NULL STAR STATION
Jack Rivers



King Cory ruled Null Star Station. 

His kingdom consisted of a ten mile diameter ball of triple hulled vanadium steel, split into three distinct sectors lying beneath each other like the skins of an onion. The outer layer was the machinery; and here men seldom needed to venture. The machines that King Cory had installed were the best of their time, and the robot mechanics that tended them had never been known to make a mistake. Beneath the machinery; the staterooms and living quarters. Together with the outer layer this sector accounted for one half of the station's entire volume. The other half was a garden. 

That, of course, is a simplification. In the garden section of Null Star Station were a thousand different ways for a man to relax. There were vast amusement halls, pools, lounges, shops, tridee parlours, casinos, gymnasiums, and - the garden. 

Cory was proud of the garden. It had been his idea, and it was the crowning glory of the whole station. A mile across, three miles long, half a mile high, it stretched across the dead centre of the vast steel ball that was Null Star Station. Weird trees from all sections of the Galaxy dotted it's park-like expanse, pools of water rippled to fountains that spurted high in the low artificial gravity; small, furry animals peered around the boles of twisted trees and a simulated sky stretched bluely overhead, complete with blazing yellow sun that sunk steadily towards the horizon, vanishing every twelve hours, to give a similar period of darkness. When you were in the garden it was hard to realise that you were ten thousand light years from Earth, aboard a strange space hotel that orbited a... something. And, in the centre of the garden was the zerogee lounge. 

This was Cory's favourite spot, and, if you were looking for him you always looked here first. So it was that on the fifth day of January, 3425 A.D. he was floating next to the suspended bar, a straw from his mouth connecting to a globule of orange juice (he never drunk anything alcoholic) talking to Len Taylor, who had known Cory when he'd lived on Earth, and had come out to see how he was making out with his new venture. 

"There's an art to drinking liquids in zero gravity, Len," Cory commented as he sucked on his straw. "Now if I was to suck this too hard I'd draw the orange juice up the outside of the straw as well as the inside, and it'd spatter all over my face. While it's got no contact with any solid object, surface tension keeps it in a nice neat ball, but immediately it makes contact with my face - blooey - a rare mess." 

Taylor glanced around the lounge with it's panorama of floating ornamentation. "No wonder Null Star Station's a success," he said. 

Cory grinned. "Yep. Fifteen thousand paying guests in our first full year. We ought to double that figure this year, too." 

"No wonder. This place is the most luxurious holiday spot this side of Sol. A body can come here and really lap it up." 

Cory nodded, sucking again at his globule of liquid. "And, of course, there's the added excitement of our - um - companion." 

"Nullstar, you mean?" 

"Yes. It's strange. They can't see it, they've got no way of knowing it's there at all, unless they're scientists with all the gadgets, but it still draws them like moths to a flame. If it wasn't for Nullstar, Len, this project'd be a dead duck, no matter how luxurious our facilities. I wonder why it attracts them?" 

"The fatal fascination of the unknown? Damn it, I can feel it myself. I know it's out there, not ten million miles away, but yet it's not. It's an eerie feeling, like eyes staring at you from behind. Don't you feel it?" 

Cory shook his head. "Maybe familiarity breeds contempt." 

"Maybe. What the hell is it, anyway, King?" 

"Damned if I know. No-one does. Mind you, there are plenty of folks willing to make guesses and set up theories to be knocked down. Started out they thought it was some kind of star - supermassive - that's how it got it's name. Now they're not so sure." 

"How come they found it? I mean, you can't see it, not like an ordinary sun." 

"Pure fluke, Len. There may be thousands of these things dotted all over the Galaxy, but this one's the only one we've discovered so far. You may not know it, but it's almost in the centre of a triangle of suns. There's Pararrna, to the north of us, Vellarin to the south-east, and Drig to the south-west. Well, they're old systems, and were settled, and trading with each other, long before Nullstar was discovered. With ships flying to and fro all the time, they knew the exact distance separating these three suns, of course. But when they flew past this section of space that distance was suddenly increased - not much, but enough to notice. It was as if something had warped the fabric of space. After they'd co-ordinated their readings, they pinpointed it's position, and plotted it's path across the Galaxy. It's out there, not a million miles away from us, crossing the Galaxy at about thirty two miles a second, and our orbit takes us right along with it." 

"Yet we can't see it, or feel it's influence." 

"No. Whatever it is, it's something with strange properties. It's folded space around it, and instead of light waves, electromagnetic waves, and gravity fields going past it, or through it, or across it, they're bent round it. Gives it the gift of complete and utter invisibility and undetectability, apart, of course, from it's effect on the surrounding space. And, of course, no ship can ever land on it. Whatever it is bends light bends the paths of spaceships, too. A hypermassive star might have some of the properties our friend out there has, but I don't think it's a star." 

"Oh. What's your theory, then?" 

"I think it's a spaceship, Len." 

"Uh? A spaceship?" 

"Yep. Look. Suppose there's some race that's discovered a way of beating the light barrier other than by the Hoffman drive. Suppose they never discovered that, but found a better way. Suppose they could take their ships right out of our universe, and you must admit that Nullstar's done that, and into a pocket universe of their own, where different laws applied." 

