Captain Future 06 - Star Trail to Glory (Spring 1941) Read Free Page A

manufacturing industry. And so far we haven't been able to get even an idea where all the stolen ships are taken, or why and how they're bein' stolen."
    The old marshal seemed to reach a decision.
    "I'm goin' back to Earth and see the System President about this. I'm goin' to ask him to call in Cap'n Future!"
    "Captain Future?" Kalber exclaimed. He seemed almost taken aback. "Do you think he would investigate this mystery?"
    "He would if the President calls him, and I think I can convince the President," stated Ezra. "We can't let the whole space ship industry be disorganized this way without doin' somethin' about it."
    Gray Garson nodded emphatic agreement, a new light of hope on his rugged face.
    "If Captain Future could break up these mysterious thefts, he'd save some of us from bankruptcy!"
    "Even we bigger manufacturers can't stand such losses long," Lan Tark, the solemn Martian magnate declared. "Rissman and Zamor and the others will all be encouraged to learn that Captain Future may take a hand in this."
    Ezra Gurney strode toward the door.
    "I'm goin' back to Solar City and then blast for Earth. Remember, not a word of this to anyone except the other manufacturers!"
     
    * * * * *
     
    WHEN Ezra Gurney left Mercury an hour later, he would have been less confident of secrecy had he been able to see into a certain small room with walls of smooth stone, a low cement ceiling and no windows. A dim clangor came from outside, but it was impossible to guess its nature, or the location of this secret room. Under a cluster of bright uranite bulbs gleamed the square bulk of a powerful televisor. In front of it stood a weird machine that grotesquely resembled a man.
    The machine man stood upon girder-legs and had jointed girder-arms. Behind his metal ribs were compact generators and motors and cogged gears, crowded closely together. His head was a big cubical metal box. In one side of it were two visi-plates that served as eyes. From the mouthlike orifice came a deep, humming voice as the machine man spoke into the televisor.
    "This is One speaking. Calling Forty-four at Venus Base!"
    The mechanical creature who called himself "One" stood motionless, awaiting a reply. The televisor screen glowed with light. Then it showed another metal machine man, similar to One, except that his cubical head or brain-case was not so large.
    "Forty-four speaking. What is it, One?"
    "Your report, Forty-four?" demanded One.
    "Two space ships captured today," said the other machine man. "A new Kalber Twenty and a Zamor Eight. We have them safe here at Venus Base."
    "What about their Rocketeer pilots?"
    "We tossed them out into space and left them floating, as usual," replied Forty-four. "They have no idea of how we did it, of course."
    "Bring those two ships on to Main Base here at once. Use more than ordinary caution not to be spotted as you approach Mercury. The Rocketeers are greatly aroused, and the Planet Police have redoubled their efforts to catch us."
    "I understand," replied Forty-four simply. "I will bring them."
    One snapped off the televisor. Then his cubical metal head swiveled toward the door of the room. His voice hummed loudly.
    "Six, Fifteen!" he called.
    The door opened. A clangorous banging and hammering from the mysterious place outside invaded the room as two machine men stalked stiffly in and closed the door. Six and Fifteen were like One in every detail, except that their cubical brain-cases also were not so large.
    "Your orders?" asked Six.
    "It has come to my knowledge," hummed One, "that the Planet Police, having failed to check our activities, are about to call in a certain Earthman named Captain Future to help them."
    "I do not know of Captain Future," declared Six.
    "You would not, of course," admitted One. "But I know of him. He is only a human, yet he can be dangerous, for he is a master of science and an unswerving champion of the System Government and its laws. And his three assistants, the so-called Futuremen, make