Books Should Be Free Loyal Books Free Public Domain Audiobooks & eBook Downloads |
|
The Planetoid of Peril By: Paul Ernst (1899-1985) |
---|
![]()
By Paul Ernst [Transcriber' Note: This etext was produced from Astounding Stories
November 1931. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the
U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] [Illustration: He pointed it at the incredible body. ] Undaunted by crazy tales of an indestructible presence on
Asteroid Z 40, Harley 2Q14N20 sets out alone to face and
master it.
Harley 2Q14N20 stopped for a moment outside the great dome of the
Celestial Developments Company. Moodily he stared at their asteroid
development chart. It showed, as was to be expected, the pick of the
latest asteroid subdivision projects: the Celestial Developments
Company, established far back in 2045, would handle none but the very
best. Small chance of his finding anything here! However, as he gazed at the chart, hope came suddenly to his face, and
his heart beat high under his sapphire blue tunic. There was an asteroid
left for sale there one blank space among the myriad, pink lettered
Sold symbols. Could it be that here was the chance he had been hunting
so desperately? He bent closer, to read the description of the sphere, and the hope
faded gradually from his countenance. According to its orbit and
location, and the spectroscopic table of its mineral resources, it was a
choice planetoid indeed. Of course such a rich little sphere, listed for
sale by the luxurious Celestial Developments Company, would cost far
more than he could ever rake together to pay for an asteroid. Shaking his head, he adjusted his gravity regulator to give him about a
pound and a half of weight, and started to float on. Then, his lips
twisting at his own absurd hopefulness, he stopped again; and after
another moment of indecision turned into the archway that led to the
concern's great main office. After all, it wouldn't hurt to inquire the
price, even though he knew in advance it would be beyond his humble
means. A youngster in the pale green of the one bar neophyte in business
promptly glided toward him. "Something for you to day, sir?" he asked politely. "Yes," said Harley. "I'm looking around for a planetoid; want to get a
place of my own out a way from Earth. Something, you understand, that
may turn out to be a profitable investment as well as furnishing an
exclusive home site. I see on your chart that you have a sphere left for
sale, in the Red Belt, so I came in to ask about it." "Ah, you mean asteroid Z 40," said the youngster, gazing with envious
respect at the ten bar insignia, with the crossed Sco drills, that
proclaimed Harley to be a mining engineer of the highest rank. "Yes,
that is still for sale. A splendid sphere, sir; and listed at a
remarkably low figure. Half a million dollars." "Half a million dollars!" exclaimed Harley. It was an incredibly small
sum: scarcely the yearly salary of an unskilled laborer. "Are you sure
that's right?" "Yes, that's the correct figure. Down payment of a third, and the
remaining two thirds to be paid out of the exploitation profits " Here the conversation was interrupted by an elderly, grey haired man
with the six bar dollar mark insignia of a business executive on his
purple tunic. He had been standing nearby, and at the mention of
asteroid Z 40 had looked up alertly. He glided to the two with a frown
on his forehead, and spoke a few curt words to the neophyte, who slunk
away. "Sorry, sir," he said to Harley. "Z 40 isn't for sale." "But your young man just told me that it was," replied Hartley, loath to
give up what had begun to look like an almost unbelievable bargain. "He was mistaken. It's not on the market. It isn't habitable, you see." "What's wrong hasn't it an atmosphere?" "Oh, yes. One that is exceptionally rich in oxygen, as is true of all
the spheres we handle. With a late model oxygen concentrator, one would
have no trouble at all existing there... Continue reading book >>
|
Genres for this book |
---|
Literature |
Science |
eBook links |
---|
Wikipedia – Paul Ernst |
Wikipedia – The Planetoid of Peril |
eBook Downloads | |
---|---|
ePUB eBook • iBooks for iPhone and iPad • Nook • Sony Reader |
Kindle eBook • Mobi file format for Kindle |
Read eBook • Load eBook in browser |
Text File eBook • Computers • Windows • Mac |
Review this book |
---|