The shrilling1 of the proximity2 alarm blasted through the silence. For a wild moment I thought Kayle had beaten me to the punch; then I realized it was the routine DEW line patrol contact.
"Z four-oh-two, I am reading your IFF. Decelerate at 1.8 gee3 preparatory to picking up approach orbit...."
The screen went on droning out instructions. I fed them into the autopilot, at the same time running over my approach plan. The scout4 was moving in closer. I licked dry lips. It was time to try.
I closed my eyes, reached out—as the Gool mind had reached out to me—and felt the touch of a Signals Officer's mind, forty thousand miles distant, aboard the patrol vessel5. There was a brief flurry of struggle; then I dictated6 my instructions. The Signals Officer punched keys, spoke7 into his microphone:
"As you were, Z four-oh-two. Continue on present course. At Oh-nineteen seconds, pick up planetary for re-entry and let-down."
I blanked out the man's recollection of what had happened, caught his belated puzzlement as I broke contact. But I was clear of the DEW line now, rapidly approaching atmosphere.
"Z four-oh-two," the speaker crackled. "This is planetary control. I am picking you up on channel forty-three, for re-entry and let-down."
There was a long pause. Then:
"Z four-oh-two, countermand8 DEW Line clearance9! Repeat, clearance countermanded10! Emergency course change to standard hyperbolic code ninety-eight. Do not attempt re-entry. Repeat: do not attempt re-entry!"
It hadn't taken Kayle long to see that I'd gotten past the outer line of defense11. A few more minutes' grace would have helped. I'd play it dumb, and hope for a little luck.
"Planetary, Z four-oh-two here. Say, I'm afraid I missed part of that, fellows. I'm a little banged up—I guess I switched frequencies on you. What was that after 'pick up channel forty-three'...?"
"Four-oh-two, sheer off there! You're not cleared for re-entry!"
"Hey, you birds are mixed up," I protested. "I'm cleared all the way. I checked in with DEW—"
It was time to disappear. I blanked off all transmission, hit the controls, following my evasive pattern. And again I reached out—
A radar12 man at a site in the Pacific, fifteen thousand miles away, rose from his chair, crossed the darkened room and threw a switch. The radar screens blanked off....
For an hour I rode the long orbit down, fending13 off attack after attack. Then I was clear, skimming the surface of the ocean a few miles southeast of Key West. The boat hit hard. I felt the floor rise up, over, buffeting14 me against the restraining harness.
I hauled at the release lever, felt a long moment of giddy disorientation as the escape capsule separated from the sinking lifeboat deep under the surface. Then my escape capsule was bobbing on the water.
I would have to risk calling Kayle now—but by voluntarily giving my position away, I should convince him I was still on our side—and I was badly in need of a pick-up. I flipped15 the sending key.
"This is Z four-oh-two," I said. "I have an urgent report for Colonel Kayle of Aerospace16 Intelligence."
Kayle's face appeared. "Don't fight it, Granthan," he croaked17. "You penetrated18 the planetary defenses—God knows how. I—"
"Later," I snapped. "How about calling off your dogs now? And send somebody out here to pick me up, before I add sea-sickness to my other complaints."
"We have you pinpointed," Kayle cut in. "It's no use fighting it, Granthan."
I felt cold sweat pop out on my forehead. "You've got to listen, Kayle," I shouted. "I suppose you've got missiles on the way already. Call them back! I have information that can win the war—"
"I'm sorry, Granthan," Kayle said. "It's too late—even if I could take the chance you were right."
A different face appeared on the screen.
"Mr. Granthan, I am General Titus. On behalf of your country, and in the name of the President—who has been apprised19 of this tragic20 situation—it is my privilege to inform you that you will be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor—posthumously—for your heroic effort. Although you failed, and have in fact been forced, against your will, to carry out the schemes of the inhuman21 enemy, this in no way detracts from your gallant22 attempt. Mr. Granthan, I salute23 you."
The general's arm went up in a rigid24 gesture.
"Stow that, you pompous25 idiot!" I barked. "I'm no spy!"
Kayle was back, blanking out the startled face of the general.
"Goodbye, Granthan. Try to understand...."
I flipped the switch, sat gripping the couch, my stomach rising with each heave of the floating escape capsule. I had perhaps five minutes. The missiles would be from Canaveral.
I closed my eyes, forced myself to relax, reached out....
I sensed the distant shore, the hot buzz of human minds at work in the cities. I followed the coastline, found the Missile Base, flicked26 through the cluster of minds.
"—missile on course; do right, baby. That's it, right in the slot."
I fingered my way through the man's mind and found the control centers. He turned stiffly from the plotting board, tottered27 to a panel to slam his hand against the destruct button.
Men fell on him, dragged him back. "—fool, why did you blow it?"
I dropped the contact, found another, who leaped to the panel, detonated the remainder of the flight of six missiles. Then I withdrew. I would have a few minutes' stay of execution now.
I was ten miles from shore. The capsule had its own power plant. I started it up, switched on the external viewer. I saw dark sea, the glint of star-light on the choppy surface, in the distance a glow on the horizon that would be Key West. I plugged the course into the pilot, then leaned back and felt outward with my mind for the next attacker.
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收听单词发音
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1
shrilling
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| （声音）尖锐的，刺耳的，高频率的( shrill的现在分词 )； 凄厉 | |
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2
proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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3
gee
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| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
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4
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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5
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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6
dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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7
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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8
countermand
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| v.撤回(命令)，取消(订货) | |
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clearance
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| n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理 | |
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10
countermanded
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| v.取消（命令），撤回( countermand的过去分词 ) | |
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11
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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12
radar
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| n.雷达，无线电探测器 | |
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13
fending
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| v.独立生活，照料自己( fend的现在分词 )；挡开，避开 | |
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14
buffeting
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| 振动 | |
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15
flipped
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| 轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥 | |
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16
aerospace
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| adj.航空的，宇宙航行的 | |
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17
croaked
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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18
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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19
apprised
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| v.告知，通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 )；评价 | |
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20
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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21
inhuman
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| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
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22
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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23
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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24
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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25
pompous
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的 | |
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26
flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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27
tottered
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| v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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