+--------------------------------------------------------------+| || Transcriber's Note || || There is no evidence that the U. S. Copyright on this || publication was renewed. || || Several obvious typographical errors were corrected, one || possible typographical error was left as is, and hyphenation || was standardized. A list of these items may be found at the || end of the text. Words and phrases surrounded by _'s _like || this_ are in italics in the original text. || || Although the cover page includes the title "STAND BY FOR || MARS!" that book is not included in this e-text. || || Enjoy! || |+--------------------------------------------------------------+

 DANGER IN DEEP SPACE

 THE TOM CORBETT SPACE CADET STORIES

 By Carey Rockwell

 STAND BY FOR MARS! DANGER IN DEEP SPACE

 [Illustration]

 A TOM CORBETT Space Cadet Adventure

 DANGER IN DEEP SPACE

 By CAREY ROCKWELL

 WILLY LEY Technical Adviser

GROSSET & DUNLAP _Publishers_ New York

 COPYRIGHT, 1953, BY ROCKHILL RADIO

 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 _Illustrations by_ LOUIS GLANZMAN

 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ILLUSTRATIONS

 _Frontispiece_

The three weary cadets assembled on the control deck 13

The junior spaceman maneuvered the great rocket shiptoward the air lock 36

The jet cab raced along the highway to Venusport 54

Tom could see two space-suited figures floating effortlessly 76

Mason was frozen into a rigid statue, unable to move 133

"Remember, " Astro cautioned, "set the fuse for two hours" 161

Landing, they would tumble out of the jet boat and begintheir frantic digging 180

"I know we're going to be sent to the prison asteroid andwe deserve it, " said Loring 206

DANGER IN DEEP SPACE

CHAPTER 1

"Stand by to reduce thrust on main drive rockets!" The tall, broad-shouldered officer in the uniform of the Solar Guard snapped outthe order as he watched the telescanner screen and saw the WesternHemisphere of Earth looming larger and larger. 

"Aye, aye, Captain Strong, " replied a handsome curly-haired Space Cadet. He turned to the ship's intercom and spoke quickly into the microphone. 

"Control deck to power deck. Check in!"

"Power deck, aye, " a bull-throated voice bellowed over the loud-speaker. 

"Stand by rockets, Astro! We're coming in for a landing. "

"Standing by!"

The Solar Guard officer turned away from the telescanner and glancedquickly over the illuminated banks of indicators on the control panel. "Is our orbit to Space Academy clear?" he asked the cadet. "Have we beenassigned a landing ramp?"

"I'll check topside, sir, " answered the cadet, turning back to theintercom. "Control deck to radar deck. Check in!"

"Radar bridge, aye, " drawled a lazy voice over the speaker. 

"Are we cleared for landing, Roger?"

"Everything clear as glass ahead, Tom, " was the calm reply. 

"We're steady on orbit and we touch down on ramp seven. Then"--the voicebegan to quicken with excitement--"three weeks' liberty coming up!"

The rumbling voice of the power-deck cadet suddenly broke in over theintercom. "Lay off that space gas, Manning. Just see that this spacewagon gets on the ground in one piece. Then you can dream about yourleave!"

"Plug your jets, you big Venusian ape man, " was the reply, "or I'll turnyou inside out!"

"Yeah? You and what fleet of spaceships?"

"Just me, buster, with my bare hands!"

The Solar Guard officer on the control deck smiled at the young cadetbeside him as the good-natured argument crackled over the intercomspeaker overhead. "Looks like those two will never stop battling, Corbett, " he commented dryly. 

"Guess they'll never learn, sir, " sighed the cadet. 

"That's all right. It's when they stop battling that I'll start gettingworried, " answered the officer. He turned back to the controls. "Onehundred thousand feet from Earth's surface! Begin landing procedure!"

As Cadet Tom Corbett snapped orders into the intercom and his unit-matesresponded by smooth co-ordinated action, the giant rocket cruiser_Polaris_ slowly arched through Earth's atmosphere, first nosing up tolose speed and then settling tailfirst toward its destination--thespaceport at Space Academy, U. S. A. 

Far below, on the grounds of the Academy, cadets wearing the greenuniforms of first-year Earthworms and the blue of the upper-classmenstopped all activity as they heard the blasting of the braking rocketshigh in the heavens. They stared enviously into the sky, watching thesmooth steel-hulled spaceship drop toward the concrete ramp area of thespaceport, three miles away. 

[Illustration: SPACE ACADEMY U. S. A. ]

In his office at the top of the gleaming Tower of Galileo, CommanderWalters, commandant of Space Academy, paused for a moment from hisduties and turned from his desk to watch the touchdown of the greatspaceship. And on the grassy quadrangle, Warrant Officer Mike McKenny, short and stubby in his scarlet uniform of the enlisted Solar Guard, stopped his frustrating task of drilling newly arrived cadets to watchthe mighty ship come to Earth. 

Young and old, the feeling of belonging to the great fleet thatpatrolled the space lanes across the millions of miles of the solarsystem was something that never died in a true spaceman. The green-cladcadets dreamed of the future when they would feel the bucking rockets intheir backs. And the older men smiled faintly as memories of their ownfirst space flight came to mind. 

Aboard the _Polaris_, the young cadet crew worked swiftly and smoothlyto bring their ship to a safe landing. There was Tom Corbett, an averageyoung man in this age of science, who had been selected as thecontrol-deck and command cadet of the _Polaris_ unit after rigidexaminations and tests. Topside, on the radar bridge, was Roger Manning, cocky and brash, but a specialist in radar and communications. Below, onthe power deck, was Astro, a colonial from Venus, who had been accusedof cutting his teeth on an atomic rocket motor, so great was his skillwith the mighty "thrust buckets, " as he lovingly called the atomicrockets. 

Now, returning from a routine training flight that had taken them to themoons of Jupiter, the three cadets, Corbett, Manning, and Astro, andtheir unit skipper, Captain Steve Strong, completed the delicate task ofsetting the great ship down on the Academy spaceport. 

"Closing in fast, sir, " announced Tom, his attention focused on themeters and dials in front of him. "Five hundred feet to touchdown. "

"Full braking thrust!" snapped Strong crisply. 

Deep inside the _Polaris_, braking rockets roared with unceasing power, and the mighty spaceship eased itself to the concrete surface of theAcademy spaceport. 

"Touchdown!" yelled Tom. He quickly closed the master control lever, cutting all power, and sudden silence filled the ship. He stood up andfaced Strong, saluting smartly. 

"Rocket cruiser _Polaris_ completes mission"--he glanced at the astralchronometer on the panel board--"at fifteen thirty-three, sir. "

"Very well, Corbett, " replied Strong, returning the salute. "Check the_Polaris_ from radar mast to exhaust ports right away. "

"Yes, sir, " was Tom's automatic answer, and then he caught himself. "ButI thought--"

Strong interrupted him with a wave of his hand. "I know, Corbett, youthought the _Polaris_ would be pulled in for a general overhaul and youthree would get liberty. "

"Yes, sir, " replied Tom. 

"I'm not sure you won't get it, " said Strong, "but I received a messagelast night from Commander Walters. I think the _Polaris_ unit might haveanother assignment coming up!"

"By the rings of Saturn, " drawled Roger from the open hatch to the radarbridge, "you might know the old man would have another mission for us!We haven't had a liberty since we were Earthworms!"

"I'm sorry, Manning, " said Strong, "but you know if I had my way, you'dcertainly get the liberty. If anyone deserves it, you three do. "

By this time Astro had joined the group on the control deck. 

"But, sir, " ventured Tom, "we've all made plans, I mean--well, my folksare expecting me. "

"_Us_, you mean, " interrupted Roger. "Astro and I are your guests, remember?"

"Sure, I remember, " said Tom, smiling. He turned back to Captain Strong. "We'd appreciate it if you could do something for us, sir. Imean--well, have another unit assigned. "

Strong stepped forward and put his arms around the shoulders of Tom andRoger and faced Astro. "I'm afraid you three made a big mistake inbecoming the best unit in the Academy. Now every time there's animportant assignment to be handed out the name of the _Polaris_ unitsticks out like a hot rocket!"

"Some consolation, " said Roger dourly. 

Strong smiled. "All right, check this wagon and then report to me in myquarters in the morning. You'll have tonight off at least. Unit_dis_-missed!"

The three cadets snapped their backs straight, stood rigid, and salutedas their superior officer strode toward the hatch. His foot on theladder, he turned and faced them again. 

"It's been a fine mission. I want to compliment you on the way you'vehandled yourselves these past few months. You boys are real spacemen!"He saluted and disappeared down the ladder leading to the exit port. 

"And that, " said Roger, turning to his unit-mates, "is known as theroyal come-on for a dirty detail!"

"Ahhh, stop your gassing, Manning, " growled Astro. "Just be sure yourradar bridge is O. K. If we do have to blast out of here in a hurry, Iwant to get where we're supposed to be going!"

"You just worry about the power deck, spaceboy, and let little Rogertake care of his own department, " replied Roger. 

Astro eyed him speculatively. "You know the only reason they allowedthis space creep in the Academy, Tom?" asked Astro. 

"No, why?" asked Tom, playing along with the game. 

"Because they knew any time the _Polaris_ ran out of reactant fuel wecould just stick Manning in the rocket tubes and have him blow out someof his special brand of space gas!"

"Listen, you Venusian throwback! One more word out of you and--"

"All right, you two!" broke in Tom good-naturedly. "Enough's enough!Come on. We've got just enough time to run up to the mess hall and graba good meal before we check the ship. "

"That's for me, " said Astro. "I've been eating those concentrates solong my stomach thinks I've turned into a test tube. "

Astro referred to the food taken along on space missions. It wasdehydrated and packed in plastic containers to save weight and space. The concentrates never made a satisfactory meal, even though theysupplied everything necessary for a healthful diet. 

A few moments later the three members of the _Polaris_ stood on the mainslidewalk, an endless belt of plastic, powered by giant subsurfacerollers, being carried from the spaceport to the main academyadministration building, the great gleaming Tower of Galileo. 

Space Academy, the university of the planets, was set among the lowhills of the western part of the North American continent. Here, in thenest of fledgling spacemen, boys from Earth and the colonies of Venusand Mars learned the complex science that would enable them to reachunlimited heights; to rocket through the endless void of space and visitnew worlds on distant planets millions of miles from Earth. 

This was the year 2353--the age of space! A time when boys dreamed onlyof becoming Space Cadets at Space Academy, to learn their trade andlater enter the mighty Solar Guard, or join the rapidly expandingmerchant space service that sent out great fleets of rocket ships dailyto every corner of the solar system. 

As the slidewalk carried the three cadets between the buildings thatsurrounded the grassy quadrangle of the Academy, Tom looked up at theTower of Galileo dominating the entire area. 

"You know, " he began haltingly, "every time I go near this place I get alump in my throat!"

"Yeah, " breathed Astro, "me too. "

Roger made no comment. His eyes were following the path of the gianttelescope reflector that moved in a slow arc, getting into position forthe coming night's observations. Tom followed his gaze to the massivedomed building, housing the giant one-thousand-inch reflector. 

"You think we'll ever go as far into the deep with a rocket ship as wecan see with the big eye?" he asked. 

"I dunno, " replied Roger. "That thing can penetrate other star systemsin our galaxy. And that's a long way off!"

"Nearest thing to us is Alpha Centauri in our own galaxy, and that'stwenty-three and a half million million miles away, " commented Astro. 

"That's not so far, " argued Tom. "Only a few months ago the SolarAlliance sent out a scientific exploration to take a look at that baby. "

"Musta been some hop, " commented Roger. 

"Hey!" cried Tom suddenly. "There's Alfie Higgins!" He pointed in thedirection of another slidewalk moving at right angles to their own. Thecadet that he singled out on the slidewalk was so thin and small helooked emaciated. He wore glasses and at the moment was absorbed in apaper he held in his hand. 

"Well, what do you know!" cried Astro. "The Brain!"

Roger punched Astro in the mid-section. "If you were as smart as he is, you big grease monkey, you'd be O. K. "

"Nah!" replied Astro. "If I was as smart as Alfie, I'd be scared. Andbesides, what do I need to be smart for? I've got you, haven't I?"

When they drew near the other slidewalk, the three members of the_Polaris_ unit skipped lightly over and jostled their way past otherriders to the slightly built cadet. 

"Alfie!" Tom yelled and slapped the cadet on the back. Alfie turned, hisglasses knocked askew by Tom's blow, and eyed the three _Polaris_members calmly. 

"It gives me great pleasure to view your countenances again, CadetsCorbett, Manning, and Astro, " he said solemnly, nodding to each one. 

Astro twisted his face into a grimace. "What'd he say, Roger?"

"He's happy to see you, " Roger translated. 

"Well, in that case, " beamed Astro, "I'm happy to see you too, Alfie!"

"What's the latest space dope around the Academy, Alfie?" asked Tom. "What's this?" he indicated the paper in Alfie's hand. 

"By the sheerest of coincidences I happen to have a copy of your newassignment!" replied Alfie. 

Tom, Roger, and Astro looked at each other in surprise. 

"Well, come on, spaceman, " urged Roger. "Give us the inside info. Whereare we going?"

