Rockets in Ursa Major (14 page)

`I see,' said Colonel 'Well, I haven't heard anything, but just a moment.' He flicked a switch.

`Colonel Ganges, please.'

`Ganges here,' came the reply after a moment.

`Rhodes here. Have you heard anything about someone possibly entering the launching area illegally?'

Not a word, old man, not a word.'

'I'm sorry to bother you,' said the policeman.

`That's quite all right. If I do hear anything I'll let you know.'

The policeman backed out of the room.

`Why on earth . . . ?'

`Dick, I don't approve of what you did, but if there is anything in your lithium bomb idea, we'd have to wait weeks for clearance to work on the project. Do you want to work here or at home?'

`I'll work at home, thanks. I don't want your people breathing down my neck.'

`O.K.' Colonel smiled. 'I'll arrange transport.'

It felt pleasant to be home. It made me smile to think of Ganges' being an accessory to my boat stealing and entering a military establishment without permission. After making a cup of tea, I searched for a book I'd had from the University Library, on sun flares. Inside the cover it read: 'This book must not be removed from the Library.' I began to wonder how long I'd had the blessed thing, not that this was important at the moment. Though sun flares were.

The calculations were relatively simple, and soon I knew the quantity of lithium required. For some reason the result didn't make me feel happy or jubilant, instead it made me realize the heavy responsibility. This was natural, but it was also rather disturbing. Would the idea work? It had all the possibilities but I couldn't guarantee it would. I would have given anything for someone to come along and share the risk.

`And I believe I'm right,' I said out loud to the unlistening world.

Colonel was looking lined and tired when I got through on the phone.

`Any luck, Dick?' said Colonel.

`You look all in.'

`So would you. We have just finished shoving up thousands of craft, only to be told that they're all to be brought back.'

`You poor fellow,' I laughed, instantly feeling more cheerful. 'Well, now you can get your teeth into my lithium bomb. You'll need in the order of four hundred tons of lithium.'

`What! four hundred tons!' cried Colonel in despair. I nodded.

`How do you think we're going to store the stuff in the direct heat of the Sun?'

`The only thing I can think of is to pack the stuff in high temperature oil, all installed in a refrigerated vacuum.'

Colonel looked horrified at the thought. 'Let me get my people to look into the problem. Betelgeuse is giving us one of his torpedoes, but modified to travel as fast as possible from roughly the orbit of Mercury to the Sun.'

`That sounds fine. By the way, have you had any political reaction?' I asked.

`I told you Ganges could cut red tape. That's why we're getting the order for total withdrawal from space. By the way, you've cooked your own goose, as it were. Betelgeuse says that he wants you to go with the bomb.'

`You mean to the Sun?'

`Yes. He wants you along with him and the powers that be have agreed.'

`Thanks. Let me know the time of Operation Cremation.'

I didn't catch Colonel's funny remark as I flicked the switch, so all I saw was his laughing face fade off the screen. Having forgotten to ask him how long it would be before they might be ready, I was in a quandary as to whether I should get some sleep or pack.

Instead of worrying I looked through the calculations, reworking and reworking the problem. The answer kept coming out the same every time, which didn't really improve my state of mind. I put the sheet of paper on one side and closed my eyes.

The fear of being trapped in space became more vivid. My suspicious mind began to work along the lines that, if Alcyone wanted her way, it would be very easy. Betelgeuse could agree to take the bomb, but he might not be sold on my idea, so she says we'll take Warboys along, if the idea works they'd bring me home, if not, onward far into space. You conceited old fraud, I thought.

Sleep must have eventually overtaken me, for I woke with a start. Shivering, I went to the kitchenette. It was nearly 6.10, and the wall thermometer showed 21° centigrade, so I wasn't shivering through cold.

The water in the shower was very hot and I slowly shook off the horrible sleepy feeling. Turning off the water, I switched the hot air drier on, then I put on clean clothes. It suddenly struck me why I'd had the shivering fit. I had got very wet crawling along the communications tunnel and had forgotten all about it. I probably had a slight temperature. The clean clothes felt wonderful, as did the cup of coffee I made. The doorbell rang. Funny, I thought, who'd be calling at this hour? I took another sip of coffee and then went to the door.