"But, hang it, it's only doing 32 miles a second. Snail's pace. It'll take aeons to cross the Galaxy." 

"To us, yes. But supposing the time rate's different in their little universe? A million of our years might be an instant to them. True, the outside universe would still be growing old while they were travelling, but maybe that doesn't matter to them - maybe they've no wish to go home. Maybe their home's way across the universe." 

Taylor fiddled with his drinking straw. "Just suppose you're right. what can we do about it?" 

Cory shrugged. "Nothing. But it's a fascinating theory, you must admit. And if I spread the rumour around the station - just once every so often - the crowds come even thicker." 

Taylor guffawed heartily. "You're a cunning devil, King," he chortled. "A spaceship. Yes, I can see that'd draw in the customers, all right. What a businessman." 

"Don't think it's just a ruse though, Len," Cory said, drawing the last few drops of his drink globule up the straw. "I really do believe that Nullstar IS a spacecraft of some sort." 

"Oh well, right or wrong, we will never know," Williams stated. "I think I'll go for a turn in the gym." 

Cory nodded as his companion pushed himself towards the edge of the weightless lounge. "Yes," he agreed, "it's as well to stay fit. I sometimes wonder if I don't spend too much time in here. Zero gravity is very nice, but it leaves you a bit flabby. See you, Len." 

After Taylor's form had disappeared through the lounge's port, Cory floated by the bar, thinking to himself. He was disturbed; for the first time in many months something was preying on his mind. Taylor had dredged up the old doubts. Nullstar was out there, just a short distance away, as interstellar distances go, waiting, brooding. Of course, it might just be a strange star, whose tremendous bulk had warped space around itself, but what if it wasn't? What if the thought that kept crossing his mind was the truth, and the it was some kind of a craft, manned by - what - presumably some form of intelligent life. They might be hostile. 

He blanked his mind of the idle speculation that ran through it and pushed himself towards the door. 

II 

In the hydroponic gardens the robot gardener bent to his task. His small, skilful hands tended the growing plants, and he felt a vague mechanical pleasure when he saw that they were growing strong, their sturdy leaves a deep green, their stems tall and firm. No impurities marred the efficiency of the nutrient fluid that filled the vats in which their roots dangled. Precious oxygen gas, given off by these green growing plants, was collected from the vast chamber and supplied the bulk of the station's air supply. Carbon dioxide, exhaled by the station's guests, was recycled through here to the always hungry plant life. 

"Hi, Zoroaster," Cory called, as he made his way through a tangle of dripping nutrient pipes, his voice echoing metallically from the vast vats that clustered in this portion of the hydroponic gardens. 

"Good day," the robot answered, turning slowly. 

"Is everything okay?" Cory asked; unnecessarily, he suspected. 

"Of course," Zoroaster answered gravely. "If it had not been I should have informed you of the fact." 

Cory nodded. "Yeah. Stupid of me." He shuffled about uneasily, nibbling at his lip. The robot, though largely mechanical, sensed his discomfort. 

"Is something wrong?" it enquired. 

Cory smiled wanly. "You know me too well, Zoro," he said softly. "Fact is, I want your advice." 

If the robot had been capable of surprise it would certainly have shown it, Cory knew. The fact that it didn't move so much as a metal fibre muscle was a tribute to it's flawless programming. "YOU need my advice?" it said. "On what subject? Surely you are wiser than I by far." 

Cory chuckled. "You robots are too humble," he said. "I've got a hunch you know who's the better of us two, but you don't like to upset me by stating the obvious. No matter. Listen. I've come to you because you're by far the most intelligent robot on this station; which makes you the most intelligent anything here." 

"I don't think you-" the robot broke in. 

Cory silenced it with a wave. "You can face a problem objectively," he said, "with a mind untainted by human prejudices and preoccupations. That's why I'm asking you. Fact is, Zoro, my metal mate, that this Nullstar has got me worried. I don't know what to do. There's nothing that I can do, in fact, but I don't like it. Any ideas?" 

"Do you know of a certainty that there is nothing you can do?" the robot asked him. 

"Damn it, of course not," Cory spluttered. "It's just that I can't think of anything." He peered uneasily at the metal figure. "Are you holding out on me?" 

"I've just received some information from the observatory robots," Zoroaster informed him calmly. 

Cory eyed the robot carefully. All the stations mechanical men had a constant link between their 'brains'. When one of them discovered something new that information was immediately and automatically passed to them all. Zoroaster, being the most intelligent, acted as the co-ordinator. The fact that he also acted as the station's chief gardener only proved that robots didn't share the human dislike of manual labour. 

"What is it?' Cory asked evenly, sensing something big. 

"The proton flux has shifted two degrees towards the Nullstar," the robot said. "It is still shifting, at a constant rate." 

Cory gasped. The proton flux was a stream of charged radiation that was spewed out in a jet by a variable blue supergiant no great distance away from the station. The flux streamed past the station and would have passed through the point where the Nullstar was, were it not for the warp in space that had been created. That had been another clue in pinpointing the Nullstar's position. If the angle of deviation of the flux had altered that meant- 

"The Nullstar's spacewarp is declining in intensity," Zoroaster supplied. "In five days it will disappear entirely, assuming, of course that the rate of decline of intensity is constant." 

