diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60907-h.zip | bin | 314990 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60907-h/60907-h.htm | 1100 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60907-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 297318 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60907.txt | 996 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60907.zip | bin | 18024 -> 0 bytes |
8 files changed, 17 insertions, 2096 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2cbc124 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60907 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60907) diff --git a/old/60907-h.zip b/old/60907-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 864050d..0000000 --- a/old/60907-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60907-h/60907-h.htm b/old/60907-h/60907-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index e1be0b9..0000000 --- a/old/60907-h/60907-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1100 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=us-ascii" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Assassin, by Bascom Jones, Jr.. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -.caption {font-weight: bold;} - -/* Images */ -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -div.titlepage { - text-align: center; - page-break-before: always; - page-break-after: always; -} - -div.titlepage p { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; - font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5; - margin-top: 3em; -} - -.ph1 { text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; } -.ph1 { font-size: large; margin: .83em auto; } - - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Assassin, by Bascom Jones - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Assassin - -Author: Bascom Jones - -Release Date: December 12, 2019 [EBook #60907] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASSASSIN *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="347" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>ASSASSIN</h1> - -<h2>By BASCOM JONES, JR.</h2> - -<p class="ph1"><i>Everyone is allowed to<br /> -commit an error. The trouble<br /> -was that I couldn't.</i></p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Worlds of If Science Fiction, January 1961.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>I deliberately dug my heels into the concrete floor of the corridor of -the Pentagon. The steel plates on the heels of my black uniform boots -heralded my approach with sharp anvil sounds as I marched confidently -toward the unmarked door five hundred feet ahead.</p> - -<p>What was that expression used by Earth people of the 20th century? I -shifted back through my training, shuffled through the facts about -Earth's past history with which I had been indoctrinated, searching for -the word. <i>Assassin!</i> That was it. But the term fell short. It lacked -in magnitude. There was a difference in the murder of one person and -the assassination of the occupants of an entire planet!</p> - -<p>One foot in front of the other, I paced off the distance toward the end -of the hallway, carefully duplicating the strut which was a trademark -of the Earth Council's Security Police. I'd practiced the peculiar, -jolting method of walking a thousand times, but I began to feel the -effects of Earth's heavier gravity before I had covered half the -distance. It had been impossible to simulate the difference in gravity -in my training.</p> - -<p>The two guards standing outside the door alertly watched my approach. -When I was still four paces away, one of them ordered me to stop. -They ignored as though they were not there the gold stars prominently -displayed on the shoulders of my tunic.</p> - -<p>The guard on the left said, "Your ID card, sir."</p> - -<p>The guards were well trained. They would not hesitate to shoot if I -made the slightest slip.</p> - -<p>I handed the card to him and watched as he held it up to a visi-scanner -in the wall. The scanner glowed into life and purred softly, rapidly -checking the invisible identification codings on the card against the -ID component of Earth's Master Machine. Then it dulled and was silent. -The strident alarm siren over the scanner remained inactive. The ID -card was returned to me and the guards snapped smartly to attention as -I went on into the room beyond the door.</p> - -<p>I had passed the first test.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The reception room was small. Thick carpeting deadened the clump of my -heels as I marched toward the chromed desk guarding a second unmarked -door. A flawlessly proportioned redhead sat behind the desk. Her eyes -and face showed no expression when I stopped in front of her. Her -tight-fitting uniform was black and bore the gold trim of the Security -Police.</p> - -<p>Constricting my throat, I let the words snap out crisply, as I had been -trained.</p> - -<p>"General Spicer," I said, "commanding general of the Security Police, -reporting to the Secretary of Defense. As requested."</p> - -<p>I waited.</p> - -<p>Her eyes, still showing no outward expression, ran over me rapidly. -Then she thumbed a button on the desk and a screen, recessed into the -chromed surface, glowed into life.</p> - -<p>Almost immediately, a full-face reproduction of the features of General -Spicer appeared on the screen in color. She checked the image against -my face, her eyes flickering to the tiny scar under my left eye and to -the old blaster burn across my right ear. When the image changed to a -profile view, I turned my head to give her the same angle.</p> - -<p>She nodded, pressing the button on her desk which darkened the screen.</p> - -<p>She said, "You're early. Your appointment with Secretary Bartlett is—"</p> - -<p>"For 1300 hours," I filled in automatically, when she hesitated in one -last routine test. "I was in the building on another matter, however, -and came here after I had finished my other business."</p> - -<p>"Yes, of course," she said. "Please take a seat. Senator Chambers is -ahead of you, but his business will not take long."</p> - -<p>I fought back the sudden impulse to pivot and stare in the direction -her eyes were indicating. <i>Senator Carl Chambers.</i> My briefing on -him had been lengthy. For 60 Earth years, he had headed the un-Earth -Activities Committee. As General Spicer, I was supposed to have a -nodding acquaintance with him, but no more than that. During the -years, our rivalry had become legend. His unanticipated presence in -the waiting room could prove disastrous. Chambers would not be fooled -easily.</p> - -<p>Turning slowly, I nodded stiffly and curtly in Chambers' direction and -then selected a chair across the room from him.</p> - -<p>The senator's head merged directly into the shoulders of his grossly -rotund body. Small, round eyes stared unblinkingly at me from the red -pudginess of his face. They hesitated on the black swagger stick which -I held loosely in my right hand, moved on, and then returned to it. The -invisible scars, made by the electro-surgical knives in re-designing my -body, began to tense slowly. I shifted the swagger stick in my hand.