Despot in Space

by Donald S. Rowland

  The craft was circling now, and Condor heaved a long sigh of relief when he realized that it wasn’t coming within range. They had a healthy respect for Earth weapons, he told himself, and kept talking into the transmuter, keeping the Humics on the ground in real confusion.

  Ethne returned with the field generator in her hands, and she dropped down at Condor’s side and glanced around to ensure that she had positioned the projectors correctly. Then she switched on, and Condor fell silent instantly. He picked up a small piece of rock and tossed it away. There was a tremendous flash and a bang as the rock hit the inside of the force field and shattered.

  ‘We’ve made it!’ Ethne said thankfully.

  The craft was sliding down the sky now, effortlessly and completely silent. Condor watched it with narrowed eyes. He saw a flash from the craft, and caught a glimpse of the flickering beam of energy that was directed towards them. Then the force field took the shock and there was a terrifying flash and a rolling explosion. Ethne jumped and turned to push herself into Condor’s arms, and he patted her shoulder reassuringly.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘We’re safe in here until the power runs down.’

  ‘But that’s not likely to be yet, is it?’ she demanded anxiously.

  ‘Not for thirty-six hours. If we’re still here at that time then we’ll never get away.’

  They sat watching, and the Humics were forming up again and moving towards them. Condor smiled grimly. He held Ethne’s hands. They waited it out, and when the ring of Humics reached the force field they were flung into the air like toys being discarded by an angry giant. Some of the Humics were broken, and others melted as they came into contact with the raw energy. The aircraft came lower and started blasting with all weapons, and although he flinched at the impact of the charges against the force field, Condor was content in the knowledge that there was nothing powerful enough at present to break the force they had loosed about them.

  The Humic craft was joined by two Cranum craft, and Condor stared upwards intently, wondering if new weapons were being brought into the attack. But suddenly Ethne clutched at him, and when he glanced down at her face he saw wild hope in her pallid features.

  ‘Can you feel a strange tingling?’ she demanded quickly. ‘Is it the Celertron’s reprocessing, do you think?’

  Condor was slowly becoming aware of the tingling himself, and he stiffened. The next instant he was certain that the Celertron was being operated, its mysterious powers grasping them from across endless light years of Space. He saw Ethne compose herself, and he took a last look around at the alien world of Crana. The next instant he was stiffening into helplessness, and then the dematerialization commenced.

  They experienced the unaccountably cold sensation, the whirling and separating, the void and blackness of interstellar passage, and the breathlessness of transmission. For what seemed ages they were trapped between time and space, and there was nothing to see, no other sensations but those of spinning confusedly down and along corridors of Time.

  Slowly the sensations passed, and then Condor was aware of a change of scene about them. He found breath again, swelling his lungs as he inhaled convulsively, and then he saw that they were back in the Lab, standing on the base in front of the Celertron, and they were still vibrating from the tremendous pressures that had been applied to them.

  The Celertron was switched off, and Condor helped Ethne from the base. She was staggering slightly, pale and overwrought, but her joy was unmistakable as she looked around. Then she threw her arms around Condor’s neck and kissed him passionately.

  Condor held the girl for a moment, and glanced at the tall dark man coming towards them from the workbench. There was a welcoming smile upon Nis Erie’s face, and he held out a hand as he reached them.

  ‘Congratulations, Professor Condor,’ he said, and at the sound of his voice Ethne moved away quickly. ‘I’m very happy to see you safe and sound. This past hour has been a worrying time for me. I thought you were dead and that I’d sent Miss Stound to her death.’

  ‘Was it only an hour ago you sent me through the Celertron?’ Ethne demanded.

  ‘Exactly an hour ago,’ Erie said, nodding.

  Condor shook hands with Erie. They had never met, but each had heard a great deal of the other. Condor began to talk fast about the Celertron, and Ethne interrupted him respectfully.

  ‘We cannot stay here in the Lab, Professor,’ she said. ‘With General Ozen missing from the Complex there will be a full scale enquiry starting up at any time. Where can you hide?’

