Captain Future 13 - The Face of the Deep (Winter 1943) Read Online Free PDF Page A

blazed with fierce hope.
    “You’ve done wonders, Kim,” Moremos applauded tensely. “But now what?”
    “Now,” answered the big Martian with a flash in his eyes, “we’re going to seize the ship! Then ho for freedom!”
    “The Patrol will hunt us down no matter where we go, once they find out we’ve seized the Vulcan, ” muttered fat Boraboll doubtingly.
    “Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan,” reassured the Martian. “The Patrol will never catch up to us where I’m figuring on going.”
    Tuhlus Thuun, the hoary old Saturnian pirate, spat rial juice on the floor and demanded, “How’re we going to grab the ship? We’re locked on this deck, with Patrol men on guard outside both doors.”
    Kim Ivan grinned. “There’s another way out of here. The ship-plans showed that when this craft was a liner, it had an emergency escape-hatch leading from this passenger-deck to the top-deck. The hatch was walled shut when they made this a prison ship. But I know where it is.”
     
    HE APPROACHED a blank section of metal wall between two cells midway in the main corridor. Motioning the others peremptorily to stand back, the Martian poured his remaining purple acid upon that wall.
    The liquid hissed and burned into the metal panel. In a few moments, it had eaten out a big section. Through the hole they looked into a dark, small escape-hatch whose ladders ran up toward the top-deck.
    Kim Ivan faced the swarming, eager convicts grimly. “Now listen to me. I’m running this show, and anyone who doesn’t like that can speak up right now.”
    There was no challenge to the authority of the towering, hard-faced Martian pirate. But a shrill voice back in the throng laughed wildly.
    “It’s only that crazy Rollinger,” muttered Moremos. He viciously shoved the staring, mad-eyed Earthman back into his cell.
    “This hatch will let us out into the forepart of the top-deck,” Kim Ivan continued rapidly. “We’ll jump first on the ship officers on duty in the bridge and chart-rooms. Once we have their guns, we can overpower the others before they’re awake enough to know what’s going on. But no massacre — understand?”
    Moremos’ green face stiffened. “You mean we’re not to blast down that devil Captain Future? He and his cursed Futuremen have sent plenty of our pals to Cerberus!”
    A low growl of agreement came from the other convicts.
    “You blockheads, they are the most valuable hostages we could have aboard, if we’re not fools enough to kill them!” lashed Kim Ivan. “And we may need hostages once the Patrol starts hunting us.”
    His grim reminder silenced them. “Now come on!” the big Martian exclaimed. “If luck’s with us, we’ll pull off a feat that’ll go down in pirate history!”
    The mutineers poured up the escape-hatch after their big leader. Kim Ivan opened the unsealed door at its top, and they emerged with a sudden rush into the top-deck just behind the chart-room.
    Two pilots were on duty in the bridge ahead, and Lieutenant K’kan was checking the drift-gauges in the chart-room. The young Martian second officer turned, appalled, and then reached swiftly toward an alarm-button.
    Kim Ivan’s balled fist knocked him senseless before he could press the button. Old Tuhlus Thuun eagerly snatched up the officer’s atom-pistol.
    “Get that pilot, Grabo!” yelled the Martian leader furiously.
    One of the two pilots had evaded the Jovian criminal and his group who had burst into the bridge. The pilot, with a yell, was darting back through the chart-room to escape.
    Crash! The fiery blast from old Tuhlus Thuun’s gun cut the man down in mid-stride.
    The old Saturnian cackled. “Ain’t my aim yet! First man I’ve led down for two years.”
    “You old fool, there wasn’t any need that!” raged Kim Ivan. “I told you to —”
    Crash! Crash!
    “Where the devil’s Moremos?” cried the Martian furiously, striding hastily back toward the main corridor of the top-deck.
    Boraboll