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He calmed himself； readied his well…muscled frame to respond instantly when the moment was most conducive to success。 There might never be another chance like this。 His plan； the one Danik thought to be sheer madness； had carried him to this juncture … to a position that all the fighting in the world would not have acplished。 Here he sat in the recesses of the Government Building's inner private room； inches away from his goal。 Surrender as a way of attack。 Only Chen understood the concept。 Only Chen approved of this daring gamble。 And now； it was close to paying off。。。
Seconds counted。 Where was the king？ Rockson was sure that if Bdos Err came upon him sitting with only two soldiers guarding； he would immediately increase security。 And the chance would slip away； forever。
He waited for what seemed like eons。
Finally； Stafford entered through the guarded portal and smiled。 He wore a new greenish tunic； and his thin hair was bed back。 He looked refreshed。
Rockson stood up and made to go over and shake his hand； or something； saying with a broad grin； 〃You have a fabulous…〃 Then the Doomsday Warrior； moving like a flash； grabbed Stafford's arm。 He wrenched it behind him； put him into a hammer…hold。 〃One move for your weapons and I snap the king's neck。〃 he snarled。
The hapless Civil Guards； momentarily confused； turned their guns upon Mannerly； the manservant； who had just entered holding a tray of hors d'oeuvres。 He fell with an agonized expression； his tux burned away to a depth of six inches； his midsec… tion cremated by the twin beams of the disintegrator pistols。
〃Drop the weapons；〃 Rock said； making to strangle the king。
〃Please； please drop the weapons。。。〃 said the helpless man Rock held in a mighty grip。
The soldiers' weapons clattered to the floor。 They were both staring at the smoking corpse of the butler with something like guilt on their stupid faces。
Rockson twisted Stafford's flaccid countenance half around； and demanded； 〃The code to deactivate the safe's destruct mode … and then the bination。 Quickly： tell me or die。〃
〃I…I don't know it … I …〃
〃He doesn't know it；〃 said a familiar voice from the portal。 Rock looked over to see Stafford … another Stafford … standing there with three more soldiers； and with Bdos towering behind him。 〃He doesn't know it because you are holding a double。 I am the real Stafford。 I never returned after I went to freshen up … instead my double was sent in。 I have seen too much treachery in my magnificent life to be fooled； to be suckered。〃
Rockson played it out … he might just be really holding the correct man。 Maybe the man in the doorway was the double。 〃I warn you； I will snap his neck if …〃 Bdos Err stepped forward； and； taking one of the disintegrators from a soldier； leveled it at the man who Rock held so tightly and shot him。 It was a narrow beam of energy； aimed accurately directly at the man's chest。 It burned a hole six inches deep。 The man gagged； and his eyes rolled up。 He slumped in Rockson's grip； and steaming blood and chunks of flesh…matter came bubbling out of his lips。 Rockson sighed mightily； and dropped the body。 〃Now；〃 snarled Bdos； 〃you know which is which。〃 〃I use a double on many occasions；〃 the real Stafford smirked out。 〃And there a dozen more where that one came from。 I don't like falsehood。 I don't woe false friends。 You will be treated to the same fate that the others will have。 And I have decided … there will be no delay in your deaths。 You are too dangerous。 Too damned dangerous and cunning。
〃I have decided that the surface is even more dangerous a place than I imagined。 I planned to send the probe up to the surface at some future date。 The probe with the Factor Q canister in it； set to burst when it reaches the surface。 Now I will accelerate the pletion of the probe shaft。 The release of Factor Q will take place as soon as possible； in a matter of hours。
〃I will eliminate the life…forms above … all humans and animals。 There will be no threat from above； and the few dissenters will cease their clamoring to be allowed to leave Eden。 There will be no habitable place on Earth except Eden。
Deep in the dungeon beneath the Government Building； a bloodied Rockson； thrown in with his panions； told his tale of almost…success。
〃You tried；〃 Detroit forted。 〃You tried and almost succeeded。 It just wasn't in the cards。〃
Chen patted him on the shoulder。 〃We'll get another chance。 You have mutant's luck； remember？〃
Rockson tried to smile。 He didn't feel very lucky。 He buried his head in his hands and slumped on the cold iron bench。
In a short while the cell door clanked open； and under heavy guard； the Freefighters and Danik； all of whom were not only chained elbows…behind…the…back； but also with ankle chains that made any long strides impossible； were ushered out to the streets of Eden。
There was a timelessness about the place。 It was still broad daylight。 It was always broad daylight in Eden。
They were all force…marched to the west edge of Eden City。 The populace； gathered to watch them traverse； were encouraged to scourge them； and scourge them they did。 Rocks； whipcords； feces； bombarded the prisoners。 Finally； they reached the dome that Rockson immediately knew was that of a planetarium。
He didn't get it。 Not until Stafford came along and told them； with a sly hidden meaning lingering in his words； that 〃certain modifications；〃 had been carried out on the planetarium。 The king said； 〃Enjoy the show；〃 and left。
They were pushed and kicked； forced inside the door of the building。
They were strapped into the theaterlike seats； in the first row of the slanting auditorium； just in front of the darkened praying…mantis…shaped sky projector。
Once secured； they were left。 The doors were shut and they were immersed in total darkness。 Then slowly the stars came out。 A beautiful night。 Clear； and bright。 All the constellations； all the stars of the universe appeared； the planetarium's huge projector moving and whirring to produce the beautiful effect。
