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A Matter of Importance By: Murray Leinster (1896-1975) |
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BY MURRAY LEINSTER Illustrated by Bernklau [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Astounding Science
Fiction September 1959. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence
that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
The importance of a matter is almost entirely a matter of your
attitude. And whether you call something "a riot" or "a war" ...
well, there is a difference, but what is it?
Nobody ever saw the message torp. It wasn't to be expected. It came in
on a course that extended backward to somewhere near the Rift where
there used to be Huks and for a very, very long way it had traveled as
only message torps do travel. It hopped half a light year in overdrive,
and came back to normality long enough for its photocells to inspect the
star filled universe all about. Then it hopped another half light year,
and so on. For a long, long time it traveled in this jerky fashion. Eventually, moving as it did in the straightest of straight lines, its
photocells reported that it neared a star which had achieved
first magnitude brightness. It paused a little longer than usual while
its action circuits shifted. Then it swung to aim for the bright star,
which was the sol type sun Varenga. The torp sped toward it on a new
schedule. Its overdrive hops dropped to light month length. Its pauses
in normality were longer. They lasted almost the fiftieth of a second. When Varenga had reached a suitably greater brightness in the
message torp's estimation, it paused long enough to blast out its
recorded message. It had been designed for this purpose and no other.
Its overdrive hops shortened to one light hour of distance covered.
Regularly, its transmitter flung out a repetition of what it had been
sent so far to say. In time it arrived within the limits of the Varenga
system. Its hops diminished to light minutes of distance only. It ceased
to correct its course. It hurtled through the orbits of all the planets,
uttering silently screamed duplicates of the broadcasts now left behind,
to arrive later. It did not fall into the sun, of course. The odds were infinitely
against such a happening. It pounded past the sun, shrieking its news,
and hurtled on out to the illimitable emptiness beyond. It was still
squealing when it went out of human knowledge forever. The state of things was routine. Sergeant Madden had the traffic desk
that morning. He would reach retirement age in two more years, and it
was a nagging reminder that he grew old. He didn't like it. There was
another matter. His son Timmy had a girl, and she was on the way to
Varenga IV on the Cerberus , and when she arrived Timmy would become a
married man. Sergeant Madden contemplated this prospect. By the time his
retirement came up, in the ordinary course of events he could very well
be a grandfather. He was unable to imagine it. He rumbled to himself. The telefax hummed and ejected a sheet of paper on top of other sheets
in the desk's "In" cubicle. Sergeant Madden glanced absently at it. It
was an operations report sheet, to be referred to if necessary, but
otherwise simply to be filed at the end of the day. A voice crackled overhead. " Attention Traffic ," said the voice. " The following report has been
received and verified as off planet. Message follows. " That voice
ceased and was replaced by another, which wavered and wabbled from the
electron spurts normal to solar systems and which make for auroras on
planets. " Mayday mayday mayday ," said the second voice. " Call for
help. Call for help. Ship Cerberus major breakdown overdrive heading
Procyron III for refuge. Help urgently needed. " There was a pause.
" Mayday mayday mayday. Call for help " Sergeant Madden's face went blank. Timmy's girl was on the Cerberus .
Then he growled and riffled swiftly through the operations report sheets
that had come in since his tour of duty began... Continue reading book >>
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