“ The car knifed through the swirling crowd, barely missing several people, and skidded to a dusty stop directly in front of Mantor."Radar signal!" the driver yelled. "The search receiver picked up a signal that sounds like a destroyer's radar. It suddenly came in strong. Probably sneaked up on us from behind that damn moon. It's coming in fast and braking hard!"There was a mad scramble as the looters raced for their ship. Heavy-handed horseplay was forgotten. They knew they were helpless against a Navy destroyer. Their only hope lay in a fast getaway. ”
M. C. Pease
Summary
“This One Problem”, is a work by M. C. Pease. It explores elements such as Mantor, Marc Polder and destroyer.
Quotes from This One Problem (M. C. Pease)
“ And without the big stick behind me I'm not hankering to commit suicide by looking for trouble."Marc smiled again ruefully. "What I can do I try to do," he added with sudden earnestness. "I figure the most important thing is to protect the Asteroid Development Company so they can buy the nuclear ore the Astrodites bring in. Without that ore the Federation's going to be in a hell of a fix if it actually does come to war. And along with that there's the matter of guarding the stuff the Navy's got stored here." He waved toward the Navy warehouse that could be seen outside the window. ”
“ Marc's voice indicated he was regaining control of himself. "It's H.D.T.—Hyper-Degenerate-Thorium—the stuff the destroyers use to get extra push."Mantor roared his glee. "Pack it aboard, boys—all of it! And put it where it will be handy, just in case."This was it, Lee thought as she stood by, watching—the final bitter pill. Mantor had as much as told them he was working for Venus. And the H.D.T. was all Venus needed to be ready for war—a war that might well blast civilization from the Solar System. Strange that so much should depend upon one man; tragic that the one man was a weakling. ”
