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289
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, August 1930
·
Various
271
Thus
passed
a
morning
of
growing
tension.
But
by
noon
of
that
day,
with
a
bare
twenty-four
hours
left
before
the
expiration
of
the
ultimatum,
the
disc
came
down,
showed
itself
boldly.
There
followed
stunning
disasters.
One
salvo,
and
the
ray
shot
down--the
Atlantic
Fleet,
the
pride
of
America,
burst
and
melted
in
flaming
hell.
Squadrons
of
planes,
carrying
tons
of
bombs,
frizzled
like
moths
in
the
air.
Mighty
projectiles
hurled
by
land
batteries
were
deflected
off
on
wild
trajectories.
Appalled,
the
nation
and
the
world
followed
in
lurid
extras
these
crushing
defeats.
By
nightfall
of
that
day,
all
seemed
lost.
All
opposition
had
been
obliterated.
America
must
capitulate
or
perish.
It
had
until
the
next
noon
to
decide
which.
Meanwhile,
in
that
great
Brooklyn
laboratory,
Kendrick
was
working
against
time,
besieged
by
frantic
delegations
of
the
nation's
leaders.
They
knew
now
that
their
one
hope
lay
in
him.
Was
he
succeeding?
Was
there
even
any
hope?
Face
haggard,
eyes
bloodshot
from
lack
of
sleep,
he
waved
them
away,
went
on
with
his
work.
"I
will
tell
you--as
soon
as
I
know."
That
was
all
he
would
say.
Followed
a
night
that
was
the
blackest
in
all
history,
though
the
myriad
stars
of
heaven
shone
tauntingly
brilliant
in
the
summer
sky.
At
length,
as
dawn
was
breaking.
Kendrick
paused
in
his
labors.
"There!"
he
said,
grimly,
surveying
an
apparatus
that
seemed
to
involve
the
entire
facilities
of
the
laboratory.
"It
is
done!
Now
then--will
it
work?"
The
delegation
were
called
to
witness
the
test.
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