The Project Gutenberg EBook of Deepfreeze, by Robert Donald Locke

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Title: Deepfreeze

Author: Robert Donald Locke

Release Date: May 26, 2010 [EBook #32531]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DEEPFREEZE ***

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Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from Imagination Stories of Science and
Fantasy January 1953. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence
that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.

DEEPFREEZE

_By_

_Robert Donald Locke_

Life and the future belong to the strong--so Dollard laughed
as he fled Earth and Mankind's death agony. But the last
laugh was yet to come....

* * * * *

Edwin Dollard's nervous stubby fingers spilled three precious drops of
his fifth Scotch highball, as he veered his head away from the horrors
on the telescreen. He was in time to observe Garth enter by the
paneled tunnel door.

"Two more hours--and the ship will be ready," Garth announced. "The
men still know nothing." His thin lips cracked into a forced smile. "I
slipped them the poison at noon mess. There'll be no tales out of
those greaseballs."

Dollard's pudgy features relaxed. "Just you and I, Garth ... to
survive. The others--stupid sheep--let them die!" Lust spread his
heavy cheeks into a wide grin. "As for women, there'll be time enough
for them ... on Venus."

"I know," said Garth slowly. "Plague-untouched women. It'll be like
being reborn again." His pained somber eyes lit up. "It's right good
we understand each other...."

[Illustration]

"Just see that we continue understanding one another," Edwin Dollard
snapped. "I'm still the boss."

The last of America's industrial tycoons refocussed his attention on
the world telecasts. Since breakfast, he had sat glued to the news
while a battery of video announcers reported from central strongholds
on the progress of the