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.The gravitiesjumped their needles at the pull of distant mass.Tiny world after tiny world slid into the field of the visiplate, was allowedto remain there while it rotated, and was then permitted to slip out.TheShooting Starr's velocity had decelerated to a relative crawl, but the milesstill passed by the hundreds of thousands and into the millions.The hourspassed.A dozen asteroids came and went."You better eat," said Bigman.But Lucky contented himself with sandwiches and catnaps while he and Bigmanwatched visiplate, gravities and Ergometer in turn.Then, with an asteroid in view, Lucky said in a strained voice, "I'm goingdown."Bigman was caught by surprise."Is that the asteroid?" He looked at itsangularity."Do you recognize it?""I think I do, Bigman.In any case, it's going to be investigated."It took half an hour to manipulate the ship into the asteroid's shadow."Keep it here,".Lucky said."Someone's got to stay with the ship and you'rethe one.Don't forget it.It can be detected, but if it's in the shadow, with thelights out and the motors at minimum, it will make it as hard as possibleTHE ASTEROID THAT WAS 119for them.According to the Ergometer, there's no ship in space near us now.Right?""Right!""The most important thing to remember is this: Don't come down after me foranyreason.When I'm through, I'll come up to you.If I'm not back in twelve hoursand haven't called, either, back you go to Ceres with a report, after takingphotographs of this asteroid at every angle."Bigman's face grew sullenly stubborn."No.""This is the report," said Lucky calmly.He withdrew a personal capsule fromPage 45 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlan inner pocket."This capsule is keyed to Dr.Conway.He's the only one whocan open it.He's got to get the information, regardless of me.Do youunderstand?""What's in it?" asked Bigman, making no move to take it."Just theories, I'm afraid.I've told no one of them, because I've come outhere to try to get facts to back them up.If I can't make it, the theories, atleast, must get through.Conway may believe them and he may get the governmentto act upon them.""I won't do it," said Bigman."I won't leave you.""Bigman, if I can't trust you to do what's right regardless of yourself andmyself, you won't be much use to me after this if I come through safely."Bigman held out his hand.The personal capsule was dropped into it."All right," he said.* * *Lucky dropped through vacuum to the asteroid's surface, hastening the drop byuse of the suit's push-gun.120 LUCKY STARRHe knew the asteroid to be about the right size.It was roughly the shape heremembered it to be.It was jagged enough and the sunlit portion looked theright color.All that, however, might have held true for any asteroid.But there was the other item.That was not likely to be duplicated very often.From his waist pouch he took out a small instrument that looked like acompass.Actually it was a pocket radar unit.Its enclosed emission source could putout radio short waves of almost any range.Certain octaves could be partiallyreflected by rock and partially transmitted through reasonable distances.In the presence of a thick layer of rock the reflection of radiation activateda needle on the dial.In the presence of a thin layer of rock, as, forinstance, on a surface under which lay a cave or hollow, some radiation wasreflected, but some penetrated into the hollow and was reflected from thefurther wall.In this way a double reflection occurred, one component of whichwas much weaker than the second.In response to such a double reflection theneedle responded with a characteristic double quiver.Lucky watched the instrument as he leaped easily over the stony peaks.Theneedle's smooth pulsing gained a quiver, and then a distinct subsidiarymovement.Lucky's heart bounded.The asteroid was hollow.Find where thesubsidiary movements were strongest and there the hollow would be nearest thesurface.There would be the air-lock.For a few moments all of Lucky's faculties were concentrated on the needle.Hewas unaware of the mag-THE ASTEROID THAT WAS 121netic cable snaking its way toward him from the near horizon.He was unaware of it until it snapped about him in coil after coil, clingingclose, its momentum tossing his nearly weightless body first clear of theasteroid and then down to the rock, where he lay helpless.CHAPTER 11AT CLOSE QUARTERSThree lights came over the horizon and toward the prostrate Lucky.In thedarkness of the asteroid's night he could not see the figures that accompaniedthe lights.Then there was a voice in his ear and the voice was the well-known hoarsenessof the pirate, Dingo.It said, "Don't call your pal upstairs.I've got ajigger here that can pick up your carrier wave [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.The gravitiesjumped their needles at the pull of distant mass.Tiny world after tiny world slid into the field of the visiplate, was allowedto remain there while it rotated, and was then permitted to slip out.TheShooting Starr's velocity had decelerated to a relative crawl, but the milesstill passed by the hundreds of thousands and into the millions.The hourspassed.A dozen asteroids came and went."You better eat," said Bigman.But Lucky contented himself with sandwiches and catnaps while he and Bigmanwatched visiplate, gravities and Ergometer in turn.Then, with an asteroid in view, Lucky said in a strained voice, "I'm goingdown."Bigman was caught by surprise."Is that the asteroid?" He looked at itsangularity."Do you recognize it?""I think I do, Bigman.In any case, it's going to be investigated."It took half an hour to manipulate the ship into the asteroid's shadow."Keep it here,".Lucky said."Someone's got to stay with the ship and you'rethe one.Don't forget it.It can be detected, but if it's in the shadow, with thelights out and the motors at minimum, it will make it as hard as possibleTHE ASTEROID THAT WAS 119for them.According to the Ergometer, there's no ship in space near us now.Right?""Right!""The most important thing to remember is this: Don't come down after me foranyreason.When I'm through, I'll come up to you.If I'm not back in twelve hoursand haven't called, either, back you go to Ceres with a report, after takingphotographs of this asteroid at every angle."Bigman's face grew sullenly stubborn."No.""This is the report," said Lucky calmly.He withdrew a personal capsule fromPage 45 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlan inner pocket."This capsule is keyed to Dr.Conway.He's the only one whocan open it.He's got to get the information, regardless of me.Do youunderstand?""What's in it?" asked Bigman, making no move to take it."Just theories, I'm afraid.I've told no one of them, because I've come outhere to try to get facts to back them up.If I can't make it, the theories, atleast, must get through.Conway may believe them and he may get the governmentto act upon them.""I won't do it," said Bigman."I won't leave you.""Bigman, if I can't trust you to do what's right regardless of yourself andmyself, you won't be much use to me after this if I come through safely."Bigman held out his hand.The personal capsule was dropped into it."All right," he said.* * *Lucky dropped through vacuum to the asteroid's surface, hastening the drop byuse of the suit's push-gun.120 LUCKY STARRHe knew the asteroid to be about the right size.It was roughly the shape heremembered it to be.It was jagged enough and the sunlit portion looked theright color.All that, however, might have held true for any asteroid.But there was the other item.That was not likely to be duplicated very often.From his waist pouch he took out a small instrument that looked like acompass.Actually it was a pocket radar unit.Its enclosed emission source could putout radio short waves of almost any range.Certain octaves could be partiallyreflected by rock and partially transmitted through reasonable distances.In the presence of a thick layer of rock the reflection of radiation activateda needle on the dial.In the presence of a thin layer of rock, as, forinstance, on a surface under which lay a cave or hollow, some radiation wasreflected, but some penetrated into the hollow and was reflected from thefurther wall.In this way a double reflection occurred, one component of whichwas much weaker than the second.In response to such a double reflection theneedle responded with a characteristic double quiver.Lucky watched the instrument as he leaped easily over the stony peaks.Theneedle's smooth pulsing gained a quiver, and then a distinct subsidiarymovement.Lucky's heart bounded.The asteroid was hollow.Find where thesubsidiary movements were strongest and there the hollow would be nearest thesurface.There would be the air-lock.For a few moments all of Lucky's faculties were concentrated on the needle.Hewas unaware of the mag-THE ASTEROID THAT WAS 121netic cable snaking its way toward him from the near horizon.He was unaware of it until it snapped about him in coil after coil, clingingclose, its momentum tossing his nearly weightless body first clear of theasteroid and then down to the rock, where he lay helpless.CHAPTER 11AT CLOSE QUARTERSThree lights came over the horizon and toward the prostrate Lucky.In thedarkness of the asteroid's night he could not see the figures that accompaniedthe lights.Then there was a voice in his ear and the voice was the well-known hoarsenessof the pirate, Dingo.It said, "Don't call your pal upstairs.I've got ajigger here that can pick up your carrier wave [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]