- Why take the Great Circle route to Australia when you can tunnel through the very molecules of the solid earth itself in a TAU-mode shuttle? When a routine TAU-shuttle becomes entombed in solid rock miles under the earth, the only means of rescue may be the wildly experimental LAMBDA-mode shuttle; and even its creator has no idea how it will behave, or whether its pilot can keep his sanity during the rescue mission.—hutch48
- In the future, a new type of transportation has been developed. Instead of flying through the air, the new technique allows passengers to pass through solid earth on a straight-line path to their destination. It is called atomic space because the passengers interpenetrate the atoms of the subsurface. The Elektron, one of the ships belonging to the TAU line, is scheduled to go from their New York City terminal to London. Its captain, Nathan Dantor, is drinking heavily before departure. It seems he is nervous about the vessel encountering some unstable conditions. Under the best of circumstances, the ship moves through the earth in the gamma mode. If it undergoes destabilization, it can slip to the delta or even epsilon modes. Experienced atomic space crew members have heard about the worst destabilization called the omega mode. The Elektron encounters the Omega mode and is stranded in solid rock, immobile. It causes the passengers to see horrendous version of themselves embedded in rock that drive them mad. Captain Dantor has been obsessed with fear of an omega event. When it occurs, he initiates a suicide response by release toxic psilomelane gas from the cargo chamber into the passenger cabins. One of the passengers on board the Elektron is Julie Porter, the pregnant wife of TAU senior controller, Paul Porter. She is desperate to get home and deliver the wonderful news about the new life she is carrying. Her determination to get there impels her to find and shut down the gas source. Paul and a rival/friend Eric Benedict launch a rescue mission. Using the very first atomic space craft, the Lamda 1, they set out hampered by the primitive nature of the early control equipment. Fortunately, they are able to reach the stalled Elektron. The overpower will to save his wife allows Paul to transfer to the Elektron, save Julie, and get the ship back on track to London.—Garon Smith
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