Triplanetary

cim

ction. For days the Nevian lifeboat with its three Terrestrial passengers hurtled through the interstellar void without incident, but finally the operative's fears

now!" Costigan called, and Bradley and

es of the Nevian space-ship. Nerado had traced them and was following them, and such was the power of the great vessel th

k to Tellus. Of course you couldn't get in touch wi

for my transmitter. Our only hope of reaching anybody was the mighty slim chance that our s

s flared white; but, strangely enough, their own screens did not radiate. As if contemptuous of any weapons the lifeboat might wield, the mother ship simply defended herself from th

irst understood the situation. "This is their o

stigan snapped, as he released his screens and t

t slowly to a halt. Furiously then Costigan set and reset his controls, launching his every driving force and his every weapon, but no beam could penetrate that red murk, and the lifeboat remained motionless in space. No, not motionless--the red rod was shortening, drawing the truant craft back toward the launching port from which she had so hopefully e

three suits of Triplanetary armor--the two large human figures

gan laughed, a short, fierce bark. "That is their paralyzing ray; we've

ate," Bradley argued. "Even if they can't paralyze us,

must know what these Lewistons will do, and he knows that we'll get a chance to use them, some w

ffort. Three brazen tentacles reached out through the ravening beams of the Lewistons, smashed them to bits, and wrapped themselves in unbreakable shackles about the armored forms of the three human beings. Through the door the machine or creature carried its helpless load, and out into

e transformer. "As I told you before, however, you are specimens to be studied by the College of

xamination and give you whatever information we can," Costigan suggested. "Then yo

e will take from you whatever knowledge and information we wish. In all probability you will never be allowed to return to your

unicating rooms the prisoner

far-distant Nevia the space-ship sped, where at once, in manacles, the Terrestrials were taken to the Col

hey came to know what it meant to play the part of an unknown, lowly organism in a biological research. They were photographed, externally and internally. Every bone, muscle, organ, vessel, and nerve was studied and charted. Every reflex and reaction was noted and discussed. Meters registered every impulse and recorders filmed every thought, every idea, an

were installed, together with their earthly belongings, in a three-roomed structure of transparent metal, floating in the large central lagoon of the city. There they wer

," Bradley growled, "then we're gold

tched out toward Clio, Costigan leaped. A vain attempt. In midair the paralyzing ray of the Nevians touched him and he crashed heavily to the crystal floor;