of interrogation at Latner. “What was the final destination of the cruiser?”
Latner made a series of embarrassed, throat-clearing sounds. “Ah, we don’t exactly know that, Dr. Huer. We lost the line-beam when the ship was somewhere in the Tri-org galaxy.”
“They went extra-galactic?” Huer demanded.
“Yes. And at some point the cruiser’s course took it to a position where a black sun intervened between the line-beam and our scanners. We lost them, Doctor. We’re continuing the scan. Maybe we’ll pick up the beam again, sir.”
Huer sighed dishearteningly. “I thought you people claimed you’d developed a foolproof scanning technique with the line-beam and scanner setup. What’s the matter with you people?”
“Sir, I didn’t say the line-beam was foolproof. None of our people did. It was the robot that developed the line-beam, he’s the one who claimed it was foolproof.” Latner jerked a thumb angrily toward Ellis 14.
The robot shrugged his shoulders sheepishly.
The family of planets circling a distant star whose very light, by the time it reaches Earth, is merely part of a galactic shimmer, bears only a slight resemblance to the family of planets circling Earth’s own sun. There is no analogue for tiny, sun-baked Mercury. None for giant, gaseous Jupiter. None for beautiful, ringed Saturn. And surely none for warm, life-spawning Earth.
But there is one point of similarity: there is, in each of the two solar systems we are considering, a belt of “asteroids.” More properly (the original name was applied through an ancient astronomical misunderstanding) they should be called “planetoids.” That is, a hoop-shaped belt of small, planetlike bodies that revolve around their sun in a common orbit, well out between two of the larger planets’ orbits.
On one of these miniature worlds circling that alien sun, there stands an astonishing city. The planetoid is too small to retain any natural atmosphere, but thanks to the well-developed technology of races who dwell within the Draconian Empire—whose science had been looted without payment by their conquering masters—this city boasted a comfortable outdoors atmosphere, complete with parks, roadways, and plazas.
In one of the buildings of the city an earthman lay recovering from exposure, assault, and laser-stun. He was Buck Rogers, having been transferred here at the personal command and under the personal supervision of the Princess Ardala, following their brief, unpleasant exchange aboard the Draconian D-III deepspace cruiser.
Emerging from the deep sleep of exhaustion, Buck looked up to see the sensuous form of the Princess Ardala bending over him, gazing solicitously into his eyes.
“Princess Ardala,” Buck said. “I had the strangest dream. I said some things in it . . .”
The princess smiled oddly into Buck’s face and took a step away from the place where he lay.
“Don’t go,” Buck asked.
The princess didn’t reply.
Buck reached for her, tried to grasp her with one hand. He thought he had put his hand on her arm, but he must have misjudged, for his hand passed through the air.
He sat up, reached with both arms, tried to embrace the voluptuous curves of the princess. His arms passed right through her as if she wasn’t there.
“Now this must be the dream,” Buck gasped. “Maybe that was real before and I’m sleeping now. Maybe I’m not even here, is that it?”
“Oh, you’re here all right,” the princess said. “ I’m not.”
As Buck watched, open-mouthed, the Princess Ardala slowly, slowly faded from view. Just before she disappeared completely Buck made a lunge, a final attempt to embrace her, but his arms passed completely through the space where she had stood.
“I bet you’re not much fun on a date,” Buck wisecracked.
The almost-invisible Ardala said, “Oh, I’m real enough, Buck. But my body isn’t there with you. I’m speaking via a PersonImage, a holographic projection. You might say that
Latner made a series of embarrassed, throat-clearing sounds. “Ah, we don’t exactly know that, Dr. Huer. We lost the line-beam when the ship was somewhere in the Tri-org galaxy.”
“They went extra-galactic?” Huer demanded.
“Yes. And at some point the cruiser’s course took it to a position where a black sun intervened between the line-beam and our scanners. We lost them, Doctor. We’re continuing the scan. Maybe we’ll pick up the beam again, sir.”
Huer sighed dishearteningly. “I thought you people claimed you’d developed a foolproof scanning technique with the line-beam and scanner setup. What’s the matter with you people?”
“Sir, I didn’t say the line-beam was foolproof. None of our people did. It was the robot that developed the line-beam, he’s the one who claimed it was foolproof.” Latner jerked a thumb angrily toward Ellis 14.
The robot shrugged his shoulders sheepishly.
The family of planets circling a distant star whose very light, by the time it reaches Earth, is merely part of a galactic shimmer, bears only a slight resemblance to the family of planets circling Earth’s own sun. There is no analogue for tiny, sun-baked Mercury. None for giant, gaseous Jupiter. None for beautiful, ringed Saturn. And surely none for warm, life-spawning Earth.
But there is one point of similarity: there is, in each of the two solar systems we are considering, a belt of “asteroids.” More properly (the original name was applied through an ancient astronomical misunderstanding) they should be called “planetoids.” That is, a hoop-shaped belt of small, planetlike bodies that revolve around their sun in a common orbit, well out between two of the larger planets’ orbits.
On one of these miniature worlds circling that alien sun, there stands an astonishing city. The planetoid is too small to retain any natural atmosphere, but thanks to the well-developed technology of races who dwell within the Draconian Empire—whose science had been looted without payment by their conquering masters—this city boasted a comfortable outdoors atmosphere, complete with parks, roadways, and plazas.
In one of the buildings of the city an earthman lay recovering from exposure, assault, and laser-stun. He was Buck Rogers, having been transferred here at the personal command and under the personal supervision of the Princess Ardala, following their brief, unpleasant exchange aboard the Draconian D-III deepspace cruiser.
Emerging from the deep sleep of exhaustion, Buck looked up to see the sensuous form of the Princess Ardala bending over him, gazing solicitously into his eyes.
“Princess Ardala,” Buck said. “I had the strangest dream. I said some things in it . . .”
The princess smiled oddly into Buck’s face and took a step away from the place where he lay.
“Don’t go,” Buck asked.
The princess didn’t reply.
Buck reached for her, tried to grasp her with one hand. He thought he had put his hand on her arm, but he must have misjudged, for his hand passed through the air.
He sat up, reached with both arms, tried to embrace the voluptuous curves of the princess. His arms passed right through her as if she wasn’t there.
“Now this must be the dream,” Buck gasped. “Maybe that was real before and I’m sleeping now. Maybe I’m not even here, is that it?”
“Oh, you’re here all right,” the princess said. “ I’m not.”
As Buck watched, open-mouthed, the Princess Ardala slowly, slowly faded from view. Just before she disappeared completely Buck made a lunge, a final attempt to embrace her, but his arms passed completely through the space where she had stood.
“I bet you’re not much fun on a date,” Buck wisecracked.
The almost-invisible Ardala said, “Oh, I’m real enough, Buck. But my body isn’t there with you. I’m speaking via a PersonImage, a holographic projection. You might say that
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