Unwise Child
at M. R. GABRIEL, POWER DESIGN would function smoothly while he was gon
working for a first-class genius is that a
" Mike had said levelly. "I'll
m a second-class genius working for a first-class outfit. You think I want to
sily handle the fi
a Captain Sir Henry Quill on the phone, M
id Mike. "I wond
puzzled. "He said h
since he's the toughest old martinet this side of the Pleiades, the 'Black'
rim face of Captain Qu
e than made up for his lack of cranial growth, however, by his great, shaggy, bristly brows, black as jet and
asked, using the proper tone of voice
new uniform," Quill growled. "Your
a growl was an Irish tenor rumble with undertones of gravel. He stood five-eight, and his red and gold Space Service u
"I see. So you're commanding the
sted questions. I've got no more idea of what the bloody thing's about t
y a leading question, it was
don't know anything, Cap
would have worn a walrus mustache. And if he'd had such a mustache, he would
"The rest of the crew is being picked from Chilblains Base
with a moan. "That means we'll be
ane, Quill's eyebrows moved upward.
" said Mike the Ang
he best of it. We'll muddle through
I don't see that I can d
ents will be made at the Long Island Base for your transportation to Antarctica. And"
Sir Hen
briel," snapped Quill
said Mike
of time. It is cheaper in the long run if an interstellar vessel moves parallel with, not perpendicular to, the magnetic "lines of force" of a planet's
to work against the fabric of space itself. For that reason, an interstellar vessel is normally built i
t its Number One Research Station near Chilblains Base, although the corporation
bsolute. It is obviously much easier-and much cheaper-to keep several thousand gallons of helium at that temperature if the surrounding temperature is at two hundred thirty-t
pleased that it had built Prime Station near Chilblains Base. Since a great deal of expense also, of necessity, devol
brag about. Thousands of square miles of powdered ice that has had nothing to do but blow around for twenty million
alysis was perfectly correct. Mike wished that it had been January, midsummer in the Antarctic, so there would have been
red landing stage of Chilblains Base, dissipating the crystalline whiteness into steam as it did
Serge Paulvitch's hands on twenty-four hours' notice was irritating. He knew Paulvi
business was being handled. It seemed slipshod and hurried,
rctica," he grumped as the door of the ro
enties, said smugly: "July is bad, but
det here when you were learning arithmetic.
" said the p
he Angel cryptically.
oparka closer around him, and stalked off across
ins Base instead of being out on the Wastelands. Here there were lights, and the Hotbed equipment of the walk warmed the swirling ice partic
ew up from a narrow slit in the deck and found
n one side, with only that sheet of hot air to protect it from the storm raging outside. The lights and then usher. He wore a sergeant's stripes on his regulation Space Service parka, which muf
s from his gloved hands, then fished in hi
luted. As Mike returned the salute the sergeant said: "Okay, sir; you can go on
. "Security office? Is there a war on or something?
der; I just slave away here. Maybe Lieutenan
s, Ser
after another, like the air lock on a spaceship. Once inside the warmth of the corridor, he unzi
l letters without capitals. He walked toward it. There was another guar
e-sized, sleepy-looking individual with a
o spread itself across his face. "If you are Commander Gabriel," he sai
n," said Mike the Angel
e has been screaming at me every half hour for the
e said. "How do
long, bony, tapering hand. "There are a few fo
ch
nd retinal patterns,"
at is going on here? There hasn't been a security officer in the Space Service for thirty years or
at's going on around here?" He got up from behind his desk and led Mike the Angel o
don't like it any more than you do. Next thing, they'll put me to work polishing chain-mail armor or make m
, do you actually mean that you really don't know
e took on the traditional blank, emotionless look of th
l know more about Project Brainchild than I've been able to find out in two years.... Now put your
r adjusted around his face, and he was looking into blackness. He focused his eyes
son comes into Chilblains Base. Other than that, I have nothing but personal guesses an
see the dim dot in the center of the target circle,
pulled his face out of the padded opening
on file. "Well," he said, "you have Commander Gabriel's hands, anyway. If you ha
y soul?" Mik
he pulled the retinal photos out of the mach
ins," said Mike the Angel, "I imagine the Office of
comparator, took a good look, and nodded. "
d a complex seal in the upper left-hand corner of the card. The lieute
," he said
ted by the chim
der," he said as he th
n't see the face on the screen, but the voice was so
rocket landed yet, Lieutenant
checked on the landing of the latest
aid firmly, "that I'll be along as soon a
n't change. "You're thro
over here fast!" said Quill sharply.
ick as the int
ly. "Either you're working your way toward a court-marti
"I helped him bury it. How do I g
l take you to the loading dock for that stage. It's an open foyer like the one at the landing field, so you'll have to put your parka back on. Go down the stairs on the oth
ake the short cut. S