Alfie tucked the paper in his inside pocket and faced Roger. He clearedhis throat and spoke in measured tones. "Manning, I have high regard foryour personality, your capabilities, and your knowledge, all of whichmakes you an outstanding cadet. But even you know that I occupy aposition of trust as cadet courier for Commander Walters and theadministrative staff. I am not at liberty to mention anything that Iwould have occasion to observe while in the presence of CommanderWalters or the staff. Therefore, you will please refrain fromquestioning me any further regarding the contents of these papers!"

Roger's jaw dropped. "Why, you human calculator, you were the one whobrought it up in the first place! I oughta knock off that big head ofyours!"

Tom and Astro laughed. 

"Lay off, Roger, " said Tom. "You ought to know Alfie couldn't talk if hewanted to! We'll just have to wait until Captain Strong is ready to tellus what our next assignment will be!"

By this time the slidewalk had carried them to the front of the maindormitory, and the wide doors were crowded with members of the SpaceAcademy Corps heading in for the evening meal. From all corners of thequadrangle, the slidewalks carried Earthworms in their green uniforms, upper-class cadets in deep blue, enlisted spacemen in scarlet red, andSolar Guard officers in their striking uniforms of black and gold. Chatting and laughing, they all were entering the great building. 

The _Polaris_ unit was well known among other cadet units, and they weregreeted heartily from all sides. As Astro and Roger joked with variouscadet units, forming up in front of the slidestairs leading down to themess halls, Alfie turned to take a slidestairs going up. Suddenly hestopped, grabbed Tom by the shoulders, and whispered in his ear. Just asabruptly he turned and raced up the ascending slidestairs. 

"What was that about?" asked Roger, as Tom stood staring after thelittle cadet. 

"Roger--he--he said our next assignment would be one of the greatexperiments in space history. Something to be done that--that hasn'tever been done before!"

"Well, blast my jets!" said Astro. "What do you suppose it is?"

"Ahhh, " sneered Roger, "I'll bet it's nothing more than taking someguinea pigs to see how they react to Jovian gravity. That's never beendone before either! Why can't we get something exciting for a change?"

Tom laughed. "Come on, you bloodthirsty adventurer, I'm starved!"

But Tom knew that Alfie Higgins didn't get excited easily, and his eyeswere wide and his voice trembled when he had whispered his secret toTom. 

The _Polaris_ unit was due to embark on a great new adventure!

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 2

"All O. K. Here on the relay circuit, " yelled Astro through the intercomfrom the power deck. 

"O. K. , " answered Tom. "Now try out the automatic blowers for the maintubes!"

"Wanta give me a little juice for the radar antenna, Astro?" calledRoger from the radar deck. 

"In a minute, Manning, in a minute, " growled Astro. "Only got two hands, you know. "

"You should learn to use your feet, " quipped Roger. "Any normal Venusiancan do just as much with his toes as he can with his fingers!"

Back and forth the bantering had gone for twelve hours, while the threemembers of the _Polaris_ unit tested, checked, adjusted, and recheckedthe many different circuits, relays, junction boxes, and terminals inthe miles of delicate wiring woven through the ship. Now, as dawn beganto creep pink and gray over the eastern horizon, they made theirlast-minute search through the cavernous spaceship for any doubtfulconnections. Satisfied there were none, the three weary cadets assembledon the control deck and sipped the hot tea that Manning had thoughtfullyprepared. 

[Illustration: _The three weary cadets assembled on the control deck_]

"You know, by the time we get out of the Academy I don't think there'llbe a single _inch_ of this space wagon that I haven't inspected with mynose, " commented Roger in a tired voice. 

"You know you love it, Manning, " said Astro, who, though as tired as Tomand Roger, could still continue to work if necessary. His love for themighty atomic rocket motors, and his ability to repair anythingmechanical, was already a legend around the Academy. He cared for thepower deck of the _Polaris_ as if it were a baby. 

"Might as well pack in and grab some sleep before we report to CaptainStrong, " said Tom. "He might have us blasting off right away, and I, forone, would like to sleep and sleep and then sleep some more!"

"I've been thinking about what Alfie had to say, " said Roger. "You know, about this being a great adventure. "

"What about it?" asked Astro. 

"Well, you don't give this kind of overhaul for just a plain, short hopupstairs. "

"You think it might be something deeper?" asked Astro softly. 

"Whatever it is, " said Tom, getting up, "we'll need sleep. " He rose, stretched, and walked wearily to the exit port. Astro and Roger followedhim out, and once again they boarded the slidewalk for the trip back tothe main dormitory and their quarters on the forty-second floor. A halfhour later the three members of the _Polaris_ were sound asleep. 

Early morning found Captain Steve Strong in his quarters, standing atthe window and staring blankly out over the quadrangle. In his left handhe clutched a sheaf of papers. He had just reread, for the fifth time, apetition for reinstatement of space papers for Al Mason and Bill Loring. It wasn't easy, as Strong well knew, to deprive a man of his right toblast off and rocket through space, and the papers in question, issuedonly by the Solar Guard, comprised the only legal license to blast off. 

Originally issued as a means of preventing overzealous Earthmen fromblasting off without the proper training or necessary physicalcondition, which resulted in many deaths, space papers had graduallybecome the only effective means of controlling the vast expanding forceof men who made space flight their life's work. With the establishmentof the Spaceman's Code a hundred years before, firm rules andregulations for space flight had been instituted. Disobedience to anypart of the code was punishable by suspension of papers and forfeitureof the right to blast off. 

One of these rules stated that a spaceman was forbidden to blast offwithout authorization or clearance for a free orbit from a centraltraffic control. Bill Loring and Al Mason were guilty of having brokenthe regulation. Members of the crew of the recent expedition to Tara, aplanet in orbit around the sun star Alpha Centauri, they had taken arocket scout and blasted off without permission from Major Connel, thecommander of the mission, who, in this case, was authorizedtraffic-control officer. Connel had recommended immediate suspension oftheir space papers. Mason and Loring had petitioned for a review, and, to assure impartial judgment, Commander Walters had sent the petition toone of his other officers to make a decision. The petition had landed onStrong's desk. 

Strong read the petition again and shook his head. The facts were tooclear. There had been flagrant disregard for the rules and there was noevidence to support the suspended spacemen's charge that they had beenunjustly accused by Connel. Strong's duty was clear. He had to upholdMajor Connel's action and suspend the men for a year. 

Once the decision was made, Strong put the problem out of his mind. Hewalked to his huge circular desk and began sorting through the day'sorders and reports. On the top of the pile of papers was a sealedenvelope, bordered in red and marked "classified. " It was fromCommander Walters' office. Thoughtfully he opened it and read:

 To: CAPTAIN STEVE STRONG: Cadet Supervisor, _Polaris_ Unit Upon receipt of this communication, you are ordered to transfer the supervisory authority of the cadet unit designated as _POLARIS_ unit; i. E. , Cadets Tom Corbett, Roger Manning, and Astro, and the command of the rocket cruiser _Polaris_, to the command and supervisory authority of Major Connel for execution of mission as outlined herein:

 1. To test range, life, and general performance of audio communications transmitter, type X21. 

 2. To test the above-mentioned transmitter under conditions of deep space flight. 

 3. This test to take place on the planet Tara, Alpha Centauri. 

 This communication and all subsequent information relative to above-mentioned mission shall be classified as _topmost secret_. 

 Signed: WALTERS, _Commandant_, Space Academy

"So that's it, " he thought. "A hop into deep space for the _Polaris_unit!" He smiled. "The cadets of the _Polaris_ unit are in for a littlesurprise in two ways, " he thought. "One from the mission and one fromMajor Connel!"

He almost laughed out loud as he turned to the small desk teleceiver athis elbow. He pressed a button immediately below the screen and itglowed into life to reveal a young man in the uniform of the enlistedguard. 

"Yes, Captain Strong?" he asked. 

"Call the cadets of the _Polaris_ unit, " Strong ordered. "Have themreport to me here on the double!"

"Aye, aye, sir. "

Strong started to turn the set off, but the enlisted man added, "By theway, sir, Al Mason and Bill Loring are here to see you. "

"Oh--well--" Strong hesitated. 

"They're quite anxious to know if you've reached any decision regardingtheir petition for reinstatement. "

"Mmm--yes, of course. Very well, send them in. "

"Aye, aye, sir. "

The teleceiver screen blackened. In a moment the door opposite Strong'sdesk slid back, and Loring and Mason stepped into the office. Theyshambled forward and stopped in front of the huge desk, obviously ill atease. 

Strong stood up, holding their petition in his hand, and glanced over itbriefly even though he knew its contents by heart. He motioned tonear-by chairs. "Sit down, please, " he said. 

The two spacemen settled themselves uncomfortably on the edge of theirchairs and waited expectantly as Strong continued to look at the paper. 

Loring finally broke the heavy silence. 

"Well, Captain Strong, have you made a decision?" he asked. Loring was aheavy-set man, in his middle forties. He needed a shave, and when hetalked, his mouth twisted into an ugly grimace. 

"Hope it's in our favor, sir, " suggested Mason. He was shorter thanLoring and, seated, his feet hardly reached the floor. His eyes dartednervously about the huge room, and he kept rolling a dirty blackspaceman's cap in his hands. 

"Yes, I've reached a decision, " said Strong slowly. He faced the two menand looked at both of them with a steady cold stare. "I've decided tosustain Major Connel's action. You are both grounded for the next twelvemonths. Earth months!"

"What?" shouted Loring, jumping to his feet. He banged his fist down onthe desk and leaned over, his face close to Strong's. "You can't do thatto us!"

Captain Strong didn't move. "I can, " he said coldly. "And I have. "

"But--but--" Mason began to whine. "But space flight is all we know! Howwill we live?"

Strong sat down and leaned back in his chair to get away from the foulodor of Loring's breath. He stared at the two men. 

"You should have thought of that before you stole a rocket scout fromthe expedition and made an unauthorized flight while on Tara, " Strongreplied. "You're lucky you're not accused, tried, and convicted of theftof a Solar Guard spaceship!"

"We had permission to take that flight, " snarled Loring. "That MajorConnel is so blasted space happy he forgot he gave us permission. Thenwhen we came back, he slapped us in the brig!"

"Do you have any proof of that?" asked Strong. 

"No! But it's our word against his!" He slammed his hat down on the deskand shook his finger in Strong's face. "You haven't any right to takeaway our papers just on the say-so of a lousy Solar Guard officer whothinks he's king of the universe!"

"Take your filthy hat off my desk, Loring!" barked Strong. "And watchyour language!"

Loring realized he had made a mistake and tried to backtrack. "Well, Iapologize for that. But I _don't_ apologize for saying he thinks he's--"

"Major Connel has been in the Solar Guard for thirty years, " said Strongemphatically. "He's been awarded the Solar Medal three times. No otherliving spaceman has achieved that! Not even Commander Walters! He rosethrough the ranks of the enlisted Solar Guard and was commissioned as anofficer of the Solar Guard in space during an emergency. He qualifieshigher than any other spaceman, and he has never been found to beunjust! He's one of the finest spacemen ever to hit the wide, deep, andhigh!" Strong stopped, choked for breath, and turned away. It wasn'toften he lost his temper, but something had to be said in defense of hisfellow officer, and particularly since that officer was Connel. Heturned back to face the two spacemen, and his voice was hard and coldagain. 

"You are hereby suspended from space flight for twelve Earth months. Anyfurther petition for appeal of this decision will be denied!"

"All right! All right, Mr. Big!" snapped Loring. "Does this mean wecan't even ride as passengers?"

"No rights under the Universal Bill of Rights of the Solar Alliance havebeen denied you, except that of actively participating in the flight ofa spaceship!"

The signal bell of the teleceiver began to chime softly, and on the deskthe teleceiver screen glowed again. "Cadets Corbett, Manning, and Astroare here for their assignments, sir, " announced the enlisted manoutside. 

Loring glared at Strong. "I suppose you're going to send some punk kidsout on the next trip to Tara and leave us experienced spacemen to rot onthe ground, huh?"

Strong didn't see the door slide open to admit the three cadets whoentered quietly. His whole attention was focused on the ugly glaringfaces of Bill Loring and Al Mason. 

"Get this, Loring!" snapped Strong hotly. "The assignments of the_Polaris_ unit, whether it be to Tara or the Moon, has nothing to dowith your own breech of conduct. In any case, if they were to beassigned, they'd do a better job than you 'experienced' spacemen who aredisrespectful of your superior officers and break regulations! If eitherof you makes one more crack about the Solar Guard or Space Cadets, or_anything_ at all, I'll take you out on the quadrangle and pound somecommon courtesy into your heads! Now get out!"

"All right, all right--" muttered Loring retreating, but with a sneer onhis lips. "We'll meet again, Mr. Bigshot Spaceman!"

"I hope so, Loring. And if we do, I hope you've taken a bath. You evensmell bad!"

From the rear of the room came a burst of laughter. Tom, Roger, andAstro, unobserved, had been listening and watching their skipper inaction. When Loring and Mason had left the room, they advanced to thedesk, came to attention, and saluted. 

"_Polaris_ unit reporting for duty, sir!" snapped Tom crisply. 

"At ease, " said Strong. "Did you hear all of that?"

"Yes, sir, skipper!" Roger smiled. "And believe me, you really gave itto those two space bums!"

"Yeah, " agreed Astro, "but I don't think even _you_ could do much forLoring. He's just born to smell bad!"

"Never mind that, " said Strong. "I suppose you heard the part about theassignments?"

The three cadets assumed looks of pure innocence. 

"We didn't hear a thing, sir, " said Tom. 

