The Space Patrol Megapack: 25 Classic Stories by Eando Binder

Author:Eando Binder [Binder, Eando]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: comics, science fiction, space opera, pulp, sci-fi
ISBN: 9781479403721
Publisher: Wildside Press LLC
Published: 2014-09-17T16:00:00+00:00

“No!” Jon yelled. “You can’t get in! You can’t get in! You can’t—!”

Suddenly he was free. The Mindie, defeated, let out a sort of mental curse, and Jon could see its cloudy, round shape dart for the door. Gallard opened it, and the Mindie flew out.

“Only too glad to get rid of it,” Gallard grunted. He turned to Jon.

“Good thing you have a strong mind. Those with weak minds give in to the Mindies and get taken over.”

Jon wiped the sweat off his brow and then said thoughtfully, “Those Mindies can’t be pure mental force. They must have some material form. They can only get in—and out—through open doors… Hmm.”

Gallard peered out of the window. “They’ll probably attack soon. I mean the Mindies in Earthman bodies. They outnumber us now. One good attack and they could kill us off and take over the village for themselves. We’ve been expecting it for a long time. That’s why we sent out that SOS. Can you think of any way to save us?”

Jon thought silently for a time. Then his expression brightened. “Do you have any batteries?” he asked.

“Why yes,” Gallard said, looking puzzled. “We have batteries in every hut. We use them for heating purposes—electrical heat.” He pointed to a bank of large batteries at the back.

Without explanation, Jon began hooking and unhooking wires.

* * * *

Not long after, the attack came. A wildly yelling horde of men streamed from the forest, swinging pickaxes, and tried to batter down the door to get at the barricaded miners. Humans fighting humans! But half of them were not human. They were the alien Mindies.

As the door broke open and the enemy charged in, Jon was ready. “Stand back!” he yelled to his still-human companions. Then he extended a bare wire and pulled a switch. A long streak of electrical energy sprang forth and hit one of the attackers. A surprised look came over the face, replacing the alien look, and then the body fell to the floor.

Jon shot his electrical spark into the other Mindies, and down they all went. The attackers outside could not see what was happening, and they swarmed in over their falled comrades, but Jon’s spark got them all.

“You licked them!” Gallard said, awed. “How did you do it?”

“Simple enough,” Jon explained. “I figured the Mindies must be a ball of something—maybe just loose atoms or electrons. And an electrical charge can disperse loose atoms. In short, I electrocuted the Mindies!”

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