September 25, 2025 • 24 mins
In Police Your Planet, Bruce Gordon finds himself at a crossroads as he stares at his ONE WAY ticket, a symbol of his life choices. With a heavy heart, he tears it into thirty pieces, each representing a year of his life filled with regrets and lost opportunities. From his two years as a cop to his struggles in the boxing ring, from fleeting attempts at professional gambling to his explosive rise as a journalist uncovering the Mercury scandals, Bruces journey has been anything but ordinary. But after a shocking revelation about his big scoop, he receives one last assignment that could change everything. Join Bruce as he navigates the complexities of ambition, truth, and the price of exposure. (Summary by Christian Alexander and Excerpt of Chapter 1)
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter sixteen of Police Your Planet by Lester Dalray. This
LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter sixteen, Get
the Dome. To Gordon's surprise, the publicity Randof wrote about
(00:21):
his being Security Prime seemed to bring the other sections
of Outer Marsport under the volunteer police control even faster,
but as he was too busy to worry about it,
he left general coordination in the hands of Mother Corey
while Izzie and Schulberg ran the expanding of the police force.
(00:41):
Prager arrived with the first load of food and came
storming up to him. Why didn't you tell me you
were a security Prime. I'm Grade three myself, and I
suppose that would have meant you'd have shipped in all
the food we need free, Gordon asked. The other stopped
to think it of, then he laughed roughly, Nope, you're right.
(01:05):
The growers would starve next year if they gave it
all away. Now, well, we'll get in enough food this
way to keep you going for a while couple of
weeks at least. It sounded good and might have worked
if there had been normal food reserve, or if the
other three quadrants had been willing to do as much.
But while the immediate pressure of starvation was lifted, Gordon's
(01:28):
own stomach told him that it wasn't inadequate diet. Signs
of scurvy and pelaga were increasing. Bruce Gordon whipped himself
into forgetting some of that. His army was growing, or
rather his mob. There was no sense in trying to
get more than the vaguest organization. It was the eighth
(01:48):
day when he led them out in the early dawn.
He had issued extra dope and managed a slight increase
in the ration, so they made a brave showing until
they reached the dome. There were no rifles opposed to him,
as he had expected, and the guard at the gate
was no heavier, but the warning had somehow been given
(02:11):
and both forces were ready. Stretching north from the gate
were the municipals with members of some of the gangs.
The other gang men were with the legals to the south,
and they stood within inches of the dome, holding axes
and knives. A big mars speaker ran out from the gate,
(02:33):
and the voice of Gannet came over. It go back.
If just one of you gets within ten feet of
the dome or entrance we're going to rip the dome.
We'll destroy Marsport before we'll give into a doped up
crowd of refraff. You've got five minutes to get out
of sight before we come out with rifles and knock
you off. Now beat it. Gordon got out of the
(02:57):
car the kid was driving and started to the entrance,
just as the moaning wheel of the crowd behind him
built up. You fools, he yelled, they're bluffing. They wouldn't
dare destroy the dome. Come on, but already the men
were evaporating. He stared at the route and suddenly stopped
(03:19):
fighting the hands holding him Beside him. The kid was crying,
making horrible sounds of it. He turned slowly back to
the car and felt it get under way. His final
sight was that of the legals and municipals wildly scrambling
for cover from each other. Mother Corey met him, dragging
(03:40):
him back to a small room, where he dug up
an impossibly precious bottle of brandy. Drink it all, cobber
So one of your security badges had the wrong men
attached to it, and word got back. Couldn't be helped.
You just ran into the sacred law of Marsport. One
(04:00):
they teach kids be bad and the dome will collapse.
The dome made Marsport and its taboo. Gordon nodded. Maybe
the old man was right. If the dome gives him
a perfect cover, why let me make a jackass of myself? Mother,
(04:21):
he asked numbly. Cory shook his head, setting the heavy
folds of flesh to bouncing. Gave them something to live
for here, cobber, and when you get over this, you're
going to announce new plans to try again. Yes you are,
but right now you get yourself drunk. He left Gordon
(04:42):
the bottle. After a while, the bottle was gone. He
felt number but no better by the time. As he
came in Trench is outside in a heavy armored car.
Bruce says he wants to see you something, to discuss
a proposition. Gordon stood up, wobbling a little, trying to think.
(05:04):
Then he swore and headed for his room. Tell him
to go to hell. He saw Izzie and Sheila leave,
wondering vaguely where she had been. Through the opening of
the seal, he spotted them moving toward the big car outside.
