Explore "The Comet-Drivers" by Edmond Hamilton on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
The moment that followed, as our ships slowed and hung motionless, with doom ahead and doom behind, was one in which the death that we had dared a score of times since reaching the comet loomed full before us. The cube-ships that barred the way ahead, the thousands racing toward us from behind -- these were like death's great jaws closing upon us, and for an instant I felt myself surrendering to utter despair. But then, as my eyes dropped downward, toward the ring of outer smaller disk-worlds over which we had been flashing and above which we now hung, a flicker of hope shot through me and I turned swiftly to the speech-instrument.
"Down to those worlds below! " I cried. "There's a chance that we can hide on one of them until we can get out of the comet!"