Wallace West

“ That was always Suspenso's after-effect, along with a ravening hunger and thirst. Sage reached for the canned tomatoes which spacemen favor in getting their starving, dehydrated bodies back to normal. Then he recalled the comb-shaped vessel and squinted blearily through the blister above his hammock. The black sky was empty of everything except gigantic sun, unwinking stars and the blank and shining disc of Venus. ”

“ Then you'll have a sporting chance of getting to civilization."
"The Underground," sang out a downy youth from Mars. "The indoctrinators said you can get shot just for joining it."
"That's right. I said you had to have guts.... Well, good luck, folks. You've made a good start; only one group of Incors out of three ever gets to Nirvana without being hi-jacked. Let's go." She jumped from her perch and stalked off toward the town which rose, like a scene from fairyland, before them.
Nirvana had once been the main pleasure city of Wildoatia while Venusport had been its administrative center. ”

“ As a slow lightening of the cloud blanket indicated dawn, Sadie and Frank took places among some fifty Incors who were heading out from Venusport into Wildoatia. Like the others, they were dressed in heavy coveralls. Each carried a Tommygun, a knapsack stuffed with food and necessities, and a money belt containing the five thousand gold dollars without which no man or woman was allowed to cross the last frontier.
The Incors were a wild lot; mostly young, high-spirited or spoiled people who rebelled at the strict moral standards of United Stars. ”

“ Moments later a patrol ship disappeared in a flash which temporarily blinded the watcher.
That had been only a fission torp, he knew. But what if that crazy Carlos decided to chance one of the new disintegrators? A hit on one of the attackers would destroy the whole fleet. On the other hand, a miss.... As his sight returned he stared down at Venus in growing horror. If Hans had been right, a miss would explode the planet and might make the whole solar system go Nova! ”

“ Schmidzu was not in the least bored as he undressed her with his slant eyes. "There is no substitute for honorable war."
"Too bad." The girl turned to Mike. "When do we start?"
In the dripping twilight ... that hour before ravening jitbugs make outdoor life impossible ... the scamour hunters poured out of the gates and into the softly-breathing jungle. Machetes in hand and Tommyguns slung across their shoulders, about a dozen of the commandant's guests spread out and moved forward warily. The chairman attached himself to Sadie and Frank as they advanced. ”

“ Within her silver skin lay the crooked aspirations of Wildoatia.
"Look at her," the leader crooned on one occasion. (Frank had been given a clean bill by Security and was being taken on an inspection trip.) "She'll reach Far Centaurus some day ... but I won't be on her." He caressed the bulging stern plates. "In here is a standard set of peroxide jets to take her through atmosphere. I hate the clumsy things. Wish I had time left to solve that problem of radiating heat from a compact pile when it's not operating in space.... Look up there!" They craned their necks, as at a skyscraper. ”

“ The cowboy opened his mouth but closed it when Frank kicked his shins. There was a long silence.
"Splendid! Splendid," bellowed the fat man at last. "You have no leaders. That's as it should be in Wildoatia, where every man is a king and every woman a queen." As houris threw garlands around the necks of the newcomers he continued: "Tonight Nirvana is yours. You are honored guests of the city. Not one penny can you spend. Come, follow me to the City Hall. We must check your passports. A mere formality, of course."
"Of course!" sneered Sadie in a whisper. ”

“ For every ship that blasts off from Moon Station for Mars or Venus, ten robot freighters have to stagger up from Earth with fuel and supplies for it."
"Plutonium's not good enough," agreed Tom, who had flown space ships in his time. "Fission just can't supply enough power to make interplanetary travel pay. Fact is, if the Moon weren't here, we'd still be earthbound."
"Um! Think of all the trade that could go on if ships could carry worthwhile payloads. I suppose they'd have closed Moon Base long ago, except for the U 235 which is exported by Wildoatia." ”

