Lord of the Stars by Jean Sutton & Jeff Sutton

Author:Jean Sutton & Jeff Sutton [Sutton, Jean & Sutton, Jeff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: science fiction
ISBN: 9780399201509
Goodreads: 1349541
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Published: 1969-06-01T00:00:00+00:00

8

SO, THERE was more than one Tommy!

Samul Smith stared at the photo that had just arrived from one of the field agents via his desk duplicator. Taken in the vicinity of the central library, it apparently was that of a youth the exact image of Tommy Six. Even to the space suit.

This would be Tommy what? One, Two, Three, Four, or Five? Or could it be Tommy Seven or Eight, or some higher number. How many androids had the aliens landed? Perhaps the empire was crawling with them. Well, no matter. With photographs and a description in the hands of every agent, they’d all be unmasked soon enough.

He was preparing to leave the office when a buzzer sounded. He flipped a switch; the face of one of his agents took form on the wall screen.

“I’ve spotted one,” the agent said.

“Where?” Samul concealed his excitement.

“Near the Military Star Port. I put a bioscan on it. It doesn’t return a human wave.”

“I didn’t believe it would.”

“It certainly looks human,” the agent reflected. “All but its movements. They’re kind of still.”

“Keep him in sight, photograph him from as many angles as possible, but don’t alarm him,” Samul instructed briskly. “Watch for any contacts he might make.”

“He?”

“It,” Samul corrected. When the image faded from the screen, he took the atomic lift to the roof port and flew in his aircar to meet the agent who was watching the android near the library. He set the vehicle down in a small parking square near the building and switched on his wrist communicator. “Kelton?”

“Kelton,” the agent acknowledged. His voice, small and tinkling in the

diminutive transceiver, came immediately. “I’m on Minerva Lane approaching Pala. The subject is pursuing a path with the library as its center. I’ve made no attempt to contact it.” Kelton was telepathic.

“Did you try a bioscan?”

“Negative on the human system,” Kelton responded succinctly.

“I’ll come up behind you,” Samul decided. “I don’t want it to see me in case it reads me.”

“I get no impression of a telepathic mind,” Kelton offered.

“Perhaps it works on an on/off signal, active only when its masters contact it.”

“Could be.” The agent’s voice came more loudly. “It’s turned on Pala toward Apra.”

“Be right along.” Samul broke the contact and turned briskly toward the gardened lane the agent had mentioned. A sprinkling of elderly citizens, as always it seemed, were sitting on the shaded benches admiring the golden lucca trees and scarlet kashba lilies for which Gylan was famous. Perhaps, when he was old..

Or would the empire even exist at that time? Yes, if it passed the test, he reflected. He couldn’t help but feel that the test, somehow, was embodied in the tall, slender androids now stalking the city. They were extensions of their masters, certainly; but how mighty were their masters? That was the question.

Spotting the agent on Apra, he drew up behind him. A hundred or so paces ahead he saw the tall, slender figure whose features had become so indelibly engraved in his brain. It did have a curious gait, yet not so curious that it would attract attention unless one were to study it.

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