Pattern For Conquest
By GEORGE O. SMITH
Illustrated by Kildale
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Astounding Science-Fiction March, April, May 1946.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
I.
The signal officer leaped from his position and made a vicious grabat the thin paper tape that was snaking from his typer to the mastertransmitter. It tore just at the entrance slot. The tape-end slid in;disappeared.
The master transmitter growled as the tape-end passed the scanner.Meters slapped up against the overload stop and two of the bigrectifier tubes flashed over. Circuit breakers came open with a crashdown in the power room, and up in the master modulator room the bellalarms rang, telling of the destruction of one of the tuning guidesfrom overload peak.
The signal officer paid no attention to the damage his action hadcaused. He grabbed for the telephone and dialed a number.
"I want confirmation of messages forty-eight and forty-nine," hesnapped. "What fool let 'em get this far?"
"What happened?" asked the superior officer mildly.
"I got forty-eight on the tape before I came to forty-nine," explainedthe signal officer. "I grabbed the tape just as it was hitting themaster transmitter. The tape-end raised hell, I think. Default alarmsare ringing all over the building. But who—?"
"It was my fault—I'll confirm in writing—that forty-eight was notpreceded by an official sanction. You were quite correct in stoppingthem at any cost. As soon as the outfit is on the air again, send 'emboth."
"Yeah, but look—"
"Orders, Manley."
"I'll follow 'em," said Signal Officer Manley, "but may I ask why?"
"You may, according to the Book of Regs, but I'm not certain of thereason myself. Frankly, I don't know. I questioned them myself, and gotthe same blunt answer."
"The whole terran sector has been slaving for years to keep thisproposition from happening," grumbled Manley. "For years we have beenmost careful to stop any possible slipup. Now I find that the firsttime it ever gets down as far as my position and I leap into the breachlike a hero, I'm off the beam and the stuff is on the roger."
"I'll give you a Solar Citation for your efforts," offered the superiorruminatively. "I know what you mean. We've been trying to keep it fromhappening by mere chance. And all of a sudden comes official orders,not happenstance, but ordering it. Let's both give up."
"The gear is on the air again," said Manley. "I'll carry on, likePagliacci, roaring madly to our own doom. But first I'm going to haveto restring the master. Shoot me a confirm, will you? I don't expect touse it, but it'll look nice in some time capsule as the forerunner ofhistory."
Within a minute messages forty-eight and forty-nine were through themachine, up through the master modulator room and out in space, ontheir way to Mars and Venus, respectively.
The Little Man looked up at Co-ordinator Kennebec. The head of theSolar Combine looked down with a worried frown. This had been goingon for some time. The Little Man had been, in turn, pleading, elated,demanding, mollified, excited, and unhappy because the ruler of theSolar Combine could not understand him fully. He was also unhappybecause he could not understand the head man's meaning, either.
The Little Man had three cards in his hand. He was objecting violently,now. He was not angry, just positive o