United States or Costa Rica ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
He pointed to the giant teakwood that Astro had slept under. The three spacemen saw the makeshift sleeping bag at the same time. "Major! Look!" cried Tom and raced to the base of the tree. "It's Astro's, all right," said Connel, examining the woven bag. "I wonder if he was here when those two things were going after each other." "Yes, sir," said Roger in a choked whisper, "he was."
The movable furniture varied according to occasion; at present, it consisted of the bare desk at which they sat, the three chairs they occupied, and the three secretary-robots, their rectangular black casts blazened with the Sun and Cogwheel of the Empire. It faced the door, at the far end of the room; on either side, a rank of spacemen, in dress uniform and under arms, stood.
Incidentally, what power are you going to use to move the asteroid?" "Nuclear explosions," Rip said, and saw the chief's eyes pop. He added, "With conventional chemical fuel for corrections." He felt rising excitement. The whole ship seemed to have come to life. There was excited tension in the computer room when he went in with the chief. Spacemen, all mathematicians, were waiting for him.
But this much he did know these towers had been built by the bald spacemen, and they were highly important to that vanished stellar civilization. The information in this room, as disjointed as it had been for him, led to a treasure trove on Topaz greater than he had dreamed. Travis swayed on the bench. To know so much and yet so little!
You are lieutenants by order of the Space Council, Federation of Free Governments. And—space protect you!—to yourselves, you’re supermen. But never forget this: to ordinary spacemen, you’re just plain simps. You’re trouble in a black tunic. They have about as much use for you as they have for leaks in their air locks.
Joe Barris had told the officers of Rip's class, "You might say the spacemen own space, but we Planeteers own everything solid that's found in it." The Planeteers were the specialists in science, exploration, colonization, and fighting. The spacemen carried them back and forth, kept them supplied, and handled their message traffic.
The captain grinned at O'Brine's retreating back, then walked over to Rip. They shook hands. "I'm Southwick, SOS Two. Canadian." Rip introduced himself and said he was an American. He added, "And aside from my men, you're the first human being I've seen since we made space." Southwick chuckled. "Trouble with the spacemen? Well, you're not the first."
"The Connies are our prisoners. You won’t need guns." The spaceman snapped, "You’re under arrest." Rip stared incredulously. "What for?" "The commander’s orders. Don’t give me any arguments. Just get aboard." "I can’t argue with a loaded gun," Rip said wearily. He called to his men. "We’re under arrest. I don’t know why. Don’t try to resist. Do as the spacemen order."
"Tomorrow you begin to learn how to think as a single brain. To act with combined intelligence as one person. You either make up your minds to start tomorrow or you report to Commander Walters and resign. There isn't any room here for individuals." He stepped to the door and paused. "One more thing. I've been given the job of making you over into spacemen. I'm your unit commander.
Rip stared at the Connie spacemen in their red tunics and gray trousers. One, an officer with two pistols in his belt, stepped forward. Rip noted that the other Connies were heavy with weapons, too. None of his group had any. "I'm the commander," the scowling Connie said. "Bring your instruments in. We'll check them; then you get out."
Word Of The Day