A. Van Vogt - Rogue Ship

...Nonpermissible, yet how avoid it...?

As Lesbee reasoned it, the longer he could hold off final action the better his chance of learning vital information. For example, the question of how Dzing had speeded up the ship's drive had to be correctly understood. With so much new force in motion, an unconsidered move could kill people instantly, might even damage the ship itself.

With that thought, he began a careful examination of the big board in front of him. The minutes dragged; and still he continued his study. The extreme tiredness that rapidly grew on him began to be his main problem. He kept dozing, and he would awaken with the shocked realization that time had gone by.

But presently he understood.

The acceleration was twelve gravities; the artificial-gravity force was eight gravities. The gap between the two – four gravities – was the pressure that was affecting them so severely.

Lesbee had a sense of awe. This was a new, unheard-of technique. It meant that drastic changes had been made by remote-control mental action in the drive and the artificial-gravity coils.

Hitherto the use of artificial gravity at the same time as acceleration had not been possible. There simply wasn't enough power available. But Dzing had rectified that by creating a vast new power source; the rapid ejection and expansion of particles multiplied the usable energy by some huge amount; theoretically, it was tens of thousands of times greater. In practice, of course, at low speeds, it was only a few hundred times greater.

But there was enough power for all conceivable contingencies.

Sitting there, breathing in that labored fashion, Lesbee felt the fantastic reality of the universe. During all this slow century of flight through space, the Hope of Man had had the potential for this vastly greater velocity.

'And Dr. Tellier missed it,' he thought.

Missed it! And so a shipload of human beings had wandered for generations through the black deeps of interstellar space.

Lesbee thought, 'the moment I activate the first of the three stages of my little control device, Dzing will lose his control of the drive and of the artificial gravity.'

Unfortunately, it would probably also send him racing back to the alternate control board to find out what had happened.

Lesbee realized he could not take any chances with that at all. He would have to activate the Karn's self-destruct system with Stage Three of his little control device. And what bothered him about that was, paradoxically, 'that the robot was a protection for him.

The moment the creature was destroyed, the total power that Browne had aboard the ship would be reasserted. Lesbee thought, 'If I can gain just a few minutes time here, while I maneuver around with Browne -'

He thought about that for a moment longer. And then, because he dared not delay, he pressed the first button and then the third one.

Instantly, his body sagged in its belt, weightless.

Lesbee held himself alert, listening. But if there was an explosion anywhere on the ship, its repercussion failed to reach him.

He thought, appalled, 'Good God, can it be the destruct system didn't work?'

The panicky feeling that came subsided before a new urgent problem. Across the room Browne was climbing groggily to his feet.

He muttered: '... better get back to... control chair...'

He had taken only a few uncertain steps when a realization seemed to strike him. He looked up, and stared wildly at Lesbee. 'Oh!' he said. It was a gasp of horrified understanding.

There was no time any more to think about Dzing. As he slapped a complex of tractor beams on Browne, Lesbee said, 'That's right. You're looking at your enemy. Let's have that completely understood, because we haven't got much time. Now, I want to ask you some questions.'

Browne was pale. He said huskily, 'I did what any lawful government does in an emergency. I dealt with treason summarily, taking time only to find out what it consisted of.'

The explanation was a meaningless bit of nonsense, in view of the history of the ship. But Lesbee did not pause to argue. He had a tense consciousness of working against time. It was outrageous that he had to fight both Browne's forces and Dzing, but that was the fact; and so, hastily, he swung Browne over in front of him, and took his blaster.

Lesbee felt better when he had the weapon. But there was still another danger. Without turning, he spoke at the screen that connected directly with the bridge: 'Mr. Miller, are you there?'

There was no answer.

Lesbee said to Browne, 'Tell Miller not to attempt preemption. Any attempt by him to take over control means I'll use this blaster on you. Got that, Miller?' His voice was uncompromising.

Again, there was no reply.

Browne said uneasily, 'He may have been knocked unconscious.'

Lesbee ardently hoped so, but there was no time for verification. For a few, vital uninterrupted minutes, now, he needed Browne's knowledge.

It was a moment for a combination of deviousness and frankness. Lesbee would have given a lot to be able to send out a single question over the speaker system. He wanted desperately to ask if there had been an explosion anywhere on the ship.

But if there had been – if Dzing were destroyed – that knowledge would apprise the Browne forces that they had only a lone human being to deal with; and they would act promptly.

And so, he dared not try to verify that vital information.

But there were several things that Browne could help him on, and might, during these tense minutes when he himself felt threatened.

Lesbee said urgently: 'What bothers me is how that creature could walk out of here and not be affected by the acceleration? It's impossible, yet he did it.'

He finished with a lie: 'I find myself reluctant to act against the creature until we have an understanding of what it was he did.'

He had lowered the big man to the floor, and now he took some of the tension from the tractor beam, but did not release the power. Browne stood in apparent deep thought. Finally, he nodded. 'All right, I know what happened.'

'Tell me!'

Browne changed the subject, said in a deliberate tone, 'What are you going to do with me?'

Lesbee stared at him disbelievingly. 'You're going to withhold this information?'

Browne said, 'What else can I do? Till I know my fate, I have nothing to lose.'

To Lesbee the words brought brief cynicism, 'What's this?' he said satirically. 'Could this be a scheme to utilize alien creatures to destroy human beings? Are you putting your own safety above that of the ship and its mission? Don't you think this justifies summary execution?'

The tone must have alarmed Browne, for he said quickly, 'Look, there's no need for you to conspire any more. What you really want is to go home, isn't it? Don't you see, with this new method of acceleration, we can make it to Earth in a few months.'

He stopped. He seemed uncertain.

Lesbee said angrily, 'Who are you trying to fool? We're a dozen light-years in actual distance from Earth. You mean years, not months.'

Browne hesitated. 'All right, a few years. But at least not a lifetime. So if you'll promise not to scheme against me further, I'll promise-'

'You'll promise!' Lesbee spoke savagely. He had been taken aback by Browne's instant attempt to blackmail. But the momentary sense of defeat was gone. He knew with stubborn rage that he would stand for no nonsense.

He said in an uncompromising tone, 'Mr. Browne, twenty seconds after I stop speaking, you start talking. I mean it.'

Browne said, 'Are you going to kill me? That's the only thing I want reassurance on. Look' – his voice appealed – 'we don't have to fight any more. We can go home. Don't you see? The long madness is just about over. Nobody has to die. But quick, man, destroy that creature with your remote-control method!'