DS02 Night of the Dragonstar Read Online Free PDF

available for interception proved to be one of the IASA mining vessels working the asteroid belt.
    “Kemp selected the Astaroth, which immediately dispatched a surveying/prospecting craft nicknamed a snipe, manned by Peter Melendez and Charles O’Hara. These pilots guided the small vessel along an intersect course with the approaching object, armed with an arsenal of cameras and analytical instruments. Upon close approach, they discovered that the object was an immense cylindrical spacecraft turning on its longitudinal axis. Colonel Kemp ordered the snipe to touch down on the surface of the alien vessel. This maneuver triggered defensive mechanisms that destroyed the snipe, killing its crew.
    “Attempts to initiate communication with any possible beings inside the vessel, now called Artifact One, proved fruitless. Aside from the destruction of the snipe, the alien vessel was silent. All telemetered data from the snipe’s analysis were studied to determine the best ways to overcome Artifact One’s defenses and enter the ship.
    “With the approval of the IASA’s joint directors, an expedition was prepared and the deep space probeship Heinlein was dispatched to intercept Artifact One and attempt entry. The mission was successful, and while Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Fratz and First Lieutenant Michael Bracken stayed aboard the ship, the remainder of the crew, a landing party of six, entered Artifact One.
    “Inside they discovered an encapsulated world of jungle, forest, rivers, and plateaus illuminated by a thick rod that floated in zero gee along the central axis of the gigantic cylinder. The flora and terrain appeared to be an exact model of the Earth’s environment during the Mesozoic Era. Ian Coopersmith, a tactical engineer whose specific mission was to neutralize Artifact One’s defensive systems and gain entry into the ship, was in charge of the landing party. He placed communications officer Alan Huff by the entrance hatch and led the others on a short exploratory mission.
    “They quickly learned that the alien vessel was filled not only with plant life but with dinosaurs as well. The crew was astonished to discover various species wandering about the terrain. While they watched a herd of Iguanodons feed near the edge of a lagoon, their radio helmets picked up Alan Huff’s cries for help. They returned just in time to see the crewman torn to pieces by two meat-eating dinosaurs called Compsognathus.
    “The scent of blood soon attracted larger, more ferocious carnivores, and tile landing party was scattered. My esteemed colleague, Dr. Amos Hagar, world-renowned exobiologist, was consumed by an Allosaurus. I’m sure my dear friend, well known for his after-dinner speeches, delivered a very short address on the occasion. Two other crew members, Thomas Valdone and Dr. Gerald Pohl, were killed by two Gorgosaurus, leaving only Captain Coopersmith and Dr. Rebecca Thalberg, a biomedical specialist, alive. They escaped into the thick forest, unable to gain the hatch due to the continued presence of predators. They remained hidden until the illuminating rod grew dim, creating an artificial night. Nocturnal dinosaurs drove them deeper into the primordial forest, and they became lost.
    “Colonel Kemp, understandably shocked —”
    The door opened.
    Keying out of dictation mode, the old man turned to see who his new visitor was.
    A beautiful woman, large-breasted and sleepy-eyed, walked into the room, wearing only a nightgown. Her long red hair was mussed. She yawned.
    “Oh, Long Jack,” she said, stretching. “Last night was wonderful. I’m sooooo happy I met you. Thanks so much for inviting me to visit you here at Neville Base Alpha.” She went over to kiss him.
    Neville grinned. “They don’t call me a hard science fiction writer for nothing.” He winked over at a picture of him standing with his buddies Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, and Pohl, all passed over into that great Valhalla reserved for brilliant SF