Place in the Sun

Stephen Marlowe

Description

One of the most unforgettable characters from the golden era of science fiction, Johnny Mayhem is a shapeshifter who can assume the guise of any person. In the pulse-pounding short story "A Place in the Sun," Mayhem is ordered to save a spacecraft that is on a direct collision course with the Sun. Will he be able to pull off this Herculean task before it's too late?

Sujets

• Science fiction

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776531530
• Langue: English

Extrait

A PLACE IN THE SUN
A JOHNNY MAYHEM ADVENTURE
* * *
STEPHEN MARLOWE
 
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A Place in the Sun A Johnny Mayhem Adventure First published in 1956 Epub ISBN 978-1-77653-153-0 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77653-154-7 © 2013 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
A "Johnny Mayhem" Adventure
*
Mayhem, the man of many bodies, had been given some weird assignments in his time, but saving The Glory of the Galaxy wasn't difficult—it was downright impossible!
The SOS crackled and hummed through subspace at a speed which leftlaggard light far behind. Since subspace distances do not coincide withnormal space distances, the SOS was first picked up by a Fomalhautianfreighter bound for Capella although it had been issued from a point innormal space midway between the orbit of Mercury and the sun's corona inthe solar system.
The radioman of the Fomalhautian freighter gave the distress signal tothe Deck Officer, who looked at it, blinked, and bolted 'bove decks tothe captain's cabin. His face was very white when he reached the doorand his heart pounded with excitement. As the Deck Officer crossed anelectronic beam before the door a metallic voice said: "The Captain isasleep and will be disturbed for nothing but emergency priority."
Nodding, the Deck officer stuck his thumb in the whorl-lock of the doorand entered the cabin. "Begging your pardon, sir," he cried, "but wejust received an SOS from—"
*
The Captain stirred groggily, sat up, switched on a green night lightand squinted through it at the Deck Officer. "Well, what is it? Isn'tthe Eye working?"
"Yes, sir. An SOS, sir...."
"If we're close enough to help, subspace or normal space, take the usualsteps, lieutenant. Surely you don't need me to—"
"The usual steps can't be taken, sir. Far as I can make out, that shipis doomed. She's bound on collision course for Sol, only twenty millionmiles out now."
"That's too bad, lieutenant," the Captain said with genuine sympathy inhis voice. "I'm sorry to hear that. But what do you want me to do aboutit?"
"The ship, sir. The ship that sent the SOS—hold on to your hat, sir—"
"Get to the point now, will you, young man?" the Captain growledsleepily.
"The ship which sent the SOS signal, the ship heading on collisioncourse for Sol, is the Glory of the Galaxy !"
For a moment the Captain said nothing. Distantly, you could hear the humof the subspace drive-unit and the faint whining of the stasisgenerator. Then the Captain bolted out of bed after unstrapping himself.In his haste he forgot the ship was in weightless deep space and wentsailing, arms flailing air, across the room. The lieutenant helped himdown and into his magnetic-soled shoes.
"My God," the Captain said finally. "Why did it happen? Why did it haveto happen to the Glory of the Galaxy ?"
"What are you going to do, sir?"
" I can't do anything. I won't take the responsibility. Have theradioman contact the Hub at once."
"Yes, sir."
The Glory of the Galaxy , the SOS ship heading on collision course withthe sun, was making its maiden run from the assembly satellites of Earthacross the inner solar system via the perihelion passage which wouldbring it within twenty-odd million miles of the sun, to Mars which nowwas on the opposite side of Sol from Earth. Aboard the gleaming new shipwas the President of the Galactic Federation and his entire cabinet.
*
The Fomalhautian freighter's emergency message was received at the Hubof the Galaxy within moments after it had been sent, although the normalspace distance was in the neighborhood of one hundred thousand lightyears. The message was bounced—in amazingly quick time—from office tooffice at the hub, cutting through the usual red tape because of its toppriority. And—since none of the normal agencies at the Hub could handleit—the message finally arrived at an office which very rarely receivedofficial messages of any kind. This was the one unofficial, extra-legaloffice at the Hub of the Galaxy. Lacking official function, the officehad no technical existence and was not to be found in any Directory ofthe Hub. At the moment, two young men were seated inside. Their sole jobwas to maintain liaison with a man whose very existence was doubted bymost of the human inhabitants of the Galaxy but whose importance couldnot