A gunnery Cadet named Peters was in the weapons room when Turk got there.
“How’s the boy, Petey?”
“Raring to go. We’re due to change over in about twenty minutes, aren’t we, Turk?”
“Right. That’s why I’m here. Got a message for you from Lieutenant Odet. He wants to see you in starboard gunnery right away.”
Cadet Peters stood up and stretched. His hands were grease-stained. He’d spent all his duty-hours in subspace servicing the “Goddard’s” hand weapons. “Boy, the way they made me work,” he told Turk, “you’d think there was going to be a mutiny or something. Look at them. They really shine, don’t they?”
The racks of atomic rifles and atomic pistols were indeed gleaming. “They sure do,” said Turk, trying to hide his impatience. “Lieutenant Odet wants you up there before change-over, Petey”
“But I was given orders to watch the gunnery room.”
“Why do you think he didn’t send for you on the intercom? That’s why I’m here, to keep watch. Now get going.
Cadet Peters gave Turk a mock salute. “Aye, aye, sir. I didn’t realize I was talking to the captain of the whole space navy.”
After that, Cadet Peters left.
It took Turk less than ten minutes to do what he had to do. Under his jumper he was carrying a plastic bag, Stenciled on it was the name of the manufacturer and in smaller letters the contents of the bag. It had contained enough food concentrates, according to the lettering, to feed a dozen men for a week. Turk now quickly stuffed it with half a dozen atomic pistols. He tucked another two in his belt, one for himself and one for Lieutenant Odet.
Then he took the remaining atomic pistols and atomic rifles down from their racks and piled them near the hatch of the disposal- and escape-chute, smiling all the while because as he executed his end of it he began to like Lieutenant Odds plan better and better. Lieutenant Odet had known, of course, that there would be an escape-chute in the weapons room. By law, every room above a certain size aboard a spaceship needed such a chute.
Lieutenant Odet’s plan was for a bloodless mutiny. Opening the inner hatch of the escape-chute, Turk swiftly placed the weapons inside. He rammed the inner hatch shut and pressed the disposal button which would open the outer hatch, ejecting into subspace all the weapons but those he now had in his possession and the few Ballinger and Harry Gault and one or two others might be carrying.
Then Turk took his food-concentrates bag and left the weapons room.
When Turk got to the dumb-waiter, a fat quartermaster Cadet named Stone was just loading trays of food that would be sent to the storeroom where Andy, Charlie Sands, and the others were imprisoned.
“Hold it, Stone! Are you the dim-brain who’s been sending them meals?”
“What? Who, me?” Stone said, surprised.
“Are you or aren’t you?”
“Mr. Gault gave me orders to… .”
“That was when there was just one of them, stupid.
What have you got, six trays there? Six trays, three times a day? How much good food do you want to waste on half a dozen would-be mutineers?”
With an exasperated heave, Turk dropped the plastic bag to the floor.
“What’s that?” Stone said.
“What does it look like?” Turk demanded, still exasperated.
“Concentrates?”
“You’re brilliant, Stone. Congratulations. Here, get a move on. Help me with those trays.”
Turk began to remove the trays of food from the dumb-waiter. Cadet Stone stood for a moment, perplexed, and then helped him. At last Turk set the bag of atomic pistols on the dumb-waiter.
“How do you work this thing?” he asked.
“All you have to do is … never mind, I’ll do it.”
Cadet Stone slammed the hatch and pulled a switch. Turk heard a faint groaning sound that meant the dumb-waiter was operating.
And that meant the atomic pistols were on their way up to Andy.
“Use your head from now on,” Turk told the still bewildered Cadet Stone. “Maybe it will keep you out of trouble.”
As he raced back along the companionway, Turk heard the clanging balls that announced the “Goddard’s” ’ change-over from subspace to normal space.
It was Charlie Sands who went to the dumb-waiter hatch when the light flashed on.
“That’s funny,” he said. “It’s just a bag of concentrates.”
At that moment they all heard the faint sound of the change-over bell.
“Anybody hungry?” Charlie asked.
A chorus of not-me’s greeted his question.
“Me neither,” Charlie Sands said.