</p> - -<p>Then the redheaded secretary stood up. She said, "Secretary Bartlett -will see you now. Senator."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>For a fraction of a time, I thought Senator Chambers had not heard her. -His expressionless eyes were still on me. Then, with a grunt, he lifted -himself to his feet and disappeared through the door behind her. A tiny -clicking noise indicated that it locked automatically.</p> - -<p>I shifted my gaze and saw that the secretary was looking at me -intently. It was impossible to guess at what might be going on behind -those eyes. The tension began to build inside me again, but I kept my -own eyes as expressionless as hers.</p> - -<p>The girl picked up a folded piece of paper out of a receptacle on her -desk and brought it over to me.</p> - -<p>She said, "While you're waiting, General, you might like to read the -latest facsimile. Or have you already seen it?"</p> - -<p>I shook my head. "I saw the 1100 fac-report, but I missed this one."</p> - -<p>She handed it to me and returned to her desk. There was just the -slightest suggestion of a rolling movement in her walk, not at all -unpleasant.</p> - -<p>When I looked down at the facsimile sheet, the headline screamed -silently up at me. I swiveled my eyes over at the secretary, but -she was working her recordo-writer, her fingers moving rapidly, -mechanically.</p> - -<p>The headline read: ALIEN INVADER DISCOVERED! The story that followed -reported that two Security Police guards had intercepted someone who -looked like and was dressed like an Earthman, trying to enter the -Senate at 1109 hours that morning. A discrepancy had been discovered -during the routine ID card check and the imposter had tried to escape. -The guards had opened fire at close range, scoring two direct hits.</p> - -<p>While the account was obviously censored, it intimated that a full -report to be released later by Security Police Headquarters would be -almost unbelievable. It hinted that the hideous mess revealed when the -guards' weapons had ripped through the surprisingly soft body armor of -the impostor positively confirmed the fact that the individual was an -enemy alien.</p> - -<p>Before I could read any further, there was a muted tone from the -direction of the desk. The secretary acknowledged the signal, spoke -several words which I couldn't hear, then looked at me.</p> - -<p>She said, "You may go in now, General Spicer."</p> - -<p>I placed the facsimile sheet on her desk and waited while she activated -the circuit, which would release the catch on her side of the door.</p> - -<p><i>Who had it been? There had been four of us. Volunteers. We had been -selected, briefed and trained separately. We had been housed separately -during the mental and physical tortures of the surgical and the psych -labs. The ship which had brought us to Earth had released us at -separate points above the Earth capital. Only our ultimate goal was the -same. But now there was one less of us to accomplish that goal! And we -had lost the element of surprise.</i></p> - -<p>The door clicked twice and swung open. I stepped through, just in time -to see the rotund shape of Senator Chambers go out a private exit on -the far side of the room. Both doors closed at almost the same moment -and I stood alone before the Secretary of Defense for the planet Earth.</p> - -<p>The secretary sat behind a desk on the far side of the room. He was a -powerful man, in keeping with the importance of the job he filled. But -the huge memory bank which he relied upon and which filled the entire -wall behind his desk seemed to dwarf him.</p> - -<p>Without looking up immediately, Secretary Bartlett carefully rewound a -tape he had been referring to and fed it back into the open mouth of -the memory unit.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He said, "Spicer, we've been talking about you. Do you have anything -new on this alien incident? Chambers said an impulse cleared the Master -Machine last night, indicating there may have been some sort of ship -overhead."</p> - -<p>"No, sir," I lied. "My people are working on it, but we don't have much -more to go on than appeared in the latest fac-report."</p> - -<p>"If there was a ship overhead, it was protected by a new type of -anti-identification device. The Master Machine probed for more than six -minutes and registered only a void. Chambers, of course, is always—"</p> - -<p>Bartlett didn't finish the sentence. His words trailed off into a -moment of puzzled silence as he turned and looked squarely at me for -the first time.</p> - -<p>Something had gone wrong. Something that I had done or hadn't done had -revealed to him that I wasn't General Spicer.</p> - -<p>Secretary Bartlett started to rise. "Why, you're not Spicer! You're an -impostor!"</p> - -<p>His eyes displayed neither fear nor surprise, but his hand was less -than a time point from the alarm buzzer on the top of his desk when I -touched the tiny stud on the hilt of my useless-looking swagger stick.</p> - -<p>For the tick of a pulse, he sat there with his body bathed in the -colored ray, his finger poised above the warning buzzer. Then his body -began to glow. I closed my eyes when the heat and brightness reached -my face. When I opened them, there was nothing left of Bartlett but a -swirl of dust motes.</p> - -<p>Stepping behind the desk, I stripped off the thin plasti-mask which had -disguised my features to look like those of General Spicer. My hands -moved almost automatically. Each motion had been rehearsed, timed, -analyzed, and timed again.</p> - -<p>I reversed my coat, hiding the gold markings of the Security Police, -and revealing the precious-metal insignia which had been worn by the -Secretary of Defense. The now-useless ID card, which I had obtained -earlier when I destroyed the real General Spicer, was dropped into the -office incendiary tube, along with the mask and the removable steel -cappings of my boots.</p> - -<p>By the time I had finished, only the swagger stick remained to connect -me with General Spicer. I carefully telescoped its length, twisting -and turning the artfully designed tubing, until it was identical to -Bartlett's cane of state, leaning against the desk. The real cane I -disposed of by dropping it into the incendiary tube after the other -articles.</p> - -<p>I turned the stiff black collar of my coat up, in the same manner -that Bartlett had worn his. The upturned collar hid the tiny metal -electrodes protruding from the base of my neck, under each ear.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>When I sat down behind the desk, the image reflected up at me from -the chromed top was, feature for feature, that of Defense Secretary -Bartlett. The electro-surgical knives, wielded by experts, had done a -good job. I grimaced. I puffed out my cheeks. I rolled my eyes. And, in -turn, the reflected image grimaced, puffed out its cheeks, and rolled -its eyes. The texture of my skin was that of Bartlett's. Even the pore -structure.</p> - -<p>This had been the final big hurdle. The rest was now up to me.</p> - -<p>No! More accurately, the rest depended upon routine—a routine -established more than 70 Earth years ago—a routine so inflexible that -it had not been broken for a single day. My mission was to break that -routine.