Why would strangers abduct an insane girl
from a psychiatric ward? Jim Lawrence found out
that to answer this question he had to face a—
Menace From Vega
By Robert Randall
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy
June 1958
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
The tall, darkly handsome man was grinning at Dr. James Lawrence fromthe wrong side of a gun.
"Don't do anything foolish," the stranger said.
The psychiatrist swallowed and looked at the muzzle of the weapon. Thegun didn't look like any he had ever seen before, but he had no doubtthat it was deadly.
"What do you want?" he asked. He had never faced a gun before, but hefound, oddly enough, that he wasn't at all frightened. There was simplya tense expectancy, a feeling of what's-coming-next? and no more.
"You have a patient at this hospital named Bette Bauer?" It was half aquestion, half a statement.
Jim Lawrence looked at the intruder without answering. He knew BetteBauer—a tall, beautiful brunette with deep grey-green eyes. There wasnothing behind those eyes. She had been in St. Paul's NeuropsychiatricHospital for three years—a schizophrenic catatonic, completely out oftouch with the real world.
"You're behaving childishly," said the man with the odd-looking gun,softly. "All I have to do is look through your files. Where is she?"
Lawrence shrugged. "Ward 3, Room 41. Why do you want to know?" Heglanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly midnight.
"It doesn't matter," the stranger said. "Come along. Lead us to whereshe is confined."
Outside the office, there were four men. They held their hands intheir pockets as though there were guns there. Lawrence glanced fromone to another. They all looked somewhat alike, all with that same darkslimness and hardness of feature.
"What do you want?" Lawrence demanded.
"Just take us to Bette Bauer," the leader said. "If you do not, youwill be shot." He smiled.
It was the sight of that smile that made Jim Lawrence realize the colddangerousness of the man.
"Very well," Jim said. "Come this way."
As he led them down the hall toward Ward 3, Jim wondered about thesemen. What interest could they have in Bette Bauer? She had once beena brilliant physicist, and had shown signs of actual genius. Butsomething had happened to her shortly after she had received herdoctor's degree in theoretical physics. Her mind had become unbalanced,and she had been committed to St. Paul's Hospital.
As Chief Psychiatrist, Dr. James Lawrence had worked with herregularly; he was deeply interested in the girl. But he had beencompletely unable to break the dazed, trancelike state that she hadbeen in for the past three years.
What did these five men want with her? And who were they, anyway?There was something odd about them, even aside from the peculiargun that the leader carried. Their clothes seemed wrong, as thoughthey weren't used to wearing them; their speech was strange in someundefinable way.
When they reached Ward 3, Jim Lawrence took the keys from his pocketand unlocked the main door. A night nurse at the desk looked up andsmiled.
"Good evening, Dr. Lawrence," she said sweetly. Then she saw the menbehind him, and her eyebrows lifted.
"We want to see Bette Bauer," Jim said, keeping his voice even.
"Certainly, Doctor." She led the way down the corridor to Room 41.It was a padded cell; with Dr. Bette Bauer, naked to prevent herfrom harming herself with her clothing, lying on the floor, crooningmindlessly, her grey-green eyes staring ou