"You'll make a fine diplomat, Corbett, " Strong laughed. "All right, sitdown and I'll give it to you straight. "

They hastily took seats and waited for their skipper to begin. 

"You've been assigned as cadet observers on a mission to test the rangeof a new long-range audio transmitter. " Strong paused, then addedsignificantly, "The test is to take place in deep space. "

The three cadets only beamed their enthusiastic approval. 

"Tara, " continued Strong, "is your destination--a planet like Earth inmany respects, in orbit around the sun star Alpha Centauri. You'll takethe _Polaris_ directly to the Venus space station, where the transmitterhas been given primary tests, outfit the _Polaris_ for hyperdrive, andblast off!"

"Excuse me, sir, " interrupted Tom, "but you say 'you'?"

"I mean, " replied Strong, "_you_, in the sense that I won't be goingalong with you. Oh, don't worry!" said Strong, holding up his hand as asudden look of anticipation spread over the faces of the three boys. "You're not going alone! You'll have a commanding officer, all right. Infact, you'll have the nearest thing to the perfect commanding officer inthe Solar Guard!" He waited just long enough for each boy to search hismind for a suitable candidate and then added, "Your skipper will beMajor Connel!"

"Major Connel!" the three cadets cried in unison. 

"You mean Major 'Blast-off' Connel?" uttered Roger unbelievingly. 

"That's who I mean, " said Strong. "It's the best thing in the universethat could happen to you!"

Roger stood up and saluted smartly. "I request permission to bedismissed from this mission on the grounds of incompatibility, sir, " hesaid. 

"Incompatible to what?" asked Strong, amused. 

"To Major Connel, sir, " replied Roger. 

"Permission denied, " said Strong with a smile. "Buck up! It isn't sobad. " Strong paused and stood up. "Well, that's it. It's close to elevenA. M. And you're to report to the major at eleven on the nose. Ihope you've got the _Polaris_ in good shape. "

"We were up all night, sir, " said Tom. "She's ready to go. "

"She's in better shape than we are, " said Astro. 

"Very well, then. Report to Major Connel immediately. Your papers havebeen transferred, so all you have to do is report. "

Strong rounded the desk and shook hands with each cadet. "This is animportant mission, boys, " he said soberly. "See that you give MajorConnel all the support I know you're capable of giving. He'll need it. Idoubt if I'll see you before you blast off, so this is it. Spaceman'sluck to each of you!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 3

"Well, looks like we're big boys now, " said Tom, as the three cadetsstrolled down the corridor away from Captain Strong's office. "Theydon't hand out secret and important missions to cadet units unlessthey're really on the ball!"

"But we've got Major 'Blast-off' Connel to educate, " grumbled Roger. 

"What do you mean 'educate'?" asked Astro. 

"You know he's the roughest officer in the Academy, " replied theblond-haired cadet. "He eats cadets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And then has an extra one for dessert. He isn't just tough--his hide'smade of armor plate. But I've got a hunch that if we play dumb at first, then smarten up slowly, we can make him feel that he's done it for us. So he'll be easier on us. "

"Say, it's after eleven!" exclaimed Tom. "We'd better hurry!"

Suddenly, as if a rocket cruiser were blasting off in the corridors, aroar, deafening and powerful, filled their ears. And beneath itsferocity there were four unmistakable words:

"_Polaris unit--staaaaaaaannnnnndddddd toooooo!_"

Every muscle, every bone in their three bodies snapped to rigidattention simultaneously. Eyes straight, chins in, the cadets waited forwhatever calamity had befallen them. From behind came quick, heavyfootsteps. They drew closer until they passed alongside and thenabruptly stopped. There, in front of them, stood the one and only Major"Blast-off" Connel!

Though a few inches shorter than Astro, he was what Astro might becomein thirty years, heavily muscular, with a barrel chest that filled thegold-and-black uniform tightly. He stood balanced on the balls of hissmall feet like a boxer, hands hanging loosely at his sides. A bulldogchin jutted out of his rough-hewn face as if it were going to snap offthe head of the nearest cadet. He towered over Tom and Roger, and thoughshorter than Astro, he made up for this by sheer force of personality. When he spoke, his voice was like a deep foghorn that had suddenlylearned the use of vowels. 

"So this is the great _Polaris_ unit, eh?" he bellowed. "You're twominutes late!"

Tom suddenly felt that he and his unit-mates were all alone in thecorridor with the major. He glanced to one side, then the other, cautiously, and saw it was empty. And for good reason! No one wanted tobe around when "Blast-off" Connel was blasting. Cadets, enlisted men, and even officers were not safe from his sudden outbursts. He drovehimself so hard that he became impatient with others who were not ableto match his drive. It was not because of ego but rather to get the jobat hand finished. More than once he had dressed down a captain of theSolar Guard in the same tone he used on a green Earthworm. It was legendaround the Academy that once, believing he was right, he had broken intothe Council Chamber itself to argue his point. He won by a unanimousdecision. Nothing, but nothing, had been devised or thought of thatcould stop "Blast-off" Connel. Every waking moment of his adult life hadbeen spent in the pursuit of more and more knowledge about space, spacetravel, and life on the other planets. 

Now, his wrath at fever pitch at their being tardy, he stood in front ofthe cadets, turning his anger on Roger first. 

"Your name's Manning, isn't it?" he growled. 

"Yes, sir!" replied Roger. 

"Father got a medal--used to be a Solar Guard officer?"

"That's right, sir. He was killed in space. "

"I know. He was a good man. _You'll_ never be the man he was, if youlive ten thousand years. But if you don't _try_ to be a better man thanhe was, you won't live five minutes with me! Is that clear, CadetManning?"

"Very clear, sir!" gulped Roger. 

Connel turned to Astro. 

"And you're the home-grown atomic-rocket genius, Venusian style, eh?"

"Yes, sir, " choked Astro. "I'm from Venus. "

"Bucked rockets on the old chemical burners as a kid before entering theAcademy, eh?" asked Connel. There was less than an inch and a halfbetween Astro's face and Major Connel's jaw. 

"Yes, sir, " answered Astro, "I was an enlisted man before coming to theAcademy. "

"Well, get this, you rocket buster, " roared Connel. "I want a power deckthat will give me what I want, when I want it, or you'll be back in theranks again. Is that clear, Cadet Astro?"

"Yes, sir! Everything she's got, when you want it, sir. "

"And I like to have a power deck clean enough to eat off the deckplates!"

"Yes, sir, " stuttered Astro, growing more and more confused. "You liketo eat off the deck plates, sir!"

"_By the craters of Luna, no!_ I don't like to eat off the deck plates, _but I want them clean enough to eat there if I want to!_"

"Yes, sir!" Astro's voice was hardly above a whisper. 

"And you're the tactical wizard that won the space maneuvers recently, singlehanded, eh?" asked Connel, bending down to face Tom. 

"Our side won, sir. If that answers your question, " replied Tom. He wasas nervous as Roger and Astro, but he fought for control. He wasdetermined not to be bullied. 

"I didn't ask you who won!" snapped Connel. "But you're the one just thesame. Control-deck cadet, eh? Well, you work with me. On the controldeck there's only room for one brain, one decision, one answer. And whenI'm on the control deck, that decision, answer, and brain will be mine!"

"I understand perfectly, sir, " said Tom tonelessly. 

Connel stepped back, fists on his hips, eying the three cadets. He hadheard about their difficulty in fitting personalities together when theyhad first arrived at Space Academy (as described in _Stand By forMars!_). And he had heard about their triumph over the Martian desert. He was impressed with everything he had learned about them, but he knewthat he had a reputation for being tough and that this reputationusually brought out the best in cadets. Early in his long and brilliantcareer he had learned that his life depended on the courage andingenuity of his fellow spacemen. When he became an instructor at theAcademy, he had determined that no cadet would ever be anything but thebest, and that, when they blasted off in later years, they could bedepended on. 

He looked at the three cadets and felt a tinge of excitement that didnot show on his scowling face. "Yes, " he thought, "they'll makespacemen. It'll take a little time--but they're good material. "

"_Now listen to this!_" he bawled. "We blast off for the Venus spacestation in exactly thirty minutes. Get your gear aboard the _Polaris_and stand by to raise ship. " He dropped his voice and pushed out his jawa little farther. "This will be the toughest journey you'll ever make. You'll either come back spacemen, or you'll come back nothing. I'm goingto try my best to make it"--he paused and added coldly--"_nothing!_Because if you can't take it from me, then you don't belong in space!Unit _dis_-missed!"

He turned on his heel and disappeared up the slidestairs without anotherlook at the three rigid cadets. 

"Yeah--we'll educate him, all right, " said Astro softly, with a wink atTom. "Make him think he's done everything for us. "

"Ah, go blast your jets!" snarled Roger after he had found his voice. 

"Come on, " said Tom. "Let's get the _Polaris_ ready. And, fellows, Imean _ready_!"

Bill Loring and Al Mason stood near the entrance to the control tower ofthe Academy spaceport and watched the three cadets of the _Polaris_scramble into the giant rocket cruiser. 

"Every time I think about that Connel kicking us out of space for twelvemonths I wanta pound his head in with a wrench!" snarled Loring. 

Mason snorted. "Well, what's the use of hanging around here?" he asked. "That Connel wouldn't have us aboard the _Polaris_, even if we werecleared and had our papers. There ain't a thing we can do!"

"Don't give up so easy. There's a fortune setting up there inspace--just waiting for me and you to come and take it. And no big-shotSolar Guard officer is going to keep me from getting it!"

"Yeah--yeah, " grumbled Mason, "but what are you going to do about it?"

"I'll show you what I'm going to do!" said Loring. "We're heading forVenusport. "

"Venusport? By the moons of Jupiter, what are we going to do there?"

"Get a free ride to Tara!"

"But how? I only got a few hundred credits and you ain't got much more. There ain't nobody going to go fifty billion miles on nothing!"

Loring's eyes followed the massive figure of Major Connel on theslidewalk as it swept across the spaceport field toward the _Polaris_. "You just buy us a coupla seats on the next rocket to Venusport and stopasking stupid questions. When we see Major 'Blast-off' Connel again, we'll be giving the orders with a paralo-ray!"

The two disgruntled spacemen turned quickly and walked to the nearestslidewalk, disappearing around a building. 

Aboard the _Polaris_, Tom confronted his two unit-mates. 

"Now look, fellows. After the hard time Major Connel just gave us, let'ssee if we can't really stay on the ball from now on. "

"All right by me, Tom, " Astro said, nodding his head. 

"You're having space dreams, Corbett!" drawled Roger. "No matter what wedo for old 'Blast-off' we'll wind up behind the eight ball. "

"But if we really try, " urged Tom, "if we all do our jobs, there can'tbe anything for him to fuss about. "

"We'll make it tough for him to give us any demerits, " Astro chimed in. 

"Right, " said Tom. 

"It won't work, " grumbled Roger. "You saw the way he chewed us up, andfor what? I ask you--for what?"

"He was just trying to live up to his reputation, Roger, " replied Tom. "But common sense will tell you that if you're on the ball you won't getdemerits. "

"What's the matter, hot-shot?" growled Astro. "Afraid of a little work?"

"Listen, you Venusian clunk, " sneered Roger, "I'll work the pants offyou any day in the week, and that includes Titan days, too!"

"O. K. " Tom smiled. "Save half of that energy for the _Polaris_, Roger. "

"Yeah, use some of that Manning hot air to shine brass!" suggestedAstro. 

"Come on. Let's get this wagon in shape, " said Tom. He turned to theinstrument panel and the great control board. 

A moment later the three cadets were busy shining the few bits of brassand rechecking the many controls and levers. Suddenly there was thesound of a hatch slamming below and then Astro's voice came whisperingover the intercom, ". .. Watch it, fellows. Here he comes!"

The airtight hatch leading to the control deck slid back, and MajorConnel stepped inside. With one sweeping glance he took in the controldeck and the evidence of their work. 

"Unit--_staaaaand to!_" he roared. 

Astro climbed into the control deck and snapped to attention with hisunit-mates as Connel began a quick but thorough check of the many dialsand switches and relays on the control panel. 

"Ummmmh, " he mused. "Been doing a little work, I see. "

"Oh, nothing special, sir, " said Roger. 

"Well, from now on it's going to be special!" roared Connel. 

"Yes, sir, " acknowledged Roger quickly. 

"All right, at ease, " ordered Connel. As the three boys relaxed, Connelstepped over to the astrogation board and snapped a switch. Immediatelya solar chart filled the huge chart screen. It was a black-and-whiteview of the planet Venus. 

"This is where we're going first, " he said, placing a finger on aball-shaped satellite in orbit around the misty planet. "This is theVenus space station. As you know, Venus has no natural satellite of itsown, so we built one. We'll blast off from here and go directly to thespace station where the _Polaris_ will be fitted with hyperdrive fordeep-space operations. While at the station you will acquaint yourselveswith the operation of the new audio communications transmitter. When I'msatisfied that you can handle it under the prevailing conditions of anextended space flight, we'll blast off for a test of its range andperformance. "

Major Connel paused and faced the cadets squarely. Then he continued:"This is an important mission--one which I hope will enable the SolarGuard to establish the first base outside of our solar system. Ourdestination is Tara, in the star system of Alpha Centauri. Tara is aplanet in a stage of development similar to that of Earth severalmillion years ago. Its climate is tropical, and lush vegetation--junglesreally--covers the land surface. Two great oceans separate the landmasses. One is called Alpha, the other Omega. I was on the firstexpedition, when Tara was discovered, and have just returned from thesecond, during which we explored it and ran tests to learn if it couldsustain human life. All tests show that Tara can be transformed into aparadise. "

Connel paused, took a deep breath, and continued: "I shall expect morethan just hard work from you. I want everything you have to offer. Notjust good performance, but _excellence_! I will not tolerate anythingless, and if I'm forced to resort to extreme disciplinary action to getwhat I demand, then you can expect to receive every demerit in thebook!" He stepped closer to the three cadets. "Remember! Spacemen--or_nothing!_ Now, stand by to blast off!"

