"01 - The Black Star Passes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Campbell John W Jr)

start, and the gentle acceleration will not strain it in the least, but we must have strength, so that it can maneuver in the atmosphere.

"We'll leave earth by centrifugal force, for I can make much better speed in the atmosphere where there is plenty of power to draw on; outside I must depend solely on sunlight. We'll circle the earth, forming an orbit just within the atmosphere, at five miles a second. We'll gradually increase the speed to about ten miles a second, at which point the ship would normally fly off into space under its own centrifugal force. With the power units we'll prevent its release until the proper moment. When we release it, it will be entirely free of earth, and no more work will be needed to overcome earth's pull."

The planning continued with exasperating slowness. The details of the work were complex, for all the machines were totally new. Several weeks passed before even the power units could be ordered and the first work on the ship started. After that orders for materials left the office daily. Still, it was late in November before the last order was sent out.

Now they must begin work on other phases of the expeditionЧfood supplies and the standard parts of the equipment.

In the interval Arcot had decided to make a special ventilated suit for use on Venus. This was to make use of a small molecular motion director apparatus to cool the air, and blow it through the suit. The apparatus consisted of a small compressed air-driven generator and a power tube bank that could be carried on the back.

"Arcot," Wade said when he saw the apparatus completed and the testing machine ready, "I've just noticed how similar this is to the portable invisibility apparatus I

developed as the Pirate. I wonder if it might not be handy at times to be invisibleЧwe could incorporate that with a slight change. It wouldn't add more than five pounds, and those tubes you are using I'm sure are easily strong enough to carry the extra load."

"Great idea, Wade," said Arcot. "It might be very useful if we met hostile natives. The disappearance stunt might make us gods or something to primitive beings. And now that you mention it, I think we can install the apparatus in the ship. It will require almost no power, and might save our lives some time."

The work went forward steadily at the great Transcontinental Shops where the space ship was being built. Its construction was being kept as much of a secret as possible, for Arcot feared the interference of the crowds that would be sure to collect if the facts were known, and since the shops directly joined the airfield, it meant that there would be helicopters buzzing about the Transatlantic and Transcontinental planes.

The work to be done required the most careful manipulation and workmanship, for one defect could mean death. They calculated six weeks for the trip, and in the time before they could reach either planet, much might happen to a crippled ship.

To the men who were making the trip, the waiting seemed most exasperating, and they spent the days before they could begin the installation of the electrical apparatus in purchasing the necessary standard equipment; the standard coils, tubes, condensers, the canned food supplies, clothes, everything that they could imagine as of possible utility. They were making the ship with a great deal of empty storage space, for Arcot hoped the trip would be a financial success, particularly supplying

much-needed metals. Many vital elements were already excessively scarce, and no satisfactory substitutes had been found.

On the outward trip some of this space would be filled with the many things they would consume en route. In addition they were carrying a great many spare parts, spare tubes, spare power units, spare condensersЧa thousand and one odd parts. Arcot intended that they shoud be able to make an entire new power switchboard and motion director unit if anything should go wrong, and he certainly had all the apparatus.

At last came the day when the final connection had been soldered, and the last joint welded. The atomic hydrogen tanks were full, and under the ships own power the oxygen tanks were filled and the batteries charged. They were ready for a test flight!

The great ship rested on the floor of the shed now, awaiting the start.

"Oh fellowsЧcome here a minute!" Arcot called to the other members of the party. "I want to show you something."

The three walked quickly to the bow where Arcot stood, and following the line of his vision, looked in wonder to see that everything was right. They watched curiously as he drew from his coat a large glass bottle, tightly sealed.

"What's that for?" asked Wade curiously.

"We're about to start on the first cruise, and I've been wondering if it isn't time we gave the ship a name."

"GreatЧI'd been thinking of that tooЧwhat are we going to name her?"

"Well," said Arcot, "I had been thinking of Alexander Чhe longed for other worlds to conquer!"

"Not bad," Morey commented. "I have been thinking of naming it tooЧI guess we all haveЧbut I was thinking of Santa MariaЧthe first ship to discover the New World."

"I was thinking more of its home," said Wade. "How about calling it Terrestrian?"

"WellЧit's your turn, FullerЧyou designed it. What do you suggest for your masterpiece?" asked Arcot.

"I was thinking also of its homeЧthe home it will never leave. I like to think that we might find people on Venus, and I would like to have a name on it that might be translatable into more friendly and less foreign terms-why not call it Solarite?"