The ship was running dark, even its rocket-tubes baffled so that no betraying flare of flame would mark its course as it droned on the long voyage from Saturn toward Earth.In his cubby, the telaudio operator, a dark-haired, clear-eyed, tanned young Earthman, alertly listened at his instruments.“Planet Patrol calling all ships between Saturn and Jupiter,” issued a sharp voice from the loud-speaker.The operator made no attempt to answer. He had strict orders to maintain telaudio silence.“Urgent warning!” continued the sharp voice. “Unidentified cruisers, believed radium raiders, sighted entering your sector.”As the operator jumped to his feet he heard a shrill shout from the lookout man forward.“Four ships aft of our port beam, pulling up fast!”The telaudio man leaped for the door, plunged for the bridge-room.Captain Greeley, the grizzled old Earthman who was master of the Orion, was already there. He was peering through the small round lens-window of the aft televiewer, a powerful telescopic instrument.The window was an eye peering into space, a dark abyss hung with the jeweled tapestry of the stars.
What do You think about Captain Future 19 - Outlaw World (Winter 1946)?
