Nightmare Planet

by Donald S. Rowland

  Why were there no alarms sounding when obvious defects had materialised? He shook his head. The alarms circuits were hair-triggered, and sometimes one or another went off for no reason at all through their sensitivity. He had never known any alarm system to fail, and he crossed to a console and sat down at it, staring at the registers and flipping switches to check their operation. Nothing seemed wrong, and he got up again, moving around the control room, supervising the checks being made by the other dutymen. He stood behind Lieutenant Tewkes for several minutes, just watching his subordinate’s actions, and knew Tewkes was master of his work. There was nothing wrong anywhere. Finally he crossed to the main control console, where Denson was seated, and the second-in-command glanced up at him, his fleshy face taut, his blue eyes filled with puzzlement.

  “I’ve been over every conceivable check,” Denson reported. “I can’t find a damn thing wrong, Captain.”

  “All right. Let’s wait for the Chief to make a further

  report. We’re satisfied there are no malfunctions in our equipment.”

  “Shall I call the Chief?”

  “No.” Barlor shook his head. “He’ll be busy right now, and if he had got on to something he would have called immediately. I don’t want to worry him.”

  “This is a strange business!” Denson got to his feet, glancing at the forward scanner screen, which was still maddeningly blank. “Have you got any ideas on it, Captain?”

  “I’ve never come across it before.” Barlor shook his head. “And I never make guesses, Collin. It doesn’t pay. I’ve got no idea what could be wrong.”

  “You’re certain that something is?”

  “Everything points to it.”

  “Especially your hunch!” Denson’s tones hardened. “You’ve been worried for days, Captain. This proves that you’ve got an extra sense.”

  “A space-ship captain has to develop extra senses,” Barlor said harshly. “We’ve got trouble all right. I can feel it in my bones. But this mystery is worse than knowing exactly what is going on. There’s a connection between what’s happening in the engine room and the failure of our screens to pick up pictures of that mysterious planetary system Tewkes is getting on his sensors.”

  “Could that planetary system be some kind of a space mirage?” Denson sounded serious, but there was half-disbelief showing in his features.

  “I don’t see how.” Barlor shook his head, instantly discarding the suggestion. “If we saw a picture on the screens and could not get a reading on the sensors then there could possibly be something in what you suggest, but it’s the other way about. Sensors can’t create mirages, Collin!”

  “Who knows what is possible out here?” Denson countered, and Barlor smiled wryly as he nodded slowly.

  “You’re right, of course. Just stand by, Collin, in case. There’s nothing else we can do until the Chief makes another report. “

  “You were going to the sickbay to have a check-up,” Denson said slowly. “Why don’t you get it done now, while we’re waiting?”

  “I don’t need it now. My hunch is proved right, and that was all that was worrying me. I feel perfectly normal again.”

  Denson nodded, his face showing an expression of relief. But Barlor was analysing his attitudes of the past few days. He was concerned that he had been able to sense trouble preparing to envelop them. What power was there in the mind that could foretell trouble, or anything else for that matter?

  They waited out the timeless period for the Chief to report, and Denson paced to and fro, his hands behind his back, his eyes carrying a far-away expression. Barlor stood motionless by the main control console, staring at the inanimate forward scanner screen as if willing it to show what the sensors had been reporting for long minutes. But then Denson paused and turned in midstride, staring into Barlor’s face.

  “Captain, there’s one thing we haven’t tested!” he said in rising tones. “The low-power alarm circuit tester! If we have electric or electronic failure in certain areas of the alarm systems then it is possible that no trace of trouble can be pin-pointed because the systems won’t operate in any red condition. That’s why the low-power tester is installed! It’s independent of the ship’s power! “

  “Why in hell didn’t I think of that?” Barlor rasped, turning on his heel and hurrying to a corner of the control room. He reached for a metal box and jerked open the hinged front, grasping the small lever inside and depressing it until it engaged. He turned to look at the alarm panels for a check, but even before he could complete his movement the control room was aflicker with red lights and harsh buzzers. When he saw the alarm circuits panels he got the shock of his life, for just about every alarm in the ship was in operation. The silence and stillness was gone. What confronted him now was a massive breakdown in ship control which seemed to indicate the proximity of total disaster.

  CHAPTER II

  For the space of an interminable second Barlor stood shocked and dismayed, as did Denson by the main control console, and then Barlor started forward swiftly, but at the same instant Denson came out of his shock and turned to the controls. He sat down and opened a line to the engine room, and as Barlor reached his side Denson was calling for a complete shutdown of main drive.

  “That’s right,” Barlor said heavily, nodding his agreement. He turned to look at the alarm panels, and the sight which met his eyes threatened to overwhelm his nerve. But he forced down the sense of panic and checked the individual alarms, starting with the nearest board. The next instant relief was swelling inside his mind. “Those alarms are not registering correctly!” he snapped. “One is indicating that all life support systems in the ship are dead!” He went forward to check more closely, and discovered that another alarm indicated that the outer hull had been pierced. He turned to Denson, who was on his feet again. “Cancel that last order to the engine room, then switch off that low-power tester I switched on. “

  Denson nodded, his face pale and set from the shock they had received. He called the engine room then crossed to the corner, thrusting up the switch that had brought all alarms into action. Silence returned and the red warning lights died at once. Barlor heaved a long sigh, and his taut features carried shock as he watched Denson coming back to him.

  “What do you make of that?” Denson demanded. “That low-power tester is out of action?”

  “It can’t be!” Barlor shook his head. “All other testers are, but that low-power one would operate if the ship was falling to pieces. All I can think is that some exterior power is having some influence upon our circuits.”

  “That planetary system Tewkes is picking up on his sensors but which we cannot see!” Denson’s pale eyes glinted for a moment. “We’d better erect defensive shields.”

  “Do it at once!” Barlor commanded.

  Denson turned his head and called an order to the dutyman seated at an executive console, and Barlor watched the man’s hand dart out unerringly and flip a row of switches. There was an immediate reaction from a number of sources. The forward scanner screen flickered and began to assume the deep purple shade that presaged activity, and the next instant a space picture developed, showing a bright star with four fainter dots of light in proximity. Almost immediately the communicator buzzed, and Denson answered, to listed for a moment before turning his gaze to Barlor.

  “That’s the Chief,” he reported. “The malfunction in the engine room has disappeared. The impulses are correct, and the Chief wants to know if he can have the order to return to full power.”

  “Tell him to wait until we call him.” Barlor returned his gaze to the scanner screen, his lips compressed as he studied its picture. He went to the console where Tewkes was seated, and the astrogator looked up at him with disbelief in his dark gaze.

  “Something out there was affecting the running of the ship, Captain,” he said harshly.

  “Something emanating from that planetary system, would you say?” Barlor demanded.

  “Very likely! Tewkes nodded. “P
utting up the deflectors has cut off the power that was disrupting our performance. But this planetary system is not charted, Captain! I read it clearly now. Its co-ordinates are coming through on my computer, with all relevant data.”

  “I’ll wait until you have all details, then we’ll look at this,” Barlor said. He went back to the main control console, where Denson was standing, a grin of relief on his face.

  “What do you make of it, Captain?” his subordinate demanded.

  “I don’t know yet, but it seems to me that our trouble is coming from that planetary system ahead. “

  Denson turned his gaze to the forward scanner screen, and nodded slowly. “It isn’t even charted, is it? “What are we going to do, Captain?”

  “We’re heading for the Brontus Major Constellation,” Barlor mused, “but my orders are flexible. If I discover anything of interest before we reach our destination then I am at liberty to check it out. I think we ought' to take a closer look at what lies ahead. We may find all the minerals and metals that we need without going on to Brontus. “

  Denson nodded his agreement. But there was an expression of doubt on his fleshy face. “We’ll have to take all precautions, Captain,” he warned. “That power affecting us! If it has a hostile origin then we could be in trouble.”

