Part 20 (2/2)

”Good enough,” replied Arcot.

As if by magic, a machine appeared, a ”small” machine of two-hundred-foot length, modified slightly in some parts, its bottom flattened, and equipped with an attractor anchor. Then they were ready.

”We will leave the _Mariner_ here, and get it later. This apparatus won't be needed any longer, and we don't want the enemy to get it. Our trial trip will be a fight!” called Arcot as he leaped from his seat.

The ma.s.s of the giant s.h.i.+p pulled him, and he fell slowly toward it.

Into its open port he flew, the others behind him, their suits still on.

The door shut behind them as Arcot, at the controls, closed it. As yet they had not released the air supplies. It was airless.

Now the hiss of air, and the quickening of heat crept through it. The water in the tanks thawed as the heat came, soaking through from the great heaters. In minutes the air and heat were normal throughout the great bulk. There was air in power compartments, though no one was expected to go there, for the control room alone need be occupied; vision-screens here viewed every part of the s.h.i.+p, and all about it.

The eyes of the new s.h.i.+p were set in recesses of the tremendously strong cosmium wall, and over them, protecting them, was an infinitely thin, but infinitely strong wall of artificial matter, permanently maintained.

It was opaque to all forms of radiation known from the longest Hertzian to the shortest cosmics, save for the very narrow band of visible light.

Whether this protection would stop the Thessian beam that was so deadly to lux and relux was not, of course, known. But Arcot hoped it would, and, if that beam was radiant energy, or material particles, it would.

”We'll destroy our station here now, and leave the _Ancient Mariner_ where it is. Of course we are a long way out of the orbit this planetoid followed, due to the effect of the time apparatus, but we can note where it is, and we'll be able to find it when we want it,” said Arcot, seated at the great control board now. There were no b.u.t.tons now, or visible controls; all was mental.

A tiny sphere of artificial matter formed, and shot toward the control board of the time machine outside. It depressed the main switch, and s.p.a.ce about them s.h.i.+fted, twisted, and returned to normal. The time apparatus was off for the first time in six weeks.

”Can't fuse that, and we can't crush it. It's made of cosmium, and trying to crush it against the rock would just drive it into it. We'll see what we can do though,” muttered Arcot. A plane of artificial matter formed just beneath it, and sheared it from its bed on the planetoid, cutting through the heavy cosmium anchors. The framework lifted, and the apparatus with it. A series of planes, a gigantic honeycomb formed, and the apparatus was cut across again and again, till only small fragments were left of it. Then these were rolled into a ball, and crushed by a sphere of artificial matter beyond all repair. The enemy would never learn their secret.

A huge cylinder of artificial matter cut a great gouge from the plane that was left where the apparatus had been, and a clamp of the same material picked up the _Ancient Mariner_, deposited it there, then covered it with rubble and broken rock. A cosmic flashed on the rock for an instant, and it was glowing, incandescent lava. The _Ancient Mariner_ was buried under a hundred feet of rapidly solidifying rock, but rock which could be fused away from its infusible walls when the time came.

”We're ready to go now--get to work with the radio, Morey, when we get to Earth.”

The gravity seemed normal here as they walked about, no accelerations affected them as the s.h.i.+p darted forward, for all its inconceivably great ma.s.s, like an arrow, then flashed forward under time control. The sun was far distant now, for six weeks they had been traveling with the section of Eros under time control. But with their tremendous time control plant, and the s.p.a.ce control, they reached the solar system in very little time.

It seemed impossible to them that that battle could still be waging, but it was. The s.h.i.+ps of Earth and Venus, battling now as a last, hopeless stand, over Chicago, were attempting to stop the press of a great Thessian fleet. Thin, long Negrian, or Sirian s.h.i.+ps had joined them in the hour of Earth time that the men had been working. Still, despite the reinforcements, they were falling back.

Chapter XIX

THE BATTLE OF EARTH

It had been an anxious hour for the forces of the Solar System.

They were in the last fine stages of Earth's defense when the general staff received notice that a radio message of tremendous power had penetrated the ray screen, with advice for them. It was signed ”Arcot.”

”Bringing new weapon. Draw all s.h.i.+ps within the atmosphere when I start action, and drive Thessians back into s.p.a.ce. Retire as soon as a distance of ten thousand miles is reached. I will then handle the fleet,” was the message.

”Gentlemen: We are losing. The move suggested would be eminently poor tactics unless we are sure of being able to drive them. If we don't, we are lost in any event. I trust Arcot. How vote you?” asked General Hetsar Sthel.

The message was relayed to the s.h.i.+ps. Scarcely a moment after the message had been relayed, a tremendous battles.h.i.+p appeared in s.p.a.ce, just beyond the battle. It shot forward, and planted itself directly in the midst of the battle, brus.h.i.+ng aside two huge Thessians in its progress. The Thessian s.h.i.+ps bounced off its sides, and reeled away. It lay waiting, making no move. All the Thessian s.h.i.+ps above poured the full concentration of their moleculars into its tremendous bulk. A diffused glow of opalescence ran over every s.h.i.+p--save the giant. The moleculars were being reflected from its sides, and their diffused energy attacked the very s.h.i.+ps that were sending them!

A fort moved up, and the deadly beam of destruction reached out, luminous even in s.p.a.ce.

”Now,” muttered Morey, ”we shall see what cosmium will stand.”

<script>