Redevelopment
By WESLEY LONG
Illustrated by Williams
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Astounding Science-Fiction, November 1944.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
John McBride hung the phone on the hook and wiped his face. Thisface-wiping was not the usual gesture of a man whose face is dirty, orcovered with perspiration. It was the dazed sort of gesture made by aman who has just been subjected to a surprise, and since the wipingtended to remove the awed look, replacing it with a slightly dazedsmile, the surprise must not have been too unpleasant.
He shook his head, as though to clear it, and then made his way throughStation 1 of the Plutonian Lens to the landing platform. Just insidethe gigantic lock, a medium-sized space-ship stood, and sitting on theedge of the space lock, swinging her feet, was Sandra Drake.
"Hello," she said brightly.
"Hi," said John. This was entirely new. Sandra Drake was not usuallygiven to greeting men as anything but absolute imbeciles. "What bringsyou out here? And how did you make it?"
"Oh," said Sandra lightly, "I remembered the charge on Station 1 andbrought along a charge-compensator. We hardly sparked when we lit."
One of the attendants said, in a low aside: "About three hundredamperes! She'd call a major explosion a snap of the fingers! You couldhide an egg in the crater she made."
But Sandra was still talking. "John," she said in a voice that wouldhave caused Shylock to give her his last gold piece, "I want help."
"You need help? What can we do for you?"
"It's pretty big," warned Sandra. Her low contralto dared him to askwhat it was—and also dared him to deny it to her.
"Look, Drake, you did us a favor not too long ago. I think we owe youone."
Sandra smiled uncertainly. "I was afraid that that little stunt wasonly repaying you for the first meeting we had."
"Shucks," said McBride. "Anyone can make a mistake. Forget it."
"But being pilot for you on the Haywire Queen did me a lot of good,too, you know. I got my license back for that one. We both gained."
"I know. I'm glad we did. But what can you possibly want that is so bigthat you're afraid to ask?"
"Well, and maybe it isn't too big, either. Steve is a friend of both ofus, isn't he? I'd do anything for Steve—and wouldn't you?"
"Yes. If any favors are owing, I think it is both of us to him."
"That's what I'm getting at. I need help—for Steve."
"You sure go a long way around to get it," grinned McBride. "Why didn'tyou tell me that first instead of warning me about a favor?"
"It's pretty big. But look, John, Steve took the Haywire Queen on arun to Sirius more than six weeks ago. He took along enough stuff tostay a week; he said he'd be back after one hundred and seventy hoursof stay at, on, or near Sirius. This was just a trial hop to try thenew drive you cooked up and a longer, better equipped expedition wouldbe made later."
"He did say something about it the last I saw him. He said he wasn'tparticularly interested in exploring a new system. He'd leave that forthe explorers. He was interested in the drive and so on, and after he'dpaved the way for getting to the stars and had proven his drive, he'dturn it over to those interested in colonization. But six weeks ago,you say? Gosh, that's a long overstay, isn't it?"
"It is. I happen to know he didn't take more supplies than he needed.So I'm worried about hi