Читать книгу The Science Fiction Anthology онлайн

531 страница из 776

Half a minute later, he found one was. “Earth to Mars Rocket I. Thank God, you’re ahead of schedule. If your tubes hold out, crowd them. Two other nations have ships out now. The U. N. has ruled that whoever comes back first with mapping surveys can claim the territory mapped. We’re rushing the construction, but we need the ship for the second run if we’re to claim our fair territory. Aw, hell—congratulations!”

He’d started hammering at his key before they finished, giving the facts on the tubes, which were standing up beyond all expectations. “And get a doctor ready—a bunch of them,” he finished. “I seem to have picked up something like a disease.”

There was a long delay before an answer came this time—more than five minutes. The hand on the key was obviously different, slower and not as steady. “What symptoms, Adams? Give all details!”

He began, giving all the information he had, from the first itching through the rash and the fever. Again, longer this time, the main station hesitated.