The electronic siege

Chapter II

In the center of the lounge all the scientists were grouped with the captured crew and the I. L. Patrolmen, helplessly hedged in by a barrier of brightly luminous blue-green rays. Professional looking men in simple uniforms were going among them, pointing out one here or there, who was immediately singled out and put in a second, smaller group. Now Markham was marched up, and the entire group efficiently escorted to the communication lock, where a long, flexible tube between the ships permitted them to go from the passenger liner to the space ship without space suits. Twice prisoners rebelled, to be instantly and efficiently paralyzed with a beam from a pistol. In a few seconds the rebellious ones regained consciousness and were able to go on.

The rest of the trip they enjoyed from several small ports. The entire group was penned in a small prison locker with a few guards to watch them. After some six hours of travel, during which the space liner had been left helplessly behind, and the two Patrol cruisers lost in the blackness of space, one of the men in charge came down and gave them a brief lecture on the experiment in which they were soon to take an unwilling part.