"What does that mean?" Cory wondered aloud. "Will Nullstar then enter normal space?" 

"My programming is inadequate to speculate on that question," the robot stated baldly. 

Cory nodded. "Yes, yes. It was only a rhetorical question, really. But in five days it may be that we shall know the answer. One thing is certain. The way that thing's acting doesn't seem to be consistent with the behaviour of a natural body." 

"The probability is that it is influenced by some force that is not natural, yes," agreed the robot. 

Cory chewed at his lip. "I must find Len," he muttered. "Come on, Zoro. Leave the gardening to one of your subordinates. I need you with me at the moment." 

Zoroaster nodded. "Very well," he agreed. "I suggest that if you wish to find Mr. Taylor we try the gymnasium first. My information is that he's there." 

Cory turned and threaded his way through the nutrient vats and overhanging pipes, making for the door, the faithful robot in his wake. 

III 

Len Taylor looked up as Cory and the robot strode into the station's gymnasium. Beads of sweat shone on his white body; in the shielded ships that plied the routes between the stars of man's empire, it was virtually impossible to get a good tan. He swung down off the parallel bars on which he had been exercising and rubbed a towel across his face as Cory walked up to him. 

"From the expression on your face, I'd sat you've got trouble," he hazarded. 

Cory nodded. "Could be," he said soft]y, "or again, it might not." He gazed around at the other people using the gymnasium. "I don't want to alarm anybody," he said in an undertone. "Can you get dressed and come up to my office?" 

Taylor's face reflected concern. "It must be hot news," he muttered. "Okay, King. Give me five minutes." 

A short while later the three of then, Cory, Taylor and Zoroaster the robot, sat in Cory's office. Taylor sat down and accepted the cigar that Cory offered, lighting up in a vast cloud of blue smoke. Zoroaster looked on disapprovingly. Taylor grinned. 

"I know it's bad for me, Zoro," he chuckled, "but it soothes the nerves, believe it or not, and I've a feeling, that from the look on King's face I'm going to need my nerves soothed." 

Cory nodded. "I'll not beat about the bush, Len," he stated. "I've got good evidence that Nullstar will emerge into normal space within the week." 

Taylor almost choked on a cloud of cigar smoke that he drew in too sharply. "What!" he gasped. "Are you sure?" He waved a hand in self-annoyance. "Of course you are, or you wouldn't be telling me." 

"Well," Cory admitted. "I wouldn't say we were one hundred percent certain, but all the evidence we have lends support to my statement. The only thing I'm not sure of is what to do about it." 

Taylor eyes slitted as he explored the ramifications of Cory's statement. "I'd say your best bet was to jet the hell out of this area in short measure," he said. "This station's only ten million miles from Nullstar, and if it comes into normal space, and is gigantic enough to have the effect it has had, it'll burn us to a tiny crisp." 

"True," Cory conceded. "But only if it's a star. If my idea's correct, and it's a spaceship, and I might say here, Len, that the fact that it's warping effect is declining in intensity would seem to suggest that it's NOT a natural body, then it can't harm us from ten million miles away, at least, I hope not, and it might be instructive to hang around and try and make contact with it." 

"At the same time risking the lives of all your paying guests," Taylor pointed out, jabbing his cigar in Cory's direction in order to emphasise his point. 

"Yes, I thought of that, and it made me unhappy," Cory agreed. "But Zoroaster's thought of a way around it." 

Taylor looked suspiciously at the robot. "Oh?" he said. 

"Yes," Zoroaster stated. "It's quite simple really. "We move the station to a distance of a hundred million miles from Nullstar, where it should be safe, and then the three of us take a ship out to the area of Nullstar's influence and wait for it to emerge." 

"Hey, now wait a minute," Taylor protested. "What's all this about the three of us?" 

"We need three to crew a ship efficiently," Cory pointed out, "and you're the only one on the station that I can trust." 

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Taylor said. "Why not use another robot?" 

Cory shook his head. "Uh, uh," he negated, "one robot in a crew of three is the maximum. Their reactions are too predictable in a crisis. Zoroaster's the only one on the station advanced enough in design to be of any use to us." 

Taylor looked distinctly unhappy. "What if we get killed?" 

"I'll take out a hefty insurance policy on you; you can name any beneficiary you like," Cory offered. 

"Oh, charming. I get killed and my unknown twelfth cousin gets the loot. No thanks." 

"Okay, skip the insurance. But think about it, if Nullstar is an alien ship, and we can make contact with them, they might have things to offer us. that could make us both rich and famous." 

"And we could be dead, too. Look, King, your argument's full of supposes. Taylor went into a deep reflection of the situation. Eventually he straightened up. "Okay, King, you win," he said. "I owe you a favour or six from the past. Anyway, I kinda like the thought of being rich and famous." 

Cory grinned. "I knew you'd come through, Len," he said. "I'll give orders for the station to be moved in the morning, after we've all got a bit of sleep. We can take a ship out before they move." 