Andy was restless. Thinking of the “Goddard” streaking through subspace and its rendezvous with destiny at Canopus, he had slept poorly and eaten little. Now he prowled the length of the small room twice back and forth and stood in front of the dumbwaiter. He lifted the bag off with one hand, slammed the hatch with the other, and dropped the bag to the floor.
It clanked.
“That’s funny,” Andy said.
He crouched and opened the bag. His eyes narrowed. Slowly he drew one of the atomic pistols out. He started to smile. “Turk!” he cried. “It’s got to be Turk. You were wrong about him. He didn’t betray us. He didn’t.”
The rest of them pounced on the plastic bag and all but ripped it apart to get at the atomic pistols.
Andy and Charlie Sands looked at each other.
“We’ve just gone through change-over,” Andy said.
“They’ll be all jammed up with work,” Charlie said.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Andy asked.
Charlie nodded mutely.
“Listen,” Andy said, “the one thing I’ve got to do is get to the radio. Now that we’re back in normal space, it’ll work. We’ve got to try and contact the ‘Nobel,’ got to carry out whatever instructions they give us. That’s our first job.”
“We’ve also got to secure the ship,” Charlie Sands pointed out. “We won’t be much use to Captain Strayer if we’re captured again.”
Andy said, “You haven’t heard Lambert Strayer talk. I have. If he’s ready with a speech for the fleet, and if as a start I can give him a hookup to the ‘Goddard’s’ intercom, I hope we can take the flagship over without a fight.”
“If the ‘Nobel’ escaped the Monitors,” Charlie Sands pointed out.
It was, Andy knew, an awesomely looming if. What if the “Nobel” had been destroyed? If it had, whatever happened in the next few minutes aboard the “Goddard” wouldn’t matter at all.
Andy stood in front of the door. The others, each armed with an atomic pistol as he was, formed a half-circle behind him. Andy looked at Charlie Sands, who nodded slowly.
Andy fired.
The roar of the atomic pistol’s minute charge was deafening. Andy had never fired one before, and the unexpected recoil dropped him to one knee. He glanced up and saw smoke and fused metal and Charlie Sands leading his companions through the blasted doorway. Andy ran after them.
There were two guards in the companionway. The blast had knocked one flat. He was struggling to his feet. The second, standing, confronted Charlie Sands with a short-barreled atomic rifle.
“Drop it,” they both said simultaneously.
A split second before either fired, a third voice said sharply, “Drop it. You’re covered.”
Turk and Lieutenant Odet, both armed, stood in the companionway behind the guard. He half turned and dropped his atomic rifle.
Ten minutes later, Andy, Charlie Sands, and Turk were in the radio room of the “Goddard.” Along the companionways, they had passed several spacemen hurrying to their stations. Atomic pistols tucked out of sight, Andy, Turk, and Charlie, who were also hurrying, didn’t attract any attention. Lieutenant Odet had led the other Cadets in search of Captain Ballinger and Harry Gault, hoping to reach them before they could rally whatever section of the “Goddard’s” crew would remain lo
yal to them. The two guards were trussed up in the storeroom with rope Lieutenant Odet had brought for the purpose.
As Andy, Turk, and Charlie entered the radio room, a Communications Lieutenant named O’Hara was calling, “Ballinger fleet, attention! Attention, all ships of the Earth fleet! We are now in normal space near the orbit of the Canopian planet. We are now… .”
“That’s enough,” Andy said. “Cut your connection, Lieutenant.”
When Lieutenant O’Hara whirled, he was confronted by three drawn atomic pistols.
“What’s the matter with you?” he cried. “Have you gone crazy?”
“Calm down,” Andy told him. “In a few minutes we’ll all be taking orders from Captain Strayer aboard the Spaceship ‘Nobel.’ All of us, you included. Just sit down and calm down.”
Turk and Charlie advanced on him. Lieutenant O’Hara sat down and glared at them.
Andy twirled the radio dials to the “Nobel’s” frequency. There was a moment of awful silence, and then faint static, and then silence again.
If the “Nobel” had been destroyed … with Frank aboard… .
“This is Cadet Marlow aboard the ‘Goddard’ calling the spaceship ‘Nobel.’ ‘Goddard’ calling the spaceship ‘Nobel.’ Come in. Come in, ‘Nobel.’ “
More static … and then, at first faintly and then more clearly, Andy heard a voice over the radio.