Then he shrugged. He finally made the stairs and reached
(05:25):
his bed before he passed out. Sheila was standing over
him when he finally woke. She dumped a headache powder
into her palm and held it out, handing him a
small glass of water. He swallowed the fast acting drug
and sat up, trying to remember. Then he wished he couldn't.
(05:46):
What did Trench want, he asked thickly. He wanted to
show you a badge, a security badge made out for him.
She answered, at least, he said. He wanted to show
you something, and it was about that size. He wouldn't
talk with us much, but I remember his name in
the book. Gordon shook his head and sat up the book,
(06:11):
he thought, trying to focus his thoughts. The book with
all the names. All right, cuddles, he said. Finally you've
got your meal ticket and you've outgrown it in this mess.
Now I want that damned book. I've been operating in
the dark. It's time I found out how to get
in touch with some of those people. Where is it?
(06:34):
She shook her head. It isn't, Bruce, I don't have it.
That time I gave you the note. You didn't come
when I said, and I thought you wouldn't then Jurgen's
men broke in, and I thought they'd get it, so
so I burned it. I lied to you about using
it to make you keep me. You burned it. He
(06:57):
turned it over, staring at her. Ok, cuddles. You burned it.
You were trying to kill me then, so you burned
it to keep Jurgens from getting it and putting the
finger on me. Where is it? Sheila? On you? She
backed away, biting her lips. No, Bruce, I burned it.
I don't know why I just did. No. She turned
(07:20):
toward the door as he pushed up from the bed,
but his arm caught her wrist, dragging her back. She
whimpered once, then shrieked faintly as his hand caught the
buttons on the dress, jerking them off. Then suddenly she
was a writhing, biting, scratching fury. He tightened his hand
and lifted her to the bed, dropping a knee onto
(07:43):
her throat and beginning to squeeze while he jerked the
dress and thin slip off. She sat up as he
released his knee, Her hoarse voice squeezed from between her
writhing lips. Are you satisfied now? You mechanical beast. Do
you still don't think I have it on me? He grinned,
twisting the corners of his mouth. You don't, do you? No,
(08:08):
A wife shouldn't keep secrets from her husband, A warm blooded,
affectionate husband to boot. He bent down, knocking aside her
flailing arms and pulled her closer to him. Better tell
your husband where the book is, cuddles, she cursed, and
he drew her closer. He bent down, forcing her head
back and setting his lips on hers. From somewhere, wetness
(08:32):
touched his cheek. He lifted his head and looked down.
The wetness came from tears that spilled out of her
eyes and ran off on to the mattress. She was
making no sound, and there was no resistance, but the
tears ran out, one drop seeming to trip over another.
(08:52):
All right, Sheila, he said, His voice was cracked in
his ears. Another week of being a failure on this
planet of failures, and I might go ahead and tell
me I'm the same as your first husband. If I
can't even keep my word to you, I can at
least get out and stay out. He shook his head,
(09:13):
waiting for her denunciation. For your amusement. I'm going to
miss having you around. He stood up. Something touched his
hand and he looked down to see her fingers. Bruce,
she said, faintly, you meant it. You don't hate me
any more. She rubbed her wrist across her eyes, and
(09:36):
the ghost of a smile touched her lips. I don't
think you're a failure, and maybe maybe I'm not. Maybe
I don't have to be a failure as a woman,
a wife, Bruce. I don't want you to go two worlds,
one huddled under its dome forever afraid of losing that
(09:59):
protection and having to face the life the other lad
and yet driven to work together or to perish together
the sacred dome. And suddenly he was shaking her the dome.
It has to be the answer, Cuddles. You broke the
chain enough for me to think again. We've been blind.
(10:20):
The whole damned planet has been blind. She blinked, and
then frowned. Bruce, I'm all right. I'm just half sane
instead of all insane for a change. He got up,
pacing the floor as he talked. Look, most of the
people here are Martians. They've left Earth behind, and they're
(10:41):
meeting this planet on its own terms, and they're adapting.
Third generation children, not all, but a lot of them
are breathing the air we'd die on, and they're doing
fine at it. Probably second generation once can keep going
after we'd pass out. It's just as true out here
as it is on the frontier. But Marsport has that
(11:02):
secret dome over it. It's still trying to be Earth
and it can't do it. It's never had a chance
to adjust here, and it's afraid to try. Maybe she agreed, doubtfully,
But what about this part of Marsport obvious Here they
grow up under the shadow of it. They live in
(11:26):
a half world, and they have to live on the
crumbs the dome tosses them, Sheila, if something happened to
that dome, we'd be killed, She said, how do we
do it? He frowned and then grinned slowly. Maybe not.
