Criminals -- Fiction; Science fiction; Short stories; Space travelers -- Fiction; Survival -- Fiction
He thought he might as well make himself at home. He checked over the
suit. It was nicely equipped. In addition to standard items, there were
several things strapped onto the back of the suit on the outside which
pleased him until he realized how little difference they made: There
was a reel of light, strong cable with magnetic grapples which could be
clamped onto it. There was a hand reaction motor the size of a Stillson
wrench, and ten containers of fuel, each the size of a fountain pen.
There was a large mirror, for signaling. Also for the same purpose,
there was a powerful, highly directional searchlight. He checked the
cells which powered it; they were low, but he knew they were charging
at that moment from the sunlight falling on them. The searchlight would
work. For what that was worth.
So much for his suit. Next, where was he? His position couldn't be
given in latitude and longitude, because there wasn't anything for it
to be latitude and longitude _on_. He was somewhere between the orbits
of Venus and Earth. The direction of the Sun he could tell by glancing
at the arm of his spacesuit and seeing where the sunlight fell--the Sun
was behind him and to the right, and a little "downward."
As for the Earth, that would be the next brightest body in his sky. He
craned his head in all directions, searching. Then he took out the hand
reaction motor and gave a blast to start himself spinning, so he could
search in the directions he hadn't been able to see in before. Even
the short blast he used made the motor tug at his hand and started the
universe whirling around him frighteningly. He turned the control on
the motor down as low as it would go, then pressed the button several
more times. Finally he had canceled out most of his rotation, and the
Milky Way was wheeling calmly about him. He got himself oriented again
and after a short time had identified Earth, which was close enough to
appear as a blue-green disk.
* * * * *
Earth! A thought suddenly struck him. The _Tang_ had been heading
straight for Earth when it had let him off; he was still going exactly
in the _Tang's_ former orbit. He would reach Earth! There was one more
thing he should check--yes, he had a parachute. It was on the back of
his spacesuit, underneath the gear he'd investigated before. Now if he
could land safely he was all set! Birkerod and Garcia must not have
thought of this.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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