Astounding British Edition, Volume 8, No. 11 — page 52: what you’re looking at

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

50 = ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION The commander reddened slightly. “Is there anything else?” “Several things.” Roki handed him the cifcuit diagram. “Have your engineer study this. Until he gets the idea, anything you do may be dangerous, like trying to pull away from my grapples. I assure you we’re either permanently grappled together, or permanently dead.” The Solarian was apparently his own engineer. He stared at the schematic while another relieved Roki of his weapon. There were four of them in the cabin. Three were armed and watching him carefully. He knew by their expressions that they considered him to be of a lesser species. And he watched them communicate silently among themselves by a soundless language of facial twitches and peculiar nods. Once the com- mander looked up to ask a question. “When will this timer activate this net- work?” Roki glanced at his watch. “In about ten minutes. If the transmitter’s periodic signals aren't answered in the correct code, the signals serve to activate the C-drive.” “I see that,” he snapped. He glanced at a burly assistant. “Take him out, Skin him— from the feet up. He'll give you the code.” “Til give it to you now,” Roki offered calmly. The commander showed faint surprise. “Do so then.” “The Cophian multiplication tables is the code. My transmitter will send a pair of Cophian numbers every two minutes. If you fail to supply the product within one second, a relay starts the C-drive. Since you can’t guarantee an exactly simultaneous thrust, there should be quite a crash.” “Very well, give us your Cophian number symbols.” “Gladly. But they won’t help you.” “Why not?” “Our numbers are to the base eighteen instead of base ten. You couldn’t react quickly enough unless you’ve been using them since childhood.” 3 The Solarian’s lips pulled back from his heavy teeth and his jaw muscles began twitching. Roki looked at his watch. “You have seven minutes to get your transmitter set up, with me at the key. We'll talk while I keep us intact.” The commander hesitated, then nodded to one of the guards who promptly left the room. “Very well, manthing, we will set it up temporarily.” He paused to smile arrogantly. “You have much to learn about our race. But you have little time in which to learn it.” “What do you mean?” “Just this. This transmitter—and the - whole apparatus—will be shut down after a certain period of time.” Roki stiffened. “Just how do you pro- pose to do it?” “Fool! By waiting until the signals stop. You obviousiy must have set a time limit on it. I would guess a few hours at the most.” It was true, but he had hoped to avoid mentioning it. The power to the control circuits would be interrupted after four hours, and the booby trap would be de- activated. For if he hadn’t achieved his goal by then, he meant to neglect a signal during the last half-hour and let the C-ward lurch tear them apart. He nodded slowly. “You're quite right. You have four hours in which to surrender your ship into my control. Maybe. I'll send the signals until I decide you don’t mean to co-operate. Then —” He shrugged. The Solarian gave a command to his aides. They departed in different directions. Roki guessed that they had been sent to check for some way to enter the Jdiot that would not energize a booby circuit. His host waved him through a doorway, and he found himself in their control room. A glance told him that their science still fell short of the most modern cultures. They had the earmarks of a new race, and yet Sol’s civilization was supposedly the oldest in the galaxy. “There are the transmitters,’ the com- mander barked. “Say what you have to say, and we shall see who is best at waiting.” Roki sat down, fingered the key, and watched his adversary closely. The com- mander fell into a seat opposite him and gazed coolly through narrowed lids. He wore a fixed smile of amusement. “Your name is Eli Roki, I believe. J am Space Commander Hulgruv.” A blare of sound suddenly came from the receiver. Hulgruv frowned and lowered the volume. The sound came forth as a steady musical tone. He questioned the Cophian with his eyes. “When the tone ceases, the signals will begin.” ST see.”’ “I warn you, T may get bored rather quickly. I'll keep the signals going only until GOmichbooks co