"I hope I know what I'm doing," Taylor said. "Anyhow, one thing you haven't considered. What do we do if this goddam thing does turn out to be a ship. Suppose it ignores us?" 

"We could always go knock on the airlock," Cory stated. 

"Oh, ha ha," snorted the other. "Hawkers might not be welcome. They might set the dogs - or whatever - on us." 

Cory nodded soberly. "I admit it's a gamble," he said seriously, "but then so is life nowadays. And in this case we're playing with big stakes." 

"Hmm. Seems to me that the big stakes are all on one side," Taylor muttered. "The pot contains an unknown quantity. Still, mad I may be, but I'm with you." 

"Okay, then." Cory stood up. "Len, Zoro, I'll see you here at ten a.m. tomorrow, station's time. Len, bring enough personal belongings for a week or ten days out in space. We should know what's going to come of this business by then." 

After Taylor and the robot had departed, Cory flicked on the huge screen which covered one whole wall of his office. The lights automatically dimmed, and the blackness of space appeared on the screen. The specks of light that were the stars flickered malignantly at him as he stared. Behind him, on a similar screen which showed the rear aspect of the station's space-view, the bulk of the near spiral arm glowed brightly. Not so much as a minute distortion existed to show the position of the mysterious something that had bent space around it and cut itself off from the universe. Now it was emerging. Why? The question nagged at him as he sat there, staring at the suns of the Galaxy. 

IV 

From the outside, Null Star Station looked like a gigantic Christmas decoration. Lights twirled across it's vanadium steel hull. The portholes' were receding now, for the station was departing from it's position, moving to a new, more distant, safer location. And, at the sane time, the spaceship containing Cory, Taylor and Zoroaster the robot, was speeding in the opposite direction, the fusion flame of it's motor exhaust flaring out behind them like a flaming blue fan. Cory looked up from his study of the charts to where Zoroaster stood at the control panel. For operations such as the takeoff and setting the course, which were followed through with strict logic, and nothing left to chance, the robot was superbly equipped. If, however, the slightest element of random chance should enter the proceedings, then the robot was lost and a human had to take over. 

"How long will it take us to coast over to the vicinity of the Nullstar, Zoro?" Cory enquired. 

"At our present rate about two days," the robot replied emotionlessly. Cory found himself wishing that he could share the impassivity on that cold, hard metal face. At times like this a lack of emotion was very useful. Even with the rendezvous four days off he was conscious of his increased heartbeat, and sweaty palms. 

"Good," Taylor was saying, "that'll give us a couple of days of grace between the time we get there and the time that Nullstar emerges into our normal universe. Always assuming that it does so, of course." 

"The angle of deviation of the proton flux is still decreasing in the same constant ratio," Zoroaster put in. "All the indications are that Nullstar will emerge at the estimated time." 

Taylor grinned, but strainedely. "Have you thought about what we do when we - well, when we meet up with this thing of yours, always assuming that you're right, and it's a spacecraft of some kind?" he asked Cory. 

The station boss paused before answering, a pregnant silence which seemed ominous against the thrumming roar of the fusion motors. When, after accelerating the ship to the required speed, they cut out in the middle of that silence, it seemed all the more sinister. 

"We'll drive on over to it and see if we can establish communications with it's occupants," Cory said at last. "If we can achieve this, it will be one of the greatest moments in the history of mankind. Two cultures, meeting and exchanging information." 

"Maybe they won't be favourably inclined to us; they might not care to do a trade," Taylor pointed out. "We'd better be ready to beat a hasty retreat should the circumstances warrant it." 

Zoroaster broke in as Cory nodded tensely: "I suggest we wait and see what Nullstar is before we start worrying," the robot suggested. "It may be that there is no cause for concern." 

Cory laughed hollowly and nodded. "Of course you're right, as usual, Zoro," he said. "But it's difficult for we humans to be so damned objective. We'll try however." 

The spaceship ploughed on through the dark night of space. 

Cory had drifted off to sleep as the craft headed out towards the rendezvous point. It was warm in the confined space of the cabin, and the muted hum of the life support systems had a soporific effect. He stirred now and then as dream visions flew across his sleeping brain, but did not awake until the cold, hard hand of the robot shook him by the shoulder. 

"Wake up," it urged. "Something is happening." 

"Uh, eh- wassa?" Cory grunted, as he struggled upright, wincing at the cramp that racked his limbs. "What did you say?" 

"That damned star seems to be emerging ahead of schedule," Taylor broke in. "Look, King, out of the fore porthole." 

Cory rubbed bleary eyes and stared out into the dark void beyond the ship. All around them blazed the splendour of the Galaxy, the unwinking suns of it's Spiral arm glowing like a million fireflies out here in the domain they ruled. But, directly ahead, something was happening; something highly unusual. The stars appeared blurred somehow, as if a portion of the area had mysteriously misted over. Cory rubbed at his eyes again, but the fault was not there. The pinpoint images of the stars winked again as he looked - shifted - jerked in a mighty cosmic spasm. "'What in the Galaxy is causing THAT," he croaked. 

