Captain Future 22 - Children of the Sun (May 1950) by Edmond Hamilton
Authors: Edmond Hamilton
Tags: Sci Fi & Fantasy
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unrivaled speed to the fact that its massive cyclotrons are of such radical design that they can produce an unprecedented output of atomic power. These cycs are one of the greatest inventive achievements of Captain Future.
The control of the Comet is essentially much like that of any space ship. The pilot sits in his chair, the main control panel in front of him. Above, easily in view, is the broad space window. Between the pilot’s knees is the space-stick and under his feet are two pedals.
The space-stick is important. It is a device to control the flow of the atomic power into the various rocket-tubes at will, without the necessity of opening or closing the individual throttle of each tube. Such individual throttles are on the control panel for delicate maneuvering and special uses, but the space-stick is in use most of the time.
When the space-stick is in upright position, all the power of the cyclotrons is directed out of the tail-tubes, flinging the ship straight ahead. But when you pull the space-stick back toward you, it cuts some of the power into the rear keel tubes, with the result that the ship zooms upward in space. Similarly, when you push the space-stick forward, some of the power is cut into the rear top rocket-tubes, which sends the ship diving downward. The farther forward you push the stick, the more power goes into the top tubes, and the steeper is your dive. Moving the stick sideward cuts power into the right or left lateral tubes and turns your ship to right or left.
Under the pilot’s right foot is the “cyc-pedal.” This controls the amount of energy produced by the cyclotrons by regulating the flow of powdered mineral fuel into the cycs. When you want their full output, you push the cyc-pedal to the floor. When you want to cut the power off, you let the cyc-pedal come clear back.
Thus, when you get warning of a meteor close ahead and want to zoom up sharply, you do two things simultaneously — you pull the space-stick sharply back, so that the power flows to the tail and rear keel rocket-tubes, and you push in hard on the cyc-pedal.
The pilot has beneath his left foot the brake-blast pedal. When this is pushed inward, it instantly directs the atomic energy of the cyclotrons into the bow or brake-tubes which project from the ship’s bow for a few inches, just beneath the fore window. Pushing in on the brake-blast pedal automatically cuts out all other tubes. To make a quick stop, you simply jam both brake-blast and cyc-pedals to the floor, which pours all the power of the cycs into a blast ahead.
These standard principles of space ship control are used by Captain Future and his companions in the Comet. They are all such consummate pilots, however, that they often ignore the convenience of the space-stick and use the individual rocket-throttles, to cut a course as close as possible.
INSTRUMENTS OF SPACE NAVIGATION
The control panel of any space ship is a bewildering sight. But that of the Comet would baffle any ordinary pilot, even if he were of Rocketeer rating. All the ordinary instruments of space navigation are on the Comet’s panel — the meteorometers that warn of distance and direction of nearby meteors, the gravitometers that indicate the pull of all bodies in space, the ether-drift indicators and main cyc-switch and auxiliary televisor screen and microphone. But also, the Comet has on its panel a variety of unusual instruments.
There’s the atmosphere-tester, an ingenious device of Captain Future which automatically takes in and analyzes a sample of any air, and shows the percentage of all elements in it. There’s the comet-camouflage switch. When turned on, it actuates a mechanism which ejects a cloud of shining ions from all rocket-tubes, concealing the Comet and making it look like a small real comet with long, glowing tail.
There’s the electroscope, one of the Brain’s pet instruments, and which has done sterling service in tracking criminals in space. It’s a
The control of the Comet is essentially much like that of any space ship. The pilot sits in his chair, the main control panel in front of him. Above, easily in view, is the broad space window. Between the pilot’s knees is the space-stick and under his feet are two pedals.
The space-stick is important. It is a device to control the flow of the atomic power into the various rocket-tubes at will, without the necessity of opening or closing the individual throttle of each tube. Such individual throttles are on the control panel for delicate maneuvering and special uses, but the space-stick is in use most of the time.
When the space-stick is in upright position, all the power of the cyclotrons is directed out of the tail-tubes, flinging the ship straight ahead. But when you pull the space-stick back toward you, it cuts some of the power into the rear keel tubes, with the result that the ship zooms upward in space. Similarly, when you push the space-stick forward, some of the power is cut into the rear top rocket-tubes, which sends the ship diving downward. The farther forward you push the stick, the more power goes into the top tubes, and the steeper is your dive. Moving the stick sideward cuts power into the right or left lateral tubes and turns your ship to right or left.
Under the pilot’s right foot is the “cyc-pedal.” This controls the amount of energy produced by the cyclotrons by regulating the flow of powdered mineral fuel into the cycs. When you want their full output, you push the cyc-pedal to the floor. When you want to cut the power off, you let the cyc-pedal come clear back.
Thus, when you get warning of a meteor close ahead and want to zoom up sharply, you do two things simultaneously — you pull the space-stick sharply back, so that the power flows to the tail and rear keel rocket-tubes, and you push in hard on the cyc-pedal.
The pilot has beneath his left foot the brake-blast pedal. When this is pushed inward, it instantly directs the atomic energy of the cyclotrons into the bow or brake-tubes which project from the ship’s bow for a few inches, just beneath the fore window. Pushing in on the brake-blast pedal automatically cuts out all other tubes. To make a quick stop, you simply jam both brake-blast and cyc-pedals to the floor, which pours all the power of the cycs into a blast ahead.
These standard principles of space ship control are used by Captain Future and his companions in the Comet. They are all such consummate pilots, however, that they often ignore the convenience of the space-stick and use the individual rocket-throttles, to cut a course as close as possible.
INSTRUMENTS OF SPACE NAVIGATION
The control panel of any space ship is a bewildering sight. But that of the Comet would baffle any ordinary pilot, even if he were of Rocketeer rating. All the ordinary instruments of space navigation are on the Comet’s panel — the meteorometers that warn of distance and direction of nearby meteors, the gravitometers that indicate the pull of all bodies in space, the ether-drift indicators and main cyc-switch and auxiliary televisor screen and microphone. But also, the Comet has on its panel a variety of unusual instruments.
There’s the atmosphere-tester, an ingenious device of Captain Future which automatically takes in and analyzes a sample of any air, and shows the percentage of all elements in it. There’s the comet-camouflage switch. When turned on, it actuates a mechanism which ejects a cloud of shining ions from all rocket-tubes, concealing the Comet and making it look like a small real comet with long, glowing tail.
There’s the electroscope, one of the Brain’s pet instruments, and which has done sterling service in tracking criminals in space. It’s a
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