  ‘Will you be safe here?’ Condor demanded, looking into her face.

  ‘I should think so. The World Master told me to continue here. Ozen suspected me, but he’s dead, and as far as I can tell I’m free to continue. But you’re another matter!’

  ‘Before I do anything else I must work out the coordinates the Celertron is working on at the moment. I shall want to go back to Crana as soon as we’ve attended to the problems we have here.’ He sent his gaze at Erie’s face. ‘You’d better get in touch with your cell of resistance and send a message to the very top. We have the means to take care of Abelard Aubin, and if we can get some men in here to help take over a foothold we can go on with what we’ve planned.’

  ‘All that has already been taken care of,’ Erie said. ‘As soon as Miss Stound disappeared from that base to join you I started the processes working. I’ve informed my superiors in the chain of what’s developed, and by morning the whole Complex should be in our hands. There have been a number of security guards executed here, and they will be replaced with a sprinkling of our men.’

  ‘Good. Then I can stay here and do some work without worrying too much about being caught. I am not to fall into the hands of Aubin’s men at this late hour. As soon as I have worked out the calculations necessary to put me on Retarc, or bring Aubin down here to this Lab, I’ll set the Celertron into motion, and that will start the beginning of the end.’

  ‘What can I do to help you?’ Erie demanded.

  Ethne watched them as Condor began to take stock. Her mind was still on Crana, and she found it difficult to concentrate upon anything here on Earth. Condor immediately threw himself into sets of massive calculations, and the computers clicked unceasingly as he tried to put down in tangible form the tremendous achievements which had been made.

  ‘That’s it,’ he said finally, as Ethne brought coffee for them. ‘Those are the coordinates of Crana. Now we must work on Retarc. We’ve got to feed this information into the Celertron computer. It’s going to be difficult because Retarc will be in our immediate range for about twenty minutes as it crosses from horizon to horizon. In that time we have to use the process and either place a man on Retarc or bring Aubin down here.’

  ‘We have had a top-level discussion on this,’ Erie said as they relaxed for a moment. ‘Wouldn’t it make your task easier if we took off in another satellite and orbited in position near Retarc?’

  ‘It would make the whole thing that much more straightforward,’ Condor agreed. ‘But knowing the defensive equipment aboard Retarc, I’d hesitate to show up in the same hemisphere as it.’

  ‘But can you manage to do what is necessary from here?’ Erie insisted. ‘We can make but one attempt to wrest power from Aubin. If we fail the first time then that’ll be it. We won’t get another chance.’

  ‘I shan’t fail,’ Condor said. ‘If we can take over this Complex for the time I need then there’ll be no mistakes and no failure.’

  ‘That’s all I wanted to hear,’ Erie said with great satisfaction. ‘I hope that one day you’ll explain the theory of this amazing machine, Professor, and I pray that we shall be at liberty to have the pleasure of listening to you. Now what can I do to help? I’ll put out some calls to my contacts and arrange for the plans we’ve laid to start moving ahead.’

  ‘Perhaps we would be better served to contain our impatience for a bit and wait until I’m certain of my calculations before making any moves,’
Condor said. ‘It might be too late to stop the plans if I get into trouble and cannot complete my work. Unless we get Aubin nothing else will work.’

  ‘We must take risks. Each week there are some new measures from Aubin’s government thrust upon the world, and each week they make our job of taking over that much more difficult. We’ve had too many delays and postponements in the past to be able to face any more. I hope you’ll press on with what you have to do and forget about our part in all this.’

  ‘Very well.’ Condor sighed as he got to his feet. He fetched a large scale plan of Retarc from a cabinet and spread it out on his desk. Erie came to his shoulder and they both pored over the diagram. ‘I’m very familiar with Retarc,’ Condor went on softly. ‘I tell you this because I want to impress upon you that not many men can find their way around Retarc. I can plan to within a few inches exactly where I must materialize aboard, and at what time.’

