A CASE OF SUNBURN
BY CHARLES L. FONTENAY
In the past year the Martian rebels
had been pushed back to the wall. All
that was left to them was Plan Blue.
And what was Plan Blue...?
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Worlds of If Science Fiction, April 1957.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Jonner's hand dropped to his pistol and he edged cautiously behind abig rock as another groundcar appeared among the dunes to the south andapproached the little group of men. He was sure Sir Stanrich had toldhim there were to be four others in his little task force: and therewere four with him now.
But the new groundcar did not approach like a hostile patrol car. Therewas an air of confidence about the way its driver swung it up to theothers. Jonner held his hand, thinking furiously, as the airtight doorswung open and the newcomer leaped lightly to the ground.
The sun was settling over the iron-red wastes of the Isidis Desert. Thegroundcars clustered like giant beetles at the top of the cliff thatdropped straight down to the shadowed lowland of Syrtis Major. The sixmen in marsuits, huddled at rendezvous, kept their helmet radios low,for Mars City was less than fifty miles east of them.
With the twilight, the blue mist of Mars was beginning to settle towardthe ground.
Jonner debated with himself. Could he have misunderstood Sir Stanrich?Or could the plans have been changed after he left the Isidisspaceport? No. Then who was the sixth man? And which man was he?
"Regina fell right after I left," said the burly, gray-haired man.That would be Tyruss, the former space captain, who had come here fromRegina. "Our troops were falling back along the Hadriacum Lowland. Isuppose they plan to make a stand before Charax."
"No, Charax is to be evacuated tonight," said Jonner, and savored theshock of that announcement on his hearers.
He studied the credentials each man had handed him on arrival. Therewas Tyruss, from Regina. There was Farlan, an astrogator from theRebel defenses in the Strymon Canals, and there was Aron, who had justarrived, a space engineer from the Hadriacum front. There were Stein,an astrogator, and Wessfeld, an engineer, who had come together in onegroundcar from Charax.
The credentials were all alike, except the names. But one of themwas—must be—a Marscorp spy.
Jonner could not check with Sir Stanrich by radio—Mars City wastoo close, and they would be overheard. He had no time to spendinvestigating his personnel—Sir Stanrich had impressed on him thattheir mission must be carried out on schedule.
He decided he would not tell them just yet that one of them could notbe trusted. He might be able to trip the spy. But he said:
"One or more of us may be killed or captured, so I'm going to briefeveryone. No matter how many of us are lost, those who are left mustcarry out the mission. What were you told about this?"
"I was told to meet you here and follow your instructions. I was toldit's a dangerous and important assignment. That's all," said Tyruss.The others murmured agreement.
"The instructions I give you won't be mine, but those of Sir StanrichO'Kellin, supreme commander of the Rebel forces," said Jonner. Hesquatted on the sand and the others crowded around in the blue twilightas he sketched diagrams with his gloved hand while he talked:
"As some of you may have learned, the Charax Rebellion is in danger