  “It’s likely that some kind of ray is being emitted from a natural source! “ Barlor turned to Tewkes, who was leaning back in his seat now.

  “I’ve got all relevant data, Captain! “ Tewkes reported.

  Both Barlor and Denson crossed to the astrogator’s side.

  “What do you find?” Barlor demanded.

  “We’re still too far out to make any detailed examination, but there are some possibilities, according to the sensors. “If we continue on our present course we shall pass within a hundred million miles of that star. “

  “So you can’t pick up anything at all on the planets?” Barlor asked.

  “Not for at least another twenty-four hours, Captain!” Tewkes replied. “What are your orders?”

  “Work out a course that will take us into orbit around one of those four planets,” Barlor commanded. “We’re going to check out the system in detail.”

  “I’ll have the course for you in three minutes,” Tewkes replied.

  Barlor turned to Denson. “Call the Chief and tell him to maintain present velocity. “In a couple of days we’ll be going into orbit around that system.”

  Normalcy returned then, and Barlor found the ship running steadily. He was tempted to lower the defensive shields once more, just to check the result, but one did not take unnecessary risks in Space, and he left well alone. When Tewkes had worked out a course that would take them into the planetary system ahead of them Barlor computed the changes, and the control computer immediately gave orders to the engine room. Velocity and direction were strictly controlled, and their new course kept the planetary system on their forward scanner screen.

  Barlor took his duty shift, and afterwards went to his cabin. This time he slept, for his mind was easy, his hunch that something was wrong eradicated by subsequent events. When he awoke it was almost time to go back on duty, and he felt a certain eagerness in the back of his mind as he prepared, taking a shower and dressing in a clean uniform. He stared at his harshly set features in the mirror on the inside of his wardrobe door, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. His brown eyes were showing a deal of anticipation, and he went along to the officers’ mess for food.

  Linus Royden and Moriah Simpson were seated at the table, and both greeted Barlor affably. The Chief Engineer was at ease once more now his main drive was running true,

  and the doctor smiled easily. Simpson was in his middle-thirties, a tall, thin man with the rank of Lieutenant (M), and his blue eyes were steady as he regarded Barlor.

  “Captain, I had an unusually high percentage of crewmen on sick call this morning,” Simpson said.

  Barlor felt his mind tense, and alertness flooded him. He sat down, lifting a hand to delay the steward who was approaching.

  “What’s wrong?” he demanded.

  “That’s the point.” Simpson shook his head, his narrow face showing no expression, but his pale eyes were filled with puzzlement. “There was nothing amongst any of the men that I could diagnose with any satisfaction. I had the normal percentage of ailments, of course, but the majority of the men who reported sick were merely suffering from a condition I can only describe as being one degree under par. None of them looked ill. No one had any discomfort or symptoms, but they all complained of feeling unfit for duty.”

  “How many?” Barlor demanded.

  “Fifteen men.” Simpson leaned back in his seat and shook his head. “I don’t like it, I can tell you. If we’re in for an epidemic of some kind then we’re going to be in trouble, this far out from Base. “

  “I’m sure you can handle anything that comes up,” Royden put in, getting to his feet. “If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I’ll go on duty. I’m not feeling one hundred percent this morning, but I can’t go sick. I have the engine room to handle. We’ll be making an initial orbit of that planetary system within twenty-four hours.”

  “I’ll talk to you later, Linus,” Barlor said, and remained silent until the Chief Engineer had departed. Then he looked into the doctor’s face once more, aware of the man’s uneasiness. “You haven’t told me everything, have you, Doc?” he demanded.

  “There’s nothing more to tell, except that I have a sense of foreboding which I cannot shake off.” Simpson looked down at his plate, chewing slowly.

  “Because of these fifteen men who reported sick with no apparent symptoms?” Barlor shook his head. “These things happen, Doc. You’ve had men reporting sick before and there’s been nothing with them. Everyone becomes bored with the interminable round of duties. It hits all of us at some time or other.”

