Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

76 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION “Hold! Starboard power bank out! You owe me a million!” “We're even! Switch to emergency! Thirty seconds to zero!’ He began to feel his ship now, and realized the slim shoestring they were working on. Incomplete checks, hasty refittings, inadequate equipment—they would all begin to show up now unless the ground crew had done an excellent job. The moment of trial was approaching with the sweep of the second hand on the chronometer. “Twenty seconds to zero!” What impulse had caused Rosie to run over for that last farewell? Had he been too sharp with her? Most of all, he wondered if she really mattered? Had he been attracted to her just because of her uniqueness or was it something deeper? ‘“‘Ten seconds to zero! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six!’ Pete chanted. “Ignition!” “Three! Two! Plugs away!” “Zero! Raise ship!” To those watching on the Plains of San Augustine, the Pendray suddenly belched a cloud of vapor from her stern which was followed by a licking flame which grew in intensity, raising huge clouds of sand which obscured the ship. Their. next sight was that of the Pendray rising slowly and majestically out of the cloud with deliberate, awesome dignity, a banner of streaming, white-hot gases laced with shock-diamond patterns flung from her stern. Debris and waste scattered around the desert beneath her were picked up by the holocaust and flung into the air. The rippling, beating, rolling, thunderous sound of her departure was both felt and heard. Then she was but a pin-point of light, a billowy white wake following her up. The flame suddenly winked out, but the vapor trail continued to grow. A wave of relief swept over the spectators, both from the success of the take-off and from the comfort of the comparative quiet which returned to the desert. “ Pendray to San Augustine Control,” Stan spoke into his mike. “How does it look from there?”’ “Good shoot so far,” Fergusen’s voice came back. “Radio cut off on schedule. Program looks good. White Sands radar is tracking you.” Stan was encouraged. It was going according to plan. Carefully, he and Pete swung the ship slightly so that the tail would be down when they came in for a landing at White Sands—an attitude which would allow Stan to ease the ship to the ground by using the rocket engines as brakes. But the Pendray was still rising on momentum. Over a hundred miles up into the New Mexico sky she soared, and Stan had a chance to look down through one: of the ports and see the Earth at close range. Turning his head slightly, he could make out the take-off site; the vapor trail was a white snake pointing it. The browns and greens and blacks blended in together, offset by the gleaming white of the cloud banks. Looking through the port, he saw a sight no Earthbound man could ever imagine. The curve of the Earth was plainly visible, and the stars were clear and unwinking against the dead black of space—millions and millions of stars. He remembered the stars seen at night from the desert floor of the Plains THE PLAINS OF SAN AUGUSTINE 77 of San Augustine. And there had been that quiet, beautiful night at the Cortinez ranch. He looked back on it now for the first time and saw that it was something he hadn’t known existed. There was truly beauty there, and the hand of man had touched it and yet left it unspoiled. Rosie had been right, and she herself was full of surprises. He had been running from something, and he had found only part of what he was looking for in the dark voids of space. But could it have been that he had not looked far enough? In his wild drive for space and the possibilities of newer, cleaner, fresher worlds, had he missed much of what was already ~ around him? A man has his dreams and ideals. For these he fights and searches for their realization. At times, he is disillusioned because he does not see the obvious. He knew now where to find part of what he wanted, and knew he would not look alone for the remainder. And he suddenly realized everyone of those tiny people down below had the same problem. Then why had he looked to space for the answer? His job now had a new | meaning. It had to be done. Three billion years of evolution had finally succeeded in producing a species with the adaptability and intelligence to rise from its planet and spread throughout the universe. There was no answer to the question of why it had to be done; it was just there to do. Go back and ask that fish why he climbed up on the tidal flats. ““Pendray, this is White Sands Control,” barked a voice in his earphones. “Your approach is satisfactory. We are standing by to bring you in on automatic control.” “Roger, White Sands.” He glanced anxiously over at Pete. “Ready, chum?” “A snap, boy. It’s made in the shade,” the co-pilot replied, engrossed in _ his panel. “‘That power plant is all hot to go!” All the tremendous energy expended by the Pendray in climbing to space had to be transferred once again to bring her to rest. It was the final test of the flight. Three minutes later, the Pendray thundered out of the sky and settled gracefully on her jet at White Sands Spaceport. Stan took his time securing his control panels, but Pete did so immediately and was up and bustling about the control room. ““Man, oh man! Am I glad to get back! That experience was one for the books. Got to hand it to you, Stan; I never thought we’d do it as we did, at least not three weeks ago.” Stan sat up and cracked his head on an unfamiliar piece of special gear installed at San Augustine. He swore, fished in his coverall pocket, and tossed two coppery coins to the deck. | Looking at them in pure surprise, Peter asked incredulously, “You're not going back over there, are you?” Stan merely climbed out of his couch and looked down at the coins. Pete said knowingly, “I'll bet a million you’re hooked for good, boy!” “I won’t take your money,” Stan told him, starting aft to the hatch. “Save it and deposit it in the Colonial Bank of Mars when we get out there and set it up.” With a grin, he swung the hatch wide, letting in the hot, dry, fragrant air of Mother Earth. com C aX _DOKS, Gom