Without a word, the three cadets hurried to their stations and beganroutine procedure to raise ship. 

"All departments ready to blast off, Major Connel, " reported Tom, saluting sharply. 

"Very well, Corbett, proceed, " said Connel. 

Tom called into the intercom, "Stand by for blast-off!" He then openedthe circuit to the teleceiver screen overhead and spoke to the spaceportcontrol tower. 

"_Polaris_ to spaceport control. Request permission to blast off. Request orbit. "

"Spaceport traffic to _Polaris_. Your orbit has been cleared 089--repeat089--blast off in two minutes . .. "

"Orbit 089--blast off minus one fifty-nine fifty-eight. "

"You read me clear, _Polaris_ . .. "

Tom clicked off the switch and turned to the intercom. "Control deck toradar bridge. Do we have a clear tangent forward and up?"

"All clear forward and up, Tom, " replied Roger. 

"Control deck to power deck. Energize the cooling pumps!"

"Cooling pumps in operation, " answered Astro briskly. 

The giant ship began to shudder as the mighty pumps on the power deckstarted their slow, whining build-up. Tom sat in front of the controlpanel, strapped himself into the acceleration chair, and began checkingthe dials and gauges. Satisfied everything was in order, he fastened hiseyes to the sweeping red second hand on the solar clock. The teleceiverscreen brought a sharp picture of the surrounding base of the spaceship, and he saw that it was all clear. The second hand reached the ten-secondmark. 

"Stand by to raise ship!" bawled Tom into the intercom. The red handmoved steadily, surely, to the zero at the top of the clock face. Tomreached for the master switch. 

"Blast off minus five--four--three--two--one--_zero!_"

Tom threw the switch. 

Slowly the giant ship raised itself from the ground. Then faster andfaster, pushing the four spacemen deep into their acceleration cushions, it hurtled spaceward. 

In a few seconds the _Polaris_ was gravity-free. Once again, Earthmenhad started another journey to the stars. 

CHAPTER 4

"Stand by to reduce speed three-quarters!" roared Major Connel. 

"Aye, aye, sir, " replied Tom, and began the necessary adjustments on thecontrol panel. He spoke into the intercom. "Control deck to power deck. Stand by to reduce thrust on main drive rockets by three-quarters. We'recoming onto the space station, Astro. "

"Power deck, aye, " acknowledged Astro. 

Drifting in a steady orbit around its mother planet, the Venus spacestation loomed ahead of the _Polaris_ like a huge metal ball set againsta backdrop of cold, black space. It was studded with gaping holes, airlocks which served as landing ports for spaceships. Inside the stationwas a compact city. Living quarters, communications rooms, repair shops, weather observations, meteor information, everything to serve the greatfleet of Solar Guard and merchant spaceships plying the space lanesbetween Earth, Mars, Venus, and Titan. 

"I'm getting the identification request from the station, sir. Shall Ianswer her?" asked Roger over the intercom. 

"Of course, you space-brained idiot, and make it fast!" exploded Connel. "What do you want to do? Get us blasted out of space?"

"Yes, sir!" replied Roger. "Right away, sir!"

Tom kept his eyes on the teleceiver screen above his head. The image ofthe space station loomed large and clear. 

"Approaching a little too fast, I think, sir, " volunteered Tom. "Shall Imake the adjustment?"

"What's the range?" asked Connel. 

Tom named a figure. 

"Ummmmh, " mused Connel. He glanced quickly over the dials and thennodded in assent. Tom turned once more to the intercom. "Control deck topower deck, " he called. "Stand by for maneuvering, Astro, and reduceyour main drive thrust to minimum space speed. "

"Space station traffic control to rocket cruiser _Polaris_. Come in, _Polaris_. This is traffic control on space station to _Polaris_, " theaudio teleceiver crackled. 

"Rocket cruiser _Polaris_ to space station and traffic control. Requesttouchdown permission and landing-port number, " replied Tom. 

"Permission to touch down granted, _Polaris_. You are to line up onapproach to landing-port seven--repeat--seven. Am now sending outguiding radar beam. Can you read beam?"

Tom turned to the intercom. "Have you got the station's guiding beam, Roger?"

"All lined up, Tom, " replied Roger from the radar bridge. "Get thatVenusian on the power deck to give me a three-second shot on thestarboard rocket, if he can find the right handles!"

"I heard that, Manning!" roared Astro's voice on the intercom. "Anothercrack like that and I'll make you get out and push this baby around!"

"_You execute that order and do it blasted quick!_" Major Connel's voiceexploded over the intercom. "And watch that loose talk on the ship'sintercom. From now on, all directions and orders will be given andreceived in a crisp, clear manner without unnecessary familiarity!"

Connel didn't expect them to acknowledge his order. The cadets had heardhim and that was enough. He knew it was enough. In the short time it hadtaken them to traverse the immense gulf of space between the Academy andthe station Connel had handed out demerits by fives and tens! Each ofthe cadets was now tagged with enough black marks to spend two months inthe galley working them off!

Now, working together like the smooth team of junior spacemen they were, Tom, Roger, and Astro maneuvered the great rocket ship toward the gapinghole of the air lock in the side of the white ball-like satellite. 

"Drop your bow one half degree, _Polaris_, you're up too high, " warnedthe station control. 

"A short burst on the upper trim rocket, Astro, " called Tom. 

The great ship bucked slightly under the force of sudden thrust, andthen its nose dropped the required half degree. 

"Cut all thrust and brake your speed to dead ship, _Polaris_, " orderedtraffic control. 

Again Tom relayed the order to Astro, and a moment later the great shiphung silently in the airless void of space, a scant half mile from thestation. 

[Illustration: _The junior spaceman maneuvered the great rocket shiptoward the air lock_]

Through the teleceiver Tom could see the jet boats darting out from thestation carrying the magnetic cables. In a moment the lines wereattached to the steel skin of the ship, and gradually the linestightened, pulling the mighty spaceship into the waiting port. Onceinside, the outer air lock was closed and the _Polaris_ was slung in thepowerful magnetic cradles that held her in a rigid position. Elsewhereon the satellite, quick calculations were made for the additionalweight, and the station was counterbalanced to assure an even orbitaround Venus. 

Tom flicked the many switches off on the great board, glanced at thetime of arrival on the solar clock, and reported to Major Connel. 

"Touchdown at one-nine-four-nine, sir. "

"Very well, Corbett, " answered Connel. Then he added grudgingly, "Thatwas as fine a job of control-deck operations as I've seen. Keep up thegood work, spaceman. "

Tom gulped. The unexpected compliment caught him off guard. And he waseven more pleased that for the first time Connel had referred to him asspaceman!

"I'll be needed at the space station commander's quarters for a while, Corbett, " said Connel. "Meanwhile, you and Manning and Astro acquaintyourselves with the station. Report to me back aboard the ship inexactly two hours. Dismissed. "

Tom saluted, and Connel disappeared toward the exit port. 

"Well, _spaceman_, " Roger drawled casually from behind, "it looks likeyou've got yourself in solid with the old man!"

Tom smiled. "With a guy like that, Roger, you're never in solid. Maybe Idid get a pat on the back, but you didn't hear him cancel any of thosedemerits he gave me for not signing the logbook after that last watch, did you?"

"Let's get some chow, " growled Astro, who came hustling through thehatch. "I'm half starved. By the craters of Luna, how many times can youchange course in five minutes?"

Astro referred to the countless times Tom had had to call forfraction-degree course changes in their approach to the gaping entranceport. 

Tom laughed. "With Connel on the bridge, you're lucky I didn't give youtwice as many, " he replied. "Can you imagine what would have happened ifwe had missed and hit the station?"

"Brrrrrr!" shuddered Roger. "I hate to think about it. Come on. Let'srustle up some grub for the Venusian. I could use some myself. "

The three boys quickly changed to their dress blue cadet uniforms andleft the ship. A moment later they were being whisked up an electricelevator to the main--or "street"--level. The door opened, and theystepped out into a large circular area about the size of a city block inthe rear of the station. The area had been broken into smaller sections. One side of the "street" was devoted to shops, a small stereo housewhich was playing the latest Liddy Tamal hit, "Children of Space" (asensational drama about the lives of men in the future), restaurants, and even a curio shop. The Venus space station handled ninety per centof the traffic into and out of Venusport. It was a refueling stop forthe jet liners and space freighters bound for the outer planets, and forthose returning to Earth. Some ships went directly to Venusport forheavy overhaul or supplies, but the station was established primarilyfor quick turn arounds. Several ex-enlisted spacemen who had beeninjured or retired were given special permission to open shops for theconvenience of the passengers and crews of the ships and the staff ofthe station. In twenty years the station had become a place where summertourists from Earth and winter tourists from Titan made a point ofstopping. The first of its kind in the universe, it was as near aperfect place to live as could be built by man. 

Tom, Roger, and Astro strolled down the short street, pushing through acrowd of tourists admiring the shops. Finally they found a restaurantthat specialized in Venusian dishes. 

"Now you two spindly Earthmen are going to have the best meal of yourlives! Broiled dinosaur on real Venusian black bread!"

"D-dinosaur!" stuttered Tom in amazement. "Why--why--that's aprehistoric monster!"

"Yeah, Astro, " agreed Roger. "What are you trying to hand us?"

Astro laughed. "You'll see, fellows, " he replied. "I used to go huntingfor them when I was a kid. Brought the best price of any wild game. Fifty credits for babies under three hundred pounds. Over that, youcan't eat 'em. Too tough!"

Tom and Roger looked at each other, eyes bulging. 

"Ah, come on, Tom, " drawled Roger. "He's just trying to pull our leg. "

Without a word, Astro grabbed them by the arms and rushed them into therestaurant. They were no sooner seated when a recorded voice announcedthe menu over a small loud-speaker on the table. Astro promptly ordereddinosaur, and to his unit-mates' amazement, the voice politely inquired:

"Would the spacemen prefer to have it broiled à la Venusian black bread, baked, or raw?"

A sharp look from Roger and Tom, and Astro ordered it broiled. 

One hour and fifteen minutes later the three members of the _Polaris_unit staggered out of the restaurant. 

"By the rings of Saturn, " declared Tom, "that wasn't only the most Iever ate--it was the best!"

Roger nodded in silent agreement, leaning against the plastic window infront of the restaurant. 

"You see, " Astro beamed, "maybe you guys will listen to me from now on!"

"Boy, I can't wait to see Mom's face when I tell her that her chickenand dumplings have taken second place to broiled monster!"

"By the jumping blazes of the stars!" yelled Roger suddenly. "Look atthe time! We're ten minutes late!"

"Ohhhhh, " moaned Tom. "I knew it was too good to be true!"

"Step on it!" said Astro. "Maybe he won't notice. "

"Some chance, " groaned Roger, running after Tom and Astro. "That oldrocket head wouldn't miss anything!"

The three boys raced back to the electric elevator and were silentlywhisked to the air-lock level. They hurried aboard the _Polaris_ andinto the control room. Major Connel was seated in a chair near the chartscreen, studying some papers. The cadets drew themselves to attention. 

"Unit reporting for duty, sir, " Tom quavered. 

Connel spun around in the swivel chair, glanced at the clock, put thepapers to one side, and slowly advanced toward the cadets. 

"Thirteen and a half minutes late!" he said, dropping his voice to abiting growl. "I'll give you five seconds to think up a good excuse. Every man is entitled to an excuse. Some have good ones, some havetruthful ones, and some have excuses that sound as though they made themup in five seconds!"

He eyed the cadets speculatively. "Well?" he demanded. 

"I'm afraid we were carried away by our enthusiasm for a meal Astrointroduced us to, sir, " said Tom honestly. 

"All right, " snapped Connel, "then here's something else to carry youall away!" He paused and rocked on the balls of his feet. "I had plannedto give you three liberty of the station while here, whenever youweren't working on the new transmitter. But since you have shownyourselves to be carried away so easily, I don't think I can depend onyour completing your regular duties. Therefore, I suggest that each ofyou report to the officer in charge of your respective departments andlearn the operation and function of the station while we're here. Thiswork will be _in addition_ to your assigned duties on the newtransmitter operation!"

The three cadets gulped but were silent. 

"Not only that, " Connel's voice had risen to an angry bark, "but youwill be logged a demerit apiece for each minute you reported late. Thirteen and a half minutes, thirteen and a half demerits!"

The gold and black of the Solar Guard uniform never looked more ominousas the three cadets watched the stern spaceman turn and stomp out theexit port. 

Alone, their liberty taken away from them before they even knew they hadit, the boys sat around on the control deck of the silent ship andlistened to the distant throb of a pump, rising and falling, pumpingfree air throughout the station. 

"Well, " sighed Tom, "I always did want to know how a space stationworked. Now I guess I'll learn firsthand. "

"Me, too, " said Astro. He propped his big feet up on a delicateinstrument panel of the control board. 

