The Original And Complete Null-A Trilogy by A.E. van Vogt

Author:A.E. van Vogt [Vogt, A.E. van]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Science Fiction, Fiction
ISBN: 9782290025604
Publisher: Meulenhoff
Published: 1986-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

They came to a stairway. Oreldon was about to start down it when Gosseyn restrained him. “Where does this lead?” he asked.

“Why, down to the men’s quarters.”

“And where’s the control room?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t want the control room. You have to climb for that. It’s up front.”

Gosseyn said gravely that he was happy to hear that. “And how many openings are there into the lower deck?” he asked.

“Four.”

“I hope,” said Gosseyn pleasantly, “that you’re telling me the truth. If I should discover that there are five, for instance; this blaster might go off suddenly.”

“There’s only four, I swear it,” said Oreldon, His voice was hoarse suddenly,

“You see,” said Gosseyn, “I notice there’s a heavy door that can slide over this stairway.”

“Wouldn’t you say that was normal?” Oreldon was back in the groove again. “After all, a spaceship has to be built so that whole sections can be sealed off in case of accident,”

“Let’s slide it shut, shall we?” said Gosseyn,

“Huh!” His tone showed that he hadn’t even thought of such a thing. His pasty face showed that this was the moment of shocked realization, His eyes rolled as he glared helplessly along the corridor. “You don’t think for one second,” he snarled, “that you’re going to get away with this.”

“The door,” said Gosseyn in an inexorable tone.

The officer hesitated, his body rigid. Then slowly he walked to the wall. He opened a sliding panel, waited tensely until Gosseyn had checked the wiring and then jerked the lever. The door panels were only two inches thick. They closed with a faint thud.

“I sincerely hope,” said Gosseyn, “that they are now locked, and that they can’t be opened from, beneath, because if I should discover differently I would always have time to fire this blaster at least once.”

“They lock,” said Oreldon sullenly.

“Fine,” said Gosseyn. “But now let’s hurry. I’m eager to have those other stairways cut off also.”

Oreldon kept glancing anxiously along side corridors as they walked, but if he hoped that they would see a member of the crew, he was disappointed. There was silence except for the faint sound of their own movements. No one stirred.

“I think everyone must have gone to bed,” said Gosseyn.

The man did not respond. They completed the task of shutting off the lower floor before another word was spoken, then Gosseyn said: “That should leave twenty officers including you and your friend outside. Is that right?”

Oreldon nodded, but he said nothing. His eyes looked glazed.

“And if I remember my ancient history of Earth correctly,” said Gosseyn, “there used to be an old custom—due to the intransigent character of some people—of confining officers to their quarters under certain circumstances. That always meant a system of outside locks. It would be interesting if Enro’s warships also had problems, and solutions, like that.”

He had to take only one glance at his prisoner’s face to realize that Enro’s ships had.

Ten minutes after that, without a shot having been fired, he was in complete control of the galactic warship.

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