Destination Moon

I

The Mojave Desert was gray with first morning light, but at the construction site lights were still burning in the office of the technical director. The office was quiet, save for petulant burbling of a pot of coffee.

Three men were present-the director himself, Doc tor Robert Corley, Lincoln-tall and lean, Rear Admiral "Red" Bowles, regular navy retired, and Jim Barnes, head of Barnes Aircraft, Barnes Tool Works, other enterpnses.

All three needed shaves; Barnes badly needed a haircut as well. Barnes was seated at Corley's desk; Bowles sprawled on a couch, apparently asleep and looking like a fat, redheaded baby; Doctor Corley paced the room, following a well worn pattern.

He stopped, and stared out the window. A thousand yards away on the floor of the desert a great ship, pointed and sleek, thrust up into the sky, ready to punch out through Earth's thick atmosphere.

Wearily he turned away and picked up a letter from the desk; it read:

Reaction Associates, Inc.

Mojave, California.

Gentlemen:

Your request to test the engine of your atomic-powered rocket ship at the site of its construction is regretfully denied.

Although it is conceded that no real danger of atomic explosion exists, a belief in such danger does exist in the public mind. It is the policy of the Commission-Corley skipped down to the last paragraph: -- therefore, test is authorized at the Special Weapons Testing Center, South Pacific. Arrangements may be --

He stopped and shoved the letter at Barnes. "If we've got to test at Eniwetok, we've got to find the money to do it."

Barnes' voice showed exasperation. "Doc, I've told you the syndicate won't put up another dime; there is no other money to be found."

"Confound it-we should have government money!"

Barnes grunted. "Tell that to Congress."

Without opening his eyes Bowles commented, "The United States is going to stall around and let Russia get to the Moon first-with hydrogen bombs~ That's what you call 'policy."

Corley chewed his lip. "It's got to be now."

"I know it." Barnes got up and went to the window. The rising sun caught a highlight on the polished skin of the great ship. "It's got to be now," he repeated soffly.

He turned and said, "Doc, when is the next favorable time to leave?"

"When we planned on it-next month."

"No, I mean this month."

Corley glanced at the wall calendar, dug into a bookcase for a well-thumbed volume, did a quick estimate. "Tomorrow morning-around four o'clock."

"That's it, then. We blast off tomorrow morning."

Admiral Bowles sat up with a jerk. "Blast off in an untested ship? Jim, you're crazy!"

"Probably. But now is the time-now. If we wait even a month, we will be tangled in some new snafu. That ship is ready, except for testing the power plant. So we'll skip the test!"

"But we haven't even selected a crew."

Barnes grinned. "We're the crew!"

Neither Corley nor Bowles answered. Barnes went on, "Why not? The takeoff is automatic. Sure, we agreed that we should have young men, fast reflexes, and all that malarkey-and every damned one of us has been trying to figure out a reason why he should be included. You, Red, you sneaked off to Moffeatt Field and took a pilot's physical. Flunked it, too. Don't lie to me;~ I know. And you, Doc, you've been hinting that you ought to nurse the power plant yourself-you've been working on your wife, too."

"Eh?"

"She wanted me to say that the syndicate would object to yOur going. Don't worry; I didn't agree."

Corley looked at him levelly. "I've always intended to go. She knows that."

"That's my boy! Red?"

Bowles heaved himself to his feet. "Shucks, Jim, I didn't bust that physical much-just overweight."

"You're in. I don't want an eager young beaver as co-pilot anyhow."

"'Co-pilot?'"

"Want to rassle me for skipper? Red, I've meant to gun this crate myself ever since the day-Lordy, four years ago! -- when you brought Doc to see me with a satôhelful of blueprints." He drew a breath and looked around. exultantly.

Bowles said, "Let's see. You for pilot; I'm co -- ; Doc is chief. That leaves nobody but the radarman. You can't possibly train a man in the electronics of that ship by tomorrow morning."

Barnes shrugged. "Hobson's choice-it has to be Ward." He named the chief electronics engineer of the project.

Bowles turned to Corley. "Does Ward hanker to go?" Corley looked thoughtful. "I'm sure he does. We haven't discussed it." He reached for the phone. "I'll call his quarters."

Barnes stuck a hand .j~ the way. "Not so fast. Once the word got out, the Commission has twenty-four hours in which to stop us."

Bowles glanced at his watch. "Twenty-one hours."

"Long enough, anyhow."

Corley frowned. "We can't keep it secret. We've got to load that ship. I've got to reach Dr. Hastings and get our ballistic calculated."

~"One thing at a time." Barnes paused, frowning.

"Here's the plan: we'll tell everybody that this is just a. dress rehearsal, but complete in all details, road blocks, rations, reporters, check-off lists, the works. Doc, you get the power plant ready. Red, you're in charge of loading. Me, I'm going into Mojave and phone Hastings. Then I'll phone the University and arrange for the big computer."

"Why drive twenty miles?" Corley protested. "Call from here."

"Because these wires are probably tapped-and I don't mean the F.B.I.! Aside ffom us three and Ward, Hastings is the one man who must know the truth -- when he figures that ballistic, he's got to know it matters."

Barnes reached for his hat. "Doc, you can call Ward now-here I go."

"Wait!" said Bowles. "Jim, you're going off half cocked. You can at least find out from here where Hastings is. You may have to fly down to Palomar and get him."

Barnes snapped his fingers. "I am half cocked, Red. I forgot the most important item-the reason why I can't use my plane myself; I need it for the Resident Inspector." He referred to the project representative of the Atomic Energy Commission.

"Holmes? Why does he need your plane?"

"To get lost in. I'm going to persuade Ned Holmes to go to Washington and make one last plea for us to be allowed to test our engine here. He'll do it; turning us down wasn't his idea. Our boy Andy will fly him in my plane-and Andy will be forced down in the desert, forty miles from a phone. Very sad."

Corley grudged a smile. "Sounds like kidnapping."

Barnes looked innocent.

"Of course Holmes will put the Commission's seal on the power pile before he leaves."

"And we'll break it. Any more objections? If not, let's get Andy, Holmes, and Ward, in that order."

Admiral Bowles whistled. "Doc," he said, "that engine of yours had better work, or we will spend the rest of our lives in jail. Well, let's get busy."