</p> - -<p>Destruction of Spicer and Bartlett was important only as a means to an -end. As soon as they were missed, others would fill their places. I -had to destroy <i>all</i> Spicers and <i>all</i> Bartletts. I had to destroy the -residents of Washington, of London, of New York, of Earth!</p> - -<p>My mission was to destroy so that we could live. That was what the -technicians in the psych-labs had told me. That was what the physicians -behind the electro-surgical knives had told me. It had been drummed -into me over and over, through every phase of the mental and physical -preparation that I had been put through.</p> - -<p>So I sat in Bartlett's office, looking like Bartlett, waiting. I knew -almost to the exact time point when the buzzer on the desk in front of -me would sound. I expected it, but when the strident tone filled the -room, I jumped.</p> - -<p>I thumbed the switch on the desk video-com and the features of the -redheaded secretary looked out at me from the recessed screen. I -deepened my voice to mimic Bartlett's.</p> - -<p>"Yes, Meta?"</p> - -<p>The video-com was a two-way security system and I knew that she could -see me, too. She continued to stare, and I felt the scar tissue -tighten around the electrodes in my neck.</p> - -<p>Through some flaw in transmission, for a brief moment, I thought I saw -the twinkle of an expression deep in her eyes. But that was impossible. -Her lips twitched and the transmission flaw, or whatever it might have -been, was corrected. Her eyes were as inscrutable as ever.</p> - -<p>She said, "It's 1324, sir. The inspection group will be here in two -minutes. Shall I bring them in?"</p> - -<p>I nodded my head to one side slightly, in a manner peculiar to -Bartlett. "Thank you, Meta. Yes, of course. Bring them in as soon as -they arrive."</p> - -<p>I switched the video-com off and let my fingers lightly play with the -button on the desk that activated the lock on Bartlett's private door -into the inner corridor. It was a temptation to open the door and -attempt to go the rest of the way on my own. But I wouldn't make it. -Not even disguised as Defense Secretary Bartlett. I had been warned not -to try.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>My only hope lay in the routine set up by Earth's scientists more -than 70 years ago—the daily inspection of the unit. As a member of -the inspection party, I could pass through the security guards. More -important, as a member of the group, I would arrive at the protective -force sphere at the hub of the Pentagon at the only time and at the -only place the force sphere could be breached.</p> - -<p>I waited.</p> - -<p>Precisely at the end of Meta's two minutes, the lock buzzed on the door -to the reception room. I touched the control which opened the door and -stood as the group filed into the room. My briefings on each of them -had been exhaustive, but I examined their faces for some sign that one -or more might penetrate my disguise as Bartlett.</p> - -<p>The redheaded Meta nodded. She had been with Bartlett as his security -secretary for 70 years. Senator Chambers, as a representative of the -electorate, darted rapid glances around the room as soon as the door -had closed, counting noses. General Whit Marshall, chairman of the -Joint Chiefs of Staff of the police systems, nodded with the cold -reserve of the high-ranking military to the higher-ranking civilian. -The fourth member of the group, Chet Meyers, chief Master Machine -technician, was the only one to speak.</p> - -<p>The lanky Meyers looked around the room. "Where's General Spicer, sir? -Senator Chambers was telling us you were going to invite him because of -this scare today."</p> - -<p>The invisible scars which cobwebbed across my body from the -electro-surgical knives tensed so suddenly that I almost screamed. I -made myself reach for my cane casually. I had come so close!</p> - -<p>No, wait—there was the bitter rivalry between Chambers and Spicer. -Chambers was too complete a politician to pass up an opportunity to -discredit General Spicer.</p> - -<p>His black pin-prick eyes darted up toward the time unit on the wall.</p> - -<p>"There's no time to wait, Meyers," he said eagerly. "Spicer knows the -schedule. We must go without him."</p> - -<p>Conscious of the stares of Meta and Meyers, I pushed the button which -opened the door into the inner corridor.</p> - -<p>I looked directly at the Master Machine technician. "I asked Spicer to -get a late report on the incident for us. But you know that Chambers is -right—we cannot afford to wait any longer. Perhaps he'll catch up."</p> - -<p>We followed the corridor toward the hub of the Pentagon. Senator -Chambers led the way, almost at a trot, as though he were afraid that -Spicer would catch up. General Marshall and Meyers, hard put to keep -up, were strung out behind him, with Meta and me bringing up the rear.</p> - -<p>That was the way we went through the check points manned by the -security guards. Twice I caught Meta looking at me. At one of the -check points, I thought she was going to say something. I lifted the -tip of my cane and put my finger near the stud, but she remained silent.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The tension began to mount inside me as we approached the door opening -on the invisible force wall. Through the wall, I could see the squat, -ugly building in the center of the hub of the Pentagon, which was our -destination. I held my cane ready. But even a CT-bomb wouldn't break -through the force field.</p> - -<p>As we drew near the final guard point, a scrubwoman who had been -working on the floor of the corridor picked up her bucket and fell in -with our party.</p> - -<p>Chambers was already gesturing at the guard to set the combination, -which would open the force wall at precisely 1330. I looked at the time -unit on my wrist and saw that we had twenty seconds to wait. I resisted -the betraying impulse to rub the irritated area around the electrodes -set in my neck.</p> - -<p>When I looked up from the time unit, everything was too quiet. Senator -Chambers was no longer dancing around impatiently. He was staring at -the bucket carried by the scrubwoman.</p> - -<p>The inside of the bucket was not even damp. And the mop she had been -using was dry. The implication must have hit both Chambers and me at -the same moment. I wanted to shout a warning.</p> - -<p>Chambers jumped back against the wall, yelling at the guard, "Shoot -her! Shoot! She is an alien!"</p> - -<p>The scrubwoman did the wrong thing. She turned and tried to run, her -legs lifting awkwardly against the pull of the unaccustomed gravity. -But the guard's weapon was already at his shoulder. The low-velocity -missile thudded into the body of the scrubwoman, flipping her up into -the air in a graceless somersault. She landed on the concrete floor -with a second thud, which echoed softly down the long hall. A pool -slowly widened around her body and she lay still.</p> - -<p>I looked at my wrist time unit again. It was 1330. The door through the -force wall was open. I went past the huddled heap lying on the floor, -careful not to step in the pool of moisture.