Read Online Guardsmen of Tomorrow by Martin H. & Segriff Greenberg, Larry Segriff - Free Book Online Page B

describe it, gravitationally sensitive . The ship had to be in deep space beyond the range of any stellar object before it was activated. That meant the ship had to carry a translight drive as well as the fold-space drive. This required a big vessel like the Foss Starfish. Nor could any other ship be within a parsec’s distance because of the destructive distortion ripple caused by the field.
    It was the second drawback, however, that had caused the Sabre’s cancellation after only a single experimental flight, a flight Dawes himself had piloted. Something about the drive system, or about that brief moment in fold-space itself, destroyed a human’s optic nerve, leaving a person blind.
    Now alone, speeding between the orbits of Uranus and Neptune, Dawes sat once more at the controls of his one-of-a-kind vessel. He trembled as his thoughts returned to that first flight. Out beyond the range of Pluto he’d sat, the same point toward which he was heading now. Then, his thoughts had been on far Proxima Centauri. He’d triggered the Sabre , experienced a moment of blinding whiteness such as he’d never known, followed by congratulatory voices from his communications console. Voices rising out of darkness.
    He’d barely kept it together long enough to make the re-turn flight home. After that-his shot glass had never been empty.
    Through Hookah’s eyes, he stared at the trigger control. The little creature stirred restlessly on his shoulder as if it sensed his nervousness. It wriggled, and the view shifted from the control to his own ear, then to the back of the cabin.
    It didn’t matter if his new pet looked around a little. He didn’t need eyes to fly this ship. He tried to settle more comfortably into his seat as he considered his mission and the New Hope congregationalists frozen in sleep in their antiquated vessel. The Via Dolorosa , they had named their ship, the Road of Sorrows . An agnostic himself, the symbolism wasn’t lost on him. At the end of their journey they hoped for resurrection and a new life on a new world.
    He ran a finger along Hookah’s back; the creature began to purr.
    Dawes, too, had unexpected hope for a new life. “Port Authority,” he said, activating the communications console. “Redesignate Sabre .” That had only ever been the project’s name anyway. “Record new designation, Archangel . Register.”
    He waited, pleased with himself. The archangels were heaven’s warrior class.
    A voice that sounded like Straf’s came back over communications. “ Archangel
    -authorized and registered. ”Now get your butt moving, civilian.“ Yep, the old man himself.
    At seven-tenths the speed of light, he streaked by Pluto. Beyond the orbit of the Oort Cloud he pushed his vessel into translight.
    He continued to pet Hookah, drawing reassurance, even courage, from the contact, and the creature rewarded him by watching the view screen where stars blazed like fiery beacons. Each one called his name; he’d thought he’d never see them again.
    His hand hovered over the fold-drive trigger. He was far enough beyond Sol now, and the computer had his destination coordinates. Still he hesitated. Fold-space had blinded him before. What if it hurt him some other way this time?
    And what about Hookah? Doctor Halama-the woman in Straf’s office-theorized that nothing would happen to the mind-worm, that the creature’s biology was too different. Still, it was only theory. What if he lost this second set of eyes? Hookah shivered on his shoulder, picking up on his fear.
    Five thousand lives.
    Another trip through fold-space, or another trip to the bottom of a bottle.
    He knew which one he couldn’t face again.
    He hit the trigger.
    With eyes or without, a burning white light swallowed him, a tiny instant spark that went supernova in his brain and expanded to engulf the stars in the viewscreen, the control console, the ship. Everything vanished into whiteness. He fell, fell, blinded by that light. And he