The Transvection Machine Read Online Free PDF

his desk and the wall screen flickered into life. “Just in time for the noon English-language report on the Russo-Chinese network. It’s usually quite interesting.”
    The face on the screen was that of a familiar Oriental announcer, just beginning his newscast. After a few Moscow items, he reported, “From abroad comes word that the death of Vander Defoe, secretary of extra-terrestrial defense for the USAC, may not have been the tragic accident it first appeared. Rumors sweeping world capitals hint that Defoe might have been the victim of a purge by the New White House, brought about by his reluctance to pursue a hard line against the Russo-Chinese Venus Colony. …”
    “Rumors sweeping world capitals!” Tromp snorted. “Rumors dreamed up in Moscow is more like it! They’d love to make something out of this!” He snapped off the wall screen in disgust.
    Carl Crader frowned and said nothing. Instead he bent over the file Tromp had produced, glancing at the hologram that showed a clean-shaven young man with a handsome face and deep-set eyes. “This is Frost?”
    Maarten Tromp nodded. “Euler Frost, age twenty-nine, citizen of Venus.”
    Crader raised his eyebrows. “Isn’t that a bit unusual? I didn’t know citizenship was granted to Americans.”
    “Frost was involved with a revolutionary group here on Earth. He was exiled to Venus ten years ago, and took out citizenship there, since he was not welcome back here. But he proved to be just as much of a troublemaker on Venus as on Earth. He was discovered living with a Russo-Chinese girl in the forbidden Free Zone between the two colonies. He killed a soldier who tried to arrest them, and caused quite a battle. The girl was killed by our people, and Frost was overpowered. He’s been in a maximum security prison there ever since—at least until his recent escape.”
    “And you think he’s back on Earth?”
    “He could be, even without the transvection machine.”
    “We’ll check it,” Crader decided. “I’ll check Frost while you get over to the hospital and inspect that machine, Earl.”
    “Right, chief.”
    But something else was nagging at Crader’s mind. “One thing, Maarten—if this Frost did make it back to Earth, do you really think his first act would be to assassinate Vander Defoe?”
    Tromp raised himself up, putting on his act again. “The revolutionary group with which Frost was associated has declared war on computers and machines and data-collection in general. As inventor of the transvection machine, Vander Defoe would have been a prime target.”
    “But you said Frost was an exile for ten years.”
    “There is a transvection machine going through testing on Venus, remember. Defoe’s name would be known there.”
    “All right,” he said, shaking hands with Tromp. “You can assure the president that the entire resources of the Computer Investigation Bureau will be working on the case. If Vander Defoe was murdered, we’ll find the person or group who did it.”
    “That’s what we want,” Tromp said. “Whether it’s Frost or Defoe’s wife or anyone else, we want them brought to justice.”
    Later, on the way back to the rocketcopter, Earl Jazine put their mutual thoughts into words. “Chief?”
    “What is it, Earl!”
    “I don’t like that Tromp. Never did.”
    “Not too many people like him, Earl.”
    “Suppose the Russo-Chinese are right.”
    “What?”
    “Suppose the president had Vander Defoe killed for some reason. Suppose he used Maarten Tromp to do it. Where does that leave us?”
    “Well, Earl,” Crader answered, speaking slowly, “to be honest, it leaves us in a great deal of trouble. But I think you’re jumping to conclusions. There’s not the slightest trace of evidence that President McCurdy wanted Defoe removed. And even if he did, it would be much easier to fire him than to kill him.”
    “I still don’t like it. There’s something funny about it. A man dies on an operating table, and everyone