</p> - -<p><i>Too hideous to put into words in a public fac-report! That's what the -facsimile sheet had hinted about the broken body of the other "alien." -Two from four left only two. But the door through the force wall was -open. I had to get through the door and into the building.</i></p> - -<p>Senator Chambers stepped out from behind the guard and blocked the -doorway. His little eyes flashed from one expressionless face to -another as he tried to come to some inner decision. His shoulders -slumped.</p> - -<p>"I—I don't like it," he said. "The door is open now. I think perhaps -we had better wait for General Spicer, after all."</p> - -<p>But Meta shook her head and pushed past Chambers. She said, "No. You -know the routine as well as we, Senator. We are required to inspect the -unit. Leave the guard on duty here."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>I took advantage of the indecision of the others and pushed through the -door after her toward the squat, ugly little building that was my goal.</p> - -<p>Meta was almost to the door of the building when I heard Chambers yell.</p> - -<p>"Stop her, Secretary Bartlett! She's malfunctioning. We've all been -ordered to wait outside for an ID check." I ignored him and he yelled -again. "Guard, open fire on the girl. Don't let her get inside that -door!"</p> - -<p>But he was too late. Meta disappeared through the door into the black -building. I stepped inside just as it slammed shut and the first -missile smashed against the door from the guard's weapon.</p> - -<p>The building was not large. The Master Machine squatted like a huge, -thick-bodied black spider in the center of the building. A cobweb of -power lines and control cables criss-crossed the floor and fed into the -base of the unit.</p> - -<p>A myriad of tiny moving parts, levers and cams and elbowed arms and -gears pulsed and shifted and moved to give the impression that the -Master Machine was breathing, that it was alive. Tiny multicolored -lights twinkled on and off. Giant vacuum tubes hummed and glowed. And -all the while, it munched on endless tapes.</p> - -<p>The black monster was the heart of Earth's civilization, and it was the -means of it. As I started toward the machine, a grid at the top turned -slowly and ogled me. Almost immediately, a red tube blinked on, and -the moving parts on one section of the machine plunged into a frenzied -rhythm of action.</p> - -<p>I ran forward, breathing heavily under the strain of the unaccustomed -gravity. I had only seconds in which to act. At any moment, Senator -Chambers and the guards would be coming through the door behind me.</p> - -<p>I raised the cane and touched the stud.</p> - -<p>The finger of lavender light knifed toward the machine, searching for -its heart and memory unit.</p> - -<p>The ray fused and melted and burned, cutting deeper and deeper into the -maze of wires and tubes and relays. There was a blinding flash and one -section of the machine ground to a stop. Other sections immediately -increased their tempo of movement.</p> - -<p>Behind me the door slammed open, and Senator Chambers and two guards -stumbled into the building.</p> - -<p>Chambers yelled, "He's over there in front of the Master Machine. Hurry -up ... and ... shoot! Before it's ... too late! <i>Shoot!</i>"</p> - -<p>His face almost a cherry red, Chambers danced out of the way. The -guards raised their weapons and sighted.</p> - -<p>Then the ray from my cane cut deeply into the very innermost section -of the master unit and the machine died. A dial on the front of the -blackened, twisted mess spun slowly to a stop. There was no more noise -and no more movement.</p> - -<p>It was done.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>As I released the stud on the cane, the weapons of the guards were -pointed directly at my back. Chambers' eyes were like two black -marbles, staring at me, his head strained forward to watch the results -of the missiles.</p> - -<p>I took a careful step to the left. And another. And then another. They -didn't move.</p> - -<p>The guards' weapons remained trained on the spot where I had been -standing. Senator Chambers continued staring at the place where I had -been.</p> - -<p>None of them moved. They remained there, pointing at nothing. The -electrodes at the bases of their necks reflecting the molten glow from -the wrecked Master Machine.</p> - -<p>I relaxed. I rubbed the tender skin around the dummy electrodes set in -my neck. It was finally over.</p> - -<p>Then a shadow moved against the wall where there should have been no -movement. It lengthened and took on the shapely form of the redheaded -Meta.</p> - -<p>Only now her eyes were no longer dead and expressionless. They were -alive with feeling.</p> - -<p>I said, "So you are the other one. I should have guessed when you ran -into the building ahead of me. But I was too busy thinking of those -guards and of Chambers."</p> - -<p>She nodded. Her lips relaxed into a smile.</p> - -<p><i>Two from four leaves two! But we had accomplished our mission. And -outside the building, in Washington, London, New York—in every Earth -city—figures on the streets, in office buildings, and at home had -become motionless, poised like mechanical toys with their springs run -down. Housewives, cab drivers, copter pilots, passengers, shoppers, -policemen, government workers had ceased to move, had stopped -functioning with the destruction of the Master Machine.</i></p> - -<p>The redhead said, "It's really over, isn't it? They're stopped." She -looked at the still figures, the dummy electrodes in her neck quivering -in a shiver. "They can't kill any more?"</p> - -<p>I said, "It's over."</p> - -<p>"They can't destroy or move?"</p> - -<p>"Without the Master Machine, they have no power supply—nothing. And -they can't kill or destroy."</p> - -<p>She walked over to look at the figures. "What went wrong? What happened -to them?"</p> - -<p>I shrugged. "You can't blame them any more than you can blame a boiler -that explodes or a dam that breaks. It was the human race itself that -was responsible for what happened. We became lazy, careless. We built -too many time saving gimmicks to do too many jobs for us."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"But the machines were designed to help us," she said. "To make life -better and more pleasant."</p> - -<p>"At the beginning," I agreed, "but we didn't know where to stop. We -started with labor-saving devices. We replaced ourselves in factories, -offices, restaurants, stores. Still it wasn't enough. We designed -robots to serve as traffic policemen, to drive cars, and to handle -thinking tasks. Then we designed humanoid robots, mechanical replicas -of man and woman, controlled by the computing sections of the Master -Machine, activated by its power supply, able to move and talk and -think. We used them as servants. We had the means to replace ourselves -completely—everywhere."</p> - -<p>"Why did they turn on the human race?" she asked.</p> - -<p>I pointed to the smoldering wreck of the Master Machine in the center -of the room. "Perhaps there was a weak circuit, or a tape was garbled, -or a relay didn't close properly. The scientific colony on the Moon -helped some of us to escape. The rest of mankind was destroyed by the -robots—systematically and ruthlessly."