`Sorry to disturb you,' said Alcyone, standing there. `Hello, you're up and about very early,' I said, opening the door wider to allow her in.

`Dick, everything is ready now.'

`So you've come to fetch me?' I said guardedly.

`No, I've come to have a word with you,' Alcyone said, sitting down. 'Do you realize what could happen to the Earth when the bomb is dropped?'

`Certainly, I have a fairly good idea.'

`I was talking to Colonel Rhodes and apparently none of the politicians or military have thought out the consequences.'

`So they're willing to take a risk?' I said.

`Risk very high energy particles?'

`I know. At worst a few people will lose their lives, Surely that is better than killing everyone?'

Alcyone smiled and nodded. 'I suppose so.'

`Anyway, why does Betelgeuse want me along?'

`He reasons that, if he's going to risk his life, then you can jolly well risk yours,' Alcyone said with a laugh.

I had to smile as well, after what I had originally thought.

`Would you like a cup of something?'

`No, it's time we were leaving,' Alcyone said.

`But I thought you said you hadn't come to fetch me?' I said in surprise.

`I haven't come, it is Colonel Rhodes who has come. I came so I could ask you my question.'

I must have looked a little confused.

`I'm not going,' she said finally. 'You and Betelgeuse are going by yourselves.'

`Can the two of us control the ship?'

`Certainly. One person could operate it.'

`So you and the rest of the crew are staying here?' I stopped speaking. The thought struck me that perhaps Betelgeuse reckoned that we wouldn't get out of the blast from the Sun in time.

Alcyone walked with me down to where Colonel was parked. She gave me a big kiss and then moved back. `Come on, Dick, we haven't all morning.' I said, climbing into the helicopter.

The journey was accomplished in a thoughtful silence. The morning mists were just clearing off the fields as we flew over them. Then I could see the space drome. This time it was crammed with space craft. Colonel manoeuvred the helicopter into a space near Betelgeuse's ship. At the airlock door, Colonel took hold of my hand and shook it hard.

`Good luck,' he said with a tremor in his voice. `Thanks. Will you do me a favour?'

`Certainly,' Colonel said, still holding my hand. `When we've gone, will you make sure that Alcyone is all right?'

`Of course. I think she'll be staying with Sir John Fielding.'

`That's good,' I said, climbing into the airlock. To my surprise all Betelgeuse's crew were standing there.

`By God, you're all going to get a shock when we come back.'

Rigel smiled. 'That's a good way to think.'

I shook hands with them and went up in the lift. Ganges and Betelgeuse were standing talking.

`Hello, Dick. Not too early I hope,' Ganges beamed. `Far too early,' I replied.

`Well, you'll be able to catch up a whole day's sleep before you start getting too hot.'

`Thanks Are we all set?' I said, looking at Betelgeuse, who didn't look at all unhappy; in fact he had a wicked twinkle in his eyes.

`Well, I'll leave you to it,' Ganges said, getting into the lift.

`Dick, how are you under acceleration?'

`Not too good.'

`Well, we've put a couple of bunks in. Take your pick,' Betelgeuse said.

I went over to the bunks and lay down on one. Betelgeuse came and settled in on the other. With him he brought a portable control panel, which struck me as far more sensible than the fixed ones we used.

`All doors closed,' Betelgeuse said.

`Pad clear and ready for take off,' came the controller's voice over the radio intercom.

`Betelgeuse,' came Colonel's voice. 'We've a report that there are ships in the orbit of Jupiter. They are not moving.'

`Serious?' I asked.

`Are they on the far side of the Sun?' Betelgeuse asked. 'At present, yes,' Colonel's reply crackled.

`Ready, Dick?' Betelgeuse asked.

