Deadline

by Walter L. Kleine

DEADLINE

By WALTER L. KLEINE

They had 70 days to prepare a landing
strip. Physically, it was impossible.
Psychologically, it was even worse!

[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Infinity September 1957.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]

Walter L. Kleine is doing graduate journalism work at the University of Iowa. He reports that the courses in current magazine practice, magazine article writing, and magazine fiction writing keep him so busy that he has hardly any time left to write science fiction. We think Kleine is one of tomorrow's big name writers; and in Deadline he takes a new and individual approach to the old problem of setting up the first Mars base.

---

Helene Donnelly handed me a cup of coffee, but didn't pour one for herself. I could feel her eyes on me as I drank.

Finally she said, "For God's sake, Marsh, you could say something."

I could. Yeah. As the implications penetrated, the coffee slopped over the rim of the cup. I emptied it quickly and gave it back to her. "How about a refill?"

She refilled it and gave it back to me. "If we haven't got a chance," she said slowly, "I've got as much right to know as you do. Marsh, have we got any chance?"