United States or British Virgin Islands ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The rockets of the tiny missile were flaming, but that flame was visible only from the rear and no radio beam was upon it. Czuv had given it precisely the direction and acceleration necessary to make it meet the hexan sphere in central impact, provided that sphere maintained its course and acceleration unchanged. "Shall I direct the torpedo in the case the hexan shifts?" asked the officer.
The subject being one of paramount interest, it was a matter of minutes until the full complement of two hundred men and women were in the main saloon, clinging to hastily rigged hand lines, closely packed before the raised platform upon which were King and Czuv, wired together with the peculiar Callistonian harness.
Captain Czuv and his warplane still survived, and it was while the Callistonian commander was visiting his terrestrial guests, that King voiced the discontent that had long affected both men. "We're both tired of doing nothing, Czuv. We have been of little real benefit, and we have decided that your ideas of us are all wrong.
"This is a signal honor," observed Captain Czuv when he had revived. "It has been many, many cycles since they have taken Callistonians captive. They kill us at every opportunity. Is it your custom to destroy yourselves in a situation such as this?" "It is not. While we live there is hope." "Not ours.
At a signal from Captain Czuv the pilot of each lifeboat shot his tiny craft out into space and took his allotted place in the formation following closely behind the Bzarvk, flying toward Europa, now so large in the field of vision that she resembled more a world than a moon.
"That is an idea of promise, and one that had not occurred to any of us," Czuv replied and work was begun at once upon the new flyer. When the super-plane was ready for its maiden voyage, its crew of three studied it as it lay in the catapult at the portal.
Such was its initial velocity and so slight was the force of gravity of the satellite that they were many hundreds of miles from the exit before they began to descend, and Breckenridge studied his screens narrowly for signs of hexan activity. "Do you want to try one of your long-range shots when we find one of them?" the pilot asked Czuv. "No, it would be useless.
It was the work of only a few moments to drive the visiray projection to Europa, where Czuv, to the great relief of all, found that the hexans had not yet discovered either Wruszk or the Terrestrial workings. All Europan humanity, fully aware of the hexan investment, was exerting every possible precaution against discovery by the enemy.
In case Chief Pilot Breckenridge and I should not see you again, we bid you goodbye and wish you a safe voyage but we expect to go back with you." Brief farewells were said and captain and pilot accompanied Czuv to one of the little street-cars. Out of the building it dashed and down the crowded but noiseless thoroughfare to the portal.
Captain Czuv, you have made no headway with them?" asked the Director. "None whatever, as I foretold. They understand me thoroughly, since two of them speak my own tongue, but nothing that they have said can ever be repeated here. I knew from the first that all such attempts would be fruitless, but I have tried and failed.
Word Of The Day