CHAPTER V
The Race Through Space
Immediately the Earthman set himself to the task of examining everythingin his prison. But as he had expected, there was little or nothing todiscover. The walls which his tether permitted him to reach were allperfectly smooth and solid. He realized with a sheepish grin that it hadbeen foolish of him to even dare to hope that they would be otherwise.The chain fastened to the fetter was quite adequate to hold him. Thewindow, even if it might have been used as an avenue of escape, wassecurely fastened with bolts, so that it would have taken a man equippedwith a heavy set of wrenches, an hour to remove it. To shatter theflexible pane was next to an impossibility. The table was firmly weldedto the floor. Beyond the table, Shelby could not go, for the chainprevented him. But he was quite sure that there was nothing movable inthe entire room massive enough to be used as a tool or weapon.
He slumped down on his bunk, and let one hand rest on a small power-pipewhich ran along the wall and up to the illumination globe above. For aminute dejection almost got a firm grip on him. But he fought it off.This was no time to give up. Why, the struggle hadn't even started yet!
Shelby felt a faint vibration of the power-pipe under his hand. For aconsiderable time the impressions had been coming to him, but they hadscarcely penetrated into his consciousness. They seemed no moresignificant than the hundred and one little noises and disturbances thatgo with the running of any space ship. Presently however, the regularsequence of the pulsations attracted his attention. Something made himthink of the almost obsolete Morse code. Then the realization came tohim. Someone in another room on he ship was tapping on thepower-pipe--signaling--signaling him! He spelled the wordout--A-u-s-t-i-n, repeated over and over again.
His first thought was of Jan. It must be she who was calling him forthere was no one else.
Quickly, with his heavy signet ring, he tapped out an answer: "It is I,Jan, A. S. shoot--"
With tensed muscles, and with fingers firmly clutching the power-pipethat he might not miss a single signal, Shelby crouched, receiving themessage. Somehow there was an urgency, an insistence, an appeal aboutthose hurried pulsations that no human voice could have conveyed. It wasfantastically like communicating with one who is buried alive.
"We must escape not later than five hours from now," the tappingspelled. "You have been unconscious for a long time--drugged. In fivehours we land on Mars. Then escape will be impossible.
"Hekki has told me much, and I have seen much. The horrors that areSelba's henchmen--three times some of them came to the ship, once in aband of over a hundred. Hekki is worried. He has not troubled me yet.Too busy I suppose. I have tried to make believe that I agree to hisplans. I thought I could control him that way. But he has been takingthe Elar drug.
"We must escape, Austin. We must! Can't you think of a way? I will help!If they get you to the concentration base in the Taraal they willtorture you. And we must remember our homeland!"
The hurrying vibrations ceased, and then, almost before he knew what hewas doing, Shelby was tapping out an answer promising the impossible.
"Never fear, dearest," he signaled. "Just let me think for a fewminutes." A moment later this phrase almost made him laugh. The sap heroof a comedy which had recently been broadcast over the radio-view hadsaid almost these exact words. Think? Of what? Escape within five hours?How? But Jan's appeal sent in such an odd way had an almost magicaleffect on him, and made his brain work harder almost than ever before.And then the ghost of an idea came. There was a chance that it wouldwork. He signaled to Jan, and then for half an hour, they put theirheads together--planning.
Somewhat nervous, Shelby walked to the door and hammered loudly upon it.A thin-faced slave whose hide was burned by desert suns to the color ofmahogany, appeared almost immediately.
Shelby answered his inquiring look briefly: "I would speak to yourmaster," he said in Pagari--"right away." The slave nodded and reclosedthe door.
In excited impatience the Earthman waited. Now and then he tapped shortmessages of encouragement to Jan. Would Hekalu never come? The strain ofsuspense was not exactly pleasant. Finally, unable to contain himselfany longer, he rose from the bunk where he had been reclining inreadiness for the first move of the coup he was planning, and began topace the floor.
He chanced to glance out of the window. On the railed walk beyond, a manclad in space armor was bending over a small portable case which wassupported on a tripod. Shelby surmised correctly that this man wasHekalu Selba.
Beside him, paying close attention to whatever the Martian was doing,stood the black Alkebar. The Earthman frowned in puzzlement, almost inawe. For Hekki's weird companion wore nothing that would be of the leasthelp in protecting him from interplanetary cold and lack of airpressure. Not even an oxygen helmet! And yet, as the monster examinedinterestedly, every dial and switch that Hekalu touched, he showed notthe slightest hint of discomfort. The airless emptiness of space seemedhome to him. How could such things be? A strange thrill tingled andvibrated along Shelby's spine when he realized how alien was Alkebar.There was no kinship between him and the creatures of either Earth orMars.