</p> - -<p>The redhead shivered again and walked over to the door leading from the -building. She stood there, looking up at the thin curve of the Moon -showing in the blue of the afternoon sky.</p> - -<p>Finally she said, "Up there, by now, they will know that we have -accomplished our mission. In a few hours, they will be filing out of -the underground caverns and loading onto the giant rockets. They'll be -coming back. But only the very oldest will have been on Earth before. -Like us, thousands of them will be coming to a new world for the first -time. A world of beauty and opportunity—if they want it that way. What -will they decide?"</p> - -<p>What <i>would</i> they decide?</p> - -<p>I looked down at the redhead. Deep in her eyes, I saw the emotions -which no humanoid robot could ever know. I saw them, and suddenly the -tension eased out of my muscles.</p> - -<p>The answer to her question was in her own eyes.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Assassin, by Bascom Jones - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASSASSIN *** - -***** This file should be named 60907-h.htm or 60907-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/9/0/60907/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - - -</pre> - -</body> -</html> diff --git a/old/60907-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/60907-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 7b6b65a..0000000 --- a/old/60907-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60907.txt b/old/60907.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 30786e8..0000000 --- a/old/60907.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,996 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Assassin, by Bascom Jones - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Assassin - -Author: Bascom Jones - -Release Date: December 12, 2019 [EBook #60907] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASSASSIN *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - ASSASSIN - - By BASCOM JONES, JR. - - _Everyone is allowed to - commit an error. The trouble - was that I couldn't._ - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Worlds of If Science Fiction, January 1961. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -I deliberately dug my heels into the concrete floor of the corridor of -the Pentagon. The steel plates on the heels of my black uniform boots -heralded my approach with sharp anvil sounds as I marched confidently -toward the unmarked door five hundred feet ahead. - -What was that expression used by Earth people of the 20th century? I -shifted back through my training, shuffled through the facts about -Earth's past history with which I had been indoctrinated, searching for -the word. _Assassin!_ That was it. But the term fell short. It lacked -in magnitude. There was a difference in the murder of one person and -the assassination of the occupants of an entire planet! - -One foot in front of the other, I paced off the distance toward the end -of the hallway, carefully duplicating the strut which was a trademark -of the Earth Council's Security Police. I'd practiced the peculiar, -jolting method of walking a thousand times, but I began to feel the -effects of Earth's heavier gravity before I had covered half the -distance. It had been impossible to simulate the difference in gravity -in my training. - -The two guards standing outside the door alertly watched my approach. -When I was still four paces away, one of them ordered me to stop. -They ignored as though they were not there the gold stars prominently -displayed on the shoulders of my tunic. - -The guard on the left said, "Your ID card, sir." - -The guards were well trained. They would not hesitate to shoot if I -made the slightest slip. - -I handed the card to him and watched as he held it up to a visi-scanner -in the wall. The scanner glowed into life and purred softly, rapidly -checking the invisible identification codings on the card against the -ID component of Earth's Master Machine. Then it dulled and was silent. -The strident alarm siren over the scanner remained inactive. The ID -card was returned to me and the guards snapped smartly to attention as -I went on into the room beyond the door. - -I had passed the first test. - - * * * * * - -The reception room was small. Thick carpeting deadened the clump of my -heels as I marched toward the chromed desk guarding a second unmarked -door. A flawlessly proportioned redhead sat behind the desk. Her eyes -and face showed no expression when I stopped in front of her. Her -tight-fitting uniform was black and bore the gold trim of the Security -Police. - -Constricting my throat, I let the words snap out crisply, as I had been -trained. - -"General Spicer," I said, "commanding general of the Security Police, -reporting to the Secretary of Defense. As requested." - -I waited. - -Her eyes, still showing no outward expression, ran over me rapidly. -Then she thumbed a button on the desk and a screen, recessed into the -chromed surface, glowed into life. - -Almost immediately, a full-face reproduction of the features of General -Spicer appeared on the screen in color. She checked the image against -my face, her eyes flickering to the tiny scar under my left eye and to -the old blaster burn across my right ear. When the image changed to a -profile view, I turned my head to give her the same angle. - -She nodded, pressing the button on her desk which darkened the screen. - -She said, "You're early. Your appointment with Secretary Bartlett is--" - -"For 1300 hours," I filled in automatically, when she hesitated in one -last routine test. "I was in the building on another matter, however, -and came here after I had finished my other business." - -"Yes, of course," she said. "Please take a seat. Senator Chambers is -ahead of you, but his business will not take long." - -I fought back the sudden impulse to pivot and stare in the direction -her eyes were indicating. _Senator Carl Chambers._ My briefing on -him had been lengthy. For 60 Earth years, he had headed the un-Earth -Activities Committee. As General Spicer, I was supposed to have a -nodding acquaintance with him, but no more than that. During the -years, our rivalry had become legend. His unanticipated presence in -the waiting room could prove disastrous. Chambers would not be fooled -easily. - -Turning slowly, I nodded stiffly and curtly in Chambers' direction and -then selected a chair across the room from him. - -The senator's head merged directly into the shoulders of his grossly -rotund body. Small, round eyes stared unblinkingly at me from the red -pudginess of his face. They hesitated on the black swagger stick which -I held loosely in my right hand, moved on, and then returned to it. The -invisible scars, made by the electro-surgical knives in re-designing my -body, began to tense slowly. I shifted the swagger stick in my hand. - -Then the redheaded secretary stood up. She said, "Secretary Bartlett -will see you now. Senator." - - * * * * * - -For a fraction of a time, I thought Senator Chambers had not heard her. -His expressionless eyes were still on me. Then, with a grunt, he lifted -himself to his feet and disappeared through the door behind her. A tiny -clicking noise indicated that it locked automatically. - -I