"Me, too!" sneered Roger, his voice filled with a bitterness thatsurprised Tom and Astro. "But I didn't think I would find out like this!How in the universe has that--that tyrant managed to stay alive thislong!"

CHAPTER 5

"The space station's biggest headache, " said Terry Scott, a young SolarGuard officer assigned the job of showing the _Polaris_ crew around, "isto maintain perfect balance at all times. "

"How do you achieve that, sir?" asked Tom. 

"We create our own gravity by means of a giant gyroscope in the heart ofthe station. When more weight is taken aboard, or weight leaves thestation, we have to adjust the gyro's speed. "

They entered the power deck of the great ball-like satellite. Astro'seyes glowed with pleasure as he glanced approvingly from one massivemachine to another. The fuel tanks were made of thin durable aluminite;a huge cylinder, covered with heat-resistant paint, was the airconditioner; power came from a bank of atomic dynamos and generators;while those massive pumps kept the station's artificial air and watersupply circulating. 

Dials, gauges, meters, were arrayed in seemingly endless rows--but eachone of them actually played its part in keeping the station in balance. 

Astro's face was one big, delighted grin. 

"Well, " said Roger with a sly wink at Tom, "you can't tell me thatConnel has made our Venusian unhappy. Even if he had given us liberty, I'll bet Astro would have spent it down here with the grease monkeys!"

Astro didn't rise to the bait. His attention was riveted on a hugedynamo, which he watched with appreciative eyes. But then Terry Scottintroduced the _Polaris_ unit to an older Solar Guard officer. 

"Cadets, meet Captain Jenledge, " said Scott. "And, sir, this is CadetAstro. Major Connel would like him to work with you while he's here. "

"Glad to know you, boys, " said Jenledge, "and particularly you, CadetAstro. I've heard about your handiness with the thrust buckets on thecruisers. What do you think of our layout?"

The officer turned and waved his hand to indicate the power-deckequipment. 

"This is just about the finest--the most terrif--"

The officer smiled at Astro's inability to describe his feelings. Jenledge was proud of his power deck, proud of the whole establishment, for that matter. He had conceived it, had drawn the plans, and hadconstructed this space station. 

Throughout the solar system it was considered his baby. And when he hadasked for permission to remain on as senior power-deck chief, the SolarAlliance had jumped at the chance to keep such a good man on the job. The station had become a sort of postgraduate course for power-deckcadets and junior Solar Guard officers. 

Astro beamed. So, the great Jenledge had actually heard of him--ofhumble Cadet Astro. He could hardly restrain himself from ripping offhis blue uniform and going right to work on a near-by machine that hadbeen torn apart for repairs. Finally he managed to gasp, "I think it'sgreat, sir--just wonderful!"

"Very well, Cadet Astro, " said the officer. "There's a pair ofcoveralls in my locker. You can start right to work. " He paused and hiseyes twinkled. "If you want to, that is!"

"Want to!" roared Astro, and was off to the locker room. 

Jenledge turned to Scott. "Leave him with me, Scotty. I don't thinkCadet Astro's going to care much about the rest of the station!"

Scott smiled, saluted, and walked away. Tom and Roger came to attention, saluted, and followed the young officer off the power deck. 

"Astro's probably happier now than he'll ever be in his life, Tom, "whispered Roger. 

"Yeah, " agreed Tom. "Did you see the way his eyes lit up when we walkedin there? Like a kid with a brand-new toy!"

A moment later Scott, Tom, and Roger, in a vacuum elevator, were beinghurtled to the station's upper decks. They got out on the observationdeck, and Scott walked directly to a small door at the end of acorridor. A light over the door flashed red and Scott stopped. 

"Here's the weather and meteor observation room, " he said. "Also radarcommunications. When the red light's on, it means photographs are beingtaken. We'll have to wait for them to finish. "

As they waited, Tom and Roger talked to Scott. He had graduated fromSpace Academy seven years before, they learned. He'd been assigned tothe Solar Alliance Chamber as liaison between the Chamber and the SolarGuard. After four years, he had requested a transfer to active spaceoperations. 

Then, he told them, there'd been an accident. His ship exploded. He'dbeen badly injured--in fact, both his legs were now artificial. 

The cadets, who had thought him a bit stuffy at first, were changingtheir minds fast. Why hadn't he quit, they wanted to know?

"Leave space?" said Scott. "I'd rather die. I can't blast off any more. But here at the station I'm still a spaceman. "

The red light went out, and they opened the door. 

In sharp contrast to the bustle and noise on the power deck, the meteor, weather, and radar observation room was filled with only a subduedwhisper. All around them huge screens displayed various views of thesurface of Venus as it slowly revolved beneath the station. Along oneside of the room was a solid bank of four-foot-square teleceiver screenswith an enlisted spaceman or junior officer seated in front of each one. These men, at their microphones, were relaying meteor and weatherinformation to all parts of the solar system. Now it was Roger's turn toget excited at seeing the wonderful radar scanners that swept space forhundreds of thousands of miles. They were powerful enough to pick up aspaceship's identifying outline while still two hundred thousand milesaway! Farther to one side, a single teleceiver screen, ten feet square, dominated the room. Roger gasped. 

Scott smiled. "That's the largest teleceiver screen in the universe, " hesaid. "The most powerful. And it's showing you a picture of theAndromeda Galaxy, thousands of light years away. Most of the lights yousee there are no more than that, just light, their stars, or suns, having long ago exploded or burned. But the light continues to travel, taking thousands of years to reach our solar system. "

"But--but--" gasped Tom. "How can you be so accurate with this screen?It looks as though we were smack in the center of the galaxy itself!"

"There's a fifty-inch telescope attached to the screen, " Scott replied, "which is equal to the big one-thousand-inch 'eye' back at the Academy. "

"Why is that, sir?" asked Roger. 

"You don't get any distortion from atmosphere up here, " replied theyoung officer. 

As Tom and Roger walked silently among the men at the teleceiverscreens, Scott continued to explain. "This is where you'll be, Manning, "he said, indicating a large radarscope scanner a little to one side andpartially hidden from the glow of the huge teleceiver screen. "We need aman on watch here twenty-four hours a day, though there isn't much doingbetween midnight and eight A. M. On radar watch. A littletraffic, but nothing compared to what we get during the regular workingday. "

"Any particular reason for that, sir?" asked Tom. 

"Oh, there just aren't many arrivals and departures during that period. We have night crews to handle light traffic, but by midnight the stationis pretty much like any sleepy Middle Western town. Rolls up thesidewalks and goes to bed. "

He motioned to Roger to follow him to the radar section and left Tomwatching the interesting spectacle on the giant teleceiver. A huge starcluster flashed brilliantly, filling the screen with light, then fadedinto the endless blackness of space. Tom caught his breath as heremembered what Scott had told him about the light being thousands ofyears old before reaching the solar system. 

"Manning's all set, Corbett, " said Scott at Tom's elbow. "Come on. I'llshow you the traffic-control deck. "

Tom followed the young officer out of the room. As all true spacemen doat one time or another in their lives, he thought about the pitifullysmall part mankind had played so far in the conquest of the stars. Manhad come a long way, Tom was ready to admit, but there was still a lotof work ahead for young, courageous spacemen. 

As Scott and Tom climbed the narrow stairs to the traffic-control deck, the Solar Guard officer continued to speak of the man-made satellite. "When the station was first built, " he said, "it was expected to be justa way station for refueling and celestial observations. But now we'refinding other uses for it, just as though it were a small community onEarth, Mars, or Venus. In fact, they're now planning to build stilllarger stations. " Scott opened the door to the traffic-control room. Hemotioned to Tom to follow him. 

[Illustration]

This room, Tom was ready to admit, was the busiest place he had everseen in his life. All around the circular room enlisted Solar Guardsmensat at small desks, each with a monitoring board in front of him holdingthree teleceiver screens. As he talked into a mike near by, each man, byshifting from one screen to the next, was able to follow the progress ofa spaceship into or out of the landing ports. One thing puzzled Tom. Heturned to Scott. 

"Sir, how come some of those screens show the _station_ from the_outside_?" he asked. Tom pointed to a screen in front of him that had apicture of a huge jet liner just entering a landing port. 

"Two-way teleceivers, Corbett, " said Scott with a smile. "When youarrived on the _Polaris_, didn't you have a view of the station on yourteleceiver?"

"Yes, sir, " answered Tom, "of course. "

"Well, these monitors picked up your image on the _Polaris_ teleceiver. So the traffic-control chief here could see exactly what you wereseeing. "

In the center of the circular room Tom noticed a round desk that wasraised about eight feet from the floor. This desk dominated all activityin the busy room. Inside it stood a Solar Guard officer, watching themonitoring teleceivers. He wore a throat microphone for sending outmessages, and for receiving calls had a thin silver wire running to thevibrating bone in his ear. He moved constantly, turning in a circle, watching the various landing ports on the many screens. Three-thousand-ton rocket liners, Solar Guard cruisers, scout ships, anddestroyers all moved about the satellite lazily, waiting for permissionto enter or depart. This man was the master traffic-control officer whohad first contacted Tom on his approach to the station. He did that forall approaching ships--contacted them, got the recognition signal, found out the ship's destination, its weight, and its cargo or passengerload. 

Then the connection was relayed to one of the secondary control officersat the monitoring boards. 

"That's Captain Stefens, " said Scott in a whisper. "Toughest officer onthe station. He has to be. From five hundred to a thousand ships arriveand depart daily. It's his job to see that every arriving ship isproperly taken into the landing ports. Besides that, everything you'veseen, except the meteor and weather observation rooms, are under hiscommand. If he thinks a ship is overloaded, he won't allow it to enterand disrupt the balance of the station. Instead, he'll order its skipperto dump part of his cargo out in space to be picked up later. He makeshundreds of decisions a day--some of them really hair-raising. Once, when a rocket scout crew was threatened with exploding reactant mass, hecalmly told them to blast off into a desolate spot in space and blow up. The crew could have abandoned ship, but they chose to remain with it andwere blown to atoms. It could have happened to the station. That nighthe got a three-day pass from the station and went to Venusport. "

Scott shook his head. "I've heard Venusport will never be the same afterthat three-day pass of Captain Stefens. "

The young officer looked at Corbett quizzically. "That's the man you'regoing to work for. "

Scott walked over to the circular desk and spoke rapidly to the officerinside. As Tom approached, Stefens gave him a quick, sharp glance. Itsent a shiver down the cadet's spine. Scott waved to him to come over. 

"Captain Stefens, this is Cadet Tom Corbett. "

Tom came to attention. 

"All right, Corbett, " said Stefens, speaking like a man who had a lotto do, knew how to do it, liked to do it, and was losing time. "Stand uphere with me and keep your mouth shut. Remember any questions you wantto ask, and when I have a spare moment, ask them. And by the rings ofSaturn, be sure I'm free to answer. Take my attention at the wrongmoment and we could have a bad accident. "

Stefens gave Scott a fleeting smile and turned back to his constantkeen-eyed inspection of the monitors. 

The radar watch was reporting the approach of a ship. Stefens began hiscold, precise orders. 

"Monitor seven, take freighter out of station on port sixty-six; monitortwelve, stand by for identification signal of jet liner coming in fromMars. Watch her closely. The Venusport Space Line is overloading again. .. . "On and on he went, with Tom standing to one side watching withwide-eyed wonder as the many ships were maneuvered into and out of thestation. 

Suddenly Stefens turned to Tom. "Well, Corbett, " he rasped, "what's thefirst question?"

Tom gulped. He had been so fascinated by the room's sheer magic and byStefens' sure control of the traffic that he hadn't had a chance tothink. 

"I--I--don't have one--yet, sir, " he managed finally. 

"I want five questions within five minutes!" snapped Stefens, "and theybetter be rocket-blasting _good questions_!" He turned back to themonitors. 

Tom Corbett, while he had gained the respect of many elder spacemen, wasdiscovering that a cadet's life got no easier as time went on. Hewondered fleetingly how Roger and Astro were making out, and then hebegan to think of some questions. 

Beside him, oblivious of his presence, Stefens continued to spoutdirections. "Monitor three, take rocket scout out of landing-porteight. One crew member is remaining aboard the station for medicaltreatment. He weighs one hundred and fifty-eight pounds. Make balanceadjustments accordingly. .. . "

Tom's head was spinning. It was all too much for one young cadet toabsorb on such short notice. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 6

"There goes the jet liner to Mars, " said Al Mason wistfully. "Sure wishwe wuz on her. " His eyes followed the beautiful slim passenger ship justblasting off from Venus. 

"Why?" demanded Loring. 

"Anything to get away from Venusport. What a stinking hole!" snorted theshorter of the two spacemen. 

"For what we want to do, " said Loring, "there ain't another city in thesystem that's got the advantages this place has!"

"Don't talk to me about advantages, " whined Mason. "Be darned if I cansee any. All we been doing is hang around the spaceport, talk to thespacemen, and watch the ships blast off. Maybe you're up to somethingbut I'm blasted if I see what it can be. "

"I've been looking for the right break to come along. "

"What kind of break?" growled Mason. 

"That kind, " said Loring. He pointed to a distant figure emerging from aspace freighter. "There's our answer!" said Loring, a note of triumph inhis voice. "Come on. Let's get outta here. I don't want to berecognized. "

"But--but--what's up? What's that guy and the space freighter _AnnieJones_ got to do with us?"

