Expedition to Pluto
By Fletcher Pratt and Laurence Manning
Within the Goddard's hurtling hull Captain
"Steel-Wall" McCausland, hero of the space fleets,
nursed his secret plan for an Earth reborn. Reuter
the scientist cuddled his treacherous test-tubes.
And Air Mate Longworth grappled an unseen horror
that menaced a billion lives!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Planet Stories Winter 1939.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
"Now passing Phobos, the second moon of Mars. From this point to theorbit of Jupiter we are in the planetoid belt, the most dangerousportion of our voyage. This ship's armor of twenty-inch beryll-steelmay be perfectly adequate to keep meteorites out, but let just one ofthose planetoids, little worlds, hit us and this broadcast would endright now. Here we are! Phobos at our left and down, if there is anyup or down out here in empty space. It's a little red moon, crackedand seamed, all rock; it has no atmosphere and no weather. The rocksstand up, jagged and sharp. There she goes! Good-bye Phobos—we'remaking 9,250 miles an hour past Phobos, according to a message fromCaptain McCausland which has just been handed to me. The Captaindoesn't look well this morning. He seems depressed and the difficultiesof this expedition are weighing on him. That's all for today. This is7-LOP, the interplanetary expedition ship Goddard, on the exploringexpedition to Pluto. Your reporter, Paulette de Vries speaking.Interplanetary time 0-six-0-0, May 24, 2432."
The girl snapped the key of her microphone off and turned angrily tothe young man who had tapped her on the shoulder. "What do you mean byinterrupting my broadcast, Adam Longworth?"
The tall young man was frowning at her. "You know the crew listens inon these broadcasts, don't you?"
"Well, what am I supposed to do about that? Give three cheers?"
"Listen, Paulette. On an expedition as dangerous as this, is it rightto let the crew know the Captain is feeling depressed or doubtful? Ididn't mean to make you sign off, though."
"I signed off because I was through. Don't flatter yourself! Troublewith you is you try to run everybody's business. I thought you mighthave got over that in the ten years since I knew you in school, but youhaven't. Trying to keep me out of the control room so I wouldn't hurtmyself! Wake up, Mr. Longworth, this is 2432; you're still living backin the nineteen-hundreds when woman's place was in the home."
Longworth glanced at a bandage around the girl's left wrist. Paulettereddened.
"All right, I slipped and sprained my wrist. So what? So you have mythings moved to another cabin, where I'll be more comfortable. You'rean interfering old woman, Mr. Longworth. You're hopeless!"
Longworth reddened uncomfortably.
"Very well, Paulette, I'll stop interfering as you call it. But really,you ought to stop referring to the Captain in such a manner as to breakdown the morale of the expedition."
The girl glared at him. "I'll take orders about that kind of thing fromCaptain McCausland and nobody else. And I don't think the man I'm goingto marry will censor what I have to say."
Adam Longworth's face set as he stood for a moment irresolute. Then, asPaulette said nothing more, he turned and left the cabin. Outside hepaused, gazing down the long main corridor of the space ship toward theopen fo'castle lock, where the crew lolled in the month-long idlenessof space-voyagi