SPACEMAN'S LUCK
BY GEORGE O. SMITH
ILLUSTRATED BY EBEL
Holt wasn't interested in mere glory. He was
on his way to the Moon, but only because that's
where he'd find the road to all the money he
could spend. Holt had it all planned....
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Science Fiction Adventures Magazine, February 1953.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
A flare of light arced upwards and moments later the shattering reportdinned in the ears of the crowd, rolling across the field like thunder.The noise covered the sharply indrawn breath of ten thousand people.A sonorous voice amplified a millionfold announced: "X Minus FifteenMinutes!"
There was a second or two of absolute silence and then the waitingcrowd let out its breath all at once in an audible sigh. They wipedtheir glasses nervously, or poised their binoculars, or scratched theirheads for the last nervous time, hoping that they would not sneeze atthe improper second and so miss the takeoff; it would be over justabout that quickly.
Out across the field, the focus of ten thousand pairs of eyes, stoodthe Lady Luna. She looked small from the crowd, but the three men whostood at one tail-fin were dwarfed by her size.
"This is about it, Gordon," said the oldest of the lot.
Gordon Holt nodded. "I've about five minutes yet," he said nervously.
The middle-aged man said, "Time for a last cigarette, Gordon."
Holt shook his head. "Not after training to do without for six months.Save it until I come back."
Doctor Walsch nodded. "That's good sense, Gordon. We'll be waiting foryou. How do you feel?"
"Fine. Just a bit jumpy."
"You ought to feel as fit as a Guarnerius. You've been trained andyou're trim and fit. I doubt that you'll ever feel any better in yourlife than you do right now."
General Towne nodded. "Don't forget the honor, either," he said. "Theexcitement should give your high feelings another lift. Imagine beingthe first man to ever set foot on the soil of another world."
"It's a bit of a sterile world, I'm told. Not much more honor thanthe first man to put his sandal on the top of Pike's Peak. They sellpostcards there, now."
"Too bad we've named all the visible Lunar Craters," said GeneralTowne. "Seems to me that some signal honor—well, anyway, Gordon, we'llname a big one on the other side after you."
"It—"
A siren wailed and Holt jumped. "That's it," he said.
"Good luck, Gordon," said the general, wringing the spaceman's hand.The doctor clapped Gordon on the back as he turned away.
Doctor and general got into the waiting jeep, and the driver turned andcalled, "Don't take any wooden moonbeams up there, Holt!"
Holt shrugged noncommittally and climbed the ramp into the spacelock.He sneered at the crowd beyond closing spacelock.
"Wooden moonbeams?" he said aloud. "Oh brother!"
He went to the control chamber of the Lady Luna and ran through hischecklist almost mechanically. He waited almost breathlessly until theradio barked the word that told him to hit the ignition switch, andwhen it came he hit it with a vigor and enjoyed the crushing sensationthat followed. The thunder from below was music in his ears; now he wason his way and they wouldn't call him back.
Holt was no mere glory machine. Not for him was the simple honor. Hehad it planned, had it planned from the moment he was selected.
For Holt, the honor of setti