Kenneth Bulmer by Behold the Stars
Author:Behold the Stars
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-02-10T12:58:50+00:00
âCome in, young man! Any friend of Steveâs is a friend of mine.â
Ted Zukowsky wheezed away a plump and affable welcome, leading the way through RSC laboratoriesâ anteroom to his office. Ward had shaken that doughy hand without the usual feeling of repugnance he held for overweight, soft and flabby men. Zukowskyâs brain made up for much of his physical deficiencies.
âItâs very good of you to see me so early, Mr. Zukowsky.â Ward knew enough from Steve not to call the ponderous scientist Doctor.
âIs Steve around?â
âSteve? No.â Zukowsky evidently raked up an old grievance. âThat young man spends altogether too much time gadding about. He hasnât been in the laboratory for two days or more. And I need him for-well, never mind that. If you see him tell him from me that the place will fall down if he doesnât hurry back.â
âWhen did you last see him, then?â
âWhen? Oh-I donât know. Day before yesterday. Yes, he was working on-well, again that neednât concern you. He was supposed to transit to Hildesheim on a routine checkup. I heard he had returned but he didnât report back to me-â
âWho told you he had returned?â
âWho? Why, Gerald. Gerald Mikardo.â
âI see.â
âWe were planning to double up our transit schedules to Hildesheim. Traffic is increasing.â Zukowsky mopped his brow, panting. âAs you are well aware, young man, within a distance of about thirty light years of Earth there are only one hundred and seventy stars. And not so very many of them are of use to us.â
âI know. Thatâs why the box bag system is so important.â
âTrue. Hildesheim is forty away-a far outpost compared with the closer stars. But, I suppose,â he said with a grin at Ward, ânot so far to a carrier supervisor?â
âDepends in which sector youâre operating. Down in the Beta group theyâre already reaching out to a hundred and fifty light years. They started earlier down there and send their carriers out at full bore-point seven of c in some cases-and shed to the stars as they pass.â
âYes, a most interesting variation of technique. But now, young man-â
âOf course. I know you are busy. But-Hildesheim is a G-type star ten times as bright as the Sun with-ah-let me think-â
âTwenty planets, four of which are suitable for earthly life.â
âExactly.â
âHe went to Gordonstoun.â
âThank you, Mister Zukowsky. Youâve been very helpful.â
Ward rode down to the taxi landing platform on the fortieth floor. He had to report in for duty at the Drain in forty-five minutes so that when reception at the RSC desk told him the Hildesheim box circuits were not scheduled for another half hour he took a taxi across to the GBI building. Galactic Bridges Inc. were just as big and impressive an outfit as Ransome Stellar and before Steve had become seriously interested in Stella he had often told Ward in moments of frustration with his job that heâd a good mind to stroll over and see old Arthur Spottiswood of GBI and grab himself a better job and one where there were no superannuated flunkeys breathing down his neck.
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