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Updated: June 20, 2025
It would be a desperate thing to attempt, but our whole procedure was desperate! Anita could lure the duty man from the signal room, I might send a single flash or two that would reach the Earth. Just a distress signal, signed "Grantline." If I could do that and not get caught! Anita was engaging Potan in talking of his plans.
But he nodded. The fear which had leaped at me was allayed by his next words. "True enough, Haljan. He was a domineering fellow, Miko. A third of it all was for him alone. But now...." The third would go to this sub-leader, Potan! The implication was obvious. I said, "Before we go any further, I can trust you for my share?" "Of course."
Its movement surprised the men who were attending it. One of them called up to me, but I ignored him. Then Potan looked up and saw me. He shouted in Martian at the duty man, whom he doubtless thought was behind me: "Be ready! We may fire on them. I'll give you the word." The signals were proceeding. It had only been a moment. I caught something like, "Haljan is imposter."
"We'll climb the tower to the signal room," I whispered. "Do it boldly." We stepped from the cubby. Potan was not in sight; perhaps he was on the further deck beyond the central cabin structure. On the deck, we were immediately accosted. This was different our appearance in the Erentz suits! "Where are you going?" This fellow spoke in Martian. I answered in English, "Up there."
But when it was connected, I must be near it, to persuade its duty man to fire it on Miko. With this done we would have more time to plan our other tasks. I did not think Potan would be ready for his attack before another time of sleep here in the ship's routine. Things would be quieter then; I would watch my chance to send a signal to Earth, and then we would escape.
If Anita and I were forced to escape that way, I wondered how we could manage a hundred foot jump to the rocks, and land safely. Even with the slight gravity of the Moon, it would be a dangerous fall. "You are Gregg Haljan?" I stared as one of the brigands, coming up behind, addressed me. "Yes." "Commander Potan tells me you were chief navigator of the Planetara?" "Yes."
I cautiously peered out the window again. In the wreck of the projector, three men were lying. One of them was screaming horribly. The dome side was damaged. Potan and other men were frantically investigating to see if the ship's air was hissing out. A triumph swept over me. They had not found me so meek and inoffensive as they might have thought! Anita clutched me.
I could see it amidships of the deck. It was already in place. Potan was there now, superintending the men who were connecting it. The most powerful weapon on the ship. It had, Potan said, an effective range of some ten miles. I wondered what it would do to a Grantline building! The Erentz double walls would withstand it for a time, I was sure.
I drew on all the ship's power. The tube lights in the room quivered and went dim. I would have to hurry. Potan could shut this off from the main hull control room. I could see, through the room's upper trap, the primary sending mirror mounted in the peak of the dome. It was quivering, radiant with its light energy. I sent the flash. The flattened past full Earth was up there.
I could envisage the triumphant curiosity of Potan and his men up there, gazing along the beam. We had dimmed the lights to conserve our power, and to enable the Erentz motors to run at full capacity. Our buildings would have to withstand the brigands' rays which soon would be upon us. Outside on our dim, Earthlit cliff, the tiny lights showed where our few guards were lurking.
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