Teen-age Super Science StoriesElam, Richard M. (Richard Mace)
Science
Teen-age Super Science Stories
Elam, Richard M. (Richard Mace)
Science fiction; Short stories
At zero hour, all rockets were blowing at full capacity. Rob could feel
the _Rigel_ bending to the implacable will of the big world. As the
ship’s nose was pulled inward, the young spaceman could see the anxiety
on his superior’s face.
“I hope we’ve calculated this thing correctly, Rob,” the lieutenant said
tightly. “The ship should begin to turn tail on Saturn in a little
while.”
But the _Rigel_ still had not turned after twenty, nor even forty,
minutes.
“We’re losing ground!” Lieutenant Stone said, checking a dial on the
screen. “Something’s wrong! But that can’t be!”
Rob went over to the screen, where the spectroscope dial showed that the
globe was growing closer, although it was not visibly so. If the _Rigel_
were not checked within a short time, the space ship would plunge into
Saturn’s poisonous atmosphere! Rob picked up a clipboard of papers and
began studying it.
“I’d give anything if we were on the _Procyon_ which took you and your
brother to Jupiter!” Lieutenant Stone complained. “The _Rigel_’s built
primarily for distance and hasn’t a fraction of the _Procyon_’s rocket
thrust!”
“There seems to be something wrong in the figures for Titan!” Rob
suddenly spoke.
Lieutenant Stone looked over his shoulder. Silently the two went through
the figures, inspecting every equation where the numbers appeared
relating to Saturn’s largest satellite.
“The figures are wrong in two places!” the officer exclaimed. “No wonder
we miscalculated the total gravity pull! Whoever prepared these notes
back at the base will surely catch it! I guess we can’t blame him too
much, though. These figures were worked up on extra short notice for
us.”
“What’re we going to do, lieutenant?” Rob asked. “The ship’s on top
power drive now!”
Lieutenant Stone explained the new development over the intercom phone
to Spacemaster O’Leary. The skipper verified the fact that the _Rigel_
was on full thrust. He said that there was no other alternative but to
abandon ship and make for the moon Japetus in the two space boats and
hope to be picked up later from there.
“We can’t abandon the ship!” Rob burst out uncontrollably.
“And why not, Allison?” came the skipper’s retort over the intercom.
“I beg your pardon, sir, but I was thinking of the _Capella_ and her
crew!” Rob said. “What will happen to them?”
“That can’t be helped I’m afraid,” the skipper replied. “My first duty
is to my ship and men. Both of you prepare to abandon ship.”
When Spacemaster O’Leary had cut off, Lieutenant Stone said, “I’m sorry,
Rob. I know how much you thought of Spaceman Hawley, but there’s nothing
more to be done. Better get together what stuff you want to take along.”
However, as the officer began getting up his things, Rob remained at the
screen, poring over it and a little mathematical machine called an
electronic computer.
“Ready to go, Rob?” Lieutenant Stone asked sometime later.
“I think I’ve found something, sir!” Rob said, holding a place on the
screen with his finger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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