  ‘What about bringing Aubin down to Earth?’ Erie demanded. ‘We have discussed this, and feel it would be the safest method to adopt. We would have some armed men standing by here, and Aubin would appear on that base and become our prisoner.’

  ‘That’s all very well, but I don’t know where Aubin will be at any precise time. We could miss him time and again, unless I knew with any certainty if he was in his private quarters or his interview room.’

  ‘I see. That does make a larger problem, doesn’t it?’ Erie looked into Condor’s eyes. ‘Then all I can suggest is that you take some men with you when you beam up there to Retarc. You’ve proved that the Celertron will take several items simultaneously.’

  ‘That’s worth remembering,’ Condor said. ‘But let me get down to some calculations. You’d better watch this, Erie, in case I don’t get the opportunity to complete the calculations.’

  ‘What could prevent you?’ his fellow scientist demanded.

  ‘I believe I’m wanted in connection with the Resistance Group that was arrested here recently. Ozen was breathing down my neck when I went through the Celertron. I don’t know if I would be able to explain my disappearance satisfactorily.’

  They set to work, and Ethne watched for a time, helping where she could. There was no thought given to rest. Once they had succeeded in their plans they would be able to rest as much as they cared to. But now was the time for hard work and lots of hope.

  When the buzzer on Ethne’s desk was activated, the girl looked at Condor with fright showing plainly in her eyes. Condor wondered who was in the outer office, but he didn’t hesitate.

  ‘Go out there and see who’s waiting,’ he commanded.

  Ethne moved to the door, and when she reached it, Condor pressed the button that opened it and the girl departed. Condor closed the door, again, and opened the line into the outer office. He heard Ethne’s voice demanding the caller’s business, and then a man’s harsh tones replied.

  ‘We are looking for General Ozen. He was last seen in this building.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Colonel, but General Ozen left here more than an hour ago. I explained that to his driver and the security guard who came.’

  ‘I have spoken to both men and I’m not satisfied. Who is in the Lab? Open the door now! ’

  ‘That’s Colonel Rith!’ Condor said. ‘I can’t hide. We’d better let him in here and I’ll try and blind him with science. I shall explain part of what I’ve been doing.’

  ‘You can’t tell him you’re able to translate a man into another world!’ Erie protested.

  ‘I don’t see any other way out of this. We can’t afford to waste any more time, and you’re not going to send me through the Celertron again until I go up to Retarc.’

  The buzzer rang, indicating that Ethne wanted the Lab door opened. Condor reached out and switched off the ‘Test in Progress’ sign, then flipped the lever that operated the door. As the door opened he smiled at Erie, but he wasn’t feeling as confident as his face showed. The next moment the short, fleshy figure of Colonel Rith showed in the opening doorway.

  ‘You can’t come in here, Colonel,’ Nis Erie called sharply. ‘The experiment being carried out here is highly secret.’

  ‘Professor Condor!’ the colonel exclaimed sharply. ‘Where have you sprung from? You’ve been posted as missing, and there’s a warrant out for your arrest on suspicion of subversive activities.’

  ‘This is ridiculous,’ Erie said angrily. ‘Colonel, wait outside in the office, will you? We’ll come and talk to you shortly.’

  ‘I’ll have to arrest Professor Condor,’ the Colonel said instantly. ‘Where have you been since yesterday, Professor?’

  ‘I can’t tell you that,’ Condor replied. ‘You’d better fetch General Ozen. I’ll talk to him.’

  ‘But the general has disappeared. He was last seen here earlier. I’m going to raise a general alarm. This business has gone too far as it is. I’ve already got what guards are left to us standing by. But the general was handling this situation, and he’s disappeared from the middle of it.’

  ‘You’ll have to answer to the World Master for any interference here,’ Erie said testily. ‘Get out, Colonel, or you’ll be in very serious trouble.’

  The colonel stared at them for a moment, his fleshy face showing his indecision. Condor almost felt sorry for the man. But he nodded brusquely and spoke.