“ She yawned again. "I'm dog-tired and all mixed up. Haven't taken a hike like this since we marched on Venusport. Kiss me goodnight. Beetlebrow says we have to be on our toes in the morning."
Frank lay awake a long time, listening to jungle sounds and struggling over her paradox. He dozed off to be jerked awake by a burst of gunfire. It was from the sentries; their quick action alone saved the little party as a horde of wild-eyed, ragged savages poured up the ridge toward them in the dawnlight.
Sadie was out of her blankets and yelling orders even as she knuckled the sleep from her eyes. ”

“ Sorehead! You'll have to catch me first." And she was off across the field with Frank in pursuit. Venusport officials tore up their speeches of welcome and shook their heads in despair.
Sadie was in a much more subdued mood that night as they ate scamour steaks and drank sparkling traskette at Venusport's best cafe. She listened without a single wisecrack as he told how United Stars executives had insisted that no drastic action be taken against the Big Shots. But she leaned forward intently as he described the arrival of the mail packet at Moon Station. ”

“ A few Big Shots were drifting into the more expensive and exotic pleasure haunts, there to lord it over lesser men, take their pick of lesser women and indulge every whim their jaded fancies could invent. ”

“ Mike sucked through his yellow teeth. "That's not bad at all. If we win we'd have a monopoly on space travel ... a chance to get off this dinky planet and do some business. If we lose, I reckon we'll have to surrender our new discovery to United Stars—but otherwise we won't be much worse off than now.... But what do I get outa the deal?"
"Why, you sell it to the Directors while we get New Washington to agree. If it goes through, it will get the Shots out of an impossible situation, no matter who wins. The least they can do is make you chairman of the board. ”

“ They want to sow their wild oats—to rob, steal, commit murder and do as they damned well please. Maybe they'll—some of them—become good citizens eventually if we leave them alone—give them a chance to grow up. The growth of the Underground suggests that that may happen. On the other hand, if you use outside force to destroy Wildoatia, you upset the whole apple cart. Where, let me ask you, do you send the Incorrigibles? If you don't deport 'em, in no time at all they'd be raising hob on Earth and Mars the way they did before the Cooperative Commonwealth was set up. ”

“ A month from Monday our V-60's would hit Wildoatia and wipe it off the map. No bomb of any kind could destroy our V-60 dumps without setting off a chain reaction...."
"... which would reduce Earth to a cinder," he snapped.
"A chain reaction wouldn't stop there. It might turn the whole solar system into a Nova ... just one big ball of atomic fire. Nuh uh, my friend! The Big Shots know they couldn't escape a chain reaction ... and they like to live as well as anybody else does."
"What's your solution, Sadie?" Frank stared at her with a sort of wonder. ”

“ Old Tom was puffing as he kept up with the younger man's long strides. "We clear a bit of oricalchum from Mars, tungsten and commercial diamonds from Earth, plus a fair trade in jewels and other lightweight luxury items. Tourist traffic is brisk. We manage here, but we'll never get much farther without a better fuel.... Well, here comes the mail packet." ”

“ Sadie exclaimed. "She can carry plenty of food, air and water, so crews can remain conscious at all times. Crews can move about on shipboard as comfortably as they do on the ground because her constant acceleration—or deceleration after she reaches turnover point—will act as a substitute for gravity. This is big, Frank. Bigger than we thought."
"Man can reach for the stars," wrote Jack. ”

“ If there had been rivalry involved, the spacemen felt he might have accomplished something. This idea, plus a longing to look at Sadie, caused him to pay a visit to the director. The latter, now but a bloody caricature of himself, still maintained his iron rule from a hospital bed.
"Sir," he proposed, fixing his eyes on the nurse instead of on the thing propped up in bed, "I've found that the Champ needs another trial run. Her controls aren't properly calibrated for close work among the planets."
"The devil you say!" Hans rose painfully on one elbow. "I calibrated them myself." ”