They spent the rest of the night discussing it. Sometime
(11:47):
during the discussion she made coffee and first raned off.
Then the kid came in for briefing. Randolph was a
natural addition, and the kid had been alternately following Gordon
and Sheila around since he'd first heard they were fighting
against the men who robbed him of his right to speak.
In the end, as the night spread into day, there
(12:09):
were more people than they felt safe with and less
than they needed. But later, as he stood beside the
dome when night had fallen again, Gordon wasn't so sure.
It was huge. The fabric of it was thin, and
even the webbing straps that gave it added strength were
frail things. But it was strong enough to hold up
(12:30):
in the pressure of over ten pounds per square inch,
and the webbing was anchored in a metal sleeve that
went too high for cutting. They could rip it, but
not ruin it completely, and it had to be done
so that no repair could ever be made under it,
and anchoring it was a concrete wall all around the city.
(12:53):
Izzie came back from a careful exploration. We can work
enough powder under those webbing supports and lay the fuse
wire beside the plastic bring that keeps it air tight,
he reported. But God help us, Governor if any Geese
s bought us. They worked through the night while Rusty
went back to requisition more explosives from the dwindling supply,
(13:16):
and while the Kit and Izzie took time off to
break into a closed converter plant and find wire enough
to connect the charges, but dawn caught them with less
doun than they had hoped. Gordon went to connect a
wire and switch from the battery and coil they had installed,
but jerked backwards as he saw a suspicious guard staring
(13:37):
at him. Let him think, we're just scouting, Randolf advised.
There were suspicious looks as the group came back to
the coop, but Mother Corey waddled over to meet them.
Did you find them, cobber, he asked quickly, and one
of his eyelids flickered. Izzie answered before Gordon could rise
(13:57):
to it, not yet. Mother may have to go back
to night. Gordon left them discussing the mythical search for
certain supplies that Mother Corey had apparently used as an
alibi for their absence from the building. Sheila started to
make coffee, but he shook his head and headed for
the bed. She yawned and nodded, fingering the stitches that
(14:21):
still ran down the blanket to divide it. Then she
grimaced faintly and dropped down beside him on top of
the blanket. Her head hit his arm and she seemed
to be asleep. Almost at once. He awoke to find
Izzie shaking his shoulder. He looked down for Sheila, but
she was gone. Izzie followed his eyes and shook his head.
(14:44):
The princess took off in a car three hours ago,
he said. She said it was something that had to
be done. Gov'nor so I figured you'd know about it.
Gordon shrugged and let it pass. He found the rest
of the group ready, with mother Corey, wishing them better
luck tonight. The mother obviously knew something, but he kept
(15:05):
his suspicions to himself and gave them a cover from
the others. There was no sign of Sheila near the dome,
but inside there were guards pacing along it. Gordon spotted
them first and drew the others back if they'd found
the carefully worked in powder. The kid ducked down and
out of the car, worming his way around the building
(15:28):
that concealed them. He waited for the guard to vanish,
then went crawling forward. Gordon swore, but there was no
sense in two of them risking themselves only to attract
more attention, and at last the kid came back. He
ducked into the truck nodding wire an explosive still there,
(15:50):
Gordon asked the kid made the sound he used for
a cent. It made no sense. There was no reason
for the sudden vigilance inside the dome. We might be
able to run the wire in, Izzie said, doubtfully. Gordon
grunted and tipped them off to where it is. Probably no.
(16:10):
We'll have to do it under some kind of covering,
the way I had it planned in the first place,
only with one more damned complication. We'll pull another false
raid on the dome. As soon as we get chased off,
I'll manage to set it off while they're relaxing and
laughing at us. It smells as he told him, who
(16:31):
elected you chief martyr? Around here you'll be blown up, guv'nor,
and if you ain't, they'll rip you to ribbons for
knocking off the dome. Then he stopped, suddenly staring Bruce.
Gordon leaned forward, with Izzie's hands grabbing for him, but
he'd seen it too. Standing next to the dome was
(16:54):
Trench talking to one of the guards, and beside him
stood Sheila, with one resting on the man's elbow. He
could feel the thickness of the silence and misery in
the truck, but he pushed it away with all the
other things. Get us back, Izzie, he ordered. We've got
to round up whatever group we can and get them
(17:15):
back here on the double. They must be counting on
our original time, so they're in no hurry to remove
the powder and wiring. But we can't count on any
more time. You're going through with it, Randolph asked, doubtfully,
in one hour, and you might pass the word along
that we're doing it to save the dome. Tell the
(17:38):
men we just found out that Trench is losing and
intends to blow it up instead of letting the legals win.