Loring didn't answer but stepped quickly to the nearest jet cab andhopped into the back seat. Mason tumbled in after him. 

"Spaceman's Row, " Loring directed, "and make it quick!"

The driver stepped on the accelerator and the red teardrop-shapedvehicle shot away from the curb into the crowd of cars racing alongPremier Highway Number One. In the back seat of the jet cab, Loringturned to his spacemate and slapped him on the back. 

"Soon's we get into the Row, you go and pack our gear, see! Then meet meat the Café Cosmos in half an hour. "

"Pack our gear?" asked Mason with alarm. "Are we going some place?"

Loring shot a glance at the driver. "Just do as I tell you!" he growled. "In a few hours we'll be on our way to Tara, and then--" He dropped hisvoice to a whisper. Mason listened and smiled. 

The jet cab slid along the arrow-straight highway toward the heart ofthe city of Venusport. Soon it reached the outskirts. On both sides ofthe highway rose low, flat-roofed dwellings, built on a revolving wheelto follow the precious sun, and constructed of pure Titan crystal. Farther ahead and looming magnificent in the late afternoon sun was thefirst and largest of Venusian cities, Venusport. Like a fantasticallylarge diamond, the startling towers of the young city shot upward intothe misty atmosphere, catching the light and reflecting it in everycolor of the spectrum. 

Loring and Mason did not appreciate the beauty of the city as they rodeswiftly through the busy streets. Loring, in particular, thought as hehad never thought before. He was busily putting a plot together in hismind--a plot as dangerous as it was criminal. 

[Illustration: _The jet cab raced along the highway to Venusport_]

The jet cab slammed to a stop at a busy intersection of the city. Thiswas Spaceman's Row, and it dated back to Venusport's first rough andtough pioneering days. 

For two blocks on either side of the street, in building after building, cafés, pawnshops, cheap restaurants above and below the street level, supplied the needs of countless shadowy figures who came and went assilently as ghosts. Spaceman's Row was where suspended spacemen andspace rats, prospectors of the asteroids for uranium and pitchblende, gathered and found short-lived and rowdy fun. Here, skippers of rocketships, bound for destinations in deep space, could find hands willing tosign on their dirty freighters despite low pay and poor workingconditions. No questions were asked here. Along Spaceman's Row, hard menplayed a grim game of survival. 

Loring and Mason paid the driver, got out, and walked down the busystreet. Here and there, nuaniam signs began to flick on, their garishblues, reds, and whites bathing the street in a glow of synthetic light. It was early evening, but already Spaceman's Row was getting ready forthe coming night. 

Presently, Mason left Loring, climbing up a long narrow flight of stairsleading to a dingy back hall bedroom to pack their few remaining bits ofgear. 

Loring walked on amid the noise and laughter that echoed from cheaprestaurants and saloons. Stopping before Café Cosmos, he surveyed thestreet quickly before entering the wide doors. Many years before, theCosmos had been a sedate dining spot, a place where respectable familyparties came to enjoy good food and the gentle breezes of a near-bylake. Now, with the lake polluted by industry and with the gradualinflux of shiftless spacemen, the Cosmos had been given over to the mostbasic, simple need of its new patrons--rocket juice!

The large room that Loring entered still retained some of the featuresof its more genteel beginnings, but the huge blaring teleceiver screenwas filled with the pouting face of a popular singer. He advanced to thebar that occupied one entire wall. 

"Rocket juice!" he said, slamming down his fist on the wooden bar. "Double!" He was served a glass of the harsh bluish liquid, paid hiscredits, and downed the drink. Then he turned slowly and glanced aroundthe half-filled room. Almost immediately he spotted a small wizened manlimping toward him. 

"Been waiting for you, " said the man. 

"Well, " demanded Loring, "did'ja get anything set up, Shinny?"

"_Mr. _ Shinny!" growled the little man, with surprising vigor. "I'm oldenough to be your father!"

"Awright--awright--_Mr. _ Shinny!" sneered Loring. "Did'ja get it?"

The little man shook his head. "Nothing on the market, Billy boy. " Hepaused and aimed a stream of tobacco juice at a near-by cuspidor. 

Loring looked relieved. "Just as well. I've got something else lined up, anyway. "

Shinny's eyes sharpened. "You must have a pretty big strike, Billy boy, if you're so hot to buy a spaceship!"

"Only want to take a little ride upstairs, _Mr. _ Shinny, " said Loring. 

"Don't hand me that space gas!" snapped Shinny. "A man who's lost hisspace papers ain't going to take a chance at getting caught by the SolarGuard, busting the void with a rocket ship and no papers. " He stopped, and his small gray eyes twinkled. "_Unless_, " he added, "you've gotquite a strike lined up!"

"Hey, Loring!" yelled Mason, entering the café. He carried twospaceman's traveling bags, small black plastic containers with glasszippers. 

"So you've got Al Mason in with you, " mused Shinny. "Pretty good man, Al. Let's see now, I saw you two just before you blasted off for Tara!"He paused. "Couldn't be that you've got anything lined up in deep space, now could it?"

"You're an old fool!" snarled Loring. 

"Heh--heh--heh, " chuckled Shinny. A toothless smile spread across hiswrinkled face. "Coming close, am I?"

Al Mason looked at Shinny and back at Loring. "Say! What is this?" hedemanded. 

"O. K. , O. K. , " said Loring between clenched teeth. "So we've got a strikeout in the deep, but one word outta line from you and I'll blast youwith my heater!"

"Not a word, " said Shinny, "not a word. I'll only charge you a little tokeep your secret. "

Mason looked at Loring. "How much?" he demanded. 

"A twentieth of the take, " said Shinny. "And that's dirt cheap. "

"It's robbery, " said Loring, "but O. K. We've got no choice!"

"Loring, wait a minute!" objected Mason. "One twentieth! Why, that couldadd up to a million credits!"

Shinny's eyes opened wide. "Twenty million! Hey, there hasn't been auranium strike that big since the old seventeenth moon of Jupiter backin 2294!"

Loring motioned to them to sit down at a table. He ordered a bottle ofrocket juice and filled three glasses. 

"This ain't uranium, _Mr. _ Shinny!" he said. 

Shinny's eyes opened wider still. "What then?"

"What's the most precious metal in the system today?" Loring asked. 

"Why--gold, I guess. "

"Next to gold?"

Shinny thought for a moment. "Couldn't be silver any more, sincethey're making the artificial stuff cheaper'n it costs to mine it. " Thelittle man's jaw dropped and he stared at Loring. "You mean--?"

"That's right, " said Loring, "copper!"

Shinny's mind raced. In this year of 2353, all major copper deposits hadlong since been exhausted and only small new deposits were being found, not nearly enough for the needs of the expanding system. In an age ofelectronics, lack of copper had become a serious bottleneck in theproduction of electrical and scientific equipment. Search parties wereout constantly, all over the solar system, trying to find more of theprecious stuff. So a deposit of the kind Loring and Mason were talkingabout was a prize indeed. 

Shinny's greedy fingers twitched with anticipation. 

"So that's why you want to buy a spaceship, eh?"

"Wanted, " replied Loring. "I don't want to buy one now. The way thingslook, we'll get what we want for nothing!"

Mason, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly jumped up. "So that's yourangle! Well, I don't want any part of it, " he shouted. 

Loring and Shinny looked up in surprise. 

"What're you talking about?" demanded Loring. 

"All of a sudden it's come to me. Now I know why you've been hangingaround the spaceport for the last two weeks. And what you meant when yousaw the spaceman get out of that freighter today!"

"Sit down!" barked Loring. "If you weren't so dumb, you'd have caught onlong ago. " He eyed the shorter man from between half-closed lids. "It'sthe only way we can get out of here!"

"Not me. I ain't pulling anything like that!" whined Mason. 

"What's going on here?" demanded Shinny. "What're you two space bumstalking about?"

"I'll tell you what! He's going to try--"

Loring suddenly stood up and slapped the shorter spaceman across themouth. Mason sat down, a dazed look on his face. 

"You space-crawling rat!" hissed Loring. "You'll do what I tell you todo, see?"

"Yeah--yeah, sure, " bleated Mason. "O. K. Anything you say. Anything. "

"What is this?" demanded Shinny. 

"You shut up!" growled Loring. 

"I won't!" said Shinny, as he also rose from the table. "You may betough, Billy Loring, but not as tough as me!"

The two men stared at each other for a moment. Finally Loring smiled andpatted Mason's shoulder. "Sorry, Al. I guess I got a little hot for amoment. "

"Quit talking riddles, " pleaded Shinny. "What's this all about?"

"Sit down, " said Loring. 

They sank back into their chairs. 

"It's simple, " said Mason fearfully. "Loring wants to steal aspaceship. "

"A pirate job!" said Shinny. He drew in his breath sharply. "You must beoutta your mind!"

"You've called yourself in on this, " Loring reminded him. "And you'restaying in. "

"Oh, no!" Shinny's voice dropped to a husky, frightened whisper. "Deal'soff. I ain't gonna spend the rest of my life on a prison asteroid!"

"Shinny, you know too much!" Loring's hand darted toward the blaster hewore at his belt. 

"Your secret's safe with me. I give you my spaceman's word on it, " saidShinny, pushing back his chair. Abruptly getting to his feet, hescrambled rapidly out the door of the Café Cosmos. 

"Loring, " said Mason, "get him. You can't let him . .. "

"Forget it, " shot back the other. "He won't break his spaceman's oath. Not Shinny. " He got up. "Come on, Mason. We haven't got much time beforethe _Annie Jones_ blasts off. "

"What are we gonna do?" the shorter man wanted to know. 

"Stow away on the cargo deck. Then, when we get out into space, we dumpthe pilots and head for Tara, for our first load of copper. "

"But a job like this'll take money!"

"We'll make enough to go ahead on the first load. "

Mason began to get up, hesitated, and then sat down again. 

"Come on, " snapped Loring. His hand dropped toward his belt. "I'm goingto make you rich, Mason, " he said quietly. "I'm going to make you one ofthe richest men in the universe--even if I have to kill you first. "

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 7

"Space freighter _Antares_ from Venus space station. Your approachcourse is one-nine-seven--corrected. Reduce speed to minimum thrust andapproach spaceport nine--landing-deck three. End transmission!"

Tom stood on the dais of the traffic-control room and switched the_Antares_ beam to one of his assistants at the monitors in the controlroom. In less than two weeks he had mastered the difficulttraffic-control procedure to the point where Captain Stefens had allowedhim to handle the midnight shift. He checked the monitors and turned tosee Roger walk through the door. 

"Working hard, Junior?" asked Roger in his casual drawl. 

"Roger!" exclaimed Tom. "What are you fooling around down here for?"

"Ah, there's nothing to do on the radar deck. Besides, I've got theemergency alarm on. " He wiped his forehead. "Brother! Of all the crummyplaces to be stuck!"

"Could be worse, " said Tom, his eyes sweeping the monitors. 

"Nothing could be worse, " groaned Roger. "But nothing. Think of thatlovely space doll Helen Ashton alone on earth--and me stuck here on aspace station. "

"Well, we're doing an important job, Roger, " replied Tom. "And doing itwell, or Major Connel wouldn't leave us alone so much. How're you makingout with the new equipment?"

"That toy?" sneered Roger. "I gave it a look, checked the circuits once, and knew it inside out. It's so simple a child could have built one!"

"Oh, sure, " scoffed Tom. "That's why the top scientists worked for yearson something small, compact, powerful enough to reach through deepspace--and still be easy to repair. "

"Quit heckling me, Junior, " retorted Roger, "I'm thinking. Trying tofigure out some way of getting to the teleceiver set on board the_Polaris_. "

"Why can't you get on the _Polaris_?" asked Tom. 

"They're jazzing up the power deck with a new hyperdrive unit for thebig hop to Tara. So many guys buzzing around you can't get near it. "

"What do you need a teleceiver for?" asked Tom. 

"To give me company, " replied Roger sourly. "Say!" He snapped hisfingers suddenly. "Maybe if I just changed the frequency--"

"What frequency? What are you talking about?"

"Spaceboy, I'm getting a real hot-rocket idea! See ya later!" And theblond cadet ran for the door. 

Tom watched his unit-mate disappear and shook his head in amuseddespair. Roger, he told himself, might be difficult, but he wascertainly never dull. 

Then his attention was brought back to the monitors by the warning ofanother approaching spaceship. 

". .. Jet liner _San Francisco_ to Venus space-station traffic control. .. " the metallic voice crackled over the speaker. 

"Jet liner _San Francisco_, this is Venus space-station trafficcontrol, " replied Tom. "You are cleared for landing at porteleven--repeat--eleven. Make standard check for approach orbit tostation landing. End transmission!"

From one side of the circular dais, Tom saw Major Connel enter the room. He snapped to attention and saluted smartly. 

"Morning, Corbett, " said Connel, returning Tom's salute. "Getting intothe swing of the operation?"

"Yes, sir, " said Tom. "I've handled about twenty approaches sinceCaptain Stefens left me alone, and about fifty departures. " Tom broughthis fist up, with the thumb extended and wiped it across his chest inthe traditional spaceman's signal that all was clear. "I didn't scratchone of 'em, sir, " he said, smiling. 

"Good enough, " said Connel. "Keep it that way. " He watched the monitorscreen as the liner _San Francisco_ settled into landing-port eleven. 