  ‘I’ll answer personally to the World Master,’ he said. ‘Now leave, Colonel. You said you have a cordon around the building. Leave it like that, and check with your superiors on Retarc if you must. But I warn you that if you do not use your intelligence in this matter you will have to answer to the World Master.’

  ‘I’ve had strict orders from Retarc, Professor,’ the colonel retorted coldly. ‘It’ll be my life if I don’t arrest you on sight. Now you’d better come quietly. I’ll get in touch with Retarc as soon as you’re under arrest, and if I’m ordered to release you then there’ll be no harm done. But it’s more than my life is worth to let you out of my sight now.’

  Condor glanced at Erie, and saw his fellow-scientist’s face was showing strain.

  ‘I won’t argue with you, Colonel,’ he replied immediately. ‘I am working with the best interests of the World Master in mind. But right now we are in the middle of a gigantic mathematical problem and we cannot possibly leave it until we have the solution. You may even stay and watch me if you wish. Perhaps you will even participate in the experiment we are conducting. That would be an honour for you, and no mistake.’

  ‘I’ll have to get in touch with my superiors before I can permit any more experimentation,’ the colonel said doggedly. ‘While I’m doing that I’ll place two guards in here, Professor Condor, and they will have orders to kill you if you appear to be trying to escape.’

  ‘Just as you wish,’ Condor replied lightly. ‘Come, Erie. Let us get back to our calculations.’

  The colonel stood watching while Condor returned to the desk, and Erie heaved a long sigh as he joined Condor. When they looked up a few moments later the colonel had gone, but there were two guards standing in the doorway, watching Condor’s every move.

  ‘Now what?’ Erie whispered harshly. ‘We can’t complete these coordinates like this, Professor. We’ll have to seal off this building and capture the guards if we are to make any attempt on the World Master as soon as we’re ready.’

  ‘We’d better do something before the colonel returns with orders from Retarc,’ Condor replied gravely. ‘If we seal the building as I did yesterday it will take them four hours to break through. I think I can finish working out the coordinates before then. But first we must check on Retarc’s position. If it is on the other side of the Earth when we want to act we’ll be lost without ever making the attempt.’

  ‘I’ll work on that now,’ Erie replied. His face was pale, but his eyes showed determination. ‘This definitely is our last throw to beat the World Master. Let’s take the chance, Condor. All our friends are now poised to go into action the moment we succeed. We can’t disappoint them. We can’t lose wi
thout making the effort to win.’

  ‘Very well. I’ll check with Ethne and get the building sealed off once more, then take care of the guards. You get on with your side of the calculations. Now we’re really up against it!’

  Chapter Thirteen

  Condor depressed the communicator button, and Ethne’s voice spoke softly. There was fear in the girl’s tones, and Condor compressed his lips as he pictured her face. He watched the guards in the doorway as he spoke, his voice pitched barely above a whisper.

  ‘Ethne, I can see two guards in the doorway of the Lab. Are there any more with you?’

  ‘No, Professor. What do you want me to do?’

  ‘Check with the exterior scanner and find out what guards there are around the place. I want you to close the main door and timelock it. I’ll take care of the two guards here.’

  ‘Very well, Professor. I’ll call you when I’ve carried out your wishes.’

  Condor smiled thinly and glanced at Erie, who was busy at the banks of computers on the far wall. He left the desk and walked towards the Celertron, switching on the instrument and running through a series of circuit tests. Then he switched off and walked to the base, where the equipment they had brought back from Crana lay on a nearby bench. He picked up a hand-stunner while his back was to the door, and slipped it into his pocket. Then he went back to the desk and sat down. A few moments later, Ethne called him, and there was suppressed excitement in the girl’s high-pitched tones.

  ‘Your wishes have been carried out, Professor. Is there anything else I can do now?’

  ‘Just remain at your desk until I have tackled the guards,’ he replied casually, and he flipped off the switch and took out the hand-stunner under the cover of the desk. He held the weapon in his right hand, took up a sheaf of papers in his left, and covered the weapon with the papers as he got up and went towards the door.