"Nullstar," Zoroaster replied. "It is emerging into our Universe. The disturbances accompanying it's emergence are causing shifts in the deviation of the electromagnetic radiation that it has been affecting. The blurring of the stars shows it's effect on the light rays, but our instruments show similar deviations in the path of the proton flux." 

"But what made it emerge so soon, ahead of schedule?" Cory wondered. 

"It's not ahead - not by any significant amount, anyway," Taylor stated. "Our guesses were wrong, that's all." 

"Eh? But we estimated that it would be five days before it emerged," Cory protested. "And I haven't been sleeping for four days." 

"No, no, of course not," Taylor agreed. "But you're wrong, you know, King. What we said was that it's relativistic effects - the bending of light and of the proton flux, would dwindle to nothing in five days. What we overlooked was that an object in our universe can exert these same effects to a considerable degree. Thus, Nullstar can still warp space to a vast extent without warping itself out of our continuum. It is now reaching the point where it's forces are lessening just the right amount to allow it to enter normal space and time." 

"Whew'" Cory ran his arm across his forehead, wiping away the beads of perspiration that were dripping down into his eyes. "You're right of course. Why didn't we see that earlier. Not that it'll alter our schedule any." 

"No," Taylor agreed, "except, of course, that we may be able to see our destination earlier than we thought. It may be a considerably distorted image, though." 

"Know something, Len? I'm glad you came along," Cory stated. "I suspect I'd be lost with all this mad business." 

"I'm beginning to be glad myself," Taylor said, grinning. "I'm getting to the stage where I can't wait to find out what lies at the bottom of all this mystery." 

"You may not have to wait very long for that," Cory said, his tone changing abruptly. "Look, I think that must be it," 

The three of them, men and robot stared out together at the astonishing spectacle that was unfolding before their eyes. The blurred area of space was now a twisting, gyrating, undulating blur of light in which the stars danced a crazy reel. Now and then an invisible tremor shook their craft, as if some far-off hand had shaken space like a dirty carpet. 

"It's even affecting gravity," Taylor muttered as their spacecraft lurched again. "And- Hey!" 

Cory saw at once the reason for his exclamation. In the very centre of that whirlpool of twisting space was appearing a dark blur that blotted out the disturbances that raged all about it. 

"That's it," Cory whispered. "But what is it?" 

Whatever it was, one thing was immediately apparent. This was no supermassive rogue star, for it gave off no light or heat. Dimly shining with light reflected from it's shining surface, it hung like a greyish ball against the black backdrop of interstellar space, while the disturbances that had raged around it lessened and died away. It hung in the void, silent, calm and brooding. 

"It must be immense to show up as a globe that size from this far away," Taylor gasped. "As big as a planet." 

"Funny, it reminds me of something or other," Cory said, as their spaceship hurtled on towards the object that they had known as Nullstar. "I feel that I should know what it is, and yet - it's absurd. I've certainly never seen it before. It's stupendous." 

"My recognition circuits don't help," Zoroaster stated. "The structure is not familiar to me, although I have been able to correlate certain of it's elements with other structures that I have seen elsewhere. The overall effect, however, is alien to me. It is, of course, a spaceship of some kind." 

Cory was startled by the robot's impassive announcement. Although he had held the theory that Nullstar might indeed be an interstellar craft of some new design, now that the robot had upheld his view, the reality of the situation seemed to be lost to him. "Are you sure?" he asked. 

Taylor butted in before Zoroaster could reply. "Look, King, he's right. See the specks of light?" 

Cory peered through the darkness of space at the greyish ball that hung before them. The specks to which Taylor had referred were scattered over the globe seemingly at random. The effect was not unlike a circular piece of sequinned cloth. The lights were not bright, being at the barest limits of Cory's vision. Nevertheless, to be visible at all at this distance, he reasoned, they must have been brilliant from close at hand. Big too. 

"What are they?" he muttered. 

"Windows, or ports, I'd guess," Taylor answered slowly. "There must be thousands of them. Large ones too. That ship's no baby." 

"Yeah," Cory agreed. "And I'm going to find out who - or what - is inside it. Full speed ahead, Zoro." 

"Take it carefully, King," Taylor advised him. "We don't know just what it is that we're going up against." 

"There's only one way to find out," Cory said, "and I'm going to take it. Whatever's aboard that - ship - must be so advanced that they can teach the human race no end. Think of it, Len." 

"I'm thinking of the alternative possibilities," Taylor muttered. "What if that's a colonists' ship, looking for new empires?" 

"Then we shan't escape their notice for very long anyway," Cory pointed out, "and we might learn a bit about them. If there's going to be a war, anything we can find out about our enemy should be valuable." 

"Yes, if we can get back to pass our knowledge on," Taylor said. But he knew that Cory's mind was made up. Now that their objective was in sight, some of the curiosity that has been the greatest boon of the human race since it's dawn - and it's greatest curse, was welling up inside his own breast. He stood, gazing out of the fore port, as the hours fled by and the grey globe before them loomed ever larger. 

