The red planet : $b a science fiction novelWinterbotham, R. R. (Russell Robert)
Science
The red planet : $b a science fiction novel
Winterbotham, R. R. (Russell Robert)
Mars (Planet) -- Fiction; Martians -- Fiction; Outer space -- Exploration -- Fiction; Science fiction
"Just what I said, Dr. Spartan," I told him. "You're under arrest for
the murder of Morrie Grover. And if that isn't enough, for killing
Willie Zinder and trying to kill me."
"You're talking nonsense, Drake. This is mutiny, punishable by death,
Axel!"
I don't know what he expected Axel to do. I think he wanted me to turn
my head so he could attack, or draw his own pistol, but I refused to be
taken in by that old dodge.
"He's right, sir," said Axel. His habit of addressing Spartan by the
title "sir" couldn't be shaken in a moment. "I found the paper in the
valve of Morrie's helmet before you removed it."
"Lies!" said Spartan. "Now listen. If you put away that gun, Drake,
I'll forget this. It's just another case of over-wrought nerves--the
same thing that affected Grover--"
"And cause you to kill him because that was the easiest way to handle
him?"
This seemed to hit Spartan because he didn't realize how well we knew
his motives. He seemed to quiver. "I'm to be killed so you'll have
enough water--"
"That's one reason you would have killed me, probably," I said, "but
we're a different sort, Spartan. We're taking you back to the earth.
And you'll share our rationed water all the way. We won't kill you.
What happens to you after your trial on earth is not up to us."
His shoulders seemed to sag. "And I was the first man to walk on Mars!"
He seemed to think that ought to atone for everything. "Now you're
gutting the whole expedition."
"You're wrong on that score, Spartan," I said. "We'll complete the
mission. You'll be under guard, but the rest of us can carry it out.
We're doing this now to defend ourselves."
I heard Axel's sigh in my earphones. "I'm glad you said that, Bill," he
said. "I didn't quite know what was coming off."
We took Spartan into the ship after disarming him. We removed his
helmet and spacesuit and tied his hands. He said nothing, showed no
emotion except anger.
Dr. Joel came into the room. He saw Spartan and avoided his eyes.
"You're in on this too, Warner?" Spartan asked. "You, the one man I
believed was my friend?"
Joel turned to me without answering his former chief. "There's quite a
bit of Martian chatter over the radio, Drake. I got a directional fix.
It's coming from the south."
"South?"
"Yes, and it's strange, too. There's nothing but sand in that
direction."
"There's Pnyx," said Axel.
"We thought Umbra was the nearest city," I said. "That's east, in Lacus
Major."
Joel shook his head. "I tried to pick up the jargon from Major. Not
much sound there."
Axel stared at the floor for a moment. "Doc and I saw some things at
Minor that may be the answer. There was a big area where the vegetation
had been cut away. We decided that the Martians had been there and
harvested a crop. If that's true, Umbra might be a farming town and,
like most farming communities, a peaceful place. Pnyx, on the other
hand, is larger and might be a place where troops could be assembled. A
sort of military base. See what it means?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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