Page:Fantastic Universe (1956-10; vol. 8, no. 3).djvu/89

Rh rose like a tide along his veins, and his nerve ends pricked and jerked. The bulk beneath him became more real. His fingers met with increasingly greater resistance as he fumbled about him. Looking toward his feet, he was seized with horror. He still had the feel of them, but he could not see them. As he stared, the incredible annulment of his visible being flowed over his knees and along his thighs. His down-flung hands met only space, until they were bruised on the steadily manifesting hard surface supporting him. He felt himself being slowly dismembered, dissolved, in a whirlpool of new screaming cells and fibres. The pit of his stomach seemed to float into his head. Before he lapsed into unconsciousness, he was aware of noise and confusion, and strange odors, and hands that were like talons taking hold of him and lifting him

"Fight it! Fight it!" Dr. Walstab said hoarsely. "We must keep our own consciousness, whatever happens. Sit quiet. Sommers will come out of it At the moment, the whole thing is being re-enacted  I don't doubt he's working with some sort of mind machine there  wherever it is, whatever it is. Easy, now. This faintness will pass."

Jaguers wiped the sweat from his face. He said nothing, but his eyes were tormented.

"A thing like that " the Ace Commander was muttering. "Chris Sommers has been dead for two years two years."

"Obviously not dead," Dr. Walstab said sharply.

"Then where is he?"

Jaguers turned on him.

"You heard, didn't you? He's some place. Professor Graut  sir, isn't there anything we can do? Anything at all?"

"One thing, perhaps—yes," Graut said, rousing himself from his stupor. He did something with his right hand, and a tiny bell rang, and a man's voice said clearly: "Cartography."

"Sidbee? Graut. First, on no account am I to be disturbed. Leave contacts to me. Find out exactly what arc of sector Vibrant researched off Jupiter VIII. Roughly two years ago. Turn up her log and note the times readings for the disappearance from her of Leading Spacelectrician Christopher Sommers. Got that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Challenge Queen is in the same sector now, or closely thereabouts. Check the two positions. Hold one Spaceline clear of all traffic until you hear from me again. This is top priority. Cancel any bookings on that line and let the Director of Spacelines know what you've done, and the authority."

"Very good, sir."

Graut said presently, with a little gesture of helplessness, "But until we know where he is "

Jaguers groaned. "He doesn't know himself."