Rumor would travel fast enough, he hoped, and it should
give him a few extra seconds before his force is cracked.
He lifted the switch in his hands and stared at it.
It wasn't necessary now. All he had to do was
(18:01):
reach the battery and drop any metal across the two
terminals there. If they could get back before Trench and
Sheila could remove the battery. It was a period of
complete fog to him, but it wasn't until his motley
army reached the dome, straggling up in trucks and on
(18:21):
foot that he snapped into focus again. There was no
sign of Sheila this time, and he didn't look for her.
His whole mind was concentrated down to a single point,
get the dome. This time, there was no scattering of
municipals and legals. The municipal forces were rushing up toward
(18:42):
the dome, and surprise legals were frantically arriving in trucks.
There was the beginning of a pitched battle right at
the spot where Gordon needed his own cover. It made
no sense to him, and he didn't care. He marched
his men up with a thin wheeling of a band
she in his ears dome warning as he shouted in
(19:04):
his ear hear that siren. Guv'na means they're scared. We
may do it. Give me that damned switch. He grabbed
for it, but Gordon held firmly to the copper strap.
And now the men inside caught sight of the approaching force.
For a second, consternation seemed to rain. Then a huge
(19:25):
truck with a speaker on top drove into the struggling group,
and the thin whisper of unintelligible words reached Gordon. The
whole development made no more sense than any part of
it to him. But he saw the municipals and legals
suddenly begin to turn as a single man to face
the outside menace that had crept up on them while
(19:47):
they were boiling into a fight. And suddenly the mar
speaker over the entrance blasted into life. Get back. The
dome is mined any man comes near it. At a
blow by Gordon's side, a sudden gurgling sound came from
the kid. His hands snaked out, caught the strap from
(20:07):
Gordon's hand and jerked it free. Then he was running
frantically forward. Rifles lifted inside and shots rang out, clipping
bullets through the dome, and one place it began to tear,
and there was a sudden savage roar from the men
around Gordon. He had started forward after the kid, but
(20:28):
Izzie was in front of him, holding him back. The
kid stumbled and slid across the ground, while blood spurted
out from a gash across his head, and the helmet
fell into pieces. Then with a jerk, he was up.
His hand reached out, the strap hit the terminals, and
(20:48):
where the dome had been a clap of thunder seemed
to take visible form the webbing straps broke, and the
dome jerked upwards, twisting outwards and then falling into ribbons.
The shock wave hit Gordon, knocking him from his feet
into the crowd around him. He struggled to his feet
(21:09):
to see helmeted men pouring out of the houses around
and other men pouring forward from his own group. The
few of either police force still standing and helmeted broke
into a wild run, but they had no chance. The
mob had decided that they had mined and exploded the dome.
He turned back toward the coop, sick with the death
(21:32):
of the kid and the violence. For once he'd had
more than his fill of it. Then a small truck
drew up, and an arm went out to draw him
inside the cab. He steered unto the face of Isaiah
Trench and driving the truck with Sheila, your wife took
a hell of a chance, Gordon, Trench said heavily. And
(21:53):
I took quite a chance too, to set this up
so nobody could ever believe you were behind it. Getting
when that fight started in time after you first showed up.
Oh sure, we spotted you was the toughest job I
ever did. But I guess Sheila had the roughest end,
not even knowing for sure where I stood. Gordon stared
at them slowly, not quite believing it, even though it
(22:16):
was no crazier than anything else during the past few hours.
Trent shrugged. I was railroaded here by security, told to
be good and they'd let me go home. A lot
of men got that treatment. So when Waine was still
talking about building a perfect mars Port, I joined up.
He treated me right, and I took orders. But a
(22:39):
man gets sick of working with punks and cheap hoods.
He gets sicker of killing off a planet he's learned
to like. I learned to take orders, though, and I
took them until Wayne tried to put a bullet through me.
That ended that, and I came out to join up
with you. You were sauced, I hear, but your wife
(23:00):
guessed enough to take the chance of coming to me
when she thought you were going to get yourself killed. Well,
I guess you get out here, he indicated the coop.
Gordon got down, followed by Sheila as Trench took the wheel.
What happens to you now, Gordon asked, they'll be blaming
you for the end of the dome let them. I
(23:22):
planned on that two bed trench got torn to bits
by the mob, isn't it. And it's a good thing.
I've always kept myself a place under a safe incognito
out in the sticks. Got a wife and two kids
out there that even Waine didn't know about. He stuck
out a hand. You're like security, Gordon. You do all
(23:43):
the wrong things, but you get the right results. Good Bye.
