Anything!
But there was nothing. His figures had been accurate the first time.
For a while, he just gave up. All he could think of was the terribleblaze of heat that would wipe out Earth when the Rats set off the sun.Man might survive. There were colonies that the Rats didn't know about.But they'd find them eventually. Without Earth, the race would be setback five hundred--maybe five thousand--years. The Rats would would haveplenty of time to hunt them out and destroy them.
And then he forced his mind away from that train of thought. There hadto be a way to get there on time. Something in the back of his mind toldhim that there _was_ a way.
He had to think. Really think.
* * * * *
On 7 June 2287, a signal officer on the Earth destroyer _Muldoon_ pickedup a faint signal coming from the general direction of the constellationof Sagittarius. It was the standard emergency signal for distress. Thebroadcaster only had a very short range, so the source couldn't be toofar away.
He made his report to the ship's captain. "We're within easy range ofher, sir," he finished. "Shall we pick her up?"
"Might be a Rat trick," said the captain. "But we'll have to take thechance. Beam a call to Earth, and let's go out there dead slow. If thedetectors show anything funny, we turn tail and run. We're in no positionto fight a Rat ship."
"You think this might be a Rat trap, sir?"
The captain grinned. "If you are referring to the _Muldoon_ as a rattrap, Mr. Blake, you're both disrespectful and correct. That's why we'regoing to run if we see anything funny. This ship is already obsolete byour standards; you can imagine what it is by theirs." He paused. "Getthat call in to Earth. Tell 'em this ship is using a distress signalthat was obsolete six months ago. And tell 'em we're going out."
"Yes, sir," said the signal officer.
It wasn't a trap. As the _Muldoon_ approached the source of the signal,their detectors picked up the ship itself. It was a standard lifeboatfrom a battleship of the _Shannon_ class.
"You don't suppose that's from the _Shane_, do you?" the captain saidsoftly as he looked at the plate. "She's the only ship of that classthat's missing. But if that's a _Shane_ lifeboat, what took her so longto get here?"
"She's cut her engines, sir!" said the observer. "She evidently knowswe're coming."
"All right. Pull her in as soon as we're close enough. Put her inNumber Two lifeboat rack; it's empty."
* * * * *
When the door of the lifeboat opened, the captain of the _Muldoon_ waswaiting outside the lifeboat rack. He didn't know exactly what he hadexpected to see, but it somehow seemed fitting that a lean, bearded manin a badly worn uniform and a haggard look about him should step out.
The specter saluted. "Lieutenant Alfred Pendray, of the _Shane_," hesaid, in a voice that had almost no strength. He held up a pouch."Microfilm," he said. "Must get to Earth immediately. No delay. Hurry."
"Catch him!" the captain shouted. "He's falling!" But one of the mennearby had already caught him.
In the sick bay, Pendray came to again. The captain's questioninggradually got the story out of Pendray.
"... So I didn't know what to do then," he said, his voice a breathywhisper. "I knew I had to get that stuff home. Somehow."
"Go on," said the captain, frowning.
"Simple matter," said Pendray. "Nothing to it. Two equations. Littleship goes thirty times as fast as big ship--big _hulk_. Had to get herebefore 22 June. _Had_ to. Only way out, y'unnerstand.
"Anyway. Two equations. Simple. Work 'em in your head. Big ship takesten months, little one takes ten days. But can't stay in a little shipten days. No shielding. Be dead before you got here. See?"
"I see," said the captain patiently.
"_But_--and here's a 'mportant point: If you stay on the big ship foreight an' a half months, then y' only got to be in the little ship for aday an' a half to get here. Man can live that long, even under thatradiation. See?" And with that, he closed his eyes.
"Do you mean you exposed yourself to the full leakage radiation from alifeboat engine for thirty-six hours?"
But there was no answer.
"Let him sleep," said the ship's doctor. "If he wakes up again, I'll letyou know. But he might not be very lucid from here on in."
"Is there anything you can do?" the captain asked.
"No. Not after a radiation dosage like that." He looked down at Pendray."His problem was easy, mathematically. But not psychologically. Thattook real guts to solve."
"Yeah," said the captain gently. "All he had to do was _get_ here alive.The problem said nothing about his staying that way."
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