered cap that he
wore. The stars of a captain glittered there.
His voice was deep, like a bell. "I am Captain Martin of the
_Andromeda_," he said.
As he spoke, the cheer grew to a thunderous volume of sound.
General Stanley advanced. He and Captain Martin shook hands. Still
shaking hands, they moved down the runway and disappeared in the
direction of Nuoy's quarters.
In the throng, Craig caught a glimpse of Adam March. The old man had
been in the very first line had been cheering himself hoarse. When
Captain Martin had emerged, old Adam had stopped cheering. The old man
had stared at the captain as if he did not believe his eyes, then he
had seemed to shrink in upon himself, to become small and unimportant.
Then the crew came out of the lock. They were lean and bronzed, they
looked to be in perfect physical and mental health. As the last one
emerged, the lock swung ponderously shut behind them. The cheering grew
to a volume of sound that shook the I-beams of the vast hangar. The
members of the crew were taken immediately to the big lounge of the
station. Beer began to flow in vast quantities.
"I am sure Mr. Nuoy will want to hear what you have to say," General
Stanley said, over and over again, as he and Captain Martin moved away
from the ship. The general was a little uneasy because he had hung up
on Nuoy. Unless amends were made, he anticipated possible retaliation.
To the general's surprise, they were admitted instantly to Nuoy's
quarters. Nuoy seemed not to remember that the general had hung up
on him. When Captain Martin was introduced, Nuoy's face showed great
pleasure. Nuoy had a kind of compelling magnetism about him. When he
chose, he could be a completely gracious host. All of his personal
magnetism was turned on now. He ordered fine wines and foods to be
brought immediately. Servants hurried to obey him. Soft music began to
pour from speakers in the walls. Hidden jets began to blow pleasant
perfumes into the room.
Stanley had rarely been here, mere generals did not often get a chance
to enter Nuoy's private quarters. He was always surprised at the
pleasure dome vastly more heavenly than any ever decreed by Kubla Khan
in Asia existing here on the ice world of Pluto. Captain Martin gasped
in frank surprise. He gingerly tasted the wines and the foods, his
manner indicating that he was not quite certain that he was supposed
to consume such delicacies. Under Nuoy's urging, he tasted everything,
apparently with growing enjoyment.
"Now tell us what you discovered among the stars," Nuoy said.
"We made first landfall on a planet which we named Star Goal," Captain
Martin said. Leaning back in his chair, he began to talk. General
Stanley and Nuoy listened first in surprise, then in growing amazement,
then in startled bewilderment.
* * * * *
In the big lounge, every man who could be spared from duty or who could
manage to sneak away from his assigned post, welcomed the crew of the
_Andromeda_. Beer flowed by the gallons. Vast quantities of pretzels
and hamburgers were consumed, largely by the staff of the station. The
crew of the _Andromeda_ tasted food and drink cautiously, in the manner
of men long unaccustomed to the modest comforts of civilized life.
"Poor creatures, they probably haven't had a decent meal in years,"
Mary Kirkham said, indignantly.
"Nor a chance to bury their snoots in a can of beer," Craig added. "But
when are we going to get the story of what they found out, what they
discovered, and what happened to them. Hey, George!" he spoke to the
nearest _Andromeda_ man. "Where did you land?"
"Sorry, Craig," the man answered, smiling. "You'll have to get your
information from Captain Martin."
"Damn the captain!" Craig said. "We want to know."
"I understand that," George answered. "But we got orders not to talk.
Wait until we've been cleared. We'll give you the whole story."
"But that means you'll have to go to Earth first and we'll get all the
information second hand," Mary protested.