A. Van Vogt - Rogue Ship

'Tell Captain Gourdy I want to see him but that I'm going to the engine room first.'

The man did not slow in his headlong flight. And a few moments later, he disappeared around another corner.

In the engine room, Harcourt had already called Gourdy -who had meanwhile returned to the captain's cabin. Gourdy listened to the account with a frown, and stared at the letter that the big man held up for him to see. It seemed to be part of a conspiracy, but its meaning was obscure enough so that he presently said uneasily, 'Bring that letter up here right away.'

He had not yet gone into his own bedroom and so had not found the copy that had been left for him.

Hewitt, who had resumed his journey to the engine room, arrived there without further incident, and found John Lesbee V alone.

Lesbee caught a glimpse of the intruder from the corner of one eye, and he turned -

After the initial amazement, and wonder, and dawning understanding, the result of that conversation was – Lesbee's normal sense of caution was briefly penetrated, and suspended.

Later he could only remember one response he made to Hewitt's statements, during those few minutes of excited blurting of his true feelings: '... Go back out into space! Never!'

What sobered him finally was the sight of a light flashing on one of the boards. It was a warning-signal device that he had set up. It meant a detector system was spying on him.

Gourdy!

Exactly how long the light had been flickering, Lesbee had no idea. He groaned inwardly with the realization that the one earlier statement he could remember making, would stand against him in the mind of that suspicious little man.

All in an instant, Lesbee was his old self again: the man whose mind could go one step beyond what other devious minds were thinking. Standing there, he made his first attempt to fit Hewitt and Hewitt's background into the cosmos that was the ship.

He thought: 'He can't possibly adjust rapidly enough to the murder that's here. So he'll be a pawn.'

The question was, how could he use such a powerful pawn for his own purposes?

Lesbee decided that the man was actually, at this stage, a source of information and a foil in the subtle job of defeating Gourdy.

Hewitt had had his own sobering thoughts. If time slippage into the future had actually occurred, then the disaster to Sol either had or had not happened. They could go to Earth and see if it were damaged and to what extent. Then – and not till then – would it be necessary to decide what to do next.

Whether to land or return to space was not a problem if the decision could be made on the basis of truth.

Greatly relieved, he said firmly, 'As owner of the Hope of Man, I command you to set course for the solar system and do everything necessary for us to determine the real situation on Earth.'

Lesbee said, 'I'm sorry, Mr. Hewitt, I'll have to have that as an order from Captain Gourdy. He is in sole command of this ship.'

Lesbee felt greatly relieved at having had the chance to say those exact words. Temporarily, at least, they ought to reassure Gourdy.

The objection startled Hewitt. He recognized it as a reasonable statement. But it brought home to him something he had literally not thought of until this instant. Suddenly, he saw that his ownership rights depended on Earth power.

But, according to the dire prediction of which he was a principal advocate, there would by now be no Earth power.

Sitting there, he could feel himself sinking, shrinking, his importance dwindling, his special position becoming meaningless.

Almost as an echo to his thought came Lesbee's voice: 'Why don't you go and talk to Captain Gourdy?'

...Talk to... Gourdy. Try to persuade the powers that be... And be careful...! For it was already obvious that Gourdy had the decision of life or death -

Hewitt was vaguely aware that he had turned his machine and was heading for the door. Outside, in the corridor, he did not turn toward the captain's cabin, but, instead, hurriedly guided his machine to a down ramp, emerging presently on a floor where there were storerooms.

He entered one where there were many pieces of equipment stacked close to the ceiling. Each segment was locked in a cradle or compartment. Hewitt rolled into the shadowy space between two stacks and manipulated the release mechanism of the tank suit.

The rubber separated with a wheezing sound. The two sections of the apparatus were driven apart to the limit of the two bolts that connected them. Hewitt crawled out between the bolts, and a moment later stood on the floor on his own two feet.

He was trembling a little and he felt weak from the very real fear that was in him. But he was, he discovered, strong enough to climb to the top of a compartment near the ceiling. He sank breathlessly down onto the shadowed surface.

He lay there watching the little spy light blinking on the dashboard of his capsule machine. As soon as it ceased, as it did suddenly, he climbed down quickly and drove off as fast as the machine could carry him.

When he fled from Hewitt, Lee Winance went straight to Captain Gourdy's apartment, found him there, and told his story of meeting Hewitt.

Gourdy listened with narrowed eyes as the man's improbable story unfolded. A suspicion grew in him that somehow this person – Winance – whom he had always regarded as a nonentity, was involved in a conspiracy.

Swiftly, the absurdity of such an idea struck him.

'Just a minute!' he said peremptorily. 'Stay right here!'

He walked to the door leading to the captain's study. The moment he was out of sight, he ran headlong for a small private connecting room where the detector system was located... He focused the scanners on the engine room.

For many seconds he gazed incredulously at the apparition of Hewitt and his mobile capsule, and then, as the import of the conversation between the two men penetrated, he listened with increasing thoughtfulness. When Hewitt hurriedly drove off, Gourdy followed him with his scanners and watched him hide in one of the storerooms. Throughout, the only question in his mind was: 'Shall I kill him, or use him?'

He had the abrupt realization that whichever it was would require as a preliminary that he capture the intruder. As he shut off the detector system, intending to return to the outer room, he grew aware that the elder of Captain Browne's two widows had slipped into the room.

'Who is that man?' she asked in amazement.

Her name was Ruth, and she was a patrician-looking woman in her early thirties. He had already developed a strong desire for her, and had restrained himself only because of even stronger political considerations; so now he treated her with the respect of a man who presently hoped to take possession.

He explained about Hewitt but also added that it looked as if Earth had been destroyed, and finished, 'Better get everybody up, eat breakfast, and await events. Looks like important decisions will be made shortly.'

She nodded and went off. Gourdy joined Winance.

He tossed a spare automatic at the other. Winance caught it awkwardly.

'Come along!' said Gourdy.

He headed for the corridor door.

Winance trailed behind him, pale and breathless. 'Where we going, sir?'

'Going to catch that fellow you saw.'

'But he's armed.'

'So are we.'

'Oh!'

Gourdy smiled. The man's reaction reassured him about human nature. Fear still ruled all and, paradoxically, frightened people could still be forced to take risks by someone who was not afraid.

Gourdy said, "You just stand by and do as I say.'

'O.K., boss.'

As they emerged onto the corridor, Harcourt came into view around a distant bend. Gourdy waited for him, and a minute later the three of them headed for the nearest elevator. In the elevator, Gourdy silently read the letter. It was a confirmation of what he had already seen and convinced him that he had better not do anything hastily.