Stealing a new space ship principle from
Earth seemed like an easy enough task for the
alien. But how does one deliver a principle?
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy
February 1957
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Torlyn Khy smiled grimly to himself as he thought of the approachingcompletion of the new Earth spaceship. Thus far, his disguise hadcompletely fooled the Earthmen; they didn't even begin to suspectthat a Valdorian spy was among the engineers who were building theSkyjumper.
High above the spacefield it loomed, a great sphere of metal thathoused the new teleportation drive. Torlyn Khy looked up at itsimpressive bulk. Unlike the common type of spaceship, which had a topspeed of ten thousand lights, the new drive could take the ship fromEarth to any point in the galaxy in a fraction of a microsecond. If itwere successful, Earth would win the war against Valdor in a matter ofmonths.
And if not—
John Mitchell, the Chief Engineer of Sahara Spaceport, said: "She's abeauty, isn't she, Pete?"
Torlyn Khy, in his disguise as Earthman "Peter Blane," smiled and said,"Yes. She's a real beauty. When will she be finished?"
"This afternoon," Mitchell said. "The boys are tightening the lastbolts and putting in the final wiring now. The job's just about over,Pete."
Good! thought Torlyn. I'll be able to take it tonight. To be ableto bring both the spaceship's plans and the ship itself back to Valdorwould be a major feat. It would result in a fine promotion.
The ship was entirely different from any other vessel ever built. Thehyperkinetic generator in its center generated a spherical force fieldaround the ship which projected it to wherever it had been aimed for.
It was simple to operate; all the pilot had to do was set up theco-ordinates of his target, turn on the hyperkinetic generator, andpress the activator button. The generator itself did the rest. Thefield enclosed the ship, and instantaneously the ship was a hundred ora thousand light-years away.
That evening, Torlyn Khy stepped out of his room and strolled overtoward the spaceship. It was surrounded by guards, and it was bathedin the blaze of a battery of searchlights, but that did not botherthe Valdorian. Earthmen were such stupid fools! It would be a blessingfor them if the Valdorians took them over and showed them how to runtheir lives efficiently. On Valdor, everyone had a job and he did it.He obeyed his superiors without asking questions, and the society,therefore, was efficient.
But these Earthmen! Such a lax, sloppy, inefficient society! Theyneeded more regimentation, more precision. They needed to learn to obeyorders. And they would learn—after the Valdorian victory.
"Evening, Mr. Mitchell."
"Good evening, Captain. Nice night, isn't it?"
Torlyn Khy looked around warily and saw the lean, spare figure ofJohn Mitchell standing some distance away. He was talking to a manin a military uniform, one of the guards posted on the project. TheValdorian ducked away; he didn't care to be seen. Not tonight, of allnights.
He walked all around the spaceship, studying it carefully from allangles, keeping well out of sight of the guards that surrounded it.
The ship appeared to be ready to go; all he had to do was get insideand take off. Simple. Very simple, Torlyn Khy thought. The greatestvictories are always simple.
The ship was supposed to be lifted above the atmosphere on her jetsbefore the hyperk