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diff --git a/old/64968-0.txt b/old/64968-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 44493ed..0000000 --- a/old/64968-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,672 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Combatman, by John Massie Davis - -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 -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Combatman - -Author: John Massie Davis - -Release Date: March 31, 2021 [eBook #64968] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMBATMAN *** - - - - - COMBATMAN - - _By John Massie Davis_ - - During colonizing operations a Combatman was - always in charge--in case of trouble. This - trip we really had some--a whole planet of it! - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy - October 1953 - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -As Computerman, I was the first to come out of deep freeze after we -kicked clear of the Time-Warp. So I left the needles in my wrists--the -tubes let me reach Brain One--and started punching data from the -instruments while my fingers were still half stiff. Finally, stiff -fingers or not, I had all the data racked into the primary feed and -decided to check on the passengers. It amused me somewhat to note that -even Brain One was strictly stalling for time when it came to figuring -out where we were, and why. There was much buzzing and clicking but no -tape feeding out, yet. Well, let the Brain figure it out. I had other -things to do. - -I strolled back to secondary freeze unit and checked Combatman. He -was on top of the heap, of course--as stiff as a fresh steak, so I -stuck the needles in his wrists and switched to defrost. Automatic -lift pulled him out and beneath him was the male Homonorm and the two -female Homonorms. They came out, too, as the lifts worked, and pretty -soon the cabin looked like a morgue--or a cannibal's shop, if you -prefer. Anyway, they were defrosting, so I left 'em to make a check -on Brain One and see what brilliant, if mechanical conclusion it had -reached. Should be at least an hour before Combatman thawed--even with -the needles pumping. - -Brain One was feeding out tape now, slow as a snail considering its -cycling rate, so I figured we were a long way from home. Okay with -me--I'd been around and knew that if we could get somewhere we could -get back. But I wanted, and wanted bad, the data from Time-Warp gauges. -So I watched the tape, decoding mentally as it fed out and feeling, for -a Computerman, an emotion similar to impatience. - -We were approaching--the Brain told me--a type three planet, -radiations okay, atmosphere higher in oxygen than home, gravity -slightly lighter in pull than normal--the same junk I'd been picking -up since we started colonizing. Land masses stable, water in the air, -semi-condensed. Good place for colonizing, and this pleased me. We were -out to establish and leave the Homonorms for a generation, and Brain -One had figured all the details out while I was sitting in freeze like -a hamburger. So far, so good. - -One thing annoyed, or puzzled me. I kept throwing data from TV and -Radar into Feed-back and asking about population, life forms, land -denizens. All Brain One came up with was Insufficient Data. All right. -It would be just another routine landing on another distant planet. -Then I heard the noise behind me and turned. Combatman stood in the -doorway, his skin still bluish from the freeze, his eyes just clearing -and working into focus. - -I looked him over while he stood there, somewhat surprised--if one can -ever be surprised at what his race did. He was hung with enough weapons -to stop a division of Homonorms and I wondered, as I always did, at the -origin of his race. His type always came drifting down from somewhere -north, back home, and all our radar and planes had never found their -homeland. None of them ever talked with humans except to nose in on our -expeditions or break up our wars. This one was quite a specimen, maybe -six feet, about 180 pounds, with the quiet and arrogant strength of his -race. He took a deep breath, still leaning on the door frame. - -"Get me some whiskey," his voice was hoarse from disuse and the -Time-Warp, "and get it now." - -"Now, see here," I began, "I'm Computerman and in charge of this ship -and...." - - * * * * * - -I didn't finish. With the quiet sureness of a jungle cat he had crossed -the room, taken a handful of my tunic and lifted me from the chair--in -spite of the fact that gravity was nearly normal now because of the -landing jets. His voice was almost velvety. - -"Perhaps you didn't hear me. I will repeat once more." He paused while -I considered striking him and then, sensibly, changed my mind. "Get me -some whiskey." Then he dropped me back into the chair. - -I'm not Computerman for nothing, so I computed the situation in maybe -a thousandth of a second. No