I nodded and my stomach felt very strange. The craft began to accelerate. The pressure wasn't quite what I expected. In our own ships, by now it would be highly uncomfortable. Looking at Betelgeuse, I began to understand. He had the ship at about quarter throttle.

`When does it get bad?' I asked.

`You're through the worst. At each stage, as we become accustomed to the acceleration, I'll open it up a little more, until we are going as fast as we can manage.' He climbed off his bunk and went off out of my sight. If he can do it I can, I thought, swinging my legs off the bunk. It didn't do me much good, as I was walking round on my knees. Betelgeuse laughed and helped me back. He returned to his bunk and handed me something to drink.

`It'll make you sleep for a while,' he said.

`How long?' I asked, not wanting to miss anything. `At most a couple of hours, long enough to get used to the acceleration without mental tension.'

`Fine,' I said, draining the container. Nothing seemed to happen.

The faint buzz woke me up. Betelgeuse had a pair of earphones on and in front of him was a monitor. I manoeuvred myself on to an elbow to get a look. To my amazement, he was watching a Western film. He looked my way for a moment, smiled, and turned back to his viewing. Climbing off my bunk I found that I could stand without any problem. Time had flown. According to my watch, I must have been asleep for over eight hours. The monitor for the outside cameras was on. I searched the dark space outside for something which I might recognize.

By now we should have been able to see Venus quite well.

Betelgeuse took one of his earphones off. 'We should be inside the orbit of Venus.'

I looked again, but there was nothing except darkness. He leaned forward and pushed a button. 'Is that better?'

I manoeuvred the cameras and then I found the planet. It almost filled the screen, so we must be getting very close. I went on moving the cameras until I found what I was really looking for, a small spot of light which represented the Earth. Betelgeuse had gone back to his film, but before doing that he'd put up a chart of our course and the relative positions of the planets Mercury and Venus. Being a scientist not a military tactician, it took me a few minutes to work out the logic of his plan.

The ship had been plotted so as to pass very close to Venus on its darkened side. From there we would make our way to Mercury since Mercury was at the present nearly on the far side of the Sun in its orbiting. The plot went just a little farther beyond the Sun, and stopped.

Suddenly the monitor lit up like the 4th of July. I looked at the brilliant light and realized we were out of the shadow of Venus. At that moment the radar screen became very active. It showed the Sun as a huge blob to the left of the screen. Mercury was situated in the middle. As well as these there was a tiny blob of light floating around the right of the screen. I watched it for a moment and then took a pad and started calculating. It was obviously much larger than one space craft, but it could be a block of them flying in close formation. I looked at the chart and found the object was just on the outside of Mercury's orbit, which would probably make it an asteroid.

`You don't think I'd be that stupid?' Betelgeuse said from behind me.

`How do you mean?'

`I'm going to give myself a chance to get into the shadow of something when this bomb goes off. One of my fleet reported an asteroid close to Mercury, so if we discharge the bomb from the far side of Mercury we have a fifty/fifty chance of getting into the shelter of this asteroid.'

`Good idea. One thing I don't like about your plan is that we are open to the enemy's radar once we move out of Mercury's shelter,' I said.

`I agree, but it is good. If they see us they will follow but they won't have time to get near enough before the bomb goes off.'

`And catches them right in the middle.'

`That's right. It should give them quite a surprise,' Betelgeuse said with a laugh.

`Let's hope so!'

`We'll be able to follow the bomb on the radar until it gets into the Sun's corona; by then I hope we're in sight of safety,' Betelgeuse said, still grinning.

I walked round the cabin trying to work out the possibilities of being safe, but without much success.

`Listen to this,' said Betelgeuse. The intercom crackled but apart from this everything was silent.

`I don't understand,' I said.

`It is strange that the Yela have stopped communicating amongst themselves.'

`Maybe they're listening.'

`You're right, waiting for our next move.'

`Do you think they know?' I asked.

`It is difficult to know what they are doing, or what they know; remember nobody has ever seen them, or at least if anyone has they've never lived to tell the tale.'

`But do you think they know where we are now?'