Night of the Saucers

by Eando Binder

  It had all been planned. Thane went to the front door, but only to glance out and see that the gardener wasn’t anywhere near. He was many yards away, trimming hedges. The android, of course, had hired human help. They undoubtedly had no inkling he was not as human as they were. Then, inside the house, Thane crept noiselessly to the kitchen and peered in, seeing the cook busy. As for the butler, after he had opened the front door, he had gone upstairs and was out of the way.

  Reasonably sure that no one would bother him, Thane found the basement door and quietly opened it. It was another tribute to their ingenious plan that there was no secret panel leading below. What more unsuspicious than a plain old basement door and cracked stone steps? Protective coloration, in a sense. A perfectly normal playboy in a perfectly normal dwelling. What secrets could he have to hide?

  As soon as Thane had crept down the stairs, he recognized the basement scene. It was the very place he had visited as a Vexxan. The old wine cask was there, in which lay the pile of Seeds that in some way threatened Earth’s existence.

  Now that he knew Seatonburry was their culprit,

  Thane was ready to use his psy-wafer and send the thrilling message to Thalkon in space. But at that moment, he felt the tingling of a ray at his back and he froze rigidly.

  Somebody had used a para-ray on him…

  Footsteps sounded back of him, coming to the front. And the stony face of the playboy confronted him. Floating at his side was Miribel’s paralyzed form, upheld by some anti-grav force.

  “You were a fool,” said the android, but without any human gloating in his clam voice. “Didn’t you think I would know a false Seed from a real one? The Vexxan Seed-hunters could be fooled, but not my special ray-sensitive senses. You see, I had to be programmed to detect real Seeds to keep the hunters from accidentally bringing in worthless imitations. I had to keep an accurate count of real Seeds until we reached critical mass.”

  “Then you are an android?” Thane said, still able to telepathize at short range.

  “Naturally. I was created solely for this mission. After it is over, I will be uncreated.”

  “You mean killed? Destroyed? But doesn’t that, uh, bother you?”

  “Why should it?” came back in dry, unemotional tones. “I have no desire for life. No instinct of self-preservation. My so-called death will be neither feared nor welcomed. I’ll accept it.”

  Thane realized the android had been deliberately “programmed” that way, so that he would never turn on his creators. He would simply do his programmed mission with faultless precision like a computerized machine, caring nothing of what happened to Earth, nor of how Vexxa might benefit.

  “But now I must destroy you, of course,” the android was saying without the slightest indication of feeling.

  “Nothing must endanger the Vexxan plan. That is among my programmed instructions.”

  “Wait,” Thane said. “If we do not come back alive, Thalkon will know we met death at your hands and your identity as a Vexxan android will be revealed anyway. And the Vigilantes will search this area relentlessly.”

  “True,” said the android instantly, putting away his gun. “Then I’ll have to program you—your brains, that is—to tell a false story when you return.”

  He turned to open an old crate, in which lay a ray-projector device. Pulling the floating form of Miribel down and placing her beside the paralyzed Thane, the android aimed the projector at their heads, then punched an intricate code on pushbuttons.

  “Can he really imprint a false memory in our brains?” whispered Miribel’s thoughts. She also had been awake all the time.

  “I wouldn’t doubt it,” said Thane. “The Vexxans obviously devised some astounding new methods of mental manipulation, or they couldn’t have programmed this android to play the part of a human being, and a playboy, so excellently. Now comes the big test…”

  Chapter 19

  Thane took a figurative breath and then addressed the android.

  “Look, Daryl, why not tell us just what the Vexxans plan to do with the Seeds? It can’t do any harm. You can wipe that memory out too, later.”

  Would it work? Would the android satisfy their curiosity and also allow them to play for time? Was the creature built for sheer efficiency? Or was there some tiny chink in its android armor?

  “A strange request,” said the android slowly. “I have been programmed to react against danger, instantly. But there is no danger in doing what you ask. Since my programming allows me my own decisions in matters like this, I will tell you what you want to know.”

  Thane sighed thankfully. The android had been first of all programmed to be human in the many subtle daily things of life on Earth. It was perfectly natural for Thane and Miribel to be curious about the Seeds. And therefore, perfectly natural for their curiosity to be alleviated. The android was no evil, human-hating, scheming Vexxan. He—or it—was simply a finely tuned machine with built-in responses, most of them along human lines. Thane stopped thinking about the answer. It wasn’t important, except that his ploy had worked, somehow.

