Part 19 (2/2)

The Chief growled: ”_We won't be any safer there! I want to get the hang of this._” Then his voice changed sharply. ”_Joe! D'you get that?_”

Joe heard his own voice, very cold.

”I didn't. I do now. Brown, I'd suggest a guided missile at that rocket coming up. If there's a man in it, he's coming up to take over guided missiles that'll overtake him, and try to smash the Platform by direct control, since proximity fuses don't work. I'd smash him as far away as possible.”

Brown's voice came very curt and worried. ”_Right._”

There was an eruption of rocket fumes from the side of the Platform.

Something went foaming away toward Earth. It dwindled with incredible rapidity. Then Joe said:

”Chief, I think we'd better go down and meet that rocket. We'll learn to handle these wagons on the way. I think we're going to have a fight on our hands. Whoever's in that rocket isn't coming up just to shake hands with us.”

He steadied the small red vehicle and pointed it for Earth. He added:

”I'm firing a six-two solid-fuel job, Chief. Counting three.

Three--two--one.”

His mount vanished in rocket fumes. But after six seconds at two gravities acceleration the rocket burned out. The Chief had fired a matching rocket. They were miles apart, but speeding Earthward on very nearly identical courses.

The Platform grew smaller. That was their only proof of motion.

A very, very long time pa.s.sed. The Chief fired his steering rockets to bring him closer to Joe. It did not work. He had to aim for Joe and fire a blast to move noticeably nearer. Presently he would have to blast again to keep from pa.s.sing.

Joe made calculations in his head. He worried. He and the Chief were speeding Earthward--away from the Platform--at more than four miles a minute, but it was not enough. The manned rocket was accelerating at a great deal more than that rate. And if the Platform's enemies down on Earth had sent a manned rocket up to destroy the Platform, the man in it would have ways of defending himself. He would expect guided missiles--but he probably wouldn't expect to be attacked by s.p.a.ce wagons.

Joe said suddenly:

”Chief! I'm going to burn a twelve-two. We've got to match velocities coming back. Join me? Three--two--one.”

He fired a twelve-two. Twelve seconds burning, two gravities acceleration. It built up his speed away from the Platform to a rate which would have been breathless, on Earth. But here there was no sensation of motion, and the distances were enormous. Things which happen in s.p.a.ce happen with insensate violence and incredible swiftness.

But long, long, long intervals elapse between events. The twelve-two rocket burned out. The Chief had matched that also.

Brown's voice in the headphones said, ”_The rocket's cut acceleration.

It's floating up, now. It should reach our orbit fifty miles behind us.

But our missile should hit it in forty seconds._”

”I wouldn't bet on that,” said Joe coldly. ”Figure interception data for the Chief and me. Make it fast!”

He spotted the Chief, a dozen miles away and burning his steering rockets to close, again. The Chief had the hang of it, now. He didn't try to steer. He drove toward Joe.

But nothing happened. And nothing happened. And nothing happened. The two tiny s.p.a.ce wagons were 90 miles from the Platform, which was now merely a glittering speck, hardly brighter than the brightest stars.

There was a flare of light to Earthward. It was brighter than the sun.

The light vanished.

Brown's voice came in the headphones, ”_Our missile went off 200 miles short! He sent an interceptor to set it off!_”

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