Nelson S. Bond

“ I guess that's why they're radiomen. What you see before you is a broken man. A man sadly buffeted by Fate and the dread clutch of circumstances. Not to mention meddlesome vice-presidents."
This time I got it.
"Biggs?" I said.
"Yes, Sparks. Biggs. Now tell me, man to man, what did I ever do to deserve Biggs?"
He had me there. Being the skipper of the Saturn is not what I'd call an easy job under the best of conditions. The Saturn is the oldest space-lugger still doing active duty on Corporation runs. She was built 'way back there before the turn of the century. ”

“ Cap on the carpet before the Board; the rest of us sitting around chewing our fingernails, wondering whether they'd yank the Saturn off the Venus run.
"Well, what are you going to do about him?" I asked.
"What can I do?"
"There's always the airlock," I suggested. "Nobody would ever blame you."
"This ain't no time to be funny, Sparks!" complained the skipper. "This is a serious problem. We've got a valuable cargo of mekel-root and clab-beans to take into New York. ”

“ The skipper's face was turning purple. "And this heat!"
"I turned off the refrigerating unit," clacked Biggs pleasantly. "You see, I had a theory that since the climate of Venus is warm and moist, it would be better for the cargo if I attempted to simulate its normal conditions of growth. So I—"
"And the suit?" roared Hanson. "Why the bulger?"
Biggs moved his hands deprecatingly.
"Why, possible infection, you know. I didn't want to expose the vegetables to any organisms—"
"Infect ... moisture ... heat...." Captain Hanson gave up. He buried his face in his hands. "Tell him, Sparks! ”

“ He picked me up on that one quick as a flash.
"But—but they won't be with us when we land, Sparks. As soon as we hit Earth's atmosphere, the friction will destroy the Forenzis and their contents."
I whistled softly.
"By golly, you're right. I clean forgot about that, and Hanson was so sore, he forgot it, too. That means we have to get those containers back into the ship before we hit the tropo, or we're going to lose a couple hundred bucks worth of equipment."
Biggs said meekly, "I—I'll be glad to go out and reclaim them, Sparks. Can you fix it up with the skipper?" ”

“ The loss of two alpha particles and the loss of a single beta particle in a molecule of lead, causes that molecule to become an isotopal molecule of gold, with an atomic number 79, and the atomic weight of 199. ”

“ F-O-B-VENUS By NELSON S. BOND
Lancelot Biggs was perhaps the worst second
mate Captain Hanson had ever shipped, and
he was convinced of it when he ruined their
cargo. But how dumb a man is, may
sometimes be a matter of opinion. ”

“ Or it may be that some enzyme secreted by the rotten vegetables acted as a catalyst. Lab workers will have to study that."
"You're still not telling us what happened."
"Don't you know? It was transmutation, induced in the lead Forenzi jars by the action of cosmic rays." [1]
Captain Hanson said in an awed tone. "Exposure to cosmic rays done that?"
"Yes. Artificial transmutations were caused 'way back in the early 20th Century through bombardment with gamma rays. And cosmic rays are more than ten times as short as gammas. ”