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Sun Spots, v. 4, issue 4, whole no. 16, March 1941
Page 4
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March, 1941 SUN SPOTS Page 4. BUCCANEERS FROM THE VOID By Roy Plotkin Out, way out, in the far star-flecked reaches of the inter-galactic space, a flash of light streaked accross the background of pure infinite blackness. It was the rocket cruiser, "Johannes", ship of the Robin Hood of the 28th century, John Stern. This colorful character was known and dreaded throughout the Universe where-ever man had penetrated. From Luna to the outermost reaches, in the near Galaxies, his exploits had thrilled eager-eyed listeners as they heard the atles of him expounded by grizzled old spacemen, who had known his father, also named John Stern. Stern, the elder, had been the terror of the overloaded spaceliners in his day, so the oldsters could, with truth relate the outrageous (or so the millionairs thought) crimes of the John Stern of the younger generation, who almost to the point of infinity used the same tactics of his famous father. He preyed upon the passenger lists of the fat, slow spaceliners, loaded down with corpulent millionaires, sirens who fancied themselves playgirls, and foppish playboys. All these dregs of humanity who, through the grace of God had amassed vast fortunes, and been thus elevated to the Society, were John Stern's victims. All his hoards of fabulous wealth were mysteriously distributed amongst the poor and sometimes not so honest people of the universe, the workers who salved for a mere pittance on the Sun-Engines of Mercury; the hydro plants of Jupiter, and the refineries of Mars. Yes, these people who were at the beck and call of the obese Society, these were rewarded by Stern. As the ship sped onward, it gradually drew closer to Pluto, where it was to lie in wait for a liner bearing the rich throng who spent a large part of their time vacationing in the Winterland of Pluto. The frigidity of absolute zero, the natural temperature on the outermost planet, was tempered by a collossal heating system, whose power was supplied from the vast hydro-plants of Jupiter. These icy Plutoian wastes were transformed into a Winter Vacationland, with the temperature kept just low enough to insure a perpetual snow and ice. Since the atmosphere was so dry, it was the ideal place, and the specially warmed zones, for the planet was to vast to temper its whole area, were constantly crowded by the Society. It was a common sight to see fat men with more money than sence stagger off on skies and skates, about the only relics of the twentieth century left, and then slide the rest of the way on the posterior parts of their anatomies. And it was a grim smile that John Stern's brown countenance awaited with the sickly hoes of that overcame the faces of the passengers when the Scourge of the Void entered and "borrowed" all their money and valuables. His ship the "Johannes", was just about the fastest thing in space, and was heavily armed for all types of combat., and so there was little that could thwart the plans of this man once he had set his mind on doing and accomplishing something. But maybe I should say a little more about John Stern, the man. He was about 35, not too tall -- about 5'10", with a mop of straight black hair. He had finely chiselled features, and an unusually large mouth, which, when expanded in a broad grin, exposed a set of even ivory colored teeth. His piercing gray eyes possessed crows feet at the corners, indicating the many years he had spent squinting thro visiplates at prospective victims. He had a small crew, just twenty men, but they were all men of fine character who had joined with him
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March, 1941 SUN SPOTS Page 4. BUCCANEERS FROM THE VOID By Roy Plotkin Out, way out, in the far star-flecked reaches of the inter-galactic space, a flash of light streaked accross the background of pure infinite blackness. It was the rocket cruiser, "Johannes", ship of the Robin Hood of the 28th century, John Stern. This colorful character was known and dreaded throughout the Universe where-ever man had penetrated. From Luna to the outermost reaches, in the near Galaxies, his exploits had thrilled eager-eyed listeners as they heard the atles of him expounded by grizzled old spacemen, who had known his father, also named John Stern. Stern, the elder, had been the terror of the overloaded spaceliners in his day, so the oldsters could, with truth relate the outrageous (or so the millionairs thought) crimes of the John Stern of the younger generation, who almost to the point of infinity used the same tactics of his famous father. He preyed upon the passenger lists of the fat, slow spaceliners, loaded down with corpulent millionaires, sirens who fancied themselves playgirls, and foppish playboys. All these dregs of humanity who, through the grace of God had amassed vast fortunes, and been thus elevated to the Society, were John Stern's victims. All his hoards of fabulous wealth were mysteriously distributed amongst the poor and sometimes not so honest people of the universe, the workers who salved for a mere pittance on the Sun-Engines of Mercury; the hydro plants of Jupiter, and the refineries of Mars. Yes, these people who were at the beck and call of the obese Society, these were rewarded by Stern. As the ship sped onward, it gradually drew closer to Pluto, where it was to lie in wait for a liner bearing the rich throng who spent a large part of their time vacationing in the Winterland of Pluto. The frigidity of absolute zero, the natural temperature on the outermost planet, was tempered by a collossal heating system, whose power was supplied from the vast hydro-plants of Jupiter. These icy Plutoian wastes were transformed into a Winter Vacationland, with the temperature kept just low enough to insure a perpetual snow and ice. Since the atmosphere was so dry, it was the ideal place, and the specially warmed zones, for the planet was to vast to temper its whole area, were constantly crowded by the Society. It was a common sight to see fat men with more money than sence stagger off on skies and skates, about the only relics of the twentieth century left, and then slide the rest of the way on the posterior parts of their anatomies. And it was a grim smile that John Stern's brown countenance awaited with the sickly hoes of that overcame the faces of the passengers when the Scourge of the Void entered and "borrowed" all their money and valuables. His ship the "Johannes", was just about the fastest thing in space, and was heavily armed for all types of combat., and so there was little that could thwart the plans of this man once he had set his mind on doing and accomplishing something. But maybe I should say a little more about John Stern, the man. He was about 35, not too tall -- about 5'10", with a mop of straight black hair. He had finely chiselled features, and an unusually large mouth, which, when expanded in a broad grin, exposed a set of even ivory colored teeth. His piercing gray eyes possessed crows feet at the corners, indicating the many years he had spent squinting thro visiplates at prospective victims. He had a small crew, just twenty men, but they were all men of fine character who had joined with him
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