When she was cradled and secure, he grunted his satisfaction and turnedto leave. At the door he suddenly paused. "By the way, isn't Manning onradar watch?"

"Yes, sir, " replied Tom. 

"Well, it's one forty-eight. How about his standard check-in withtraffic control?"

Tom stammered, "He--uh--he may be plotting some space junk, sir. "

"He _still_ must report, regardless of what he's doing!"

"I--uh--ah--yes, sir!" gulped Tom. Blast Roger anyway, he thought, forgetting the all-important quarter-hour check-in. 

"I'd better go up and find out if anything's wrong, " said Connel. 

"Gosh, sir, " suggested Tom, desperately seeking an excuse for hisshipmate. "I'm sure Roger would have notified us if anything hadhappened. "

"Knowing Manning as I do, I'm not so sure!" And the irascible officerthundered through the door like a jet-propelled tank!

"Come on, Mason. Hurry and put on that space suit, " barked Loring. 

"Take it easy, " grumbled Mason. "I'm working as fast as I can!"

"Of all the rotten luck, " growled Loring. "Who'd ever figure the _AnnieJones_ would blast off from Venus--and then stop at the space station!"

"Shows you ain't so smart, " retorted Mason. "Lots of ships do that. Theycarry just enough fuel to get 'em off the surface, so they'll be lightwhile they're blasting out of Venus' gravity. Then they stop at thespace station to refuel for the long haul. "

"All right, " barked Loring, "lay off the lecture! Just get that spacesuit on in a hurry!"

"Listen, wise guy, " challenged Mason, "just tell me one thing. If webail out of this tub in space suits, who's going to pick us up?"

"We're not bailing out!" said Loring. 

"We're not? Then what are we suiting up for?"

"Just in case, " said Loring. "Now listen to me. In a few minutes the_Annie Jones_'ll make contact with traffic control. Only instead oftalking to the pilot--they'll be talking to us. Because we'll have takenover. "

"But unless we land they'll be suspicious. And if we land . .. "

Loring interrupted. "Nobody's going to suspect a thing. I'll telltraffic control we've got an extra-heavy load. Then they won't let usland. We follow their orders and blast off into space--find an emergencyfuel station--head for Tara--and nobody suspects anything. "

Mason twisted his face into a scowl. "Sounds awful risky to me, " hemuttered. 

"Sure it's risky, " sneered Loring, "but you don't hit the jackpotwithout ever taking a _chance_!"

The two men, huddled against a jumble of packing cases in the cargo holdof the _Annie Jones_, made careful preparations. Checking their weapons, they opened their way toward the freighter's control deck. Just outsidethe hatch they stopped, paralo-ray guns ready, and listened. 

Inside, Pilot James Jardine and Leland Bangs, his first officer, werepreparing for the landing at the space station. 

"Ought to be picking up the approach radar signal pretty soon, " saidBangs. "Better take her off automatic control, Jardine. Use the manualfor close maneuvering. "

"Right, " answered his spacemate. "Send out a radar blip for them to pickup. I'll check the cargo and make sure it's lashed down for landing. Captain Stefens is tough when it comes to being shipshape. "

The freighter blasted evenly, smoothly onward through the darkness ofspace in a straight line for the man-made satellite. Jardine got up fromthe freighter's dual-control board, picked up a portable light, andheaded for the hatch leading to the cargo deck. 

"He's coming, " hissed Loring. "We'll take him soon's he reaches us. "There was a sharp clank as the hatch opened, and Jardine's head cameinto view. 

"Now!" yelled Loring. He swung the heavy paralo-ray gun at Jardine'shead. 

"What the--" exclaimed the startled spaceman. "Bangs, look out!"

He tried to avoid the blow, but Loring's gun landed on the side of hishead. Jardine crumpled to the deck. 

Bangs was out of his seat in a moment, at his pilot's call. The burlyredheaded spaceman saw at a glance what was wrong and lunged for thehatch. 

Loring stepped toward him, holding his paralo-ray. 

"All right, spaceboy!" he grated. "Hold it or I'll freeze you stiff!"

Bangs stopped and stared at the gun and at Jardine who was slumped onthe deck. Mason rushed past him to the controls. 

"What is this?" demanded Bangs. 

"An old game, " explained Loring with a sneer. "It's called 'You've gotit and I take it. ' And if you don't like it, you get it. " He gesturedwith his gun. "You get it--with this. "

Bangs nodded. "O. K. , " he said. "O. K. But how about letting me take careof my buddy. He's hurt. "

[Illustration]

"Just a bump on the head, " said Loring. "He'll come out of it soonenough. "

"Hey, " shouted Mason, "I can't figure out these controls!"

Loring growled angrily. "Here, lemme at them!" He forced Bangs to liedown on the deck, and then, keeping the gun trained on the redheadedspaceman, stepped quickly to the control board. He handed Mason the gun. 

"Keep an eye on them while I figure this baby out. "

"Least you coulda done is steal a decent ship, " grumbled Mason. "Thistub is so old it creaks!"

"Just shut your mouth and keep your eye on those guys, " said the other. He began to mutter to himself as he tried to figure out the complicatedcontrols. 

[Illustration]

Jardine was now conscious but had the presence of mind not to move. Hishead ached from the blow. Slowly he opened his eyes and saw his twoattackers bending over the board. He saw that Bangs was lying on thedeck facing him. Jardine winked at Bangs, who returned the signal. Thenhe began, carefully, methodically to send a Morse-code message to hiscompanion via his winking eyes. 

"O-N-L-Y--one--gun--between--them. You--take--big--fellow. I'll--charge--gun . .. "

"Can't you figure this thing out either?" asked Mason, leaning overLoring's shoulder. 

"Ah, this wagon is an old converted chemical burner. These controls areold as the sun. I've got to find the automatic pilot!"

"Try that lever over there, " suggested Mason. 

Loring reached over to grasp it, turning away from his prisoners. 

"Bangs, get 'em!" shouted Jardine. The two men jumped to their feet andlunged at Loring and Mason. Loring dove to one side, losing the gun inthe scramble, but as he fell, he reached for the acceleration controllever. He wrenched it out of its socket and brought it down on Bang'shead, and the officer slid to the floor. Jardine, meanwhile, had Masonin a viselike grip, but again Loring used the lever, bringing it downhard on the neck of the freighter pilot. Jardine dropped to the deck. 

"Thanks, Loring, " gasped Mason. "That was close! Good thing we had onthese space suits, or we'd have been finished. They couldn't grab ontothe smooth plastic. "

"Finished is right!" snarled Loring. "I told you to keep an eye on them!If they'd nabbed us we woulda wound up on the prison asteroid!"

"Loring, " shouted Mason, "look!" He pointed a trembling finger at thethrust indicator. "We're blasting at full space speed--right for thestation!"

"By the rings of Saturn, " cried Loring, "I must've jammed the thrustwhen I yanked the lever out of the control board!"

"Put it back! Slow this ship down!" cried Mason, his face ashen withfear. Loring jumped to the control board and with trembling fingerstried to replace the lever in the socket. 

"I can't--can't--" he panted. "We gotta pile outta here! We're headingfor the station. We'll crash!"

"Come on! This way! We left the space helmets back in the cargo hold!"shouted Mason. He ran toward the open hatch leading to the companionway. Suddenly he stopped. "Hey, what about those two guys?"

"Never mind them!" shouted Loring. "Keep going. We can't do anything forthem now!"

And as the two men raced toward the stern, the freighter, her powerfulrockets wide open, arrowed straight toward the gleaming white structureof the space station. 

"It was easy, honey, " cooed Roger into the microphone on the maincontrol panel of the space-station radar bridge. 

"I switched the frequency on the station, beamed to a teleceiver trunkline on Earth, and called you up, my little space pet! Smart, huh? Nowremember we have a date as soon as I get back from this important andsecret mission. I could've got out of it, but they needed me badly. Asmuch as I like you, baby, I had to go along to give the boys a break and. .. "

"_Cadet Manning!_" An infuriated roar echoed in the small chamber. 

"Yeah, whaddaya wan--" growled Roger, turning to see who had interruptedhim. He suddenly gulped and turned pale. "Ohhhhhhhhh--good-by, baby!" Heflipped the switch and stood up. 

"Uh--ah--good morning, Major Connel, " he stammered. 

"What's going on here, Manning?" barked Connel. 

"I--was--talking, sir, " replied Roger. 

"So I heard! But talking to whom?"

"To whom, sir?"

"That's what I said, Manning. " Connel's voice dropped to a deepsarcastic purr. "To whom?"

"I was--ah--talking to Earth, sir. "

"Official business, I presume?"

"You mean--official--like here on the station, sir?"

"Official, like here on the station, Manning, " replied Connel in almosta kindly tone. 

"No, sir. "

"You failed to make your quarter-hour check to the traffic-controlcenter, I believe?"

"Yes, sir, " gulped Roger. The full realization of what he had done wasbeginning to dawn on him. 

"And you've tampered with vital station equipment for your own personaluse, " added Connel. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Roger noticed the major was strangely quiet in his interrogation. Itfelt like the calm before the storm. 

"Yes, sir, " admitted Roger, "I changed several circuits. "

"Are you aware of the seriousness of your negligence, Manning?" Connel'svoice began to harden. 

"Yes--yes--I guess so, sir, " stumbled Roger. 

"Can you repair that radar so that it can be used as it was intended?"

"Yes, sir. "

"Then do so immediately. There are ships in flight depending on yourinformation and signals. "

"Yes, sir, " said Roger quietly. Then he added quickly, "I'd like themajor to know, sir, that this is the first time this has happened. "

"I have only your word for that, Manning!" Connel finally began blastingin his all too familiar roar. "Since you've done it once, I see noreason to think you couldn't have done it before or that you might notdo it again!" The officer's face was now almost purple with rage. "Whenyou've repaired that set, return to your quarters! You are confineduntil I decide on disciplinary action!"

Turning abruptly, Connel stormed out of the room, slamming the hatchclosed behind him. 

With a sigh Roger turned back to the set. With trembling fingers hereconnected the terminals and made delicate adjustments on the manydials. Finally, as power began to flow through the proper chain ofcircuits, the radar scanner glowed into life and the hair-thin line oflight swept around the dull green surface of the scope. It had been lefton a setting covering two hundred miles around the space station, andseeing the area was clear, Roger increased the range to five hundredmiles. The resulting scan sent a sudden chill down his spine. Aspaceship was roaring toward the station at full thrust!

Cold sweat beaded Roger's forehead as he grabbed for the microphone andcalled Tom. 

"Radar bridge to control deck!" The words tumbled out frantically. "Tom!Tom! There's a ship heading right for the station! Bearing 098! Distance450 miles! Coming in on full thrust! Tom, acknowledge! Quick!"

Down on the control deck, Tom had been watching a space freighter easingout of the station when Roger's voice came over the speaker in a thinscream. 

"What?" he yelled. "Give me that again, Roger!"

"Spaceship bearing 098--full thrust! Range now four twenty-five!"

"By the craters of Luna, " shouted Tom, "why didn't you pick her upsooner, Roger?"

"Never mind that. Contact that guy and tell him to change course! Hecan't brake in time now!"

"All right! Sign off!" Without waiting for a reply, Tom cut Roger offand switched to a standard space band. His voice quivering, the youngcadet spoke quickly and urgently into the microphone. "Space station tospaceship approaching on orbit 098. Change course! Emergency! Reducethrust and change course or you will crash into us!"

As he spoke, Tom watched the master screen of his scanner and saw theship rocketing closer and closer with no change in speed or course. Herealized that any action, even now, would bring the craft dangerouslyclose to the station. Without hesitation, he flipped on the masterswitch of the central station communicator, opening every loud-speakeron the station to his voice. 

"Attention! Attention! This is traffic-control center! Emergency!Repeat. Emergency! All personnel in and near landing ports five, six, seven, eight, and nine--decks A, B, and C--evacuate immediately toopposite side of the station. Emergency crews stand by for crash!Spaceship heading for station! May crash! Emergency--emergency!"

On the endangered decks, men began to move quickly, and in a moment thegreat man-made satellite was prepared for disaster. On the controldeck, Tom stayed at his station, sounding the warning. 

"Emergency! Emergency! All personnel prepare for crash! All personnelprepare for crash!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 8

"There--there!" shouted Captain Stefens into the mike aboard the jetboat circling around the station. "I think I see something bearing aboutseventy degrees to my left and up about twenty on the ecliptic! Do yousee it, Scotty?"

Tom, in the bucket seat of the jet boat, strained his eyes but wasunable to see over the control board. 

Terry Scott, in a second jet boat ten miles away, answered quickly, "Yes, I think I see it, sir. "

"Good!" shouted Stefens. "Maybe we've found something. "

He spoke to Tom over his shoulder, keeping his eye on the floatingobjects in the black void of space. "Come to the starboard aboutone-quarter full turn, Corbett, and hold it. Then up, about twenty-fivedegrees. "

"Aye, aye, sir, " said Tom. He began to maneuver the small gnat-sizedspace craft to the proper position. 

"That's good!" shouted Stefens. "Now hold that. Let me see. I thinkwe've hit pay dirt. "

From the right, Tom could see the red flash of the rockets of TerryScott's jet boat, which Astro had volunteered to pilot, coming intoview. As soon as order had been restored aboard the station, searchparties had been sent out to look for survivors. 