  The android strode first to the wine casket, opened its hatch, and waved at the leaden boxes. “They have gathered 1049 Seeds. Critical mass will be achieved with just one more Seed.”

  Thane groaned mentally. It was what he had feared. “Then what happens? Will you move the Earth, as we’ve suspected?”

  The android nodded. “Beneath this basement is a secret chamber containing a huge electro-gravity generator. When the critical mass of Seeds is placed within it, immense power will be produced to create a huge magnetic warp around the whole world. This will propel Earth out of its orbit.”

  “But where to? For what reason?” Thane queried, holding his breath. Down in the underground stronghold, Kogg had refused to reveal the final goal of this world-moving plot. Kogg had also intimated that they did not plan using Earth as a colony world. They wanted to destroy Earth. But what would this gain them?

  “Before I answer your next question,” said the android, “let me ask you to picture Earth being wrenched out of its orbit. The human race quickly dies, of course, at the violent conditions that arise even before the atmosphere is ripped away. The lifeless planet plunges on into space, gathering speed under the electro-gravitic forces. Then, a slight change in the magnetic warp and Earth will enter the Nth dimension.”

  “Nth dimension?” Thane echoed, puzzled. “But that is only a means of sending something, such as a spaceship, somewhere else in the universe.”

  The android nodded. “You world will also be sent in a specific direction, after leaving the Nth dimension. It would hurtle through space like a gigantic bomb.”

  “Bomb?” gasped Thane. “Aimed at what?”

  “Aimed at Unita.”

  Miribel now gasped mentally. “Unita, the central seat of the United Worlds! The Vigilante guard ships there could stop any invasion by an enemy world’s ships. But they can’t stop a giant planet plunging through space. Unita will be smashed to bits, along with Earth.”

  “Exactly,” said the android with no inflection of triumph, just a dry voicing of facts. “With the UW wiped out, chaos will reign in the galaxy. The Vexxans, along with thousands of other maverick worlds, will then sweep out with their war fleets and take over the galaxy.”

  Miribel was horrified at this picture of the future. “Now I see why they named the super-nova crystals ‘Seeds’: Seeds of Destruction. It will mean the end of organized rule in our galaxy, the end of law and order. The piratical and rapacious worlds that spurned the UW, led by Vexxa, will seize power and plunder the galaxy. Oh, Thane… their plot is even more hideous than I imagined possible.”

  Thane felt even worse than she did, as if his soul were being ground to shreds. His world was going to be used to smash the UW. The name of Earth would be forever infamous after that,
throughout the galaxy. Not that there would be any Earthmen around to hear its name cursed and reviled. It was all so maddening…

  Thane knew it was hopeless to try, but he shot a telepathic beam spaceward, hoping to warn Thalkon. But he felt his psy-beam meeting some barrier and bouncing back, echoing his own message in his brain.

  The android pointed eloquently at a glowing cagelike affair hidden behind a box. “A psy-beam shield,” he informed. “You are cut off from outside ESP contact. Now that you have heard the whole story, I must carry out my original intention and destroy you…”

  There was an interruption in the form of a muted bell that rang in a certain cadence. The android turned. “Vexxans. Could it be…?”

  Three Vexxans burst in, their ugly faces vastly excited. One of them opened his hand. “Another Seed! The final one needed for critical mass.”

  “Then,” said the robot matter-of-factly, “all the Seeds can now be mounted in the earth-moving machine. Inform your Grand High on Vexxa.”

  Deep mental gloom flowed between Thane and Miribel, still paralyzed. They were to be witnesses of the final act in the deadly drama played by the Vexxans in their greed for galactic power.

  The android sounded almost ironic as he turned to Thane, with the final glowing Seed in his palm, and said, “It seems I won’t have to use my blast-gun to destroy you. You will die, along with the rest of your race, when Earth is catapulted out of its orbit.”

  The three Vexxans had meanwhile contacted their world on the hidden TV screen. The Grand High’s leering visage peered forth.

  “The great moment! But we will dispense with any ceremonies right now, for you three who found the last Seed. You will be honored later. Tell the android to load the Seeds immediately into the electro-grav machine. The Earth-bomb will be hurled at Unita without delay.”

