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Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from Astounding Stories March 1933. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
The Death Traps of FX-31
_A Commander John Hanson Adventure_
By Sewell Peaslee Wright
* * * * *
[Sidenote: Commander John Hanson recalls his harrowing expeditionamong the giant spiders of FX-31.]
I do not wish to appear prejudiced against scientists. I am notprejudiced, but I have observed the scientific mind in action, on agreat many occasions, and I find it rather incomprehensible.
It is true that there are men with a scientific turn of mind who, atthe same time, you can feel safe to stand with shoulder to shoulder,in an emergency. Young Hendricks, who was my junior officer on the_Ertak_, back in those early days of the Special Patrol Service, aboutwhich I have written so much, was one of these.
Nor, now that I come to think of the matter in the cool and impartialmanner which is typical of me, was young Hendricks the only one. Therewas a chap--let's see, now. I remember his face very well; he was oneof those dark, wiry, alert men, a native of Earth, and his namewas--Inverness! Carlos Inverness. Old John Hanson's memory isn't quiteas tricky as some of these smart young officers of the Service, sonewly commissioned that the silver braid is not yet fitted to thecurve of their sleeves, would lead one to believe.
I met Inverness in the ante-room of the Chief of Command. The Chiefwas tied up in one of the long-winded meetings which theSilver-sleeves devoted largely to the making of new rules andregulations for the confusion of both men and officers of the Service,but he came out long enough to give me the _Ertak's_ orders in person.
"Glad to see you here at Base again, Commander," he said, in hiscrisp, business-like way. "Hear some good reports of your work; keepit up!"
"Thank you, sir," I said, wondering what was in the air. Any time theChief was complimentary, it was well to look out for squalls--which isan old Earth term for unexpected trouble.
"Not at all, Commander, not at all. And now, let me present CarlosInverness, the scientist, of whom you have undoubtedly heard."
I bowed and said nothing, but we shook hands after the fashion ofEarth, and Inverness smiled quite humanly.
"I imagine the good captain has been too busy to follow the activitiesof such as myself," he said, sensibly enough.
"A commander"--and I laid enough emphasis on the title to point out tohim his error in terminology--"in the Special Patrol Service usuallyfinds plenty to occupy his mind," I commented, wondering more thanever what was up.
_At the same instant two other trap-doors swung up._]
"True," said the Chief briskly. "You'll pardon me if I'm exceedinglybrief, Commander, but there's a sizeable group in there waiting myreturn.
"I have a special mission for you; a welcome relief from routinepatrol. I believe you have made special requests, in the past, forassignments other than the routine work of the Service, Commander?"
He was boxing me up in a corner, and I knew it, but I couldn't denywhat he said, so I admitted it as gracefully as I could.
"Very well," nodded the Chief, and it seemed to me his eyes twinkledfor an instant. "Inverness, here, is head of a party of scientistsbent upon a certain exploration. They have interested the Council inthe work, and the Council has requested the cooperation of thisService."
He glanced at me to make sure I understood. I certainly did; when theSupreme Council _requested_ something, that thing was done.
"Very well, sir," I said. "What are your orders?"
The Chief shrugged.
"Simply that you are to cooperate with Inverness and his party,assisting them in every possible way, including the use of your shipfor transporting them and a reasonable amount of equipment, to thefield of their activities. The command of the ship remains, of course,in you and your officers, but in every reasonable way the _Ertak_ andher crew are to be at the disposal of Inverness and his group. Is thatclear, Commander?"
"Perfectly, sir." Nothing could have been clearer. I was to run theship, and Inverness and his crew were to run me. I could just imaginehow Correy, my fighting first officer, would take this bit of news.The mental picture almost made me laugh, disgusted as I was.
"Written orders will, of course, be given you before departure. Ibelieve that's all. Good luck, Commander!" The Chief offered his handbriefly, and then hurried back to the other room where theSilver-sleeves had gathered to make more rulings for the confusion ofthe Service.
* * * * *
"Since when," asked Correy bitterly, "are we running excursions forcivilians? We'll be personally conducting elderly ladies next thing."
"Or put on Attached Police Service," growled Hendricks, referring tothe poor devils who, in those days, policed the air-lanes of thepopulated worlds, cruising over the same pitiful routes day after day,never rising beyond the fringe of the stratosphere.
"Perhaps," suggested the level-headed Kincaide, "it isn't as bad as itsounds. Didn't you, say, sir, that this Inverness was rather a decentsort of chap?"
I nodded.
"Very much so. You'd scarcely take him for a scientist."
"And our destination is--what?" asked Kincaide.
"That I don't know. Inverness is to give us that information when hearrives, which will be very shortly, if he is on time."
"Our destination," said Correy, "will probably be some little ball ofmud with a tricky atmosphere or some freak vegetation they want tostudy. I'd rather--"
A sharp rap on the door of the navigating room, where we had gatheredfor an informal council of war, interrupted.
"Party of three civilians at the main exit port, Port Number One,sir," reported the sub-officer of the guard. "One sent his name:Carlos Inverness."
"Very good. Admit them at once, and recall the outer guards. We areleaving immediately."
As the guard saluted and hurried away, I nodded to Correy. "Have theoperating room crew report for duty at once," I ordered, "and askSub-officer Scholey to superintend the sealing of the ports. Mr.Kincaide, will you take the first watch as navigating officer? Lifther easily until we determine our objective and can set a course; thisis like shoving off with sealed orders."
"Worse," said Hendricks unhappily. "Sealed orders promise somethinginteresting, and--"
"Carlos Inverness and party," announced the guard from the doorway.
Inverness nodded to me in friendly fashion and indicated his twocompanions.
"Commander Hanson," he said, "permit me to present Godar Tipene andCleve Brady, who are my companions on this expedition." I bowed, andshook hands with Brady; Tipene was a Zenian, and hence did not offerme this greeting of Earth. Then, quickly, I completed the round ofintroductions, studying Inverness's companions with interest as I didso.
* * * * *
Brady was short, and rather red-faced; a beefy, taciturn type, with atrap-like mouth and thoughtful discerning eyes. He struck me as beingone with whom most men would like to be friendly, but who would haveexceedingly few friends.
The Zenian was a perfect foil for him. Tipene was exceedingly tall andslender, like all his race, and very dark. His eyes were almostwomanly in their softness, and he had the nervous grace of athoroughbred--which is an Earth animal of particularly high breeding,raised for show purposes. He had the happy faculty of speaking thelanguage of Earth without a trace of Zenian or Universal a
ccent; theZenians are exceeded by none in linguistic ability, which was a realaccomplishment before these decadent days when native languages areslipping so rapidly into obscurity.
"And now," said Inverness crisply, when the introductions were over,"I presume you'll wish to know something about our destination and theobjects of this expedition, sir?"
"It would be helpful in charting our course," I admitted, smiling.
Inverness, with beautiful disregard for the necessities of spacenavigation, spread voluminous papers over the table whose surface wasformed by the pair of three-dimensional charts which were the_Ertak's_ eyes in outer space.
"Our destination," he said, "is a body designated on the charts asFX-31. You are familiar with it, Commander