“… Captain Lambert Strayer, commander of the spaceship ‘Nobel,’ calling the flagships of the Ballinger fleet. Do you hear me, flagships of the Ballinger fleet? Please respond. This is Captain Strayer, commander… .”
The “Nobel” had come through.
Chapter 17 Canopus
One by one, as Andy heard the voices of the other eleven Hammerfest volunteers, the flagships called in.
” ‘White Sands’ under your command, Captain.”
” ‘Cape Canaveral’ awaiting orders, sir.”
” ‘Redstone’ under your command, Captain.”
” ‘Peenemiinde… “
” ‘Hokkaido… “
After eleven ships had reported in, Andy spoke into the radio, “Marlow aboard the ’Goddard,’ Captain. We’ve secured the radio room, but Captain Ballinger is still unaccounted for.” Tersely, Andy related the course of events aboard the “Goddard.” Captain Strayer said, “We need the ‘Goddard/ We want the ‘Goddard’ to lead the Ballinger ships to our standard. If you lead, and if the other flagships follow, we hope to get the fleet without a fight.”
“What’s your position, sir? We don’t have the radar room.”
Andy heard another voice. “Hello, Andy. This is Frank. We are fifty thousand miles Galactic north of the Canopus ecliptic and directly north of the Star Brain’s planet. Your position is a hundred thousand miles Galactic south of the ecliptic, ten thousand east of the Star Brain and fifteen degrees behind the planet’s current orbital position. The Ballinger ships came out of subspace in a wedge-shaped formation with you at its apex. Have you got it?”
Jotting the figures down, Andy said, “I’ve got it, Frank. I hope we’ll be able to make use of it.”
Just then he heard the sound of footsteps pounding in the companionway outside. The “Goddard’s” radio man waited expectantly. Turk and Charlie Sands stood with their atomic pistols ready.
Lieutenant Odet burst into the radio room. “We took Ballinger without a fight,” he said exultantly. “Not a man aboard tried to stop us. Ever since the battle with the Monitors, they’ve been waiting for something like this to happen.”
“What about Gault?” Charlie Sand asked. Lieutenant Odet shook his head. “Couldn’t find him. We’re searching the ship. He’s aboard somewhere. I don’t have to tell you there are maybe a thousand places he can hide. But you don’t have to worry, Cadet. What can one man do?”
Despite his own exultation at Lieutenant Odet’s report, Andy felt uneasy. Harry Gault had managed to give them the slip once before, in Norway, and that had resulted in trouble.
“Marlow aboard the ‘Goddard/ ” he spoke into the radio. “We’ve got Ballinger. We’re in control.”
Captain Strayer said, “Then we’re ready. All flagships, attention. Tell your fleets the purpose of Project Nobel. Order them to the ‘Nobel’ one at a time; order them to remake their formation with the ‘Nobel’ at the apex. ‘Goddard’ first, then the other flagships, then the ships of the line. They’ll be waiting to see what you do aboard the flagships. We still hope to get the others without a fight.”
“And if they do fight?” Lieutenant Odet said tensely into the radio.
“Bluff them. We’ll blow out of space any ship that balks.”
It was, Andy realized, an audacious bluff. The “Nobel” itself was unarmed, and at the moment only the dozen flagships could be relied on. If the remainder of the fleet resisted, the “Nobel” and all twelve flagships could be blown out of space.
“This is the ‘Goddard,’ ’’ Andy said. “We’re signing off, ‘Nobel.’ We’d better start broadcasting to the rest of the fleet.”
Frank said, “Good luck, sprout,” and then the connection went dead.
Andy dialed the Ballinger fleet frequency. A hand tapped his shoulder. It was the “Goddard’s” radio man. “I know all the radio ops,” he said slowly. “I went to school with most of them, and I served under Captain Strayer five years ago aboard the ‘Sagittarius.’ I think 1 could get through to them faster than you could. Just tell me what I’m supposed to say.” ‘‘I’ll tell him,” Charlie Sands said.
“Me,” Lieutenant Odet said, ‘Tm going to see if I can round up Harry Gault.”
Turk pretended to spit on his hands and rub them together in the age-old mock-preparation for action. “I’d better get down to gunnery, in case some of those ships have the wrong idea.”