one could push me around, so to prevent -being pushed around I got him his whiskey. He knocked off about a half -pint at a swallow and in a few minutes his skin lost its bluish tinge. -He was awake, and his quick eyes swept the gauges and the TV-Radar -image. - -"When do we land?" He made no attempt to be courteous. - -I checked Brain One's tape, somewhat rattled. "Twenty-one minutes, four -seconds," I started, resisting a strange impulse to say 'sir', "Near -water, fresh, altitude under one mile from...." - -"That's all," he said. "Thanks." He left the room like a cat, crouching -slightly as he went through the door, leaping through and backing -against the wall, but fast, once he cleared. His weapons, all of them, -were so skillfully hung that he didn't make a sound. Somehow, I enjoyed -watching the play of those muscles and felt rather glad to have him -along, rough as he was. Outlying planets often have warlike combat -organizations of their own, and Combatmen have saved many expeditions -like this. Something in their nature, or training--or both--seems to -make them invincible. - -I turned back to Brain One, checked the wiring on the denizen circuit -and tried to get more information about possible inhabitants. No luck. -Either there were none or they were so highly civilized they could -block off our probing rays. That had happened before, and it usually -meant a minor war. We always won, though we sometimes had to dig in and -send for the Control Fleet from home. The Fleet was run by Combatmen, -though no Homonorm had ever figured out how they eased into all the key -positions. They were quite a race, all right. - -So I sat watching the Radarscreen and the planet, enlarging rapidly. -It looked pretty good--about a quarter to a third land mass, I -guessed--just like home. Combatman came back in the room, quietly. - -"Your pap-fed colonists are waking," he grunted. "Better go and -wet-nurse them. They might catch cold." He sat down in the pilot's -chair, much to my annoyance, and swilled away at his bottle. I noticed -he'd replaced the original crock, and felt a moment's concern. After -all, we depended for basic safety on his training, in the event of -encountering hostility. He seemed utterly unconcerned as he lazily -watched the screen. - - * * * * * - -The Homonorms were doing all right, complaining as usual about the cold -and asking silly questions about where we were and what year it was--or -would be at home. I ducked the questions, gave them their hypos and -went back to Brain One and the control panel. One look at controls and -I started boiling; this was the last straw. - -"Now, goddamit," I started, "you can boss me around, but when it comes -to...." - -"Shut up!" - -"I will not shut up...." - -"Okay." He was calm, leisurely, even--but before I realized it he was -rising, crossed the room and I had an arm behind me. It didn't hurt but -I felt pretty helpless. Completely helpless, to be truthful. - -"Could it be," he appeared to be bored, "that you are tired of having -two arms?" He twisted slightly and I got the idea so I shut up, for -the second time. After a few seconds he sat down in my chair and had -another drink. When I could talk without sputtering I worked up my -mildest voice. - -"Would you tell me," I almost choked on the next word, "_Please_, what -in hell is the idea of circling at twenty miles, then dropping to ten -and circling some more? We're wasting tons of fuel which we may need -for--" - -"Sure, brainy one, I'll tell you. I want to see what this place looks -like and _I'm_ picking the landing site. Not you or that pile of -rattling tin there." He gestured contemptuously at Brain One. - -"Pile of tin!" I couldn't say more so I went back to the rear and -helped the Homonorms find food and the simple plasticlothes they'd be -wearing. The ship lurched suddenly as it changed course at twenty miles -and started circling. Even back here I could hear Brain One clacking in -protest over the conflicting instructions. That big lunk of a fighting -man, of course, hadn't had sense enough to punch Clear and Recompute -when he changed course and I could see the tape in my mind's eye -pouring frantically out with Data Please, Data Please.... - -Oh, well. - -Homonorms were thawing okay but crying like babies from Time-Warp -sickness and space fright. I expected this and let them cry it out. -Meanwhile I got busy with Sensory Receptors to see if anything we knew -of could be blocking Brain One's circuits. This lack of info about -the denizens had me a little worried: it wasn't often Brain One came -up with a blank, on any subject. It made me furious to be working -like mad here while that big oaf lounged in _my_ chair slopping up a -year's supply of stimulant. Defending the ship was his job; he should -be trying to find out what was doing below us. Instead, he sat around -watching Radarscreen just like he was watching the fights his race -staged back