Islands of Space

end Arthur Morey, president of Transcontinental Airways,

lding. Arcot, Wade, Morey, and Fuller had brought the equipment in from the country place in Vermont a

three-dimensional television screen several floors abo

," explained Arcot, junior. "We could have surrounded the thin

rehand; like magic, they'll be more ast

meras began to operate, and

unded by a ring of relux, and a series of points of relux aimed into the crucible. These points and the ring were grounded. Inside the crucible was a small ingot of coronium, the strong, hard, Venerian metal which melted

solid beam of brilliant bluish light shot out from the projector, a beam so brilliant that the entir

r, only to be cut off by the relux liner, which, since it was ro

white in quick succession, then suddenly slumped

d furiously. The slowly rising vapors told of the rapid boiling, and their settling showed tha

ze of blue flame that swept in a cyclonic twisting motion inside the crucible. The blaze of the arc, the intense brilliance of the incan

blue violet glare of the relux plate had subsided to an angry red. The violent arcing had stopped, and the meta

s a physicist, I should say it was impossible, but if it did happen, I should imagine these wo

younger man. "The next on the program is a little more interesting, pe

bots. On the screen, a machine rolled in on caterpillar treads,

ig electromagnet was set up directly behind the relux plate. The magnet leads were connected, and a coil, in the form of two toruses intersecting at right angles enclosed in a form-fitting relux case, had been

y out of the room, and Arcot turned on the magnet and the ray proj

nto the coil," he explained, "so there's n

relux plate, the needle pointed steadily at twenty-two. Arcot change

intensity increased, and the air in the path of the beam shone with an intense blue. The relux plate, sub

tch into the coil now," sai

n remained steady. The heavy coronium spring grew warm and began to glow dully, while the ammeter dropped sli

coronium resistor is increasing its resistance, but otherwise there is little increase in the back E

justments in the controls, then turn

meter still

nty thousand volts," the elder Arc

torus coils," said Arcot junior. "It's getting dark in t

of the things behind it, oddly blurring their outlines. In a moment, the images were comple

in that coil and there seems to be no limit to how much power we can get into it. Just from the power it c

ther. Watch." He threw another switch which shorted around the coronium resistor

but an indirect reading from the magnetic field in that

de of the screen. Suddenly, he shouted: "Cut it, Arcot! The conductor

o a switch. A relay slammed op

l held its field of

w. The spectators watched the screen in fascination as the robot drew back its arm and hurled the pliers at the black field with all its might. The pl

ke the ordinary induction coil, it isn't necessary to ke

ndy little gadget, isn't it?" He shut off the rest of the ins

n is over. Got an

would produce an effect like that is a stream of positrons-or contraterrene

ce; here you can actually see the strain in space." Then he smiled at his son. "I see my ex-laboratory assistant

ack and nodded

heets on that process. I'd like to work out

-I'm more interested in the mathematics of finance. We have a proposit

e, and Morey to discuss the science of it with the two older men, and

ed vacantly at the ceiling. They were seated now i

s for close to a billion dollars and finance the expedition independently, or you could, with your names, request the money publicly and back it that way." He pau

ble to put up a fair scrap anywhere. Also, I have never detected any signs of feeblemindedness

d the elder Dr. Arcot, "but I should like

ade. "Name? Oh,

important oversight. If a crew of men can overlook so f

going to call it,

gested Morey. "It will stil

ot. "We aren't going to stay in this system-not e

ke that. Or, better yet, call it Fluorine! That's everywhere in the universe and the most active element

the elder Morey. "

d-I like the idea-but it lacks ring." He paused,

one, all,

a wide,

saint to

l in a

ere the bright points of light that were the stars of

h no man can imagine-alone-alone where no other man has been; alone, so far from all matter, from all mankind, that not even light, ra

r." He paused. "'Alone' will certainly be ri

agree. The Ancient Mariner. It's

opted una