Badge of Infamy

Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from an Ace Books paperback, 1973. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
The computer seemed to work as it should. The speed was within acceptable limits. He gave up trying to see the ground and was forced to trust the machinery designed for amateur pilots. The flare bloomed, and he yanked down on the little lever.
It could have been worse. They hit the ground, bounced twice, and turned over. The ship was a mess when Feldman freed himself from the elastic straps of the seat. Chris had shrieked as they hit, but she was unbuckling herself now.
He threw her her spacesuit and one of the emergency bottles of oxygen from the rack. Hurry up with that. We've sprung a leak and the pressure's dropping.
ace books A Division of Charter Communications Inc. 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York, N.Y. 10036
Copyright © 1963 by Galaxy Publishing Corp. Copyright © 1957 by Renown Publications, Inc.
A shorter and earlier version of this story appeared in Satellite Science Fiction for June, 1957.
First Ace printing: January, 1973
THE SKY IS FALLING Copyright © 1954, 1963 by Galaxy Publishing Corp.
Printed in U.S.A.
The air of the city's cheapest flophouse was thick with the smells of harsh antiseptic and unwashed bodies. The early Christmas snowstorm had driven in every bum who could steal or beg the price of admission, and the long rows of cots were filled with fully clothed figures. Those who could afford the extra dime were huddled under thin, grimy blankets.
The pariah who had been Dr. Daniel Feldman enjoyed no such luxury. He tossed fitfully on a bare cot, bringing his face into the dim light. It had been a handsome face, but now the black stubble of beard lay over gaunt features and sunken cheeks. He looked ten years older than his scant thirty-two, and there were the beginnings of a snarl at the corners of his mouth. Clothes that had once been expensive were wrinkled and covered with grime that no amount of cleaning could remove. His tall, thin body was awkwardly curled up in a vain effort to conserve heat and one of his hands instinctively clutched at his tiny bag of possessions.