  The android saluted the image. Then, he said to the three Vexxans, “You had better leave or you will die on Earth, too. Send out a blanket warning to all other Vexxan agents on or near Earth… You will have one hour to depart. As for me, as planned, I stay here and meet the end along with humanity.”

  The three Vexxans quickly ran out the door to their flying saucer outside.

  It was then that Thane acted. He leaped with tigerish speed at the android. Punching at the android’s startled face, he spoke, punctuating the words with blows. “The emanations of… the Seed you held… canceled out… our paralysis.”

  But now Thane became aware that the android took the blows without apparent effect. Then he struck back and Thane was nearly knocked off his feet,

  “I was made to be very powerful,” said the android calmly. “Even stronger than a Vexxan. You cannot defeat me. And now…”

  He drew his blast-gun and aimed it at Thane. But he had forgotten Miribel, also released from her paralytic spell. With a wild cry, the girl flung a wine bottle in the android’s face. It spoiled his aim so that the ray-blast missed Thane.

  “Good girl,” Thane grunted, leaping and kicking the android’s gun hand with all his leg power. Even the supermuscular android had to let go of the gun, which clattered across the floor. Miribel picked it up and tried to fire at the android. “It’s jammed,” she wailed in horror.

  Thane had no choice but to face his enemy again. Now, knowing the android’s power, he went all-out with a series of karate chops, judo twists, and every other fighting trick he could think of. The android survived them all. He made no retaliatory move, obviously waiting for his human adversary to wear himself out.

  Finally, as Thane stood panting and swaying on his feet from his burst of effort, the android advanced with clutching hands. “Now I will seize you and snap your spine in two.”

  Miribel stared at him, too terrified to move.

  But Thane suddenly acted and darted under the clutching hands. As the android turned, grimly, Thane ran to the wine cask and smashed it open with a blow of his fist. He grabbed up one of the leaden boxes, opened it, and snatched out the glowing Seed.

  “Don’t throw it away!” said the android, for the first time showing any sign of emotional concern. “It might become lost and…”

  Thane flung the Seed into his open mouth and down his unguarded throat. He gagged.

  “Now let’s see,” said Thane hoarsely, “if your synthetic innards can stand up to the Seed’s ultra-radiations.” The android stood as if struck by lightning. His face contorted as somewhere inside of him the deadly rays of the Seed sprayed at whatever artificial but vital organs composed his bio-manufactured body.

  “You… I…” The rest was a choking gurgle as the android toppled off his feet and sprawled on the floor. The normal pinkness of his imitation flesh faded to a stark white. All signs of whatever pseudo “life” had animated him vanished.

  “It was a Seed of Destruction for him, all right,” Thane muttered, wiping sweat off his brown.

  “Look, his features almost turned human at the end,” Miribel whispered. “He has a pleasant expression, like Daryl Seatonburry III did.”

  “He was not human,” Thane snapped. “He was ready to wipe out the human race. Miribel, send a psy-message to Thalkon, telling him where we are and to come and confiscate these dangerous Seeds.”

  “I’ll also tell him,” said Miribel, her eyes aglow, “that Special Agent Thane Smith, who once saved the world, this time saved the universe.”

  “Don’t you dare,” hissed Thane.

  * * * *

  “Police and other witnesses reported seeing a flying saucer around the seashore below Atlantic City,” said the radio newscaster. “It seemed to land but nobody could find it.”

  “Thalkon’s ship,” Thane said. The disappearance of Daryl Seatonburry III will become another ‘unsolved murder.’ Nobody will connect it up with UFO’s.

  “The Air Force,” the radio went on, “denies that its radar station nearby picked up the UFO. They said people probably saw a flight of white gulls or other shore birds…”

  “The same old record played over and over,” Thane grinned. He sobered. He was the only man on Earth who knew the truth, the incredible truth. And he also knew that though he had helped defeat the fantastic plots of two enemy worlds so far, Earth would not be safe now for all time to come. Thalkon and the Vigilantes had the Seeds, but there would be another time… and another…

  “…scientists who,” the radio went on, “commented on the UFO report by flatly stating they cannot be extraterrestrial spacecraft, and that no spacemen or spacewomen are visiting Earth. It is all an illusion.”

  “Hi, illusion,” Thane said to his wife.