This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
"Med Ship Man" was first published in Galaxy, October 1963, and was later reissued in Doctor to the Stars (Pyramid 1964). "Plague on Kryder II" was first published in Analog, December 1964, and was later reissued in S.O.S. From Three Worlds (Ace 1967). "The Mutant Weapon" was first published under the title "Med Service" in Astounding, August 1957. It was reissued as a novel under the current title by Ace in 1959. "Ribbon in the Sky" was first published in Astounding, October 1957, and was later reissued as part of S.O.S. From Three Worlds. "Tallien Three" was first published under the title "The Hate Disease" in Analog, August 1963, and was later reissued as part of Doctor to the Stars. "Quarantine World" was first published in Analog, November 1966, and was later reissued as part of S.O.S. From Three Worlds. "The Grandfathers' War" was first published in Astounding, October 1957, and was later reissued as part of Doctor to the Stars. "Pariah Planet" was first published in Amazing, July 1961, and was reissued as a novel by Ace under the title This World is Taboo.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.
A Baen Books Original
Baen Publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com
ISBN: 0-7434-3555-9
Cover art by Bob Eggleton
First printing, August 2002
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
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New York, NY 10020
Production by Windhaven Press, Auburn, NH
Printed in the United States of America
The nearest-object indicator showed something moving toward the Med Ship. There was a small object headed toward the planet from empty space. Calhoun put on double acceleration to intercept it.
The spacephone growled: "Med Ship! What do you think you're doing?"
"Getting in trouble," said Calhoun briefly.
"Med Ship!" the voice rasped. "Keep out of the way of our missile! It's a megaton bomb!"
Calhoun said irrelevantly: "Those who in quarrels interpose, must often wipe a bloody nose." He added, "I know what it is."
Calhoun aimed his ship. He knew the capacities of his ship as only a man who'd handled one for a long time could. He knew quite exactly what it could do.
The rocket from remoteness—the megaton-bomb missile—came smoking furiously from the stars. Calhoun seemed to throw his ship into a collision course.
The rocket swerved to avoid him, though guided from many thousands of miles away. There was a trivial time-lag between the time its scanners picked up a picture and transmitted it, and the controlling impulse reached the missile in response. Calhoun counted on that. But he wasn't trying for a collision. He was forcing evasive action.
He secured it. The rocket slanted itself to dart aside. Calhoun threw the Med Ship into a flip-flop and slashed the missile with his own ship's rocket flame. . . .