They walked until they came to a ragged-edged opening that had been cut in a huge conduit. "This is our golden highway," said Packer. "It's a vent shaft that runs the whole circumference. We've had to make a few alterations in design, but it serves its purpose."
They stepped inside where a small electric maintenance cart was waiting for them. "Kalnikov will take you to command central. I'll wait here for the others. They should be coming along any time now. I want to make sure nothing goes wrong."
Spence got in the cart and they were off; the single headlight threw its beam into the darkness of the round, seamless tunnel.
After a journey, which he guessed was at least a quarter of the way around the station, they halted and got out and went into another tube with a ladder inside it. They climbed down the ladder to the next level and continued their way, finally arriving at a tiny room littered with tools and materials and scattered pieces of various machines.
"What happened here? Explosion in the spare parts bin?"
"We have not, for obvious reasons, been able to call housekeeping to properly furnish our little nest. We thought you would desire freedom over pleasant surroundings."
"I'm not complaining, believe me. It looks great. Small, but great."
"We thought you'd like it."
"What happens now?"
"That we will have to see about. Our first objective was to get you prisoners free. Nothing has been decided beyond that."
"Have they taken over then?"
"No-not yet. Not officially, anyway. There has been no announcement, no overt actions. For most citizens everything continues as normal."
"Most?"
Kalnikov smiled proudly. "There is a small but efficient cadre of enlightened individuals." He favored Spence with one of his bone-rattling back slaps. "Welcome to the underground, Dr. Reston!" …
WITHIN THE HOUR THE little room under the docking bay was crowded with people talking excitedly and loudly.
Adjani had joined them first, followed by Gita and Director Zanderson. "Where's Kyr?" Spence asked. The cadets who had brought the last of the prisoners just shook their heads.
"You got someone else with you?" asked Packer.
"Yes," said Spence. "A… uh, friend."
Packer regarded Spence suspiciously, but did not press for details. "Then they've taken him somewhere else." He turned to his cadets. "All right, you shuttle jumpers, clear out. Keep your eyes open and watch your exits, and scramble your trail. We can't be too careful. Now get going; I'll be in contact as soon as we figure out what to do next."
The cadets, grinning with high spirits at the adventure they were on, left silently and swiftly. "Now then," said Kalnikov. "To business."
"Right," agreed Packer, looking at Spence and Adjani. "But first I think you two have some explaining to do."
They all sat down at a conference table that had been hastily set up in the cramped service area. Kalnikov took the head chair and Packer sat at his right hand. Spence, Adjani, Gita, and Zanderson filled in around the table. Director Zanderson, when an offer was made to allow him to resume command of the station, replied, "As long as those maniacs are in power, I have nothing to control. I'm not a guerrilla fighter, gentlemen. Please, let's not stand on false ceremony. You, Kalnikov and Packer, are in charge-we'll keep it that way."
"We accept your recommendation, Director," said Kalnikov. "Now I would like one of you to tell us exactly what we're up against. We have been working at somewhat of a disadvantage up to now."
All eyes turned toward Spence and Adjani, and they began to relate all they knew of the Dream Thief and his plans of world domination. The others sat spellbouned as the incredible tale unfolded.
"… Dream Thief is dead," Spence concluded. "We saw him die. Apparently, Hocking has usurped power from his master and is now bent on carrying out his own schemes here aboard the station."
"That makes sense," agreed Kalnikov at length. "We suspected the rebels on Gotham were receiving orders from someone on Earth. We had no idea who it was. Who is this Hocking?"
"A madman."
"And a twisted genius," added Adjani. "He will stop at nothing to achieve his aims, and he has in his possession a machine to make those aims a reality."
"What sort of machine?" asked Packer.
"It's called a tanti. Most simply described, it is a consciousness-altering device once used in psychiatric medicine," explained Spence. To Packer and Kalnikov he added, "You won't have heard of it. In fact, Adjani and I have never actually seen it, but it exists and it is somewhere here on Gotham."
"And we believe," continued Adjani, "that it has been modified into a machine capable of broadcasting to entire sections of the globe, or to the whole world through the use of satellites. That is why this station is so important to Hocking. It gives him a permanent base of operation beyond reach of the world's powers."
Packer rubbed his chin and frowned. "Granting what you say is true, preposterous as it sounds, what exactly does this machine, this tanti thing-what does it do?"
"I suspect," began Spence, choosing his words carefully, "that it interacts in some way with electrical impulses in the brain. It stimulates certain cortical bodies-those normally associated with subconscious activity, for example-and imprints its own predesignated pattern of wave impulses."
"In other words?"
"In other words it shapes thought, induces dreams, manipulates the mind itself."
"Mind control," said Kalnikov.
"Precisely," replied Adjani. "Spence here can vouch for its effectiveness. We almost lost him to it."
The others regarded Spence carefully, as if trying to detect any sudden changes in him. Spence smiled grimly. "On a purely personal basis I can say that the effects are devastating. What will happen when the tanti is loosed upon the Earth… well, consider a world where half the population is driven to end its insanity in tortured self-destruction and the survivors become mindless drones serving a warped master."
The room was silent. Director Zanderson, his voice steady but tense, spoke next. "It's up to us, gentlemen. Hocking is to be stopped at once and that machine destroyed. Every moment he is allowed to continue his schemes, we are that much closer to universal chaos."
Kalnikov put his hands flat on the table. "The pieces are fitting together, yes? We will now entertain ideas for stopping this monster and his nightmare-making machine." He looked around the table at the tight ring of intense faces. "What are your suggestions, comrades?"
Hours later, the plan that was finally hammered together lacked several key elements toward making it completely foolproof. But whatever it lacked, was more than made up in barefaced audacity.
30
…
WHY WASN'T IT READY? I gave orders for everything to be ready on my arrival!" Hocking's pneumochair buzzed ominously across the floor. Ramm, Wermeyer, Tickler, and several others watched him silently, unwilling to upset him further.
"You failed-that is, we failed to anticipate your coming so soon. We were waiting for your signal. We had only a few hours' notice-there wasn't enough time," explained Wermeyer.
Hocking frowned. "My plans were, shall we say, compromised. It won't happen again! But nothing has changed. Get your men on it at once. I want the platform completed and the machine installed and ready for operation as soon as possible. Do you hear?"