home for amusement. - -The ship lurched violently. Then it lurched again. I started forward, -worried, but the tailjets blasted and I slammed against a wall, pinned -tight. The pressure cut my wind and I fainted. My last recollection was -the smell of scorching duralumin. We'd been hit, by something. - - * * * * * - -When I revived, we were back at Gravnorm and I staggered, literally, -back to control. My nose was still bleeding, and the Homonorms, of -course, were still unconscious. Combatman sat comfortably in my padded -chair, almost dreamily watching the screen. I felt a surge of anger, -then realized I was too feeble to support such an emotion. Remembering -my Psycho training I redirected to curiosity. - -"What...." my voice sounded pretty shaky and Combatman handed me the -bottle, grinning. - -"Quite a race down there," he seemed pleased. Then he spat, expertly, -the result landing on the Radarscreen. "Can you work that thing?" - -"Of course," I muttered, half-insulted. - -"Okay. We're at a hundred miles. Get that in focus as of two miles, -slow the ship and prepare to hold stationary when I see what I want to -know." - -Weakly I fumbled with the controls, sniffling back the blood from my -nose. - -"And turn off this tin god of yours," he continued. "That clacking -racket annoys me." Casually, he kicked the part of Brain One nearest -him, which was the back of Wiring Panel Six. - -"Oh, _no_...." I began. But I did as I was told and ran Brain One -through three clearing cycles, just to make sure. There was no telling -what this lummox may have done in my absence. Now I'd have to check -everything and feed in the information all over again. - -Combatman leaned back in the chair like he expected dental work, and -yawned luxuriously. He watched as the screen blurred and focused, -blurred and focused. It was sweeping at two miles and the ship was -slowing. We dropped tail down and Grav changed faster than the interior -hull moved. Finally we settled, and coasted above this planet. - -The ship lurched, twice this time almost simultaneously. Then it -lurched steadily. Combatman threw the All Screens switch and watched -the Radar. By now, he was tense. - -"At a hundred miles...." he muttered. "What a race this is!" - -He watched the screen with eyes that reminded me more of a cat's than a -human's. - -"Stop!" - -From habit I threw the master Out Switch and everything stopped--our -motion coordinated precisely with the planet's, the Radar focused where -it had been--and I got slammed against a wall again, of course. Well--I -might as well get used to it. When my eyes cleared I studied the -image. It was a rather crude city of considerable size, though poorly, -designed from the light, ventilation and transport angle. There was -considerable movement, apparently ground vehicles of some sort. Then I -looked at Combatman. His face was registering disbelief and something -resembling alarm--though I'd never heard of any of his race being -really frightened. - - * * * * * - -The missile warning light blinked frantically and the ship started -lurching and pitching again. Combatman turned toward me and his face -was taut and urgent. - -"How soon can you get into Time-Warp?" - -"And--and _leave_?" - -"Right, and the sooner the better." He flipped the height control -and we moved, smoothly this time, up away from the missiles blasting -outside our protective screen. "There'll be no colonizing done here." - -"But--but our orders were to...." - -"No colonizing here. Put your Homonorms back in the freezer and set up -for return. Do it now." - -Stunned, I went rearward and told the people. They didn't like the -idea very much, but regulations said that when the ship was attacked, -Combatman was absolute boss. Then I returned. Combatman shot a glance -at me and I nodded, then went to work on the Control panel, reversing -the whole set up. - -"When you finish I'll get in your ice box," Combatman said. "And when -you get out of Time-Warp destroy that wiring. None of your ships is to -come back here." - -I digested this slowly, wondering how to report to the council. "Why -not?" I ventured. "Perhaps with part of the Control Fleet...." - -"The whole Control Fleet wouldn't last two days on a desert of that -world, Brainboy," he said. His eyes misted faintly for a fraction of a -second. "Those denizens, as you call them, are all members of my race, -and this planet was my home--we called it Earth." - -He yawned and strode to the rear and the freezer. At the portal he -turned and grinned. "And don't ask me how we get back and forth. I -might get mad and have my whole family drop over--in-laws and all." - -I didn't really understand him, so went on with my wiring. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMBATMAN *** - -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 an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. 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