Skyprobe Read Free

his identity. The reason for the secrecy is simple: the very name alone of the third man would have given away something of the nature of the flight’s objectives. So apart from the heads of NASA and CIA and the men directly concerned with the flight—aeromedics and so on—the third man’s identity is known only to the President, the Secretary of State and the Chiefs of Staff in the United States, and over here by the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister and myself. Also, of course, his wife. The reason we in Britain were told is because he happens to be a British subject by birth. He’s a naturalized American citizen now, but because of who he is, we were still informed.” Latymer paused. “Is that enough to give you a clue?”
    “Are you speaking of Danvers-Marshall, sir?” Shaw’s tone was disbelieving. He leaned forward and jerked cigarette ash into the jade receptacle. “ He's in the capsule?”
    “He is. And that’s one reason why, in my opinion, we as well as the United States come into this. Professor Neil Danvers-Marshall—none other—is orbiting with Schuster and Morris. He’s a man who likes to see for himself, to feel the same strains as his team, though as a matter of fact this is the first time he’s actually been in continuing orbit. This present distance-probe is his pet project. What d’you know about him, Shaw?”
    “Not much, frankly, apart from his reputation as a space scientist. . . and that in spite of his British birth he’s one of the top men in the US Space Administration—”
    “The very top, Shaw, in his particular line. He’s responsible only to the Head of NASA. He’d been working for years in the closest co-operation with the US on space research before he went over there permanently ... as a matter of fact, it would be perfectly true to say he’s the one single man who’s got at his finger-tips all the West’s space secrets, all the data of past flights, details of projected plans and so forth. He’s a practical scientist who is also a brilliant administrator, co-ordinator, and planner. He’s a man of great brain and foresight, with the ability, so it’s said, to think constructively well into the future. He’s decades ahead of his time.” Latymer’s eyes searched Shaw’s face. “Now—would you care to tell me what he’s not?”
    Shaw grinned. “All right, sir—I get you! He’s not the sort of man any hostile Power would want to smash a blunt object into—”
    “Exactly—so your theory of a collision in space isn’t on at all. To my humble mind, they’d be much more likely to want to get their hands on him alive and intact—so they can get all those secrets out of him, including the details of a certain brand-new fuel Skyprobe’s using. Also the new fuel used in the launch rocket. Believe me, it’s a fantastic achievement to get a manned vehicle orbiting at the height Skyprobe IV has reached—and basically it’s Danvers-Marshall who put it there.”
    “So you’re suggesting there’s been a leak and we’re facing a kidnap job, organized by the Communists. But I don’t see how anybody can possibly be kidnapped in space.”
    Latymer gave a hard, mirthless smile. “Frankly, nor do I. There just isn’t the machinery for it! The Russian manned orbital space stations can’t help—they can’t interfere one way or the other. Nor can the American stations combat any funny business. . . .” He had closed his eyes now, leaning back once more and thinking aloud. “They can’t put vehicles into orbit—they’re equipped for direct rocket flight only. No . . . they’re out. As to a vehicle from earth, something to dock on . . . that’s out, too. I can’t see anyone risking a fight in space, nor can I see them managing to dock on without co-operation from inside Skyprobe. . . .”
    “Nor me.” Shaw ran a hand through his hair. “It all sounds like a hell of a lot of quite unnecessary trouble. Wouldn’t Danvers-Marshall be easier to deal with