shifted my gaze and saw that the secretary was looking at me -intently. It was impossible to guess at what might be going on behind -those eyes. The tension began to build inside me again, but I kept my -own eyes as expressionless as hers. - -The girl picked up a folded piece of paper out of a receptacle on her -desk and brought it over to me. - -She said, "While you're waiting, General, you might like to read the -latest facsimile. Or have you already seen it?" - -I shook my head. "I saw the 1100 fac-report, but I missed this one." - -She handed it to me and returned to her desk. There was just the -slightest suggestion of a rolling movement in her walk, not at all -unpleasant. - -When I looked down at the facsimile sheet, the headline screamed -silently up at me. I swiveled my eyes over at the secretary, but -she was working her recordo-writer, her fingers moving rapidly, -mechanically. - -The headline read: ALIEN INVADER DISCOVERED! The story that followed -reported that two Security Police guards had intercepted someone who -looked like and was dressed like an Earthman, trying to enter the -Senate at 1109 hours that morning. A discrepancy had been discovered -during the routine ID card check and the imposter had tried to escape. -The guards had opened fire at close range, scoring two direct hits. - -While the account was obviously censored, it intimated that a full -report to be released later by Security Police Headquarters would be -almost unbelievable. It hinted that the hideous mess revealed when the -guards' weapons had ripped through the surprisingly soft body armor of -the impostor positively confirmed the fact that the individual was an -enemy alien. - -Before I could read any further, there was a muted tone from the -direction of the desk. The secretary acknowledged the signal, spoke -several words which I couldn't hear, then looked at me. - -She said, "You may go in now, General Spicer." - -I placed the facsimile sheet on her desk and waited while she activated -the circuit, which would release the catch on her side of the door. - -_Who had it been? There had been four of us. Volunteers. We had been -selected, briefed and trained separately. We had been housed separately -during the mental and physical tortures of the surgical and the psych -labs. The ship which had brought us to Earth had released us at -separate points above the Earth capital. Only our ultimate goal was the -same. But now there was one less of us to accomplish that goal! And we -had lost the element of surprise._ - -The door clicked twice and swung open. I stepped through, just in time -to see the rotund shape of Senator Chambers go out a private exit on -the far side of the room. Both doors closed at almost the same moment -and I stood alone before the Secretary of Defense for the planet Earth. - -The secretary sat behind a desk on the far side of the room. He was a -powerful man, in keeping with the importance of the job he filled. But -the huge memory bank which he relied upon and which filled the entire -wall behind his desk seemed to dwarf him. - -Without looking up immediately, Secretary Bartlett carefully rewound a -tape he had been referring to and fed it back into the open mouth of -the memory unit. - - * * * * * - -He said, "Spicer, we've been talking about you. Do you have anything -new on this alien incident? Chambers said an impulse cleared the Master -Machine last night, indicating there may have been some sort of ship -overhead." - -"No, sir," I lied. "My people are working on it, but we don't have much -more to go on than appeared in the latest fac-report." - -"If there was a ship overhead, it was protected by a new type of -anti-identification device. The Master Machine probed for more than six -minutes and registered only a void. Chambers, of course, is always--" - -Bartlett didn't finish the sentence. His words trailed off into a -moment of puzzled silence as he turned and looked squarely at me for -the first time. - -Something had gone wrong. Something that I had done or hadn't done had -revealed to him that I wasn't General Spicer. - -Secretary Bartlett started to rise. "Why, you're not Spicer! You're an -impostor!" - -His eyes displayed neither fear nor surprise, but his hand was less -than a time point from the alarm buzzer on the top of his desk when I -touched the tiny stud on the hilt of my useless-looking swagger stick. - -For the tick of a pulse, he sat there with his body bathed in the -colored ray, his finger poised above the warning buzzer. Then his body -began to glow. I closed my eyes when the heat and brightness reached -my face. When I opened them, there was nothing left of Bartlett but a -swirl of dust motes. - -Stepping behind the desk, I stripped off the thin plasti-mask which had -disguised my features to look like those of General Spicer. My hands -moved almost automatically. Each motion had been rehearsed, timed, -analyzed, and timed again. - -I reversed my coat, hiding the gold markings of the Security Police, -and revealing the precious-metal insignia which had been worn by the -Secretary of Defense. The now-useless ID card, which I had obtained -earlier when I destroyed the real General Spicer, was dropped into the -office incendiary tube, along with the mask and the removable steel -cappings of my boots. - -By the time I had finished, only the swagger stick remained to connect -me with General Spicer. I carefully telescoped its length, twisting -and turning the artfully designed tubing, until it was identical to -Bartlett's cane of state, leaning against the desk. The real cane I -disposed of by dropping it into the incendiary tube after the other -articles. - -I turned the stiff black collar of my coat up, in the same manner -that Bartlett had worn his. The upturned collar hid the tiny metal -electrodes protruding from the base of my neck, under each ear. - - * * * * * - -When I sat down behind the desk, the image reflected up at me from -the chromed top was, feature for feature, that of Defense Secretary -Bartlett. The electro-surgical knives, wielded by experts, had done a -good job. I grimaced. I puffed out my cheeks. I rolled my eyes. And, in -turn, the reflected image grimaced, puffed out its cheeks, and rolled -its eyes. The texture of my skin was that of Bartlett's. Even the pore -structure. - -This had been the final big hurdle. The rest was now up to me. - -No! More accurately, the rest depended upon routine--a routine -established more than 70 Earth years ago--a routine so inflexible that -it had not been broken for a single day. My mission was to break that -routine. - -Destruction of Spicer and Bartlett was important only as a means to an -end. As soon as they were missed, others would fill their places. I -had to destroy _all_ Spicers and _all_ Bartletts. I had to destroy the -residents of Washington, of London, of New York, of Earth! - -My mission was to destroy so that we could live. That was what the -technicians in the psych-labs had told me. That was what the physicians -behind the electro-surgical knives had told me. It had been drummed -into me over and over, through every phase of the mental and physical -preparation that I had been put through. - -So I sat in Bartlett's office, looking like