As soon as the radio man started broadcasting, Andy went to the radar room to see the results.
The “Goddard’s” radar technicians left the screens to crowd around him.
“What’s up, Marlow?”
“Come on, Cadet. Let’s have it. You’re on the inside; you know the setup.”
“What’s happening?”
“Is it true Captain Ballinger was taken prisoner?” “Aren’t we going to fight our way to … ?” “Watch the screens,” Andy said tersely.
“What for?”
Andy turned to the main screen. There, as little green pips on the gridded screen, every ship of the Ballinger fleet except the “Goddard” itself could be seen. The pips formed a wedge minus its apex. A row of two pips first, immediately behind the unseen “Goddard,” and then rows of three, four, five, six, and so on.
“In a few minutes we’ll be moving out,” Andy said. “To join Captain Strayer’s ship, the ‘Nobel.’ After that, the other flagships ought to start moving out, then the rest of the fleet.” He thought, but didn’t add: if they don’t, we’re in trouble.
The radar technicians waited anxiously behind him. Andy felt a lurch as the “Goddard” changed course. The wedge of ships seemed to recede on the screen. On a smaller screen to its left, the single pip that was the “Goddard” grew larger.
Andy waited, aware that he was holding his breath.
A single green pip shot out of the wedge-shaped formation and streaked off the screen. Seconds later, it appeared on the screen showing the “Nobel.” Then another, and another, and another, left formation.
Eleven ships ranged themselves behind the “Nobel” … or twelve, including the “Goddard” itself, as the radio man relayed Charlie Sands’s instructions.
Still Andy waited, his fists clenched. Those eleven had been a foregone conclusion; they’d been taken over by the Project Nobel volunteers, as the “Goddard” had.
But the others? They still vastly outnumbered the “Nobel” fleet. If their Captains decided to disobey… .
Two more green pips shot out of the radar screen formation. A cheer rose among the technicians.
Three more … and the formation began to lose
its shape.
A single ship, and no more for two agonizing minutes.
Then ten at one time, and another ten.
A single ship again.
And seven… .
Reed Ballinger’s war fleet was rapidly becoming the escort for Captain Strayer’s Project Nobel.
A metallic voice spoke above Andy’s head. Startled, he turned. It was the “Goddard’s” intercom, and he recognized Charlie Sands’s voice. “Andy? You’d better get back to the radio room. We’ve picked up our first message from Canopus, something that calls itself the Guardian of the Star Brain. It could mean trouble.”
Andy asked the radar technicians, “Who’s in charge here?”
A grizzled, middle-aged man said, ‘“I’m Moody, Tech l/c, in charge of radar.”
“Get on the intercom, and stay on it. If you see anything except the ships coming over, report to the radio room.”
Moody came to attention and said smartly, “Yes, sir.
For the first time in his life, Andy began to feel like an officer in the space fleet.
Charlie Sands held a finger to his lips for silence as Andy rushed into the radio room. On the radio, a strange voice was saying:
“Men of Earth, you have disobeyed the Edict. We give you three hours Earth time to change over into subspace and return to your solar system. If you refuse, you will be destroyed. We have five hundred Monitors and a thousand manned ships waiting on
Canopus. If you refuse, we will move against you reluctantly … but move we will.”
Andy heard Lambert Strayer’s calm voice. “We come in peace. “We have a message for the Star Brain. We came six hundred light years and more to deliver it. We intend to deliver it.”
“Men of Earth,” said the strange voice, “you claim you come in peace; yet your ships are armed. This is no fleet of peace. Nor is what you did in your own solar system an indication of peace. Monitor base on Luna reported a battle in space and destruction of all the Monitors.”
Andy expected Captain Strayer to argue that there had been two Earth leaders, one bent on war and the other, himself, on peace. But Strayer surprised him, saying instead:
“You gave us no choice. We had to come armed; otherwise the Monitors near Earth would have shot us out of space. We had to battle the Monitors. They were not manned; only Earthmen died in the battle.” He said slowly, “We believe our message to be an important one. We hope it will lead to a lifting of the Edict against Earth, but even if it doesn’t we believe it is important for the welfare of the Galaxy as a whole. “We ask your forbearance. We must see the Star Brain.”
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