"Hot Rod has been sabotaged," a frantic voice on the other end of the beam shouted in his ear without formalities. "She"s running wild. Kill her! Repeat, Hot Rod is wild! Kill Hot Rod! Kill--" the mike went dead as Captain Andersen switched to the morgue intercom.
"Hot Rod crew," he said briefly. "Report to the bridge on the double.
Repeat. Hot Rod crew. The bridge. On the double."
As he switched off the intercom, the communications officer spoke urgently. "Captain. I"ve lost contact with Thule base."
"Keep trying to raise them," Captain Andersen said. He turned to Bessie. "Give me a display of the h.e.l.lmaker," he said; then, almost to himself, "There"s still a flare in progress out there. We"ve got to kill it without sending men into that--"
He cut himself off in midsentence, as the computer displayed both Hot Rod, swaying gently as she fought out the battle of the focus through its final moments, and a telescopic view of Greenland, a tiny, glowing coal of red showing at the center of her focus.
Through the door nearly catapulted the first of the Project Hot Rodders, followed almost on his heels by twelve more.
"Where is Major Elbertson?"
"In sick bay, sir. He got a big radiation dose--"
The captain flipped the intercom key.
"Calling Major Elbertson in sick bay. Report to the bridge on the double, no matter what your condition. This is the captain speaking."
The intercom came alive at far end.
"This is Dr. Green, Captain Andersen. Major Elbertson is unconscious.
He cannot report for duty. He was extremely ill from exposure to radiation and we have administered sulph-hydral, antispasmodic, and sedative."
Nails Andersen turned to the project crew.
"Which of you are Security officers?"
Three men stepped forward.
"Are all the project members here?"
"No, sir," said one. "Eight of our men are in sick bay."
"Very well," said the captain. "Now hear this, all of you. There is a saboteur--maybe more than one, we do not know--among you. There is no time to find out which of you it is. However, he has managed to leave Project Hot Rod operational while unattended. You are to turn it off, and to prevent the saboteur from stopping you. Do you understand?"
A voice in back--a rather high voice--spoke up. "Of course it"s operational," it said. "We left it operational."
"You ... WHAT?"
"We left it operational. It"s under Earth control. The control center at Thule is in charge, sir."
"Who are you?" the captain asked.
"Hot Rod communications officer, sir. I turned it over last thing before we shut down. Under the instructions of Dr. Koblensky. That"s the shutdown procedure."
"Where"s Dr. Koblensky?"
"Out. Out like a light," said another voice. "He got a good dose. Of radiation. The medics put him out."
"Who"s senior officer here?"
"I"m Dr. Johnston." It was a man in front. Rather small, pedantic-looking. "I"m Dr. Koblensky"s ... well, a.s.sistant." The word came hard as though the fact of an a.s.sistantship were at the least distasteful.
"Who"s senior in Security?"
"I, sir. Chauvenseer."
"Very well. Dr. Johnston and Chauvens ... sor? ... are in charge. Now shut down that ruby h.e.l.lmaker as fast as it can be done."
"But, captain," Dr. Johnston spoke, "we can"t turn it off. We haven"t the authority. We haven"t the Security key. And the radiation won"t let up for hours."
"I have just given you the authority. As for the radiation, that"s a hazard you"ll have to take. What"s this about a Security key?" The captain"s voice was not gentle.
"Major Elbertson has the key. He has the only key. Without it, the station cannot be removed from Earth control. Earth _is_ in control.
They can turn it off, captain." Dr. Johnston"s voice took on as firm a tone of authority as that of the captain.
"Chau ... Chau ... You!" barked the captain. "Get that key!" He waited until the Security officer had disappeared through the door, then turned to the scientist.
"Dr. Johnston, Earth is not in control. I do not know why, and there is no way of finding out. Hot Rod is wild, and _that_," he pointed at the enlarging red spot that centered the computer display, "is what your ruby is doing to Earth.
"You will turn off the project, at gunpoint if necessary," he continued in a grim voice. "If you turn it off volitionally, you will be treated for radiation. If you refuse, you will not live to be treated for anything. Do you understand? How many men do you need to help you ... and I do mean _you_ ... with the job?" he asked.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Dr. Johnston hesitated only fractionally, and Nails Andersen mentally put him down on the plus side of the personnel for the shortness of his com lag. Then he said, "The job will require only two men for the fastest accomplishment. You realize, captain that you are probably signing our death warrants--the two of us. But," he added, glancing only casually at the display on the console, "I can understand the need to sign that warrant, and I shall not quibble."
The intercom spoke. "This is Dr. Green, captain. There is no key on the person of Major Elbertson. We have searched thoroughly, sir. I understand the need is of an emergency nature. The key is not on his person. We have taken every possible measure to arouse him, as well, and have been unsuccessful."
Andersen flipped his switch. "Let me speak to the Hot Rod Security officer," he said briefly.
"Chauvenseer speaking, sir," the man"s voice came on.
"Do you know what the key looks like?"
"Yes, sir. It looks somewhat like a common Yale key, sir. But I"ve never seen another just like it."
"There is only the one?"
"Yes, sir."
"Where would he keep it, if not on his person?"
"I don"t know, sir. We came straight to the morgue--the shield area, from the air lock. I don"t believe he stopped off anywhere he could have put it."
The captain turned to the second Security officer. "Search Elbertson"s s.p.a.cesuit," he said. Then to the intercom, "Search his hammock. Search every spot he went near. That key must be found in minutes. Commandeer as many men as can help in the search without getting in the way."