Bartlett, waiting. I knew -almost to the exact time point when the buzzer on the desk in front of -me would sound. I expected it, but when the strident tone filled the -room, I jumped. - -I thumbed the switch on the desk video-com and the features of the -redheaded secretary looked out at me from the recessed screen. I -deepened my voice to mimic Bartlett's. - -"Yes, Meta?" - -The video-com was a two-way security system and I knew that she could -see me, too. She continued to stare, and I felt the scar tissue -tighten around the electrodes in my neck. - -Through some flaw in transmission, for a brief moment, I thought I saw -the twinkle of an expression deep in her eyes. But that was impossible. -Her lips twitched and the transmission flaw, or whatever it might have -been, was corrected. Her eyes were as inscrutable as ever. - -She said, "It's 1324, sir. The inspection group will be here in two -minutes. Shall I bring them in?" - -I nodded my head to one side slightly, in a manner peculiar to -Bartlett. "Thank you, Meta. Yes, of course. Bring them in as soon as -they arrive." - -I switched the video-com off and let my fingers lightly play with the -button on the desk that activated the lock on Bartlett's private door -into the inner corridor. It was a temptation to open the door and -attempt to go the rest of the way on my own. But I wouldn't make it. -Not even disguised as Defense Secretary Bartlett. I had been warned not -to try. - - * * * * * - -My only hope lay in the routine set up by Earth's scientists more -than 70 years ago--the daily inspection of the unit. As a member of -the inspection party, I could pass through the security guards. More -important, as a member of the group, I would arrive at the protective -force sphere at the hub of the Pentagon at the only time and at the -only place the force sphere could be breached. - -I waited. - -Precisely at the end of Meta's two minutes, the lock buzzed on the door -to the reception room. I touched the control which opened the door and -stood as the group filed into the room. My briefings on each of them -had been exhaustive, but I examined their faces for some sign that one -or more might penetrate my disguise as Bartlett. - -The redheaded Meta nodded. She had been with Bartlett as his security -secretary for 70 years. Senator Chambers, as a representative of the -electorate, darted rapid glances around the room as soon as the door -had closed, counting noses. General Whit Marshall, chairman of the -Joint Chiefs of Staff of the police systems, nodded with the cold -reserve of the high-ranking military to the higher-ranking civilian. -The fourth member of the group, Chet Meyers, chief Master Machine -technician, was the only one to speak. - -The lanky Meyers looked around the room. "Where's General Spicer, sir? -Senator Chambers was telling us you were going to invite him because of -this scare today." - -The invisible scars which cobwebbed across my body from the -electro-surgical knives tensed so suddenly that I almost screamed. I -made myself reach for my cane casually. I had come so close! - -No, wait--there was the bitter rivalry between Chambers and Spicer. -Chambers was too complete a politician to pass up an opportunity to -discredit General Spicer. - -His black pin-prick eyes darted up toward the time unit on the wall. - -"There's no time to wait, Meyers," he said eagerly. "Spicer knows the -schedule. We must go without him." - -Conscious of the stares of Meta and Meyers, I pushed the button which -opened the door into the inner corridor. - -I looked directly at the Master Machine technician. "I asked Spicer to -get a late report on the incident for us. But you know that Chambers is -right--we cannot afford to wait any longer. Perhaps he'll catch up." - -We followed the corridor toward the hub of the Pentagon. Senator -Chambers led the way, almost at a trot, as though he were afraid that -Spicer would catch up. General Marshall and Meyers, hard put to keep -up, were strung out behind him, with Meta and me bringing up the rear. - -That was the way we went through the check points manned by the -security guards. Twice I caught Meta looking at me. At one of the -check points, I thought she was going to say something. I lifted the -tip of my cane and put my finger near the stud, but she remained silent. - - * * * * * - -The tension began to mount inside me as we approached the door opening -on the invisible force wall. Through the wall, I could see the squat, -ugly building in the center of the hub of the Pentagon, which was our -destination. I held my cane ready. But even a CT-bomb wouldn't break -through the force field. - -As we drew near the final guard point, a scrubwoman who had been -working on the floor of the corridor picked up her bucket and fell in -with our party. - -Chambers was already gesturing at the guard to set the combination, -which would open the force wall at precisely 1330. I looked at the time -unit on my wrist and saw that we had twenty seconds to wait. I resisted -the betraying impulse to rub the irritated area around the electrodes -set in my neck. - -When I looked up from the time unit, everything was too quiet. Senator -Chambers was no longer dancing around impatiently. He was staring at -the bucket carried by the scrubwoman. - -The inside of the bucket was not even damp. And the mop she had been -using was dry. The implication must have hit both Chambers and me at -the same moment. I wanted to shout a warning. - -Chambers jumped back against the wall, yelling at the guard, "Shoot -her! Shoot! She is an alien!" - -The scrubwoman did the wrong thing. She turned and tried to run, her -legs lifting awkwardly against the pull of the unaccustomed gravity. -But the guard's weapon was already at his shoulder. The low-velocity -missile thudded into the body of the scrubwoman, flipping her up into -the air in a graceless somersault. She landed on the concrete floor -with a second thud, which echoed softly down the long hall. A pool -slowly widened around her body and she lay still. - -I looked at my wrist time unit again. It was 1330. The door through the -force wall was open. I went past the huddled heap lying on the floor, -careful not to step in the pool of moisture. - -_Too hideous to put into words in a public fac-report! That's what the -facsimile sheet had hinted about the broken body of the other "alien." -Two from four left only two. But the door through the force wall was -open. I had to get through the door and into the building._ - -Senator Chambers stepped out from behind the guard and blocked the -doorway. His little eyes flashed from one expressionless face to -another as he tried to come to some inner decision. His shoulders -slumped. - -"I--I don't like it," he said. "The door is open now. I think perhaps -we had better wait for General Spicer, after all." - -But Meta shook her head and pushed past Chambers. She said, "No. You -know the routine as well as we, Senator. We are required to inspect the -unit. Leave the guard on duty here." - - * * * * * - -I took advantage of the indecision of the others and pushed through the -door after her toward the squat, ugly little building that was my goal. - -Meta was almost to the door of the building when I heard Chambers yell. - -"Stop