Science fiction; Short stories; Space colonies -- Fiction
"The one thing that burns me is that my brother, Nick, and Doc Kramer,
and those two colonists, had to die!" Bert grated. "Poor Doc. He was
rich from the atomic engines he invented. And I knew long ago that, by
his will, all his stock is to be put in trust for the welfare of
spacemen and colonists. Should we feel glad or humble?"
Lawler's grin had become a snarl. "Damn Trenton Lauren!" he said.
Alice didn't exactly smile. "I should have told you before this," she
offered seriously, "but death always upsets me. By radio report from a
scouting Patrol boat an hour ago, Lauren and his stooges were found,
smashed and burned in the crash of their craft a hundred miles from
camp. Their half-repaired spaceboat killed them."
Bert and Lawler exchanged glances. Their anger faded.
"What's new from the Safe Products Approval Board, Allie?" Lawler
asked at last. "You seem to find things out fast."
"Nothing new," she answered. "The latest messages are much the same as
those from a while ago. Guarded enthusiasm, and the statement that an
okay for the Kramer Methods must be withheld pending complete and
prompt investigation. Can't blame them. Caution is important."
"Maybe, if you played your cards right, you could become the new
president of the Prometheus outfit, Bert," Lawler kidded.
But the possibility was certainly there. Bert was proud of what he'd
done. Prometheus owed him plenty. Still, looking across camp past
cottages and shops to the red mud of the once-dry, frigid hills, and
down to the blue lake in the valley, reflecting sky and clouds, he
knew that his heart was here in this crescendoing colonial scene.
Somewhere a circle-saw screamed. From the metals-shop came the
clanging of a mechanical hammer. These were sounds of a great future
here.
"Nuts, pal," Bert chuckled to Lawler. "I'll leave the official
pencil-pushing to the lab experts. The building and progress are here.
You and Allie and I will all be back on Titan very soon."
These three began to be aware that a crowd of still befuddled but
happy colonists were gathering around them. Another Space Patrol man
approached, and said very officially:
"Mr. and Mrs. Kraskow, and Mr. Lawler: Our large ship leaves for Earth
in five hours. Be ready to blast off. As you are aware, certain still
valid charges were lodged against you by Trenton Lauren. You used
dangerous equipment, not yet legally approved. As you are also aware,
you must go to answer these charges. Sorry. But we of the Patrol know
the score. In the face of your success I'm sure that this is mere red
tape."
Bert scowled until he saw the cop's sly grin.
"Worried?" Alice asked him, smiling. She was pretty. She had courage.
She had everything.
"Worried?" Bert echoed. In general he approved the S.P.A.B. "How can
we lose on this last gamble with all the cards stacked in our favor.
We even win a needed short vacation on Earth!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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