Astounding British Edition, Volume 8, No. 11 — page 26: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

»- 24 Ozaki caught himself just in time. If he talked too much he was likely to lose the scout that Kurt had fixed up for him. “Because he...eh... talks like a tech,” he concluded lamely. Krogson looked at Kurt dubiously. “I guess there’s no harm in giving it a trial,” he said finally. “Give him a set of tools and turn him loose. Maybe for once a miracle will happen.” “First,” said Kurt, “I'll need the wiring diagrams for this thing.” “Get them!” barked the commander and an orderly scuttled out of the control, headed aft. | “Next you'll have to give me a general idea of what it’s supposed to do,” con- tinued Kurt. Krogson turned to the gunnery officer. “You'd better handle this.” When the orderly returned with the cir- cuit diagrams, they were spread out on the plotting table and the two men bent over them. “Got it!” said Kurt at last and sauntered over to the control bank. Twenty minutes later he sauntered back again. “She’s all right now,” he said pleasantly. The gunnery officer quickly scanned his testing board. Not a single red trouble light was on. He turned. to Commander Krog- son in amazement. “I don’t know how he did it, sir, but the circuits are all clear now.” Krogson stared at Kurt with a look of new respect in his eyes, “What were you down there, chief maintenance tech?” Kurt laughed. “Me? £ was never chief anything. I spent most of my time on hunting detail.” The commander digested that in silence for a moment. “Then how did you become so familiar with fire-control gear.” “Studied it in school like everyone else does. There wasn’t anything much wrong with that thing anyway except a couple of sticking relays.” “Excuse me, sir,” interrupted the execu- tive officer, “but should we make another trial run?” “Are you sure the bank is in working order?” “Positive, sir!” “Then we'd better make straight for that base. If this boy here is a fair example of what they have down there, their defenses may be too tough for us to crack if we give them a chance to get set up!” Kurt gave a slight start which he quickly - ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION controlled. Then he had guessed right! Slowly and casually he began to sidle to- ward the semicircular bank of controls that stood before the great tracking screen, “Where do you think you’re going!” barked Krogson. Kurt froze. His pulses were pounding within him but he kept his voice light and casual. “No place,” he said innocently. “Get over against the bulkhead and keep out of the way!” snapped the commander. “We've got a job of work coming up.” Kurt injected a note of bewilderment into his voice. 3 “What kind of work?” Krogson’s voice softened and a look approaching pity came into his eyes, “It’s just as well you don’t know about it until it’s over,” he said gruffly. “There she is!” sang out the navigator, pointing to a tiny brown projection that jutted up out of the green jungle in the far distance. “We’re about three minutes out, sir. You can take over at any time now.” The fleet gunnery -officer’s fingers moved quickly over the keys that welded the fleet into a single instrument of destruction, keyed and ready to blast a barrage of ravening thunderbolts of molecular disrup- tion down at the defenseless garrison at a single touch on the master fire-control button. “Whenever vou’re ready, sir,” he said deferentially to Krogson as he vacated the controls. A hush fell over the control room as the great tracking screen brightened and showed the compact bundle of white dots that marked the fleet crawling slowly toward the green triangle of the target area. “Get the prisoner out of here,” said Krogson. “There’s no reason why he should have to watch what’s about to happen.” The guard that stood beside Kurt grabbed his arm and shoved him toward the door. There was a sudden explosion of fists as Kurt erupted into action. In a blur of con- tinuous movement he streaked toward the gunnery control panel. He was halfway across the control room before the pole axed guard hit the floor. There was a second of stunned amazement, and then before anyone could move to stop him, he stood beside the controls, one hand poised tensely above the master stud that control- led the combined fire of the fleet. “Hold it!” he shouted as the moment of paralysis broke and several of the officers CONNIE DOO KS:CO)