V 

"Well, we're almost there," Cory said, his voice strained with tension. It had been over a day since they had accelerated towards the grey globe that now filled the entire fore observation port, and during that day not a thing had happened. The mystery object still hung before them, it's grey hull still speckled with the same glowing lights, new incomparably brighter than the day before, so that to stare at one of them for too long made one's eyes go funny. It was the very inaction that was preying on the minds of Cory and Taylor, and even Zoroaster seemed affected by the nervousness of his human companions, so that he never spoke, save now and again to reel off an instrument check, in a terse, clipped, metallic tone. 

"Yes, just over ten thousand miles to go," Taylor said, only speaking in an effort to break the tension inside the piloting room. "Do you think that they've seen us?" "They must have, if they've got any sort of detectors at all," Cory muttered. "What I can't understand is why they don't do anything about us." 

"Maybe they prefer to let us do the worrying," Taylor said. "Perhaps we're so insignificant to them that they couldn't give a damn about us, one way or the other." 

Cory shook his head, "I can't believe that," he said. "All intelligent creatures must possess curiosity. It's a thinking races' prime stimulus. Those beings must wonder about us. It's almost as if they suspected our origin, knew who we were, why we'd come. If almost as if we were expected visitors." 

"Of course, there might not be any living creatures inside the ship," Zoroaster contributed. "The whole thing might be automatically controlled." 

"It's a possibility," Cory conceded. "But, I don't know, it looks to me as though it was designed for human beings to live in. It's familiar, in a way, but I'm damned if I can say just how." 

"I know what you mean," Taylor agreed. "I'm dead sure I've never seen this monstrosity before, but I'm just as sure that I've seem something very much like it." He frowned. "But where?" 

"Well," Cory said, "we're too near it now to start racking our brains for an explanation that might not be there. I suggest we continue, but be prepared for trouble. Zoroaster, what weapons have we aboard?" 

"Three Solon-5S hand blasters, complete with seven recharging packs for each, and a portable cannon," the robot replied tonelessly. 

"Hmm, they're not likely to do that thing much damage," Cory admitted, "but I suggest that we take one of the blasters each, and a couple of recharger packs apiece. They might help if we run into any trouble inside." 

"Inside," Taylor yelped. "You're surely not thinking of boarding that thing!" 

"It's the only way we'll get to the bottom of this business, Len," Cory answered, seriously. "You can remain in the ship, if you like." 

"Alone? Oh no," Taylor said hastily. "I'll go with you, though I think I must be mad. That's always assuming we can get into the thing of course. What if they don't like visitors. They might not open the front door for us." 

"I think that it's open already," Cory said. "Look. Some of those lights are larger than the others. The small ones are probably portholes, as we guessed, but I'd say that the larger, brighter, ones are hatches, and hatches large enough to admit this whole ship." 

Taylor gulped. "King, be careful. In a place that big, anything could happen." 

"And probably will," Cory agreed. "But fear not. Zoroaster can lead the way. He's stronger than the two of us put together." 

The robot nodded gravely. "We are getting very near the object," it said. "I am about to start the docking procedures. Will you take over, or shall I finish the job?" 

Cory peered at the greyness before them. A large hatch swung into view as the robot altered their course slightly, matching their speed with that of the other craft. Brilliant yellow light flooded from the open hatch, now directly before them, reflecting brightly from their fore observation window. 

"You can take her in, Zoro.," Cory said, "but be careful. At the first sign of trouble, beat a hasty retreat." 

"Very well," the robot agreed. At the practised touch of it's metal fingers on the control panel, the ships nose dipped slightly, and their craft inched gently into the lighted hatchway. Cory peered ahead, trying to get some idea of what lay ahead, but the robot's shifting bulk all but blocked his view. 

"Can you see anything, Zoro.?" he called. 

"We would appear to be entering some kind of hangar," the robot's voice came back. "I am guiding us to an empty bay. There are about a dozen globular craft parked in the vicinity, of a type I do not know. There is, however, no sign of human activity." 

"Surely they must know that we're boarding them," Taylor said nervously. "It's unhuman to just sit and wait." 

"Unhuman is probably just what they are," Cory commented laconically. 

"I certainly have never heard of anything like this being built by human hands. Those globular ships Zoroaster reported don't ring a bell, either." 

"Well, if they're not human, we'd better watch our step," Taylor said, his hand tightening around the butt of his blaster. "Their motives may be entirely alien. Perhaps they're watching us right now, trying to figure out whether or not we'd taste nice in a stew." He glanced uneasily about. 

"Don't start getting the jitters now, Len," Cory admonished him. "The aliens - or whatever they are - may be quite friendly." He turned and rose from his seat as the spacecraft floated gently down to the surface of the hangar and bumped to a halt. 

"We're down," Zoroaster announced unnecessarily. 

Cory strapped on his blaster. "Right" he said, "test the atmosphere, Zoro. We'll see if we need spacesuits outside." 

Taylor frowned. "Wait a minute," he muttered. "We came in here through a huge hatch - and it was open to space. There shouldn't be any atmosphere in here at all." 

Cory looked puzzled. "No, of course there shouldn't," he agreed. "But I'm sure I heard a hissing as we came in to land, Len, as though our passage was disturbing an atmosphere." 

"There is an atmosphere," Zoroaster butted in, having examined the testing apparatus. "And it's nearly Earth normal. A trace more oxygen than our own air, maybe." 