her, Secretary Bartlett! She's malfunctioning. We've all been -ordered to wait outside for an ID check." I ignored him and he yelled -again. "Guard, open fire on the girl. Don't let her get inside that -door!" - -But he was too late. Meta disappeared through the door into the black -building. I stepped inside just as it slammed shut and the first -missile smashed against the door from the guard's weapon. - -The building was not large. The Master Machine squatted like a huge, -thick-bodied black spider in the center of the building. A cobweb of -power lines and control cables criss-crossed the floor and fed into the -base of the unit. - -A myriad of tiny moving parts, levers and cams and elbowed arms and -gears pulsed and shifted and moved to give the impression that the -Master Machine was breathing, that it was alive. Tiny multicolored -lights twinkled on and off. Giant vacuum tubes hummed and glowed. And -all the while, it munched on endless tapes. - -The black monster was the heart of Earth's civilization, and it was the -means of it. As I started toward the machine, a grid at the top turned -slowly and ogled me. Almost immediately, a red tube blinked on, and -the moving parts on one section of the machine plunged into a frenzied -rhythm of action. - -I ran forward, breathing heavily under the strain of the unaccustomed -gravity. I had only seconds in which to act. At any moment, Senator -Chambers and the guards would be coming through the door behind me. - -I raised the cane and touched the stud. - -The finger of lavender light knifed toward the machine, searching for -its heart and memory unit. - -The ray fused and melted and burned, cutting deeper and deeper into the -maze of wires and tubes and relays. There was a blinding flash and one -section of the machine ground to a stop. Other sections immediately -increased their tempo of movement. - -Behind me the door slammed open, and Senator Chambers and two guards -stumbled into the building. - -Chambers yelled, "He's over there in front of the Master Machine. Hurry -up ... and ... shoot! Before it's ... too late! _Shoot!_" - -His face almost a cherry red, Chambers danced out of the way. The -guards raised their weapons and sighted. - -Then the ray from my cane cut deeply into the very innermost section -of the master unit and the machine died. A dial on the front of the -blackened, twisted mess spun slowly to a stop. There was no more noise -and no more movement. - -It was done. - - * * * * * - -As I released the stud on the cane, the weapons of the guards were -pointed directly at my back. Chambers' eyes were like two black -marbles, staring at me, his head strained forward to watch the results -of the missiles. - -I took a careful step to the left. And another. And then another. They -didn't move. - -The guards' weapons remained trained on the spot where I had been -standing. Senator Chambers continued staring at the place where I had -been. - -None of them moved. They remained there, pointing at nothing. The -electrodes at the bases of their necks reflecting the molten glow from -the wrecked Master Machine. - -I relaxed. I rubbed the tender skin around the dummy electrodes set in -my neck. It was finally over. - -Then a shadow moved against the wall where there should have been no -movement. It lengthened and took on the shapely form of the redheaded -Meta. - -Only now her eyes were no longer dead and expressionless. They were -alive with feeling. - -I said, "So you are the other one. I should have guessed when you ran -into the building ahead of me. But I was too busy thinking of those -guards and of Chambers." - -She nodded. Her lips relaxed into a smile. - -_Two from four leaves two! But we had accomplished our mission. And -outside the building, in Washington, London, New York--in every Earth -city--figures on the streets, in office buildings, and at home had -become motionless, poised like mechanical toys with their springs run -down. Housewives, cab drivers, copter pilots, passengers, shoppers, -policemen, government workers had ceased to move, had stopped -functioning with the destruction of the Master Machine._ - -The redhead said, "It's really over, isn't it? They're stopped." She -looked at the still figures, the dummy electrodes in her neck quivering -in a shiver. "They can't kill any more?" - -I said, "It's over." - -"They can't destroy or move?" - -"Without the Master Machine, they have no power supply--nothing. And -they can't kill or destroy." - -She walked over to look at the figures. "What went wrong? What happened -to them?" - -I shrugged. "You can't blame them any more than you can blame a boiler -that explodes or a dam that breaks. It was the human race itself that -was responsible for what happened. We became lazy, careless. We built -too many time saving gimmicks to do too many jobs for us." - - * * * * * - -"But the machines were designed to help us," she said. "To make life -better and more pleasant." - -"At the beginning," I agreed, "but we didn't know where to stop. We -started with labor-saving devices. We replaced ourselves in factories, -offices, restaurants, stores. Still it wasn't enough. We designed -robots to serve as traffic policemen, to drive cars, and to handle -thinking tasks. Then we designed humanoid robots, mechanical replicas -of man and woman, controlled by the computing sections of the Master -Machine, activated by its power supply, able to move and talk and -think. We used them as servants. We had the means to replace ourselves -completely--everywhere." - -"Why did they turn on the human race?" she asked. - -I pointed to the smoldering wreck of the Master Machine in the center -of the room. "Perhaps there was a weak circuit, or a tape was garbled, -or a relay didn't close properly. The scientific colony on the Moon -helped some of us to escape. The rest of mankind was destroyed by the -robots--systematically and ruthlessly." - -The redhead shivered again and walked over to the door leading from the -building. She stood there, looking up at the thin curve of the Moon -showing in the blue of the afternoon sky. - -Finally she said, "Up there, by now, they will know that we have -accomplished our mission. In a few hours, they will be filing out of -the underground caverns and loading onto the giant rockets. They'll be -coming back. But only the very oldest will have been on Earth before. -Like us, thousands of them will be coming to a new world for the first -time. A world of beauty and opportunity--if they want it that way. What -will they decide?" - -What _would_ they decide? - -I looked down at the redhead. Deep in her eyes, I saw the emotions -which no humanoid robot could ever know. I saw them, and suddenly the -tension eased out of my muscles. - -The answer to her question was in her own eyes. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Assassin, by Bascom Jones - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASSASSIN *** - -***** This file should be named 60907.txt or 60907.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/9/0/60907/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - diff --git a/old/60907.zip b/old/60907.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 70ccab4..0000000 --- a/old/60907.zip +++ /dev/null |
