Captain Future 12 - Planets in Peril (Fall 1942) Read Free

rather striking young man — a lithe, white-skinned individual with a hairless head and slanted, glittering green eyes in a fierce, reckless face. But Otho was no ordinary man. He was an android, or synthetic man. He had been created in a laboratory, years ago. And he was more swift, more skillful, more dangerous than any normal man.
    Grag, the other Futureman, was even more extraordinary. For Grag was a robot — a mighty, seven-foot figure whose manlike body was of massive metal. His bulbous metal head encased a metal-sponge brain that was the seat of his strong, strange mind. The robot's gleaming photo-electric eyes glanced up toward Curt, as he spoke in his booming mechanical voice.
    "I bet my best proton gun against Otho's fire-ruby ring that my Eek could whip that miserable little pet of his," Grag informed him.
    "Why, you must be space-struck," Curt Newton snorted. "Your Eek couldn't whip a fly — he's the biggest coward that ever lived."
    "That's what I tried to tell him, Chief," chuckled Otho. "But Grag thinks that cowardly moon-pup of his has a chance. Just watch!"
     
    EACH of the Futuremen had put his pet down on the floor. Otho's mascot, whose name was Oog, was a meteor-mimic, a fat little white beast with solemn eyes. It was an asteroidal animal that had the unique power of taking any form at will, by means of a protean cell-shifting ability.
    Oog was ordinarily the mildest-tempered of animals. But Otho had prodded and teased him to fighting pitch. Now, Oog abruptly changed his shape and became an octopoid thing that advanced menacingly on Eek.
    Eek, Grag's pet, was a moon-pup. It was a sharp-nosed, beady-eyed little gray animal, a little-known species that inhabited the barren lunar satellite of Earth. This particular moon-pup happened to be the most arrant coward alive, as Captain Future well knew.
    "Go ahead and kill that moon-pup, Oog!” Otho incited his pet. He chortled. "Watch Eek run for it now. He's frozen stiff already."
    The moon-pup was indeed watching the queerly altered Oog advance menacingly, as though frozen. But Eek did not run away, as he always had done before when even the slightest danger threatened.
    Instead of fleeing, Eek opened his jaws in a soundless snarl and suddenly flung himself upon Oog. He smacked Oog down, clawed him up and batted him down again, and then mopped up the floor with him. With a yelp of amazement and pain, Oog resumed his own shape and hastily fled.
    "I told you Eek would whip him!" Grag boomed triumphantly. "You can just hand over that ring, Otho."
    Otho had watched with incredulous consternation, and Captain Future too was astonished. Neither had expected Eek to fight.
    "I must be dreaming!" Otho gasped. "That moon-pup was always afraid of his own shadow before. He must be either crazy or —"
    With a sudden suspicion, Otho grabbed up Eek and examined him. He uttered an angry cry as he saw smears of gray liquid upon Eek's jaws.
    "I thought so!" Otho exclaimed furiously. "You've fed him radium-liquor and got him drunk!" he accused Grag. "That's why he was brave."
    Grag uttered a chuckling sound.
    "What if I did give Eek a little stimulant that way? There was nothing against it in our bet."
    Otho furiously handed over the fire-ruby ring.
    "That's what I get for betting with a robot! You're not human enough to know anything about good sportsmanship."
    "Not human? Says who?" bellowed Grag angrily. "I'm a blasted sight more human than any synthetic rubber imitation of a man like you!"
    Captain Future interrupted.
    "Look, I don't want to bother you two too much," he said with dangerous politeness, "but we're approaching a meteor zone. It would be awfully nice if I could have a little help in the control room. Would it annoy you to come forward and assist me, Otho?"
    "Why, no, Chief," Otho answered importantly. "I'm always glad to do any little favor for —"
    He ducked and dodged for the control room as Curt aimed a swift kick at him.
    In the next half hour, Otho called