Sheila watched him go, shaking her head. He likes you, Bruce,
but he can't say it men women, Gordon answered, Then
he stiffened. Coming down through the thin air of Mars
was the bright blue exhaust of a rocket. The real
(24:07):
security was arriving. End of Chapter sixteen.
Chapter sixteen of Police Your Planet by Lester Dalray. This
LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter sixteen, Get
the Dome. To Gordon's surprise, the publicity Randof wrote about
(00:21):
his being Security Prime seemed to bring the other sections
of Outer Marsport under the volunteer police control even faster,
but as he was too busy to worry about it,
he left general coordination in the hands of Mother Corey
while Izzie and Schulberg ran the expanding of the police force.
(00:41):
Prager arrived with the first load of food and came
storming up to him. Why didn't you tell me you
were a security Prime. I'm Grade three myself, and I
suppose that would have meant you'd have shipped in all
the food we need free, Gordon asked. The other stopped
to think it of, then he laughed roughly, Nope, you're right.
(01:05):
The growers would starve next year if they gave it
all away. Now, well, we'll get in enough food this
way to keep you going for a while couple of
weeks at least. It sounded good and might have worked
if there had been normal food reserve, or if the
other three quadrants had been willing to do as much.
But while the immediate pressure of starvation was lifted, Gordon's
(01:28):
own stomach told him that it wasn't inadequate diet. Signs
of scurvy and pelaga were increasing. Bruce Gordon whipped himself
into forgetting some of that. His army was growing, or
rather his mob. There was no sense in trying to
get more than the vaguest organization. It was the eighth
(01:48):
day when he led them out in the early dawn.
He had issued extra dope and managed a slight increase
in the ration, so they made a brave showing until
they reached the dome. There were no rifles opposed to him,
as he had expected, and the guard at the gate
was no heavier, but the warning had somehow been given
(02:11):
and both forces were ready. Stretching north from the gate
were the municipals with members of some of the gangs.
The other gang men were with the legals to the south,
and they stood within inches of the dome, holding axes
and knives. A big mars speaker ran out from the gate,
(02:33):
and the voice of Gannet came over. It go back.
If just one of you gets within ten feet of
the dome or entrance we're going to rip the dome.
We'll destroy Marsport before we'll give into a doped up
crowd of refraff. You've got five minutes to get out
of sight before we come out with rifles and knock
you off. Now beat it. Gordon got out of the
(02:57):
car the kid was driving and started to the entrance,
just as the moaning wheel of the crowd behind him
built up. You fools, he yelled, they're bluffing. They wouldn't
dare destroy the dome. Come on, but already the men
were evaporating. He stared at the route and suddenly stopped
(03:19):
fighting the hands holding him Beside him. The kid was crying,
making horrible sounds of it. He turned slowly back to
the car and felt it get under way. His final
sight was that of the legals and municipals wildly scrambling
for cover from each other. Mother Corey met him, dragging
(03:40):
him back to a small room, where he dug up
an impossibly precious bottle of brandy. Drink it all, cobber
So one of your security badges had the wrong men
attached to it, and word got back. Couldn't be helped.
You just ran into the sacred law of Marsport. One
(04:00):
they teach kids be bad and the dome will collapse.
The dome made Marsport and its taboo. Gordon nodded. Maybe
the old man was right. If the dome gives him
a perfect cover, why let me make a jackass of myself? Mother,
(04:21):
he asked numbly. Cory shook his head, setting the heavy
folds of flesh to bouncing. Gave them something to live
for here, cobber, and when you get over this, you're
going to announce new plans to try again. Yes you are,
but right now you get yourself drunk. He left Gordon
(04:42):
the bottle. After a while, the bottle was gone. He
felt number but no better by the time. As he
came in Trench is outside in a heavy armored car.
Bruce says he wants to see you something, to discuss
a proposition. Gordon stood up, wobbling a little, trying to think.
(05:04):
Then he swore and headed for his room. Tell him
to go to hell. He saw Izzie and Sheila leave,
wondering vaguely where she had been. Through the opening of
the seal, he spotted them moving toward the big car outside.
Then he shrugged. He finally made the stairs and reached
(05:25):
his bed before he passed out. Sheila was standing over
him when he finally woke. She dumped a headache powder
into her palm and held it out, handing him a
small glass of water. He swallowed the fast acting drug
and sat up, trying to remember. Then he wished he couldn't.
(05:46):
What did Trench want, he asked thickly. He wanted to
show you a badge, a security badge made out for him.
