Ray C. Noll

“ Bridget shrugged. "A reasonable facsimile. Especially when you throw mental fatigue in with it."
"But you need a suggestion, I thought—" Grant was amazed.
"Not necessarily," she replied. "You were mentally tired, there was some self-suggestion for sleep. But simply a continued fixation of the eyes in suggestive subjects can be enough. There may be a subconscious association with previous hypnosis, or early states of mental shock. In the highly suggestive, a steady lulling noise can be sufficient in itself. And you were alone, with no one around to snap a finger under your nose. ”

“ Bleck's magnetized boot slammed into the seat and left him overbalancing long enough for Hiller to scramble to his feet.
The man appeared berserk with fear, except he had it channeled toward the destruction of what he assigned as its cause—the ship commander.
No need to search; nothing serving as a weapon lay within reach. Taking the time to stoop and remove his boot meant suicide.
Warily Bleck advanced with the retrieved boot upraised, clumsily limping on the other. Hiller backed until he felt the acceleration straps behind him on the bulkhead. ”

“ From the dusty desert stretches the sprawling, efficient base had taken shape while United Nuclear had yet to assemble an atomjet. The schedules came out perfectly, and the first single-manned fusion-propulsed rocketplane thundered off the corporation proving grounds and glided into Base Mojave as planned. Designed for patrol of the mesosphere, the ships were to have gained for the West control of near-Earth space, besides affording superior observation posts for Eastern developments and activity of a space nature. ”

“ Grant, exasperated, brought her teasing up short. "I've been priding myself on keeping up the myth I'm a wide-awake young man and pilot. Never have I passed out before—never. I feel like a washed-out cadet. You've had your fun baiting—now, what made me blank?"
Bridget cringed as he tore a slice of French bread in half with one hostile, meaningful bite.
She waved her cigarette haughtily. "We in psychology have found certain stimuli productive of consistent human response. ”

“ He crumpled under the wave of heat and compression when the first particle penetrated the air compartments of the ship. Three of his instrument dials cracked and he felt as if he had received a blow on each square inch of his body. The penetration he located as in the sleeping quarters and sent the patch crew there at once.
About that time the second one penetrated. The jolt was sickening. Somerset reported both members of his crew unconscious when their boots let them slide against bulkheads at the impact. Worse, he said the patch equipment had spun loose and shorted, bent, and fused. ”

“ I was convinced myself it would steer the ship out of any situation involving the approach of one or two penetrating meteors."
General Morrison turned to the spatialogist. "What about the incidence of penetrating meteors in the mesosphere?"
"In average fall," the man replied, "fairly low."
"And the probability of encountering three at once along a given atomjet trajectory?"
"From what limited experiments we have made, the odds would be astronomical, I'd say."
The general snorted. "Too great to account for three ships, anyway, is that it?" He soothed his forehead with his big hand. ”

“ Hiller purposely addressed the remark to Bleck's followers. Most of them were staring uncertainly at Bleck's perspiration-soaked shirt, his white face, the hunching shoulders, and moving wordless lips.
"For the time being, let's leave it this way," said the commander authoritatively. "Unless conditions improve, we're turning back. If the odds seem later about even, we're going through. In the meantime, we'll make these preparations just in case we can chance the clusters." ”

“ Grant's thought was that she felt she had to dramatize understanding something about Air Force rocketry.
After a short silence Bridget asked, "What is the compensating factor for the reactor's being placed off the center of stability?"
Grant blinked. "What's that again?"
She swung a pointed finger at the ship. "Naturally," she interrupted, "the nose will float downward in the canal, hoisting the hot tubes out of the liquid at the end of the glide-ins. But you've got pilot, power plant, and wings frontside. How can you affect glide-ins at surface air density without nosing in?" ”

“ The impacts of missiles against the heating ship's hull constituted a slowly fading pattern of noise and pressure and pain which he was observing objectively, almost amusedly. When he attempted to read the damage indicator or communicate with the crew, the effort became immense and the discomfort great. So much easier to remain contemplative about it.
No doubt this was the condition of the crew. After so much beating, the organic function can tolerate no more. Oversight Number Three.
The commander was aware sufficiently to hope Art Eastburn kept the air cooler circulating. ”

“ While Hiller listened to the report, he was sick inside his suit from the centrifugal effect. He recalled how he'd also been sick on the Whirlwind ride at the amusement park when he was a kid. A hell of a space commander. They could use a good collision against the direction of gyration any time, provided the sudden deceleration of the twirl didn't hemorrhage them internally.
Why was he worried about gyrations when the patch kit was a casualty? That latest development cinched it: the odds on getting through were falling every minute. ”

“ But halfway down, she halted and turned.
"It's much easier asking me out dancing, Grant," she smiled impishly, and clacked across the hangar floor toward the jeep.
By the next morning arrangements for a small staff and office space had swiftly gone through. Working through lunch, Bridget had the office set up and the staff briefed and researching when Grant returned from dining with the general.
"You're just in time," she said, looking up from an already cluttered desk. "I'm ready now to scan through any G-2 you have on atomjet operation in your Mojave files." ”

“ His exercise target was a southwestern New Mexico town, and he swung back from the Gulf area and coaxed the responsive craft until the planet gleamed brightly in the crosshairs of the navigational sight. ”

