Proktols of Neptune
By HENRY HASSE
Space-rumor had spun wild tales of horror about
Neptune's almost-legendary race of Proktols. But
what could rumor know of this hideous reality
that faced Space-captain Janus and his captive crew!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Planet Stories Summer 1941.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Commander Janus stared in bafflement at the power-board of the Patrolship Wasp. The Deflector needle was still gyrating wildly. That hadbegun five minutes ago. His lips tightened, and he looked up irritablyas the First Mate peered inquisitively over his shoulder.
"Better check up on the course again, Devries!"
"Just did, sir. We're point oh-oh perfect, not the slightest aberrancy."
Janus swore under his breath. "I just can't figure it! Must be someobject dead ahead to cause this disturbance, but why doesn't ourDeflector beam shunt it from us or pivot us around it?"
He paced the Control room, stopped and looked over at Ketrik whose eyeswere fixed steadily on the visipanel. "See anything yet?"
Ketrik merely shook his head, not looking up. That panel magnifiedtheir course several times, and Ketrik had the sharpest eyes in thePatrol.
"Damned if I like it a bit," Janus muttered, staring again at the crazyneedle that seemed about to jump its bearings. "Devries, tell Blake tocut all jets. We'd better go into a drift until we are a little betterable to determine what's wrong."
Devries stepped to the tube and gave the order to Blake in the rocketroom. A moment later the Wasp was in the drift. Blake came forwardto see what was up. Far behind rolled the hideous green ball thatwas Neptune, and immeasurably far ahead somewhere was Pluto. Devriesstepped again to the chart and saw that the hair-line indicator stillhad Pluto right on the nose.
"I think I've got something," Ketrik spoke from the panel. The mencrowded around him, peering into the square of blackness that seemed toswim as Ketrik turned the magnifying dial.
"I see it!" Blake exclaimed. "Something ... a meteor? Looks like it'sdrifting right at us."
But Ketrik shook his head, and his eyes narrowed. "That looks to melike a derelict, and it's my opinion that we're drifting at it."
"A spacer?" Commander Janus asked excitedly. "Can you make it out,Ketrik? Maybe it's Perrin! I hope to God it is, it'll save us days!"
But the next few minutes revealed that it wasn't Perrin's pirate ship.The drifting spacer was much larger, and of different design, with noname or emblem of any kind. And it was solid black, preventing easydetection against the blackness of space.
"It's a derelict all right," Devries said. "See that ragged gap in thehull near the stern?" He pointed and the others crowded around to look.He was right. In the side of the hull near the stern was a great jaggedhole, that looked as though it had been made either by collision with arogue meteor, or the blast of a space cannon.
They watched in silence as the strange craft drifted toward them. Therewas no sign of life aboard her; no attempts at communication or ofestablishing her identity. Quite obviously the craft was deserted.
Devries didn't like the looks of it one bit, and said so.
It loomed up larger and larger as the tiny Wasp was drawn swiftly toit. Then with a little shock the Wasp clanged against the strangeship's side and clung there.
The crew moved for t