Star Born | Page 6

flights, when the secret of the overdrive
had not yet been discovered, when any who dared the path between star and star had
surrendered to sleep, perhaps to wake again generations later, perhaps never to rouse
again? He had seen the few documents discovered four and five hundred years ago in the
raided headquarters of the scientific outlaws who had fled the regimented world
government of Pax and dared space on the single hope of surviving such a journey in cold
sleep, the secret of which had been lost. At least, Raf thought, they had escaped the actual
discomfort of the voyage.
Had they found their new world or worlds? The end of their ventures had been debated
thousands of times since those documents had been made public, after the downfall of
Pax and the coming into power of the Federation of Free Men.
In fact it was the publication of the papers which had given the additional spur to the

building of the RS armada. What man had dared once he could dare anew. And the
pursuit of knowledge which had been so long forbidden under Pax was heady excitement
for the world. Research and discovery became feverish avenues of endeavor. Even the
slim hope of a successful star voyage and the return to Terra with such rich spoils of
information was enough to harness three quarters of the planet's energy for close to a
hundred years.
And if the RS 10 was not successful, there would be 11, 12, more -- flaming into the sky
and out into the void, unless some newer and more intriguing experiment developed to
center public imagination in another direction.
Ref's eyes closed wearily. Soon the gong would sound and this period of rest would be
officially ended. But it was hardly worth rising. He was not in the least hungry for the
concentrated food. He could repeat the information tapes they carried dull word for dull
word.
"Nothing to see -- nothing but these blasted walls!" Again Wonstead's voice arose in
querulous protest.
Yes, while in overdrive there was nothing to see. The ports of the ship would be sealed
until they were in normal space once more. That is, if it worked and they were not caught
up forever within this thick trap where there was no time, light, or distance.
The gong sounded, but Raf made no move to rise. He heard Wonstead move, saw from
the corner of his eye the other's bulk heave up obediently from the pad.
"Hey -- mess gong!" He pointed out the obvious to Raf.
With a sigh the other levered himself up on his elbows. If he did not move, Wonstead
was capable of reporting him to the captain for strange behavior, and they were all too
alert to a divagation which might mean trouble. He had no desire to end in confinement
with Morris.
"I'm coming," Raf said sullenly. But he remained sitting on the edge of the pad until
Wonstead left the cabin, and he followed as slowly as he could.
So he was not with the others when a new sound tore through the constant vibrating hum
which filled the narrow corridors of the ship. Raf stiffened, the icy touch of fear tensing
his muscles. Was that the red alarm of disaster?
His eyes went to the light at the end of the short passage. But no blink of warning red
shown there. Not danger -- then what-?
It took him a full moment to realize what he had heard, not the signal of doom, but the
sound which was to herald the accomplishment of their mission -- the sound which
unconsciously they had all given up any hope of ever hearing. They had made it!
The pilot leaned weakly against the wall, and his eyes smarted, his hands were trembling.

In that moment he knew that he had never really, honestly, believed that they would
succeed. But they had! RS 10 had reached the stars!
"Strap down for turnout -- strap down for turnout --!" The disembodied voice screaming
through the ship's speecher was that of Captain Hobart, but it was almost unrecognizable
with emotion. Raf turned and stumbled back to his cabin, staggered to throw himself once
more on his pad as he fumbled with the straps he must buckle over him.
He heard rather than saw Wonstead blunder in to follow his example, and for the first
time in months the other was dumb, not uttering a word as he stowed away for the
breakthrough which should take them back into normal space and the star worlds. Raf
tore a nail on a fastening, muttered.
"Condition red -- condition red -- Strap down for breakthrough--" Hobart chanted at them
from the walls. "One, two, three" -- the count swung