"Well, that certainly won't hurt us," Cory stated. 

Taylor scratched at his brow. "I don't get it," he admitted. "How come this place can hold air, when there's a two hundred yard diameter door in it, open to the vacuum?" 

"That I can't say," Cory replied, "but we must accept it as a fact." The door hissed open and he passed out of the spaceship, descending a short ladder to the floor of the enormous hangar in which their craft was now parked. He turned to the others as they followed him down. 

"Look at the entrance," he said, simply. 

The others gazed back at the vast hatch through which the ship had entered the huge grey globe, expecting to see the dark void of interstellar space. Instead a steady golden light met their gaze, shining brilliantly, lighting the whole interior. 

Taylor's brow puckered into a deep frown. "What's that?" he asked. 

"I can't say exactly," Cory admitted, "but I'll have a good guess. You remember how bright that hatchway was as we approached this globe. Well, it looks just as bright from the interior as it did from space, so the source of the brightness must be something stretched across that hatchway itself. And I'll bet that whatever it is that shines so brightly, it's the same thing that keeps the air in this place." 

"A force field of some kind," Taylor suggested. 

Cory nodded. "It certainly seems like it. But it's a vast improvement over the ones we've got. True, we can utilise gravitational force to give us a kind of shield effect, to imprison gases, etc., in a tiny area. But this not only imprisons the atmosphere of this ship, but allows unimpeded progress to things the size of our spaceship." 

"Looks as though they're more advanced than us, then," Taylor muttered uneasily. 

"This huge globe should've told us that, Len," Cory pointed out. "But, as we're here, unattended, as it were, let's have a look at some of those globe ships parked over there. Who knows, we might learn something." 

"Their controls may be too alien to give us even the slightest clue, King," Taylor intervened. 

"Probably are, but there's no harm in taking a closer look," Cory said. He walked over to the nearest of the globe ships, the others trailing behind him, Taylor glancing back every now and then to ensure that they weren't being followed. Cory drew up with a whistle of surprise. 

"Hey'" he exclaimed, halting at one of the globular craft. "Well, if that's not a turn-up for the book-" His voice trailed away in astonishment. 

Taylor pressed closer. "What is it?" tie asked. 

The other man pointed to an inset panel on the hull of the ship. "See what that says?" he enquired. 

Taylor nodded. "Yes. It says 'Air-lok kontrol: Depres red buton and wate thre sekonds.' But what- My God, it's more or less in English!" 

"Yes," muttered Cory, his tone strained. "And that means that this huge thing is Earth-designed after all. But who in the Galaxy possesses the sort of knowledge to produce something like this?" 

Taylor's finger was on the red airlock control button. "Shall we go inside and take a look around?" he asked, gripping the butt of his gun. 

Cory shook his head slowly. "No," he answered. "I doubt that the interior of one of those ships'll tell us much. I think we'd do better to press on and see if we can find a way out of this hangar. If we can get to some kind of control area we might find a clue." 

"Yes, if the inhabitants of this thing don't find us first," Taylor said. "Besides, King, this globe is so vast that we could literally wander about in here for years without finding a particular area of it." 

"True enough," Cory admitted. "I'm banking on the people that run this thing finding us and giving us a few explanations." 

Taylor was startled. "Eh?" he squawked. "You mean you WANT them to find us?" 

Cory nodded. "Now that I have a better idea of what we're up against I feel a lot happier," he admitted. "I can understand human psychology - if they're unfriendly we can play them at their own game. But, being as knowledgeable as this globe would seem to indicate, they ought to be friendly." 

"I've heard that argument before, but it doesn't always work that way," Taylor muttered. "Anyway, where do they come from, that's what I'd like to know?" 

"Must have been working hidden away in some distant, unexplored region of the Galaxy," Cory said. "Anyhow, we'll soon find out." 

"I think I can see the exit," Zoroaster called. "Over behind that row of parked ships. A door. Can you see it?" 

"Yes," Cory said, moving in the direction that the robot had indicated. "Let's see what's behind it." 

The three of them walked slowly and warily across the hangar to the man-sized door which Zoroaster had discovered. It proved to be unlocked, and led into a long, bare corridor with a single door a few hundred yards on, down at the far end. 

"Looks as though we haven't got much choice as to our next direction,'' Cory stated, moving down the corridor. The others followed. 

They came to a halt before the featureless metallic door which marked the end of the corridor. Taylor pulled his blaster from it's holster, and Cory caught at his arm. 

"Careful, Len," he warned. "We don't want to give them any cause for hostile action." 

"If they're gonna be hostile," Taylor retorted, "they won't need any cause. Come on, we've come this far, let's go on." 

Cory pushed at the door which opened easily enough, and, in accordance with the plan that they had worked out on the ship, Zoroaster passed through first. As Cory followed the robot he found himself in some kind of reception room. Music played softly, and motion pictures of green and pleasant worlds played eerily on pastel coloured walls. But that was not what made Cory draw up in astonishment. For seated directly before them was a man, and, as they entered, he smiled gently and held out his hand in greeting. 

