Part 11 (1/2)

”Any of the other s.h.i.+ps carry heavier?”

”Yes, the special solar investigator carries five inches. What shall we do?”

”Tell him to lower his screen, and let loose at once on all operating forts. His relux will stand for the time needed to shut them down for their own screens, unless some genius decides to fight it out. As soon as the other s.h.i.+ps can lower their screens, tell them to do so, and tell them to join in. I'll be able to help then. My relux has been burned, and I'm afraid to lower the screen. It's mighty thin already.”

The squadron commander was smiling joyously as he relayed the advice as a command.

Almost at once a single s.h.i.+p, blunt, an almost perfect cylinder, lowered its screen. In an instant the opalescence of the transformation showed on it, but its dozen ray projectors were at work. Fort after fort glowed opalescent, then flashed into protective ionization of screening.

Quickly other s.h.i.+ps lowered their screens, and joined in. In a moment more, the forts had been forced to raise their screens for protection.

A disc of artificial matter ten feet across suddenly appeared beside the _Ancient Mariner_. It advanced with terrific speed, struck the great dome of the fort, and the dome caved, bent in, bent still more--but would not puncture. The disc retreated, became a sharp cone, and drove in again. This time the point smashed through the relux, and made a small hole. The cone seemed to change gradually, melting into a cylinder of twenty foot diameter, and the hole simply expanded. It continued to expand as the cylinder became a huge disc, a hundred feet across, set in the wall.

Suddenly it simply dissolved. There was a terrific roar, and a mighty column of white rushed out of the gaping hole. Figures of Thessians caught by the terrific current came rocketing out. The inside was at last visible. The terrific pressure was hurling the outside line of s.h.i.+ps about like thistledown. The _Ancient Mariner_ reeled back under the tremendous blast of expanding gas. The snow that fell to the boiling water below was not water, _in toto_; some was carbon dioxide--and some oxygen chilled in the expansion of the gas. It was snowing within the dome. The falling forms of Thessians were robbed of the life-giving air pressure to which they were accustomed. But all this was visible for but an instant.

Then a small, thin sheet of artificial matter formed beside the fort, and advanced on the dome. Like a knife cutting open an orange, it simply went around the dome's edge, the great dome lifted like the lid of a teapot under the enormous gas pressure remaining--then dropped under its own weight.

The artificial matter was again a huge disc. It settled over the exact center of the dome--and went down. The dome caved in. It was crushed under a load utterly inestimable. Then the great disc, like some monstrous tamper, tamped the entire works of the Thessians into the bed-rock of the island. Every s.h.i.+p, every miniature fort, every man was caught under it--and annihilated.

The disc dissolved. A terrific barrage of heat beams played over the island, and the rock melted, flowed over the ruins, and left only the spumes of steam from the Arctic ice rising from a red-hot: ma.s.s of rock, contained a boiling pool.

The Battle of the Arctic was done.

Chapter XI

”WRITE OFF THE MAGNET”

”Squadron commander Tharnton speaking: Squadron 73-B of Planetary Guard will follow orders from Dr. Arcot directly. Heading south to Antarctica at maximum speed,” droned the communicator. Under the official tone of command was a note of suppressed rage and determination. ”And the squadron commander wishes Dr. Arcot every success in wiping out Antarctica as thoroughly and completely as he destroyed the Arctic base.”

The flight of s.h.i.+ps headed south at a speed that heated them white in the air, thin as it was at the hundred mile alt.i.tude, yet going higher would have taken unnecessary time, and the white heat meant no discomfort. They reached Antarctica in about ten minutes. The Thessian s.h.i.+ps were just entering through great locks in the walls of the dome.

At first sight of the terrestrial s.h.i.+ps they turned, and shot toward the guard-s.h.i.+ps. Their screens were down, for, armored as they were with very heavy relux they expected to be able to overcome the terrestrial thin relux before theirs was seriously impaired.

”s.h.i.+ps will put up screens.” Arcot spoke sharply--a new plan had occurred to him. The moleculars of the Thessians Struck glowing screens, and no damage was done. ”s.h.i.+ps, in order of number, will lower screen for thirty seconds, and concentrate all moleculars on one s.h.i.+p--the leader. Solar investigator will not join in action.”

The flags.h.i.+p of the squadron lowered its screen, and a tremendous bombardment of rays struck the leading s.h.i.+p practically in one point.

The relux glowed, and the opalescence s.h.i.+fted with bewildering, confusing colors. Then the terrestrial s.h.i.+p's screen was up, before the Thessians could concentrate on the one unprotected s.h.i.+p. Immediately another terrestrial s.h.i.+p opened its screen and bombarded the same s.h.i.+p.

Two others followed--and then it was forced to use its screen.

But suddenly a terrestrial s.h.i.+p crashed. Its straining screen had been overworked--and it failed.

Arcot's magnetic beam went into action. The Thessian ray did not go out--it flickered, dimmed, but was apparently as deadly as ever.

”s.h.i.+elded--write off the magnet, Morey. That is one a.s.set we lose.”

Arcot, protected in s.p.a.ce, was thinking swiftly. Moleculars--useless.

They had to keep their own screens up. Artificial matter--bound in by their own molecular screen! And the magnet had failed them against the protected mechanism of the dome. The s.h.i.+ps were not as yet protected, but the dome was.

”Guess the only place we'd be safe is under the ground--way under!”