Presently Hekki looked up, and as though moved by some intuitiverealization that he was being watched, turned awkwardly in hiscumbersome attire, and glanced along the row of portholes in the side ofthe vessel. He saw the Earthman and smiled at him. Shelby felt that itwas the kind of smile which a tolerant father might show to his youngestson. Hekalu waved his hand, and his lips, behind the glazed front of thehelmet, formed several words which Shelby could not interpret. Then theMartian returned his attention to his apparatus.
* * * * *
When Selba entered his prisoner's room some moments later, he found himlounging on the bunk.
The Martian looked enquiringly at Shelby. "You have reached someconclusion, my friend?" he asked.
Without changing his position on the bunk the young man nodded. Therewas an expression of dejection and sullen resignation on his face whichhe was trying hard, above the intense excitement which possessed him, tomake realistic. Still acting the part he spoke: "Yes, Akar Hekalu," hesaid between teeth that were apparently gritted with rage, "I havedecided to reveal to you the secret of the Atomic Ray."
A triumphant gleam came into the Martian's eyes. "Ah, my friend," hesaid, "you at last see the light. I knew that you would. But what hasbeen the cause for this sudden change in attitude? The torture chamber,perhaps?" There was an undercurrent of suspicion in Hekalu's voice.
Shelby turned his head sullenly away, feigning shame. He said nothing. Aminute passed during which time Hekalu stared at his captive, a sardonicsmirk of contempt curling his thin coral lips.
Finally he said, "I will have Koo Faya bring you writing materials, andyou will describe in writing every detail of the manufacture of themissing element."
"No," replied Shelby, turning his face toward the Martian, "I haven'tthe ability to do that. It will be necessary for you to take me to thelaboratory of the ship where I can demonstrate the process to you. It ismuch too delicate and complicated."
The noble's eyes wavered slightly. "Once," he said, "you tried to trickme, but I warn you that I am on guard now so do not attempt it again."
He signed to Alkebar who had been standing silently beside the opendoor. The giant drew a key from a pouch at his side, and kneeling,unlocked the fetter fastened about Shelby's ankle. It rattled to thefloor. And at the same time the Earthian, leaning back on the bunk witharms stretching over his head, tapped sharply three times with hissignet ring on the power-pipe. It seemed to be only an unconsciousgesture--nervousness perhaps.
Immediately there was a terrific crash from down the passage way,followed by an agonized scream. Another crash. More screams.
Hekalu started, and then making a hurried gesture to Alkebar whichindicated that he was to guard the inventor of the Atomic Ray, he drewhis automatic and dashed down the corridor to investigate thedisturbance. The Earthman however, was
in no mood to be guarded. Nolonger shackled, he leaped to his feet and over to the center of theroom. The great voiceless beast from the stars stood before the doorwaywith his long arms outstretched. He was not trying to capture theEarthman--only seeking to block his path.
But Shelby had no time to waste. Gathering himself together, he hurtledstraight for the ankles of his opponent. The fact that the artificialgravity of the ship was of the same strength as that of Mars--only atrifle more than one-third that of Earth--added to the effectiveness ofhis plunge. The mighty-muscled Alkebar, puzzled by the unheard-oftactics of his agile though vastly weaker foe, suddenly found himself ina sprawling heap on the floor. Shelby leaped over him through the door,slammed it, and raced precipitately down the corridor.
In the meantime Hekalu Selba had reached Janice Darell's room, but whenhe had unlocked it and had thrust his head inside to see what the matterwas, a heavy urn, deftly aimed, had crashed full into his face. Shelbysaw him sprawling in the passage badly dazed, and a split second laterJan dashed from her cabin. She looked around, and when she saw Shelbycoming swiftly toward her she flashed him a quick smile of triumph.
But Alkebar had wrenched the portal of the Earthman's recent prisonopen, and was in hot pursuit. He was tugging frantically at the pistolin his belt.
"Run, Jan, quick!--To the control room!" Austin shouted.
He caught up Hekki's automatic which had dropped from the Martian'sgrasp when he had fallen, and wheeling, fired at the black colossus. Thebullet struck Alkebar's right hand with which he was raising his pistol.The tough natural armor which covered the monster from head to footprevented it from doing any serious damage, but it must have stungbadly, for his weapon clattered to the floor. While he was stooping torecover it, Shelby hurried forward to catch up with Jan. It was but afew yards to the control room. If they could get there, overcome whoeverwas in charge and barricade themselves in, they could master the ship!
Their luck had been good, but it was not destined to be as good as that.They caught but a brief glimpse of the bewildering array of switches,dials and levers, that constituted the brain-center of the craft.Standing on guard before his instrument panels was the mahogany-coloredslave Koo Faya. He was half crouching, at bay. There was a murderouslight in his eyes, and he held leveled in his hands a light machinegun. Shelby's automatic was leveled too, and he pressed his trigger aninstant before the Martian. Four bullets whizzed into the control room,splattering close about the thin mummy-like body of Koo Faya. A glassglobe that glowed redly on the top of a complicated mechanism, wasstruck and burst with a popping sound. A rose-colored vapor floatedceiling-ward.