She answered, at least, he said. He wanted to show
you something, and it was about that size. He wouldn't
talk with us much, but I remember his name in
the book. Gordon shook his head and sat up the book,
(06:11):
he thought, trying to focus his thoughts. The book with
all the names. All right, cuddles, he said. Finally you've
got your meal ticket and you've outgrown it in this mess.
Now I want that damned book. I've been operating in
the dark. It's time I found out how to get
in touch with some of those people. Where is it?
(06:34):
She shook her head. It isn't, Bruce, I don't have it.
That time I gave you the note. You didn't come
when I said, and I thought you wouldn't then Jurgen's
men broke in, and I thought they'd get it, so
so I burned it. I lied to you about using
it to make you keep me. You burned it. He
(06:57):
turned it over, staring at her. Ok, cuddles. You burned it.
You were trying to kill me then, so you burned
it to keep Jurgens from getting it and putting the
finger on me. Where is it? Sheila? On you? She
backed away, biting her lips. No, Bruce, I burned it.
I don't know why I just did. No. She turned
(07:20):
toward the door as he pushed up from the bed,
but his arm caught her wrist, dragging her back. She
whimpered once, then shrieked faintly as his hand caught the
buttons on the dress, jerking them off. Then suddenly she
was a writhing, biting, scratching fury. He tightened his hand
and lifted her to the bed, dropping a knee onto
(07:43):
her throat and beginning to squeeze while he jerked the
dress and thin slip off. She sat up as he
released his knee, Her hoarse voice squeezed from between her
writhing lips. Are you satisfied now? You mechanical beast. Do
you still don't think I have it on me? He grinned,
twisting the corners of his mouth. You don't, do you? No,
(08:08):
A wife shouldn't keep secrets from her husband, A warm blooded,
affectionate husband to boot. He bent down, knocking aside her
flailing arms and pulled her closer to him. Better tell
your husband where the book is, cuddles, she cursed, and
he drew her closer. He bent down, forcing her head
back and setting his lips on hers. From somewhere, wetness
(08:32):
touched his cheek. He lifted his head and looked down.
The wetness came from tears that spilled out of her
eyes and ran off on to the mattress. She was
making no sound, and there was no resistance, but the
tears ran out, one drop seeming to trip over another.
(08:52):
All right, Sheila, he said, His voice was cracked in
his ears. Another week of being a failure on this
planet of failures, and I might go ahead and tell
me I'm the same as your first husband. If I
can't even keep my word to you, I can at
least get out and stay out. He shook his head,
(09:13):
waiting for her denunciation. For your amusement. I'm going to
miss having you around. He stood up. Something touched his
hand and he looked down to see her fingers. Bruce,
she said, faintly, you meant it. You don't hate me
any more. She rubbed her wrist across her eyes, and
(09:36):
the ghost of a smile touched her lips. I don't
think you're a failure, and maybe maybe I'm not. Maybe
I don't have to be a failure as a woman,
a wife, Bruce. I don't want you to go two worlds,
one huddled under its dome forever afraid of losing that
(09:59):
protection and having to face the life the other lad
and yet driven to work together or to perish together
the sacred dome. And suddenly he was shaking her the dome.
It has to be the answer, Cuddles. You broke the
chain enough for me to think again. We've been blind.
(10:20):
The whole damned planet has been blind. She blinked, and
then frowned. Bruce, I'm all right. I'm just half sane
instead of all insane for a change. He got up,
pacing the floor as he talked. Look, most of the
people here are Martians. They've left Earth behind, and they're
(10:41):
meeting this planet on its own terms, and they're adapting.
Third generation children, not all, but a lot of them
are breathing the air we'd die on, and they're doing
fine at it. Probably second generation once can keep going
after we'd pass out. It's just as true out here
as it is on the frontier. But Marsport has that
(11:02):
secret dome over it. It's still trying to be Earth
and it can't do it. It's never had a chance
to adjust here, and it's afraid to try. Maybe she agreed, doubtfully,
But what about this part of Marsport obvious Here they
grow up under the shadow of it. They live in
(11:26):
a half world, and they have to live on the
crumbs the dome tosses them, Sheila, if something happened to
that dome, we'd be killed, She said, how do we
do it? He frowned and then grinned slowly. Maybe not.
They spent the rest of the night discussing it. Sometime
(11:47):
during the discussion she made coffee and first raned off.
Then the kid came in for briefing. Randolph was a
natural addition, and the kid had been alternately following Gordon
and Sheila around since he'd first heard they were fighting
against the men who robbed him of his right to speak.