“ Are all their palaces like this one?"
"Worse!" She dripped water down his back. "Huge, gloomy holes where bored gangsters try to pretend they're having a wonderful time. The Big Shots are just Incors who made their pile and are out to show off like wicked children. Well, tonight let's pretend we're wicked children too."
"That shouldn't be hard for you." He helped the girl don her own light armor. "Sometimes I think you're a potential Big Shot still, at heart."
They entered the palace donjon to find Mike chatting uncomfortably with Hirokima Schmidzu, chairman of the Wildoatian board. ”

“ Tom juggled a sizzling order onto a plate and slid it across the bar. "What's the trouble this time?"
"It's just that United Stars won't use the Patrol to clean the Big Shots off Venus." The younger man attacked the victuals with a gusto which belied his mood. "We've got things pretty well under control at Venusport. The Incor Underground is growing stronger all over Wildoatia. One more push and...."
"... and Sadie agrees with United Stars?" ”

“ A hunk of rock will serve it just as well for fuel. Right?"
"That's about it." The little man licked dry lips. "I'm ruined; you devils know it damned well."
"Going to take it lying down?" jibed Sadie.
"Aw, cut it out, will you? What can I do about it? Kingfish Uranium has dropped from 240 to 23-1/4 on the big board since the rumors got around. I'm washed up; one of these days the Directors will remember I'm here and kick me out among the Incors."
"Look, Mike," said Frank. "The Space Patrol likes you. You've played ball with us before. We really want to help." ”

“ Frank probed at last.
"There are guided missiles which can seek and find targets thousands of miles away. They can be equipped with either fission or disintegrating war heads. Both go dead after a certain period; can't have a disintegrator bumping into some planet and blowing it sky high. For really high speed operations, guided missiles won't be much good, of course, except in a stern chance. Then we'll depend mainly on the mine fields we spread behind us. Come on. Might as well show you the stuff." He started down an odd companionway which had steps both on one wall and on the floor. ”

“ Who is that somebody?"
"Well, he couldn't be a good citizen of United Stars. In that case he would have turned over his discovery to the Commonwealth at once. It's too hot for one man to handle."
"So he must be either an Incor or a Big Shot! Please pass those credits, Frank." ”

“ Frank asked, as he and Tom trotted toward the patrol ship.
"Hallucination, probably. Suspenso does strange things to a person sometimes."
"I don't think so. It fits in with rumors I've been hearing at Venusport. The Big Shots are up to something."
"Then here's a word of advice, son." Tom laid a hand on the captain's shoulder as they stopped before his ship. "If that's the way you feel, stop making these fool junkets to New Washington and spend your time finding out what Wildoatia's really up to. If any more trips are absolutely necessary, send Sadie." ”

“ Greta, and Frank.
"I don't understand these orders," the Spaniard raged, twisting his moustache as if trying to tear it out by the roots. "They tell me to blast off at 2400, but they don't name the battle area. This is another New Washington trick. Do they expect me to search the universe for those confounded Space Patrol tubs?"
"The S.P. ships have just about enough range to get from the Moon to Venus, or vice versa," Fritz volunteered. "They carry very little air. We can cruise around until they exhaust their supplies, then shoot 'em like ducks." ”

“ They had a glimpse of the ship cushioning down on her atomic jets before they ducked out of range of the deadly gamma rays.
"One nice thing about landing where there's no atmosphere," said Frank. "You don't have to shift to those confounded peroxide jets." He found that he was shouting, but that his voice sounded far-away and thin. Even with the comparatively small air loss through the shutter opening, pressure within the dome was dropping so rapidly that they found it difficult to breathe. ”

“ The bartender squinted quizzically at his lean and lanky customer. "I hear the Big Shots are big-shotting it again on Venus."
"Right! They're getting much too big for their britches these days; that's why I'm on this cursed jaunt."
"I sort of thought you and the Space Patrol and my gal Sadie had the Big Shots on the hip up there."
"Sadie!" The captain's voice was bitter as his coffee.
"You kids been fighting again?"
"Fighting again! We never stop. If Sadie weren't your daughter, Tom, and if I weren't so crazy about her...." Frank's dour face lit up briefly, "... ”