* * * * *
Simultaneously Koo Faya's weapon began to whir. Then, even as Shelbyjerked Jan back out of danger, the wild shriek of an alarm siren mingledwith the discordant clashing jangle of ungoverned machinery runningamuck, rang through the ship, and the huge metal cigar pitched andcareened like a frightened thing.
Alkebar, having recovered his pistol, was staggering down the passageshooting rapidly. But owing to the crazy motion of the space flier hismissiles were momentarily not taking effect.
Austin and Jan knew that Koo Faya was leaping to a position where hecould shoot his poisoned darts at them again. What now? Cornered? No!Janice Darell wrenched open a door in the side of the passage and shovedShelby into the tiny room beyond.
In the opposite wall of the closet was a round dark opening. "Theemergency flier," Jan shouted. "Into it!"
As quickly as they could they climbed through into the submarine-likeinterior beyond. Fighting to keep themselves erect, they slammed theheavy duralumin portal to and fastened it. Alkebar was already gropingon the opposite side. But he was too late.
Shelby leaped to the control panel and cut the electric current from themagnets that held the emergency flier anchored to its mother ship. Itfloated, free from the careening hulk. Its rocket motors roared intolife.
The occupants of the tiny craft looked back at the _Selba_. It hadceased its mad motions now, and was hanging quietly in space. EvidentlyKoo Faya had succeeded in righting matters to some slight extent atleast. Would he be able to patch things up entirely? The red globe couldbe replaced in half an hour. It would be that length of time at leastbefore the _Selba_ could engage in pursuit.
But the arm of a space ship, equipped with weapons commonly used in thevoid, is long. Hence Austin Shelby considered it his first duty to putas much distance between his craft and Hekalu's ship as possible.
Still four million miles away, Mars glowed--a tiny red disc; and heheaded toward her giving the flier full freedom to do its best. Thefiery vapors fairly tore from the rocket nozzles.
With one hand in readiness on the control lever, which resembled inappearance and operation the joystick of an airplane, and his feet onthe bar used for steering in a lateral plane, he kept his eyes fixed onthe receding bulk behind. Jan had handed him one of the two pairs ofbinoculars which she had just found in the supply compartment.
Austin knew what to expect from the direction of the _Selba_, and itcame well within schedule. A flash of green fire spurted from theforedeck of the ship. It showed up with startling vividness against thejeweled sable of the void.
Abruptly Shelby drew the control lever back. In response to his movementthe rocket nozzles, now deflected from alignment with the central axisof the craft, sent it into a steep climb. The terrific angularacceleration seemed intent on forcing the two fugitives straight throughthe metal floor. It drew the blood from their faces and made them growpale and giddy. But they escaped being struck by the torpedo.
It exploded a hundred yards beneath the flier's keel. Fragments of itbanged against the hull. In rapid succession other flashes darted fromthe _Selba_, which had dwindled to a silvery speck far to the rear. Butstill those missiles, directed by incredibly delicate sightingmechanisms, and hurled at almost the speed of light, continued to scoreremarkably close to their target.
If it had not been such an elusive target they most certainly would haveblasted it to fragments. But Shelby, skilled as were most of the men ofhis time, in the handling of small space craft, was able to endow hisflier with much of the agility of an alarmed dragon fly. Darting,weaving, zigzagging, yet always keeping its general course fixed towardMars, it careened away. Always it was ringed by an aura of greenflashes.
However, good fortune is seldom perfect. The tempered duralumin platesof the flier managed to withstand the force of all of the torpedofragments which showered them--with one exception. One dart fromHekalu's ship exploded barely fifty feet to the right of the fugitivecraft, and a flying chunk of steel sent it pitching and tumbling throughthe ether.
When the two bruised occupants had regained their equilibrium they hearda faint hissing above the roar of rockets. They knew that there was butslight chance that the _Selba_ could do them any further harm, forthough the torpedoes continued to come, the distance between the twovessels was now so great that a damaging shot was almost animpossibility. Nevertheless, the present situation was serious enough. Aleak!
Fixing the nose of the flier toward the Red Planet, and locking thecontrols, Shelby left the pilot's seat to determine the extent of thedamage, while Jan searched the supply compartment for something withwhich to repair it. There was a deep dent in one of the ceiling platesand a thin wriggly crack through the center of it--not an easy job topatch that out in space under the best of circumstances.
The young man whistled when he saw how near they had come to a hideousdeath. Several times he had seen the bodies of men who had been suddenlyexposed to the pressureless airless cold of the outer void--hideousbloated things through whose skin the livid blood had forced its way.
"Any luck, Jan," he asked, looking back at his companion. "Did you findsome cement?"
She shook her head.
The Revolt of the Star Men Page 5