"Good day, Cory, Williams, Zoroaster," he greeted. "My name is Ben Waters. I hope I have perfected your version of our common language. Allow me to welcome you to Null Star Station." 

VI 

Cory gaped incredulously. "Null Star Station?" he muttered at last. "But I don't understand. We've just come from-" 

Waters smiled. "Yes, I can appreciate your bewilderment," he said, "but please, be seated, and allow me to shed a little light on the matter. Drink?" 

"No thanks," Cory said, sitting slowly. "An explanation will do for a start, I think." 

Waters nodded. "We owe you one," he admitted. "You see, I know you and your companions have come out here from Null Star Station, to investigate certain phenomena. I know all about you, from birth to the present. In fact, I know more than yourself, for I know your future, too." 

Cory groped in the darkness for some kind of reason. "The future," he stammered. "Then you are from- from-" 

"From the year 4537 A.D.," Waters supplied. "Over a thousand years in your future. You see, we had to come back. Our guests wanted an opportunity to meet our founder." 

"Founder? Then this is- You mean to say that this-" 

"Yes. This huge globe, two thousand miles in diameter is Null Star Station, 46th. century style," Waters agreed. "Larger than your own ten mile ball, but a logical progression from it, I assure you." 

"Zoroaster said that certain elements of this thing were familiar," Taylor pointed out, "and both of us felt a nagging sense of recognition. No wonder, we were all comparing it to our own Null Star Station." 

"Let me tell you the story of this station up to my time," Waters offered. "It began, as you of course know, Cory, with your own establishment, catering as a sort of super-luxurious space hotel to the rich and influential of the Galaxy. Because it DID cater to the rich and influential, it grew in prosperity and influence over the years, and I think I will not be giving away any secrets of time if I tell you Cory that both you and Williams will die very rich men, after a long and fruitful life span. Still, to return to my narrative." 

"Shortly after this present day, Nullstar vanished. This, of course, will not surprise you as it will merely be this globe returning to it's own area of time. I need hardly say that I must ask you to keep Nullstar's real nature secret. You will, I am sure, be able to think of some alternative explanation for your absence from the station. It will benefit your business interests to keep the nature of Nullstar a secret too, for half the interest of your hotel is the mystery that surrounds it. Even after it is gone, people will still flock to the station in the hope that it will someday return. 

"Anyway, some seven hundred years after your own time, Null Star Station had grown to it's present vast dimensions. It was a pivot of influence throughout the entire Galaxy, out to the Magellanic clouds. It's owners, some of them your own descendants, were rich beyond their dreams, and their influence guided the course of the Galactic Empire. 

"Then, round about 4200, time travel was invented. At first only a few pounds of apparatus could be sent back a few seconds, but, as in all fields of science, the process was refined, and the apparatus improved, until any size of object could be sent back as far as was desired." 

"This time travelling was, however, one-way only. It was found that it was impossible to travel into a future that did not yet exist, and so men were limited to explorations in the past centuries. There is an interesting effect to be observed here, incidentally. If a time-traveller departs from say, noon on Dec. 1, 4231, and goes back a million years, in which era he remains for one day, then he can return to a time not more than one day greater than that at which he departed; in this case I am using, it would be noon, Dec 2, 4231. Of course, he can drop off anywhere along the way if he so desires." 

"What about paradoxes?" Taylor wanted to know. 

"There are none," Waters said. "For some reason we have found that events which have already happened cannot be altered. No matter what one does they still come to pass. The past is unalterable. In any event, no-one has yet seriously tried to alter events; we have been purely observers." 

"You say 'we', implying you've travelled a lot in time," Cory said. 

"Yes," Waters answered, "When time travel was finally perfected, about 4357, Null Star Station, being one of the most influential bodies in the Galaxy, had the power to see it used as the owners wished, and they soon found a novel application of time-travel." 

"You see" the man from the future continued, "the guests at the station were becoming bored. They realised by now that Nullstar, whatever it had been, was gone for good, and there was nothing, apart from it's reputation, that made the station any better than one of hundreds of it's competitors, which had spread all across the Galaxy. So it was fitted with time travel apparatus, and now functions as a gigantic time machine, ferrying the paying guests across all the ages of the Universe, and delivering them back to their own times a few weeks later. Our passage sets up relativistic ripples, distorting the areas of spacetime through which we pass. Nullstar, as you called it, was the ripple effect of our journey back ten centuries or more." 

"And you say that you came back to see - me?" Cory asked. 

"Yes. Our guests took a vote, and we thought that it would be fun to go back and see the station when it was young, and also to meet the famous King Cory, and his friend Len Taylor, who occupy a very special place in our history." 

Cory laughed suddenly. "Come on, then," he said. "Since you've come such a long way for the pleasure, we can hardly refuse. All the mystery over Nullstar - all the worry - if only we'd known." 

"If you had known," Waters said, "you wouldn't be here. Think of it this way; it's only due to Null Star Station - or it's effect, I should say - that Null Star Station was built in the first place. Time is a mysterious thing, gentlemen." 

And Cory, Taylor, and even the implacable Zoroaster had to admit the truth of that statement, as they strode through the station, to meet the people of the future to whom they were long dead heroes. 


 


 
 