Astounding Stories 14, February 1931 Audiobook

A panel in the side of the wall opposite the entrance had slid quietly open as well as with the opening poured out a light beam of fiery red. Complete on the three bodies it dropped, and after that spread out to fill up the room. Dr. Bird had actually drawn both nearest men out of the straight light beam, but among the secret service men stood full in its path. Astounding Stories 14, February 1931 Audiobook Free. In the enjoyment of entering he had actually dropped his vitrilene shield and also the livid ray fell complete on his defenceless body. As they viewed an expression of horror spread over his face and also he strove to relocate to one side, yet he was held powerless. Gradually he stiffened; and, as the ray bored with him, his body came to be semi-transparent as well as the same boring red glow which emanated from the three bodies they had actually located began to radiate forth from him. Bolton strove to damage from the doctor’s grasp and also rush to the rescue yet Dr. Bird held him with a grasp of iron.
They had actually intended on a visit from us all right,” stated Dr. Bolton grimly. “They had a surprise for us any way we leapt. If we went in the front door, that evil one’s ray was to finish us, and if we entered the back door the entire place was set up to blow up as we went into. I only hope that Stanesky thinks that he has actually obtained all of us and also doesn’t anticipate an attack on his next base in the early morning. If he doesn’t, I think we might give him an instead undesirable shock. Certainly, that light is smashed into atoms and also buried under the debris, however I don’t understand what various other adversary’s contraptions that mess up holds. Bolton, have your guys picket it as well as enable no one near until I come back. I have actually got to get to a telephone as well as obtain a couple of containers from Meade and an airplane or more from Langley Field.
The front of each storage tank was safeguarded by a hefty sheet of vitrilene, while from the turrets of the containers predicted the worthless looking muzzles of thirty-seven millimeter weapons. Overhead 2 aircrafts from Langley Field skyrocketed, searching the country. Dr. Bird as well as Carnes rode in the leading storage tank.
Four hundred yards ahead of them a concrete platform emerged from the marsh and increased slowly right into the air. It was roofed with a dome of what resembled plate glass, however which the medical professional shrewdly suspected was vitrilene. When the base of the platform was two-feet over the level of the water the dome moved quietly apart disclosing 2 males bending over a small weapon. Dr. Bird leveled his binoculars.
From each one a tiny black cigar-shaped object was released and fell in a long parabola toward the planet. The glass dome which had actually been shutting over the gun system rolled swiftly back and a lengthy beam of intense blackness pierced the paradises. First one and afterwards the various other of the dropping bombs vanished from view into it, and afterwards the black column faded from sight. Both bombs dropped with boosting rate but the dome shut over the system prior to they struck. Both hit the dome at virtually the same instant and also instead of the blinding collision they expected, the viewers saw the bombs rebound from the dome as well as drop harmlessly right into the water.
There came the holler of an airplane motor, and also among the airplanes brushed up over the platform, a hundred backyards in the air, with two machine-guns spraying streams of bullets onto the system. 2 guys deserted their machine-gun and crouched under the partially folded-back dome as the 2nd airplane swept over, and Dr. Bird capitalized on the lull to progress his event a few lawns nearer. Once more the protectors of the platform rushed to their gun, however the initial airplane had actually transformed as well as dived down with both guns going, and also again they were forced to take shelter while the Doctor and his pressure made an additional advancement.
It acquired position as well as stroked down to the assault, but another smoke of smoke came from the side of the helicopter and there was a roaring record and a blinding flash overhead. As the smoke cleared away, no trace of the ill-fated airplane could be seen. The helicopter hung motionless airborne as though daring the staying plane to assault.
He lay still, stupidly enjoying his breath form small beads of ice on completions of the hair which lined his parka. Up until that minute he had not recognized just how extensively exhausted he was. Every muscular tissue of his deprived, wounded body ached unbearably. It wasn’t so poor existing there in the soft snow. He could rest, then look later on for the ice hummock behind which the plane lay sheltered. Rest! That’s what he required, an excellent long remainder.
Bitterly he cursed that demon of ill-fortune that had sent the blinding snow storm which had forced down the aircraft ten lengthy days earlier at the very beginning of its triumphant return trip to the base at Cape Richards. Since that hour the tornado gods had actually cleared the vials of their rage upon the luckless explorers. Day after day, cyclonic winds made all thought of a take-off self-destructive in the extreme. Three days [230] ago the last of their food had handed out, and also, he mused, hunger is an ill companion for misery.

Slip, slide and also drop! On he combated until the final obstacle was reached and also he stood staring hopelessly down into a tiny natural amphitheater which protected the excellent monoplane. The ship was still there, its engine snugged in a canvas shadow and with the soft, completely dry snow banked up high in the lee of its silver grey body. Numbly, like a man in the grasp of an unpleasant coma, Nelson shielded his face with a fuzzy hand to scan the bordering surface. “Heck!” The door block of the igloo they had built was still snowed up; Alden was not there!
An indefinite variety of footprints, obscured however substantial in size, were marked in the snow. Here and there deep furrows mutely affirmed just how Alden as well as the enemies versus whom he battled had actually returned and forth in savage fight over a significant area. Then, trembled by a brand-new fear, he found Alden’s left glove and also a dustcloth of some peculiar thick product that seemed to have a metal coating. Astounding Stories 14, February 1931 Audio Book Online. Yet what excited his gravest concerns were the countless sprinkles of blood that occasionally spotted the snow in gruesome alleviation.
The one clear idea burning in his tired mind was that Richard Alden, his buddy the man with whom he had traversed half the world, by whose side he had actually encountered lots of a dangerous circumstance should then hinge on risk, the extent of which he could only assume.
A solitary, stunning light beam played prior to him like a powerful searchlight, to light a high vaulted tunnel of lava rocks which were distorted by some long-gone convulsion of the earth right into a hundred weird bosoms and faults. For that brief immediate he discovered he might see probably a hundred feet down into a high roofed passage, along the top of which put a remarkable stream of billowing, wriggling heavy steam.