In the end, as the night spread into day, there
(12:09):
were more people than they felt safe with and less
than they needed. But later, as he stood beside the
dome when night had fallen again, Gordon wasn't so sure.
It was huge. The fabric of it was thin, and
even the webbing straps that gave it added strength were
frail things. But it was strong enough to hold up
(12:30):
in the pressure of over ten pounds per square inch,
and the webbing was anchored in a metal sleeve that
went too high for cutting. They could rip it, but
not ruin it completely, and it had to be done
so that no repair could ever be made under it,
and anchoring it was a concrete wall all around the city.
(12:53):
Izzie came back from a careful exploration. We can work
enough powder under those webbing supports and lay the fuse
wire beside the plastic bring that keeps it air tight,
he reported. But God help us, Governor if any Geese
s bought us. They worked through the night while Rusty
went back to requisition more explosives from the dwindling supply,
(13:16):
and while the Kit and Izzie took time off to
break into a closed converter plant and find wire enough
to connect the charges, but dawn caught them with less
doun than they had hoped. Gordon went to connect a
wire and switch from the battery and coil they had installed,
but jerked backwards as he saw a suspicious guard staring
(13:37):
at him. Let him think, we're just scouting, Randolf advised.
There were suspicious looks as the group came back to
the coop, but Mother Corey waddled over to meet them.
Did you find them, cobber, he asked quickly, and one
of his eyelids flickered. Izzie answered before Gordon could rise
(13:57):
to it, not yet. Mother may have to go back
to night. Gordon left them discussing the mythical search for
certain supplies that Mother Corey had apparently used as an
alibi for their absence from the building. Sheila started to
make coffee, but he shook his head and headed for
the bed. She yawned and nodded, fingering the stitches that
(14:21):
still ran down the blanket to divide it. Then she
grimaced faintly and dropped down beside him on top of
the blanket. Her head hit his arm and she seemed
to be asleep. Almost at once. He awoke to find
Izzie shaking his shoulder. He looked down for Sheila, but
she was gone. Izzie followed his eyes and shook his head.
(14:44):
The princess took off in a car three hours ago,
he said. She said it was something that had to
be done. Gov'nor so I figured you'd know about it.
Gordon shrugged and let it pass. He found the rest
of the group ready, with mother Corey, wishing them better
luck tonight. The mother obviously knew something, but he kept
(15:05):
his suspicions to himself and gave them a cover from
the others. There was no sign of Sheila near the dome,
but inside there were guards pacing along it. Gordon spotted
them first and drew the others back if they'd found
the carefully worked in powder. The kid ducked down and
out of the car, worming his way around the building
(15:28):
that concealed them. He waited for the guard to vanish,
then went crawling forward. Gordon swore, but there was no
sense in two of them risking themselves only to attract
more attention, and at last the kid came back. He
ducked into the truck nodding wire an explosive still there,
(15:50):
Gordon asked the kid made the sound he used for
a cent. It made no sense. There was no reason
for the sudden vigilance inside the dome. We might be
able to run the wire in, Izzie said, doubtfully. Gordon
grunted and tipped them off to where it is. Probably no.
(16:10):
We'll have to do it under some kind of covering,
the way I had it planned in the first place,
only with one more damned complication. We'll pull another false
raid on the dome. As soon as we get chased off,
I'll manage to set it off while they're relaxing and
laughing at us. It smells as he told him, who
(16:31):
elected you chief martyr? Around here you'll be blown up, guv'nor,
and if you ain't, they'll rip you to ribbons for
knocking off the dome. Then he stopped, suddenly staring Bruce.
Gordon leaned forward, with Izzie's hands grabbing for him, but
he'd seen it too. Standing next to the dome was
(16:54):
Trench talking to one of the guards, and beside him
stood Sheila, with one resting on the man's elbow. He
could feel the thickness of the silence and misery in
the truck, but he pushed it away with all the
other things. Get us back, Izzie, he ordered. We've got
to round up whatever group we can and get them
(17:15):
back here on the double. They must be counting on
our original time, so they're in no hurry to remove
the powder and wiring. But we can't count on any
more time. You're going through with it, Randolph asked, doubtfully,
in one hour, and you might pass the word along
that we're doing it to save the dome. Tell the
(17:38):
men we just found out that Trench is losing and
intends to blow it up instead of letting the legals win.
Rumor would travel fast enough, he hoped, and it should
give him a few extra seconds before his force is cracked.
He lifted the switch in his hands and stared at it.