It seemed harmless。 Beautiful； as a matter of fact。 But Rockson's mutant instinct sensed death … imminent death。 How it would e； what form it would take； he didn't know。
But he knew they were about to die … and painfully。
CHAPTER 26
〃Quickly； everyone … we must free ourselves。 Spare no effort；〃 Rockson implored。
The Freefighters had seldom heard that tone of voice in their leader； and they immediately plied。 Of all of them； Rona had the best chance of success。 She had been； as a teenager； a roving circus performer； an acrobat with the entire Wallender family。 The family had toured Red…held America； putting on shows and secretly gathering intelligence for the Freefighter cause。 She was a contortionist； and the skill had served her well in the past。
But these were no ordinary shackles that could be removed by forcing a shoulder out of socket； or by any such maneuvers。
The sky began a subtle change。 They appeared to be in a rocket； the planets slipping slowly by。 The journey started out by ringed green Neptune and its panion moons。 Then they slid majestically past Uranus； seventh planet； the one with its axis tilted pletely askew to its orbit about the Sun。
The Sun。 The word set off something in Rockson's sixth sense。 Something about the Sun。。。
And he gasped。 He knew what Stafford had in mind； he knew what the modifications done to the planetarium were for。
They were in a crematorium。
Jupiter slid by； the orange globe spun serenely； the shadows of its dozen…plus moons moving across its turbulent lines of methane and ammonia clouds。 The huge Red Spot came into view； the eternal megahurricane of its equatorial regions。
They didn't have much time left。 Far off in the distance； a dim star … Sol； the earth's sun … was getting brighter。 They were plunging faster now； and faster； the gravity of the 865；000…mile…wide star that warmed all the planets of the solar system being a disk。 A hot yellow disk。
Mars and its irregular…shaped moons； the cratered lumpy Phobos and Deimos； slid by silently。 The planetarium was no longer cool。 Slowly； ever so slowly； the temperature had risen。 And that was only the beginning。
It was hard to ignore the beautiful space vista on the dome and concentrate on all one's might； all one's will； on the bindings that held them in the death building。
Earth loomed up； they passed the Moon； the beautiful panion world to the blue and white planet。 The wrecked； abandoned space platforms of the Soviet Union and the United States swept by in a flash。 The bodies of astronauts and cosmonauts eternally preserved in their punctured； scarred space…suits flickered in the imagination。
It grew hotter。 The others had now guessed what Rockson hadn't expressed to them。 They all knew that the imaginary journey through the solar system was not just a visual experience。 They knew that the place was rigged to give the heat effect of their destination … the Sun itself。
〃I'm making progress；〃 Rona shouted。 〃Just。。。 a。。。 little more。。。〃 She had painfully dislocated both her shoulders； her agony…wracked body was now able to slip down under the steel belt that held it in place on the death seat。
〃I'm out；〃 she said； and there were snapping noises and a terrible groan。 She had refixed her shoulders in place。 She hobbled along； still in her ankle chains； to the Doomsday Warrior。
Venus； the planet named after the Goddess of Love herself； slipped rapturously by the unwilling voyagers。 The heat of the burning； glaring disk of the Sun now was unbearable； but was briefly eclipsed by the crescent orb。
〃The projector； smash the projector；〃 Rock yelled。
Rona jumped up and started beating on the metal monster with her fists； then kicked it with her best shot。 Nothing。 The show went on。 She found some blinking lights and a panel…the controls。 She bootheeled them with a vicious series of downward kicks。 No result。
Rockson had the impression that they couldn't be broken。 He shouted； 〃Tear a leg loose from that steel lectern table； Rona。 Use it to pry my seat out of the damned floor。 It's bolted in〃
She acplished bashing a leg of the table loose and had started applying it as a pry…bar under Rockson when the Sun came out of eclipse。 The planet of love sailed by； no longer able to stop the heat from rising again。
It must have been a hundred and twenty degrees fahrenheit by the time Rona had half pried Rock's chair from its concrete base。 And it was far too late now for any one of them to survive。
Rockson； sweat pouring down his forehead； watched as the cratered lead…rivered planet Mercury appeared。 The closest planet to the Sun。 The Sun was the size of a giant fireball； too brilliant to look at even for an instant。 The heat was near the point that they would collapse and die； screaming their lungs out in final pain。
It was over。 The fight was over。 They were as good as dead。
The sky suddenly went utterly black。 There was a hiss … some hidden air conditioner came on。 The temperature rapidly dropped to normal levels。
The plunge into the inferno of the Sun had only been a teaser。 The main event was now ing up。 Twilight； artificial twilight； was falling。 The stars started appearing again。 The Big Dipper； the pole star； the other constellations。 The stars started slowly wheeling up from the imaginary eastern horizion。
There didn't seem to be anything dangerous。。。 Then it happened。 The red star Antares rose； the jewel of the southern constellation of Scorpio。 Antares's light seemed to intensify； there was the smell of ozone in the air。
Rockson's eyes widened in horror as he saw a stream of laser…red light shoot out from the star and start tracking across the round room； searing a smoking line of white…hot destruction in the empty seats it was traversing。 The star…beam kept moving； the stream of laser death was heading his way。
Just as the ray of death reached him； Rona had wrenched his seat free。 Rockson turned it on its side； placing himself under the laser beam from Antares。 Rona jumped aside just in time also。
The seat behind where Rock had just been was seared in half as if a blowtorch had been applied to it。
Mightily Rockson struggled with his bindings； smashing his awkwardly immobilized body again a