Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition, December 1955 — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

120 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION outer door clashed to behind him. He didn’t know the layout of this cruiser, but followed his hunches as he ran down the corridors. There was a roaring of machines about him, the ship was making ready to fight. He located the main control chamber in a few minutes. Valti sat there, with Marin and Saris hovering in the background. The vessel must be almost entirely automatic, a robot in her own right, for one man to guide her thus. A stellar globe gave a simulacrum of the cold star-spattered dark outside. Valti located a moving speck on it and adjusted a telescreen for an enlarged view. The approaching ship was a steel sphere. ‘“Thryman make,”’ said Valti. ““I’d know those lines anywhere. Let’s see what they have to say.”’ He punched the radio keys. Thryman! Then they must have escaped almost as soon as the others were gone, bulling through with the guns they doubtless had somewhere on their ‘tank, reaching a hidden warship and taking it into space with nearly im- possible speed. They would have known the orbit of Valti’s craft from the Technon. Langley shivered, and Marin huddled close to him. ‘Hello, Thrymka.”’ Valti spoke almost casually into his set. Eyes and hands were still moving, punching buttons, adjusting dials, observing the ready lights which flashed on for one compartment after another through his vessel. The machine voice crackled back: ““You have been followed. If you ‘are wise, you will surrender to us at once. The Solar patrols got a tracer on us, they are following close behind, and rather than let them have you, we will destroy everything.” Solar! Langley whistled. Chanthavar had been pretty quick on the draw too, it seemed. But, of course, the Thryman getaway would have alerted him if nothing else did. “Party’s getting sort of crowded,” he muttered. Valti threw down a switch. The celestial globe reflected tiny splotches of fire which must be earthshaking explosions. “The ships fight themselves,’’ he remarked calmly. “Our crew has little to do but stand by the emergency manual controls in case we take a hit.”’ The two craft maneuvered for position, hurling their own tonnage through the sky as lightly as a fencer dances. Nuclear missiles flashed out, to be hunted down and exploded by counter-missiles. Long-range energy beams probed heaven with lightning. All that Langley sensed was the howl of generators, the crazy dance of sparks in the globe, and the busy clicking of the ship’s robot brain. Saris snarled hungrily. ““Could I be out there myself!” he raged. “Could I get my teeth in them!” Langley drew Marin to him. ““We may be rubbed out before we can break free,” he said. “‘I feel awfully helpless.” “You did wonderfully, Edwy,” she answered. “Well . . . I tried. I love you, Marin.” She sighed with a great happiness. “That is enough.” The wails trembled, and the air was filled with anger. A voice choked from the intercom: “Near miss at Seven, sir. Outer plates holed, radiation blast, no air loss yet.” ; Commicoooks.eonn