  “Not eight percent of the crew in a single sick call,” Simpson retorted. “After the call was over I made a round of the ship, talking to most of the crew, and some of the answers I received to the questions I asked filled me with disquiet. I’m afraid that we are heading into trouble.”

  Barlor was silent for some moments, considering the facts. He could see that Simpson was really worried, and knowing the doctor for what he was, Barlor could not but accept the man’s fears. Simpson was not the type to get upset over nothing.

  “What do you think is wrong then?” he asked softly.

  “I believe that whatever force affected the ship before the defensive shields were erected had some influence upon the crew — on all of us, Captain.” Simpson’s gaze was direct and steady.

  “Are you saying that you don’t feel mentally and physically normal at the moment?” Barlor queried.

  “I don’t know!” Simpson shook his head. “It could be my imagination, but I feel that I’m not up to par today.”

  “Well, I feel perfectly all right.” Barlor spoke firmly.

  “Royden admitted that he didn’t feel exactly right. You heard him say so.”

  “He was probably listening to you, and caught the mood of the crew.” Barlor spoke slowly. “But I’m not treating this lightly, Doc. You’d better run some tests on those men who reported sick. Do it quietly, without making a fuss. You can put a number of men through a complete mental and physical check-up, can’t you?”

  “I’ve already instructed my staff to prepare for a run of tests, Captain,” Simpson replied. “We’ve both been in Space long enough to know that nobody takes any unnecessary risks.”

  “Right. Keep me informed of the situation.” Barlor frowned as he signalled the steward. “I’ll get something to eat and then go up to the control room.”

  Simpson nodded and got to his feet, leaving the rest of his meal, and Barlor stared after the doctor as the man’s tall figure crossed the cabin. He analysed his own condition, and was satisfied that he felt normal. The steward approached and took Barlor’s order.

  “How are you feeling this morning, Hewitt?�
�� Barlor demanded as the steward moved away.

  “I considered reporting sick, Captain,” came the immediate reply.

  “Are you ill?” Barlor eyed the man, unable to notice any obvious signs of ailment.

  “Not really. But I don’t feel quite right, as if I hadn’t slept for a week. I feel irritable, too!”

  “I see. What about the officers who have been in for a meal today? Any of them not eat their usual food?”

  “Lieutenant Monger didn’t eat all of his, and told me he was not feeling up to the mark when I took his plate away,” the steward reported, “and some of the others didn’t want all their food.”

  “Well I’ll have mine, and as soon as I’ve eaten it I’ll get on duty.”

  “I won’t keep you a moment, sir,” Hewitt replied.

  Barlor found that he had not lost his appetite, and as soon as he had eaten he departed from the control room. When he entered he found Denson at the main control, watching the panels and occasionally glancing at the forward scanner screen, and Barlor turned his gaze to the massive screen on the forward bulkhead. The planetary system was much plainer now, and he knew they would be going into an elliptical orbit in a matter of hours. He crossed to Denson’s side, and his subordinate looked up quickly, as if he had been deep in thought.

  “Are you feeling all right today, Collin?” Barlor demanded.

  “Yes, Captain. You startled me, that’s all. I wasn’t asleep with my eyes open. But my mind is a bit sluggish today. I suppose it’s a reaction to all the excitement we had over discovering this new planetary system.”

  “Is it a new discovery?” Barlor was immediately interested.

  “Tewkes seems to think so. He’s checked all charts in his possession, and consulted all the books he can lay his hands upon. This sun and its planets are not listed anywhere.”

  “And yet we know about the Brontus Major Constellation, which is still six months travel away,” Barlor mused. He glanced at the screen again, taking in the five points of light that showed all too clearly. The star itself was large, and the four planets were of differing sizes. No physical details were apparent, but in a matter of hours the ship’s instruments would be picking up stronger signals and better-detailed data. “How could this system have been missed?”