Air Wonder Stories, August 1929 — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

“tte ) Lt Ss .hCOUhh ee he Sats aU Uh ee ee et! ee ee 128 AIR WONDER STORIES -aerofoils have been shot away! One of our projectiles must have gone through the tail of the ship!” Joan screamed and suddenly went limp. An officer sitting at her side got. up and returned with a glass of water, I chafed her hands. automatically, unable to tear my eyes from the screen, The Annihilator. was racing across the sky like a comet, ‘a mass of wreckage that had been her aileron laterals, following her! Around ‘her, traveling at precisely the same velocity, were several tiny shapes that glistened under the glare of the sun, Some of the projectiles hurled into the air a few moments before had been wafted into the atmos- pheric stream circling the earth! -There they remained near the Annihilator and yet too far away to be of any help to the distressed leviathan! I felt-Joan’s hands quiver. I glanced at her quickly. She was reviving. I looked again at the screen. In the instant the scene had changed and in place-of the Avmnilulator’s surface, the craft’s control cabin con- fronted us. God, what a sight! Men and officers alike, naked except for their trousers, sprawled on the gyroscopic floor! They tore at their ‘throats with frenzied hands. Several still, immobile forms lay at one side of the deck, hands across their rigid breasts, embraced. by death! The_ reproductive. coils: howled -suddenly and the operators throttled down the volume. From behind us came words that were punctuated with deep groans and wheezing coughs. We sat tense in our chairs. Joan’s face was hidden behind my back to shut from her. eyes. the tetrible sufferings of the dying men in the-Anmthilator. “H-h-ello, San Diego,” came the rasping words from the Annihilator’s choking operator. “We've got you, Awnihilator!” came Commander Wilkins’ voice from behind in answer. “What’s wrong, Anmhilator?” “We're done——finished!” the ship’s operator said in a dry, weakening voice that was filled with soul- searing sadness-but void of fear. “One of your shells tore away the aileron laterals and elevating aerofoils. We have no-control over the Annihilator! We picked up two of your projectiles but we cannot make ‘use of them because your shell also destroyed the exhausts of the driving system! There’s a gaping hole under the tail stream lines and what oxygen we had in the compartments is escaping. We. can't. last. for another six-hours, San Diego!. Thanks for the nitro-radium. You did your level best. I guess its good-bye to every: ” “Wait a minute, Annihilator! Commander Wilkins’ sharp, crisp voice shot through the speaking tubes be- hind us. “Don’t give up- like that! Where's Com- mander Rankin? This is Commander Wilkins speaking. I: want to talk with him!” “Don’t give up?” the Annthilator’s operator. said scornfully, Then -his voice came to us:in shrill, hysterical laughter. Presently he seemed to get con- trol of his-reasoning. “Rankin, sir? I am sorry to report, Sir, that Commander. Rankin has been uncon- scious for an hour. I'll send for Lieutenant David—” Before the Annihilator operator could finish, our reproductive -coils sputtered and went.dead! The screen before us became-suddenly: blank, “Hello, Ansmhilator!” Commander Wilkins’ called frantically into the speaking tubes. “What’s wrong, Annihilator? We've: lost you!” The screen glowed for an instant and went blank again. Isat stunned: at a few broken words that had come in through our reproductive coils, during the instant flash. The Annthilator’s radio-television units had- suddenly ceased to function——her electrical cur- tent exhausted! The operator had yelled at the top of his weakened lungs his final good-bye to the earth he had-loved so dearly. Commander Wilkins cursed softly. Joan’s form convulsed in spasmodic jerks, “That's the. end!” I said aloud, dropping my chin on-my chest forlornly. Professor Stilsen’s hand found mine-and gave-itan abrupt squeeze. I nodded, unable to lift my head. CHAPTER V A Mad Plan OR what seemed ages we sat there. The room was silent except-for the sound of Joan’s con- vulsive sobs and the heavy breathing of the others. I looked sideways at Professor Stilsen. His features were working oddly and his eyes. glittered. © Suddenly he arose, the scraping of his chair against the floor broke: the: stillness, a “By God!” he said, pounding his hands together in quick, steady claps. ‘“That’s not-the end! We are going to save those-men!” Commander: Wilkins eyed him with growing interest. “Do it, Professor Stilsen,” he said, tensely, “and you will have the eternal gratitude of mankind!” “To hell with gratitude; Commander!” he shouted, almost running toward the officer. “If the govern- ment would listen: a little more attentively to science this disaster would: not have occurred!” “What is your plan, Professor?” several officers asked. simultaneously and eagerly. “You wotldn’t understand!” he shouted hotly. “I told you in-the first place that there was danger of destroying the Annihilator with your projectiles. You wouldn’t listen to me, But -here’s my plan.” Eagerly and intently the entire room gave its atten- tion to Professor Stilsen. I placed-an arm around Joan as 1 watched his perspiring features, He continued. “That operator said they.couldn’t last longer than six more hours! Evidently they -have enough oxygen _ for some of them to survivethat long. In six hours the Annihilatorwill pass over this aerodrome. again! I know-that for certain! With the earth rotating at.a velocity of 25,000 miles every twenty-four hours and ~~ the outer atmospheric stream. racing in reverse-of ‘the. - earth’s motion at twice the velocity of the earth,-only. six hours are required for the Annihilator to make the complete revolution! The very fact that it pass directly. overhead is a phenomenon. exactly ‘in-o1 favor. We've got to make use of it: now, for at the next rotation. of the earth the outer atmospheric stream will shift its course and the Annihilator will be gone forever! te “Listen-to me! Laugh later if you want to but listen tome now! Commander Wilkins, you will order your grourid shops to begin work immediately on con- structing twenty-four huge cobalt-steel, kettle-shaped drums; I.-will give you exact specifications. Your mechanics will fit onto the open end of each of these drums, a six-inch thick; circular plate of steel! Socket- clamps -will be attached to the rounded bottoms of the cobalt-steel drums to accommodate stationary cables and high-tension electrical lines! Get. twenty-four large Pinkerton winches each_complete with cable enough to reach a distance of 85,000 feet. Weld cables to- gether if necessary. By my plans and figures the oe 4) ~ VALS fe comicbooks:co a Lobb Late ee 4 = > 4 % = ;