Illustrated by Swenson
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Astounding Science-Fiction, January 1947.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Plutonium was an equalizer. Nations learned the art of being polite,just as individuals had learned. To lash out with Plutonium wildlywould be inviting national disaster, and to behave in an antisocialmanner would get any nation the combined hatred of the rest of theworld—equally a national disaster.
This was surface politeness. Beneath, the work went on to find anadequate defense, for now that all nations were equal, the firstcapable of defending itself was to be winner. Ultimately, atomic deathwas licked. Nicely licked but only at the expenditure of more powerthan it took to develop the atomic weapon itself. It was, however,developed. And that nation then lashed out—to find that other nationsof less belligerency had also licked the problem.
The war—fizzled. For the wall shield that killed the effectiveness ofthe atomic bomb found no difficulty in stopping a lesser weapon.
All war—fizzled. And nations looked at one another and formed theTerran Union. Then the Terran Union looked to the stars for a new worldto conquer. They found Mars ready and waiting.
The Terran Union colonized Mars and exploited the Red Planet as menhave always done with a new frontier. The next hundred years wroughttheir changes and the Martian Combine fell away from the Terran Unionbecause of the distance, the differences of opinion, and because ofslight mutational changes.
There were interplanetary wars. The First was fought to eliminatethe fact of governing Mars from Terra, the Second was fought tostop interplanetary piracy and to force both planets to respect theintegrity of the other. The Third Interplanetary War was startedbecause of sheer greed.
During the Third Interplanetary War, atomic bombing sprung up, died,and then continued on a very strange nuisance value basis. It becamecomplex, and upon the 1327th Day of the Third Interplanetary War,interplanetary robombing assumed a most dangerous aspect. The swiftaction of a small group averted disaster, and from that day on, thecourse of the Third Interplanetary War was assured.—I. A. Seldenov'sHistory of Sol, Vol. IV.
The call bell tinged gently in a code that pierced sleep.
Colonel Ralph Lindsay reached out sleepily and nudged a button at hisbedside. Equally sleepily, he donned trousers over his pajamas, slippedhis feet into scuffs, and carefully headed for the door. The open doorswung a shaft of light across the bed, and Lindsay opened his eyes wideenough to determine whether Jenna was still asleep.
Satisfied, Lindsay went down the corridor of the ship blinking at theever-present light. He let himself into the scanning room and droppedinto his chair. He picked up the phone and said: "Lindsay speaking,answering 3379X."
"General Haynes, Ralph. They got one through."
"How?" asked Lindsay, coming awake.
"Super velocity job. The finders were behind by a quarter radian, atleast."
"Jeepers," grunted Lindsay.
"Say it again," returned the general. "We thought we were bad whenwe let one out of five hundred slip through to you. This, remember,was one out of one. Period. If they use 'em in quantity—and I seeno reason why the devils won't—I can see a good record all shot topieces."
"Where's it headed?"
"According to the course-calc, it should be hitting Mojave most anyminute."
"Well, I'd better get on it," said Lindsay. "May I con