Derelict

Derelict

By

5
(1 Review)
Derelict by Alan Nourse

Published:

1953

Pages:

26

Downloads:

2,761

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Derelict

By

5
(1 Review)
What was the mystery of this great ship from the dark, deep reaches of space? For, within its death-filled chambers—was the avenue of life!

Book Excerpt

wn to the engine room, almost colliding with Brownie as he crossed from one of the engines to a battery of generators on the far side of the room.

"Brownie!"

"What's the trouble?"

Sabo trembled, then turned away. "Nothing," he muttered. "Just a thought." But he watched as the little man snaked into the labyrinth of dynamos and coils and wires, peering eagerly, probing, searching, making notes in the little pad in his hand.

[Illustration]

Finally, hours later, they moved again toward the lock where they had left their sleds. Not a word passed between them. The uneasiness was strong in Sabo's mind now, growing deeper, mingling with fear and a premonition of impending evil. A dead ship, a derelict, come to them by merest chance from some unthinkably remote star. He cursed, without knowing why, and suddenly he felt he hated Brownie as much as he hated the captain waiting for them in the Station.

But as he stepped into the Station's lock, a new thought crossed his mind, al

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In a world run by a military dictatorship, problem soldiers are posted to a space station out by Saturn to watch for rumored space ships that never come. But one day a huge derelict ship shows up that could only be from another star implying an interstellar drive. The Earth has no such drive, and the disgraced captain of the station sees his chance to redeem his career by delivering the drive to his masters.

Two or three nice characters and a plot that kept me guessing to the end. Not very dated, though the way they stopped the ship seemed not to take into account inertia.

Good story.