It is not known how many mobile, floating sea stations there are. This one, currently in mid-Atlantic, is gymbal-mounted and gyro-stabilized above caissons and does not roll even in heavy weather. Surrounded by "...acres of floating weed...," (p. 91) it is either a sea ranch or an experimental station but with the gang's headquarters, archive and communications center in its submerged section. Down below, walls of micro-file cabinets confirm the prisoner, Naysmith's, suspicion that here are the gang's records.
When Arnold Besser, the suspected head of the gang, is given a reason to visit its secret headquarters, his trusted gunman/chauffeur is replaced by a surgically disguised Un-man who slips a radio tracer into Besser's jet. When Besser has reached the sea station, an air attack reduces its missile defenses and paratroops land to capture the station and rescue the prisoners. Meanwhile, the chauffeur has shot dead Besser and other gang leaders.
Too easy? This is the only story about this particular gang. For a similar situation in a series, see:
The Search For Thrush Central
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
As you summarized the story, the elimination of the gang's leaders and capturing of their records does seem to easy. Anderson himself might have agreed with that assessment given how dissatisfied he became with these stories. And the files of the gang would have been archived very differently given the computer technology we have.
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment