To The Stars

“We’ll have to disconnect all the power here, and that’s being taken care of right now. The engine of train three is nosed up to the last car of this train and I have been back there jury-rigging connections. There’s more than enough power for both trains. Right now Vuho is down there disconnecting the power and communication lines, but not uncoupling from the train yet. From the angle of the engine, I think that the weight of the train is the only thing keeping it from nose-diving into the swamp. Now I want you to get two 500-tonne breaking-strain cables from this tank to the engine, attach them, here and here. Then back up just enough to get them really taut and lock your treads. When that’s done we can uncouple the train, and the other tank can pull the cars far enough away to give us access. We then get two more cables onto the engine, both tanks tighten up, and on the given signal we pull her out of there.”

Lajos shook his head with concern. “I sincerely hope that you are right. But there is a lot of dead weight there. Can’t the engine help? Get a little reverse drive on the wheels?”

“Negative. There is no way of controlling them from the engine room. But Vilho can cut the brakes on and off when we ask him, he’s jury-rigged a control for that, and that’s about all we can expect.”

“No point in waiting then,” Lajos said. “We’re ready whenever you are.”

“Some more water and we start.”

It was awkward, exhausting work, made even more so by the deadly heat. Cables were hard to attach with the thick gloves of the coldsuits. They worked without a break until, bit by bit, it was done. Once the cables were attached the train was disconnected; the cables to the tank creaked when they took up the strain. But they held. The other tank had already lashed onto the front axle of the car to pull it out of the way. Because of the angle the first car had to be dragged sideways until it was clear of the engine. Impossible, normally, yet it could be done now because of the alien corpses that had caused the accident in the first place. Groaning and swaying the car was pulled across the road until it was clear. As soon as there was room enough the tank instantly dropped the cable and ground over to its position on the very edge of the road.

“All cables attached.” The signal came at last. Jan was in the cab of the second tank, supervising the ponderous yet delicate operation.

“All right. I’m rolling back to get tension on my cables. There we are. One, are you still taut?”

“I am now.”

“Good. Start pulling on the signal of go. Am I in touch in with Vilho on the brakes?”

“I can hear you, Jan.”

“Then keep your hand on the switch. We are going to get your weight on the cables. When the strain gauges read 300 I’ll signal you brakes, and that’s when you take the brakes off. Understand?”

“No problem. Just pull me out of here. I don’t feel like a swim.”

A swim. If a cable broke or they couldn’t hold the engine’s weight it would slide forward into the water. Vilho stood no chance of getting clear. It wasn’t to be thought about. Jan wiped the sweat from his face with his forearm — how could it be hot in the air conditioned tank?

— and gave the order.

“Here it comes, one. The signal is one, two, three — go!”

The engine and gear train growled as power surged to the tracks. They moved slowly backward, clanking a single tread as the cable stretched under the load. Jan watched the strain gauge as the numbers flicked over. The instant it changed from 299 he shouted into the microphone.

“Brakes! This is it! Keep it coming!”

The engine stirred, shifting sideways — then stopped. The strain went up and up, approaching the breaking point of the cable. There was a safety factor built in, more pull could be applied. Jan did not look at the readout as he applied a touch more power. The cables vibrated, shook with the stress — and the engine stirred. Rolling backward slowly.

“This is it! Keep it coming. Watch the front wheels when it come over the top and hit your power down. There it comes… now!”

It was done. Jan permitted himself one deep breath before he faced the next problem. The drowned cab and the drivers there. More weary than he wanted to admit, he pulled on his coldsuit.