It wasn't necessary now. All he had to do was
(18:01):
reach the battery and drop any metal across the two
terminals there. If they could get back before Trench and
Sheila could remove the battery. It was a period of
complete fog to him, but it wasn't until his motley
army reached the dome, straggling up in trucks and on
(18:21):
foot that he snapped into focus again. There was no
sign of Sheila this time, and he didn't look for her.
His whole mind was concentrated down to a single point,
get the dome. This time, there was no scattering of
municipals and legals. The municipal forces were rushing up toward
(18:42):
the dome, and surprise legals were frantically arriving in trucks.
There was the beginning of a pitched battle right at
the spot where Gordon needed his own cover. It made
no sense to him, and he didn't care. He marched
his men up with a thin wheeling of a band
she in his ears dome warning as he shouted in
(19:04):
his ear hear that siren. Guv'na means they're scared. We
may do it. Give me that damned switch. He grabbed
for it, but Gordon held firmly to the copper strap.
And now the men inside caught sight of the approaching force.
For a second, consternation seemed to rain. Then a huge
(19:25):
truck with a speaker on top drove into the struggling group,
and the thin whisper of unintelligible words reached Gordon. The
whole development made no more sense than any part of
it to him. But he saw the municipals and legals
suddenly begin to turn as a single man to face
the outside menace that had crept up on them while
(19:47):
they were boiling into a fight. And suddenly the mar
speaker over the entrance blasted into life. Get back. The
dome is mined any man comes near it. At a
blow by Gordon's side, a sudden gurgling sound came from
the kid. His hands snaked out, caught the strap from
(20:07):
Gordon's hand and jerked it free. Then he was running
frantically forward. Rifles lifted inside and shots rang out, clipping
bullets through the dome, and one place it began to tear,
and there was a sudden savage roar from the men
around Gordon. He had started forward after the kid, but
(20:28):
Izzie was in front of him, holding him back. The
kid stumbled and slid across the ground, while blood spurted
out from a gash across his head, and the helmet
fell into pieces. Then with a jerk, he was up.
His hand reached out, the strap hit the terminals, and
(20:48):
where the dome had been a clap of thunder seemed
to take visible form the webbing straps broke, and the
dome jerked upwards, twisting outwards and then falling into ribbons.
The shock wave hit Gordon, knocking him from his feet
into the crowd around him. He struggled to his feet
(21:09):
to see helmeted men pouring out of the houses around
and other men pouring forward from his own group. The
few of either police force still standing and helmeted broke
into a wild run, but they had no chance. The
mob had decided that they had mined and exploded the dome.
He turned back toward the coop, sick with the death
(21:32):
of the kid and the violence. For once he'd had
more than his fill of it. Then a small truck
drew up, and an arm went out to draw him
inside the cab. He steered unto the face of Isaiah
Trench and driving the truck with Sheila, your wife took
a hell of a chance, Gordon, Trench said heavily. And
(21:53):
I took quite a chance too, to set this up
so nobody could ever believe you were behind it. Getting
when that fight started in time after you first showed up.
Oh sure, we spotted you was the toughest job I
ever did. But I guess Sheila had the roughest end,
not even knowing for sure where I stood. Gordon stared
at them slowly, not quite believing it, even though it
(22:16):
was no crazier than anything else during the past few hours.
Trent shrugged. I was railroaded here by security, told to
be good and they'd let me go home. A lot
of men got that treatment. So when Waine was still
talking about building a perfect mars Port, I joined up.
He treated me right, and I took orders. But a
(22:39):
man gets sick of working with punks and cheap hoods.
He gets sicker of killing off a planet he's learned
to like. I learned to take orders, though, and I
took them until Wayne tried to put a bullet through me.
That ended that, and I came out to join up
with you. You were sauced, I hear, but your wife
(23:00):
guessed enough to take the chance of coming to me
when she thought you were going to get yourself killed. Well,
I guess you get out here, he indicated the coop.
Gordon got down, followed by Sheila as Trench took the wheel.
What happens to you now, Gordon asked, they'll be blaming
you for the end of the dome let them. I
(23:22):
planned on that two bed trench got torn to bits
by the mob, isn't it. And it's a good thing.
I've always kept myself a place under a safe incognito
out in the sticks. Got a wife and two kids
out there that even Waine didn't know about. He stuck
out a hand. You're like security, Gordon. You do all
(23:43):
the wrong things, but you get the right results. Good Bye.
Sheila watched him go, shaking her head. He likes you, Bruce,
but he can't say it men women, Gordon answered, Then
he stiffened. Coming down through the thin air of Mars
was the bright blue exhaust of a rocket. The real
(24:07):
security was arriving. End of Chapter sixteen.
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