spacecraft within striking range of Earth, of every interceptor ship and weapon in the planet’s defensive arsenal.
Things had not always been so on Earth. At one time the planet’s military preparedness was divided and directed at other targets on the surface of the planet itself. Nation had stood poised, ready to spring at the throat of nation. Real or imagined enemies glared angrily across polar azimuths, each tensely awaiting a sign that the other was preparing to attack, each ready with a preemptive strike force of its own.
Then had come the holocaust.
And after the holocaust, just as Earth was beginning to recover its strength for a new assault on the heights of civilization, the planet had learned that it needed all its preparedness and all its fighting strength to defend itself against a new menace—the Empire of Draco!
The result had been the construction of Inner City’s defense squadron, the War Room, the planetary defense shield, and the Intelligence and Scanning Center.
Now, as teams of male and female technicians clad in form-fitting, trim unisex uniforms crouched over glowing readout screens and diode-generated messages flashed on overhead projector screens, the most highly respected scientific mind and political leader of the Inner City and the entire planet entered the room.
He was a small, unobtrusive man garbed in prosaic white laboratory clothes. His head was as bald and pink as a baby’s, but behind his old-fashioned lens-and-earpiece spectacles, the only personal idiosyncrasy he permitted himself, there gleamed bright and gimlet-sharp eyes.
Dr. Huer approached the chief supervisor of the Intelligence and Scanning Center. The supervisor looked up and greeted the familiar form of the scientist, as did a few technicians not too absorbed in their duties to notice. There were faces of every race and age known on the surface of Earth. Most of them were human, a few of them slightly mutated. One non-human face was that of a Tigerman, and another was the sterile, intelligent visage of the armorer robot, Ellis 14.
“Dr. Huer,” the supervisor greeted, “come in.”
“Thank you, Latner, I’m already in,” the scientist responded sharply. “I want to know the status.”
Latner turned to a senior technician. “Put the path readout up on the main screen,” he commanded.
The technician obeyed. The main projection screen of the Intelligence and Scanning Center flashed into life. Its surface represented a three-dimensional image of deep space. Glowing points of variously colored light appeared and moved slowly across its surface, representing spaceships being tracked by the monitors.
“We traced Captain Rogers’ line-beam to the area on Earth that used to be called the Great Salt Lake,” Latner explained to Huer. “The lake is long gone but there are still salt flats there.
“At or near the site of the lakebed, Rogers entered a ruined building. Shortly thereafter he left—or was taken from—the building. We suspect that he was taken, unless he’s playing a complex game with us, and had prearranged the whole expedition. Because the ship in which he left was very large. At least a C-III, possibly even a D-III class deepspace cruiser.
“Captain Rogers left his own starfighter behind on the salt flat. It has been retrieved. Totally undamaged and ready to fly.”
Latner pointed to the screen again. “The cruiser followed the trajectory indicated on the scanning screen, Doctor. If Captain Rogers meant to escape from Earth, I should think he’d have abandoned or disabled his line-beam. On the other hand, he may be leading us on some sort of subtle chase.” He spread his hands helplessly.
Dr. Huer paced back and forth, his hands clasped in the small of his back. “The size of the ship suggests Draconians.”
“Yes,” Latner agreed, “as far as we know only their ships have D-III capabilities, and hardly anyone else has even C-III.”
“Well, then.” Huer’s eyes snapped a jolt
Things had not always been so on Earth. At one time the planet’s military preparedness was divided and directed at other targets on the surface of the planet itself. Nation had stood poised, ready to spring at the throat of nation. Real or imagined enemies glared angrily across polar azimuths, each tensely awaiting a sign that the other was preparing to attack, each ready with a preemptive strike force of its own.
Then had come the holocaust.
And after the holocaust, just as Earth was beginning to recover its strength for a new assault on the heights of civilization, the planet had learned that it needed all its preparedness and all its fighting strength to defend itself against a new menace—the Empire of Draco!
The result had been the construction of Inner City’s defense squadron, the War Room, the planetary defense shield, and the Intelligence and Scanning Center.
Now, as teams of male and female technicians clad in form-fitting, trim unisex uniforms crouched over glowing readout screens and diode-generated messages flashed on overhead projector screens, the most highly respected scientific mind and political leader of the Inner City and the entire planet entered the room.
He was a small, unobtrusive man garbed in prosaic white laboratory clothes. His head was as bald and pink as a baby’s, but behind his old-fashioned lens-and-earpiece spectacles, the only personal idiosyncrasy he permitted himself, there gleamed bright and gimlet-sharp eyes.
Dr. Huer approached the chief supervisor of the Intelligence and Scanning Center. The supervisor looked up and greeted the familiar form of the scientist, as did a few technicians not too absorbed in their duties to notice. There were faces of every race and age known on the surface of Earth. Most of them were human, a few of them slightly mutated. One non-human face was that of a Tigerman, and another was the sterile, intelligent visage of the armorer robot, Ellis 14.
“Dr. Huer,” the supervisor greeted, “come in.”
“Thank you, Latner, I’m already in,” the scientist responded sharply. “I want to know the status.”
Latner turned to a senior technician. “Put the path readout up on the main screen,” he commanded.
The technician obeyed. The main projection screen of the Intelligence and Scanning Center flashed into life. Its surface represented a three-dimensional image of deep space. Glowing points of variously colored light appeared and moved slowly across its surface, representing spaceships being tracked by the monitors.
“We traced Captain Rogers’ line-beam to the area on Earth that used to be called the Great Salt Lake,” Latner explained to Huer. “The lake is long gone but there are still salt flats there.
“At or near the site of the lakebed, Rogers entered a ruined building. Shortly thereafter he left—or was taken from—the building. We suspect that he was taken, unless he’s playing a complex game with us, and had prearranged the whole expedition. Because the ship in which he left was very large. At least a C-III, possibly even a D-III class deepspace cruiser.
“Captain Rogers left his own starfighter behind on the salt flat. It has been retrieved. Totally undamaged and ready to fly.”
Latner pointed to the screen again. “The cruiser followed the trajectory indicated on the scanning screen, Doctor. If Captain Rogers meant to escape from Earth, I should think he’d have abandoned or disabled his line-beam. On the other hand, he may be leading us on some sort of subtle chase.” He spread his hands helplessly.
Dr. Huer paced back and forth, his hands clasped in the small of his back. “The size of the ship suggests Draconians.”
“Yes,” Latner agreed, “as far as we know only their ships have D-III capabilities, and hardly anyone else has even C-III.”
“Well, then.” Huer’s eyes snapped a jolt
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