The Black Star Passes

p for the conditions we expect to meet, and for maximum convenience and safety. I believe

. It's far nearer the sun than we are, and it gets twice the heat we do. In the long-gone time when the planets were cooling I believe Venus re

eas. What life has developed must be largely aquatic, and the land is probably far behind us in evolution. Of course, Venu

ty feet deep will be about the best dimensions. The power units will be strung along the top of the ship in double rows-one down each side of the hull. In the middle will be a series of fused quartz windows, opening into a large room just under the outer shell. We'll obviously need some source of power to

p too cool, due to the radiation of the side away from the sun,

y the usual method, will be unable to get the sun's power; they'll be shaded. For steering in space, we'll use atomic hydrogen rockets, storin

miles of us, the radar unit covering that sector will at once set automatic machine

pparatus they would need, and toward evening Fuller began to draw r

rough details of the ship and had begun the greater

there will be little strain on it. It will be weightless from the start, and the gentle acceleration

rming an orbit just within the atmosphere, at five miles a second. We'll gradually increase the speed to about ten miles a second, at which point the ship would normally fly off into space under its own

ally new. Several weeks passed before even the power units could be ordered and the first work on the ship started. Af

ses of the expedition-food supplies a

f a small molecular motion director apparatus to cool the air, and blow it through the suit. The apparatus c

nvisibility apparatus I developed as the Pirate. I wonder if it might not be handy at times to be invisible-we could incorporate that with a s

tunt might make us gods or something to primitive beings. And now that you mention it, I think we can i

uch of a secret as possible, for Arcot feared the interference of the crowds that would be sure to collect if the facts were known, and since

one defect could mean death. They calculated six weeks for the trip, and in the

equipment; the standard coils, tubes, condensers, the canned food supplies, clothes, everything that they could imagine as of possible utility. They were making the ship with a great deal of empty storage

great many spare parts, spare tubes, spare power units, spare condensers-a thousand and one odd parts. Arcot intended that they should be

t welded. The atomic hydrogen tanks were full, and under the ship's own power the o

n the floor of the shed

t called to the other members of the

e of his vision, looked in wonder to see that everything was right. They wat

for?" asked W

ruise, and I've been wondering if it

ng of that too-what ar

thinking of Alexander-he longe

aming it too-I guess we all have-but I was thinking of

ome," said Wade. "How abou

designed it. What do you suggest

t we might find people on Venus, and I would like to have a name on it that might

f when it makes its trips-it will take up an orbit about the sun-a true member of the solar s

so carefully sealed." Morey commented with a p

n fact. What more appropriate for christeni

re do that. Since we can't have the ship slide down the ways or anything, we will get inside and move it when he smashes the bottle. But in the meantime, let's have a