“ Keeping his eyes on Bleck, the commander went on, "One minute to test drill. Only this isn't a test drill. Repeat, this is not a test drill. It's the real thing. We are now into the Belt. Repeat, this is the real thing."
Bleck clawed over the bulkheads of master control's cubicle searching tactilely for the deceleration straps, his eyes riveted blankly on Hiller.
"I take complete responsibility for this deception," Hiller spoke to the crew, "and I can justify it. Yes, Hollender, Eastburn, and Merrick were in on it. ”

“ By the time she finished, Grant's dessert was beginning to taste like vitaminized space rations.
"Impossible," he said, dabbing at sherbet spots on his trousers. "The general would react faster than to a red alert."
"Your concern may be the general's reactions, but mine's not," Bridget snapped. "I just want an objective engineering answer, yes or no."
Grant threw up his hands. "O.K., O.K. With a live pilot, yes, you can get a TV transmitter in an atomjet with some doing. ”

“ Bleck turned to the others significantly and brought back with him a harsher gaze, which he leveled at the commander. "Most of us here think there's only one sane way out. A couple will go along with any decision. But most of us, including me, want to turn back. Isn't that right?" He turned again to the men for support. Some nodded.
"We figured the chances if we keep on course," Bleck went on, breathing a little heavier. "They're three to one against making it. I don't like those odds, Hiller,"—his upper lip was curling a little—"and we didn't agree to odds like that when we volunteered. ”

“ A pause. "Ashley, Mojave."
"How's my picture now?"
"Your vertical is off, and you flutter. Major, the first three hours have been without direction from the base. For the next two, we're going to ask you to perform certain patrol tasks, perhaps repeat them. The process may not prove especially enjoyable. Your close coöperation will be appreciated."
"If this is all stuff we went through in training—" Grant sputtered.
"Some of it may be," Bridget's voice. "The fact it's distasteful may make it the more significant. Are you ready to coöperate?" ”

“ Hiller grinned. "Thanks for bringing out the situation so well, Art. Hollender's the mathematician here, and I don't go in for formulating odds. But I'll give odds right now on our getting through with one perpendicular strike. Any takers?"
"That's a hell of a bet," Merrick griped. "If you lose, who's around to collect?"
"I'm talking odds," the commander said. "Anyway, you over-estimate the effect of a perpendicular strike. In a closed compartment it could be rough. By leaving every compartment hatch open, the compression would dissipate throughout the ship with less damage." ”

“ Hollender and I've calculated the fuel drain required to circumnavigate the clusters. It came close, close enough to make you want to cry. But not close enough. The wall of the clusters happens to be too spread out and in near-perfect line with our point of rendezvous with Mars. ”

“ I've heard it's better."
"And please replace your galvanometric and respiratory clamps. We're getting no register here."
"They're too uncomfortable."
"Major, let me remind you this flight is costing the taxpayers plenty, hasn't General Morrison's clearance, and may have to be flown again unless you coöperate fully." Grant smiled at the lens. He could visualize her curls whipping around.
"Now, please coöperate and replace the clamps, and try to simulate patrol conditions. I will call you from time to time for further instructions. Ashley at Mojave—out." ”

“ Hollender handed him photographs out of a transparent file cabinet. "Here're some blowups under high power. Visible proof from these, but nothing highly accurate from the spectography."
"But this is asteroid stuff," Hiller nodded at the photographs. "They look like pinhead star clusters."
"That's what they are, clusters," Dave replied seriously. "Fragments of planetoids, evidently, revolving around common centers of gravity." ”

“ Generally speaking, human beings are fine buck-passers—but there's one circumstance under which they refuse to pass on responsibility. If the other fellow says "Your method won't solve the problem!"—then they get mad! ”

“ There it was, physically as much as any commander could do under the circumstances. The rest was largely luck—and, of course, how fast he acted to offset any bad luck.
Hiller took the time to explain to the crew the tactics planned in traversing the Belt.
"You guys are gamblers or you wouldn't have volunteered for this commute," he concluded. "The only difference with the hand you're holding now is that somebody else had to figure the odds for you. They're not bad odds either. If you grouse and jump for the straps every time a plum taps the hull, they're 50-50. ”

“ Grant frowned. "Yes, usually empty, but still a weight factor. Then there's the automatic wing stabilizer that adjusts to the air speed and density and acts to pull up the nose—"
"O.K.," she interrupted. "Now, would you lift me through the canopy, please? I'd like to sit inside a minute."
"That's out," he said. "Only pilots and technicians."
"All right, if you won't, I'll get up myself." She marched over to the hangar wall and pulled over boarding steps, which were braced on three pivotal tires.
"Bridget, Security says pilots and mechanics." ”

“ Merrick suddenly sat up straight.
"It seems to me pointing the nose right at the asteroid flow would be better."
"You forget our transit velocity, Del," the commander observed. "We'd be chancing running into as many particles perpendicularly with the ship lengthwise at two m.p.s. as we would miss by pointing our nose at those catching up with us at about the same speed."
Merrick threw up his hands. "Okay, okay," he surrendered. "All I hope is you math boys have it figured right."
"We're running it through the calculator to round off the rough edges," Hollender assured him. ”