Carefully Tom slowed the space craft in response to Stefens' briefcommands and soon came to a dead halt in space. There, hovering rightabove them, visible through the crystal dome of the jet boat, Tom couldsee two space-suited figures floating effortlessly. A moment laterScott's craft came alongside, and the two small ships were lashedtogether with magnetic lines. Tom and Stefens hurriedly pulled on theirspace helmets. They adjusted the valves regulating the oxygen supply intheir suits, and Stefens slipped back the sliding top of the jet boat. Out on the hull he secured a line to a projecting ring, and ordering Tomto stand by, he pushed himself off the ship into the bottomless void ofspace. 

The line trailing behind him, Stefens drifted toward the two helplessfigures. He reached them in less than a minute, secured the line totheir belts, and signaled Tom to haul in. 

Near by, Terry Scott and Astro watched as the three figures were pulledto safety. 

Quickly the top of the jet boat was closed, oxygen pressure in the craftwas restored, and the four men took off their helmets. 

"Whew!" said Loring. "I sure want to thank you for pulling us out of thedeep!"

"We sure do, sir!" added Mason. Then, with a quick look at Loring, heasked softly, "Were there any other survivors?"

Stefens' face was grim. "Not one. After we untangled the mess, we foundbodies of two men. It was pretty bad. A little later something wasspotted on the radar, and we hoped there might be survivors. Luckily foryou, we came to look!"

[Illustration: _Tom could see two space-suited figures floatingeffortlessly_]

"By the rings of Saturn, " swore Loring softly, "Jardine and Bangs werebrave men. They practically forced us to pile out when they saw theywere going to crack up. " He turned to Mason. "Didn't they, Al?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure brave men, " Al Mason agreed. 

"Nothing to be done for them now, of course, " said Stefens. "Whathappened?" He paused, and then added, "You don't have to tell me if youdon't want to before you make out your report, but I'd sure like toknow. "

"I don't really know what happened, sir, " said Loring. "We had made adeal for a ride back to Earth with Jardine and were sleeping back on thecargo deck. All of a sudden, Jardine came running in. Told us we wereabout to pile into the station and for us to suit up and get out. Weasked him about himself, but he said he was going to stay and try tosave the ship. We piled out, and--well, we saw the whole thing from outhere. Like a big splash of light. It must have been pretty bad on thestation, eh?"

"Plenty bad, but thanks to Cadet Corbett here, there wasn't a singleinjury. He warned everybody to get off that side of the station. A lotof damage but no casualties. "

"Don't you have any idea what made the ship crash?" asked Tom quietly. 

Loring looked at Tom but spoke to Stefens. "I told you all I know, sir. Can I expect to be questioned by everyone in the Solar Guard. Includingcadets?"

Stefens bristled. "It was a civil question, Loring, " he said stiffly, "but you don't have to say anything if you don't want to!"

Loring and Mason had not expected such a strong defense of the cadet, and Loring was quick to make amends. "I'm sorry--I guess I'm still abit shaken up, " he muttered. 

Stefens grunted. 

"It wasn't pretty, you know, watching that ship go up and not be able todo anything about it, " Loring continued plaintively. "Jardine andBangs--well, they're--they _were_ sorta friends of mine. "

They were silent all the way back to the station, each with his ownthoughts--Stefens puzzling over the cause of the crash, Loring and Masonexchanging quick furtive glances and wondering how long their storywould hold up, and Tom wondering how much Roger's changing the powercircuits on the radar had to do with the crash of the ship. 

"That's right, " snapped Connel to the two enlisted spacemen. "I said Iwanted the radar section of the communications deck closed and sealedoff until further investigations. You can hook up and use one of themonitors in the traffic control meantime. "

The two red-clad spacemen turned and walked away. Stefens stood to oneside. 

"Don't you think that's carrying things a little too far, sir?" he askedConnel. 

"I'm doing this as much to protect Cadet Manning as I am to prosecutehim! I want to be sure there was no connection between the crash of the_Annie Jones_ and his tampering with the radar circuits!" Connelreplied. 

"I guess you're right, sir, " replied Stefens. "Those two survivors, Loring and Mason, are having coffee in the mess if you want to talk tothem. "

"Did they change their story?" asked Connel. 

"None at all. They were hooking a ride back to Atom City, and they wereasleep in the cargo hold. Jardine, one of the pilots, came in and toldthem to pile out. They did. "

"Ummmmh, " mused Connel. "I know those two, Loring and Mason. Had alittle trouble with them recently on a trip to Tara. Suspended theirpapers. So if they were just hooking a ride, it might be they're tellingthe truth!"

"I have a report here on the damage to the station, sir, if you'd liketo listen to it, " said Stefens, handing his superior a spool ofaudiotape. 

"Good! Did you make out the report yourself?" asked Connel. 

"Yes, sir. With the assistance of Terry Scott and Cadet Corbett. "

"Good lad, that Corbett, " said Connel and paused. "The whole unit isgood! If it weren't for that hare-brained Manning, I'd say they had asbright a future in the Solar Guard as any unit I've seen!"

"I'll buy that, sir!" said Stefens with a smile. "That Corbett picked uptraffic-control operations like a duck takes to water. And it's been along time since Jenledge on the power deck raved about a cadet the wayhe does about Astro. "

Connel smiled. He was reluctant to press for an investigation of theradar deck, knowing that if he did, it would mean a damaging black markagainst Manning. But justice was justice, and Connel came closer toworshiping justice than anything else in space!

Connel placed the spool of tape in the audiograph and settled in a chairto listen. He didn't like the entire affair. He didn't like to think oflosing a cadet of Manning's ability because of one stupid mistake. Hehad recommended a thorough investigation. There was no other way. IfManning was cleared of the responsibility for the crash, he was free, and it would not show up against his record. If he wasn't, however, thenhe'd have to pay. Yes, thought Connel to himself, as Stefens' voicebegan to crackle harshly on the audiograph, if Manning was guilty, thenManning would most certainly pay. Connel would see to that. 

Deep in the heart of the space station, Loring and Mason were huddledover steaming cups of coffee whispering to each other cautiously. 

"Want more coffee, Mason?" asked Loring. 

"Who wants coffee when there's going to be a Solar Guard investigation?"whined Mason. "Suppose they find out something?"

"Relax, will ya?" muttered Loring reassuringly. "Connel doesn't suspecta thing. Besides, he has that cadet under arrest!"

"Yeah, " argued Mason, "but you don't know those guys at Space Academy. All this honor stuff! It's not like a regular investigation. They don'tstop digging until they dig up _real facts_! They'll find out we stowedaway and . .. "

Loring calmly added cream and sugar to his coffee. "They can't prove athing. Jardine and Bangs are dead, and the ship's nothing but a pile ofjunk. "

"They'll find out, I tell you, and now we've got murder on our hands!"

A door behind Mason suddenly opened and Stefens appeared. 

"Shut up, you fool!" Loring hissed. He turned blandly to face Stefens. "Well, Captain, glad you came. I wanted to talk to you about getting ustransportation back to Venusport. "

"You'll have to wait for the jet liner from Earth, " said Stefens. "Seeme in about two hours. Right now, I've got to make arrangements for theinvestigation of the crash. "

"Sure, sir, " said Loring. "Ah--say, Captain, what do you expect theinvestigation to turn up?"

"The true facts, " replied Stefens. "Whether the crash was due to thenegligence of Cadet Manning or something that happened on the ship. "

"Then you really think the cadet may be responsible?" asked Loringsoftly. 

"He admits to negligence, and the _Annie Jones_ is a lot of evidence, "said Stefens with a shrug, and walked out. 

"There's our answer!" said Loring triumphantly. "Come on!"

"Where are we going?" asked Mason. 

"We're going to have a little talk with our fall guy!"

"Ahhh, sit down, Roger, " said Astro. "Everything will be O. K. "

"Yeah, " agreed Tom. "You're just wearing out the deck and your nerveswalking back and forth like that. Everything will be O. K. " Tom triedhard to keep any apprehension out of his voice. 

"Nothing will make those two guys on the spaceship O. K. , " said Roger. Hekicked viciously at a stool and sat down on the side of his bunk. 

Since the crash, Roger had been confined to his quarters, with Tom andAstro bringing him his meals. Tom had watched his unit-mate grow moreand more bitter over the turn of events and was afraid Roger would dosomething rash. 

The central communicator over the door suddenly buzzed, and the threecadets waited for the announcement. 

". .. Cadets Corbett and Astro report to rocket cruiser _Polaris_ forindoctrination on hyperdrive--on the double--by order of Major Connel. "

Tom and Astro got up. Astro found it hard to hide his eagerness to beginindoctrination on hyperdrive, and it was only his deep concern for Rogerthat kept him from letting out one of his bull-throated bellows. 

"Take it easy, Roger, " said Tom. "The investigation will be over andwe'll be on our way to Tara before you know it. "

"Yeah, you space Romeo, " growled Astro, "crawl in the sack and rest yourbones. You're lucky you can miss this. "

Roger managed a weak smile. "I'll be O. K. Go ahead and learn about thathyperdrive before you explode. "

There was an awkward moment while the three cadets stared at oneanother. The deep friendship between them didn't need to be expressed inwords. Abruptly, Tom and Astro turned and left the room. 

Roger stared at the closed door for a moment and then flopped on hisbunk. He closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep. Whatever happened, hethought, it wouldn't do any good to knock himself out. 

As he lay there thinking back to the first months at Space Academy whenhe had met Tom and Astro, he heard a knock on the door and he turned tosee the steel hatch slide back stealthily. He jumped up. 

Loring stuck his head inside the door. "You alone, Manning?" he asked. 

"Yeah. Who're you?" asked Roger. 

"My name's Loring, and this is my space buddy, Al Mason. We were on the_Annie Jones_. "

Roger's eyes lighted up. "Then you know I'm not responsible for thecrash!" said Roger. 

"I wouldn't say that, kid, " said Loring grimly. "I wouldn't say that atall. "

"What do you mean?" demanded Roger. 

"A shame"--Loring shook his head--"young fella like you winding up onthe prison asteroid. "

"Prison asteroid?" asked Roger stupidly. 

"Yeah, " grunted Loring. "Have you ever seen one of them joints, Manning?They work from noon to midnight. Then they give you synthetic food toeat, because it costs too much to haul up solid grub. Once you've beenon the prison rock, you can't ever blast off again. You're washed up asa spaceman. Think you'll like that?"

"Why--why--what's that got to do with me?" asked Roger. 

"Just this, kid. After the investigation they'll find out yourradarscope wasn't working right. Then they'll come to me and ask me whathappened aboard the _Annie Jones_. "

"Well, " demanded Roger, "what did happen?"

Loring glanced at Mason. "Just this, kid. Jardine and Bangs were on theteleceiver and the radar for fifteen minutes trying to pick up yourbeam. But there wasn't any, because you had it fouled up!"

Roger sat down on the side of the bunk and stared at the two men. Ifwhat they said was true, Roger knew there could only be one outcome tothe investigation. 

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Roger quietly. 

"Very simple. I don't like to see _anyone_ go to the prison rock!"

"Are you"--Roger hesitated--"are you suggesting that I escape?"

Loring and Mason got up and walked to the door. Loring turned back toface Roger. "I'm not suggesting anything, Manning, " he said. "You're abig boy and should know what's good for you. But"--he paused andmeasured his words carefully--"if I were you, I wouldn't wait around forConnel or anyone else to blast my life to pieces by sending me to aprison for one little mistake!"

The hatch slid closed behind the two spacemen. 

Roger stood up and began packing a small spaceman's bag. There was a jetliner coming in from Atom City that would make a stop at Venusport. Heglanced at his watch. Thirty minutes. He didn't have much time. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 9

"Attention! Attention! This is a general alert!" Tom Corbett's voice washollow as he spoke over a solar-wide audiocast. "Wanted! Space CadetRoger Manning. Five feet, eleven inches tall, one hundred sixty-fivepounds. Blue eyes. Blond hair. Last seen wearing dress blues. CadetManning broke confinement to quarters on Venus space station and isbelieved to be heading back to Earth. He is wanted in connection withthe crash of the space freighter _Annie Jones_ and the death of twospacemen. All information regarding the whereabouts of Manning should beforwarded to Captain Isaiah M. Patrick, Senior Security Officer, SolarGuard, Space Academy, Earth. This alert is to be transmitted to alllocal authorities. "

Tom snapped the switch off and silently watched the glowing audio tubesdarken. He turned to one side and saw Astro. The big Venusian was seatedon a desk, slumped over, his head held in his massive hands. 

"You know, " said Astro slowly, "I could take that guy Manning and breakhim in two for running out!"

Tom didn't answer. When they had discovered that Roger was missing ithad been a terrific blow. Unaware that Roger, in his confused state ofmind, had been an easy victim to Loring and Mason's trickery and hadinnocently walked into their trap, the two cadets felt that his escapewas a breach of trust. Roger had given his spaceman's word that he wouldconfine himself to his quarters. Roger had broken that trust, and nowthe fact was being flashed around the entire solar system; Roger Manningwas an escaped criminal!

"There's nothing we can do now, " said Tom. "The whole universe knows it. He's finished! Washed up! The only thing that could save him now wouldbe absolute clearance by the investigation. But since he's run out, Iguess it must be the other way around. He was afraid he was going to getcaught. " Tom's voice was cold and bitter. "And we can't blame anyonebut--"

"_But Manning!_" barked a voice behind them. Astro jumped up and snappedto attention. Tom turned to see Major Connel stride into the room. Itwas at Connel's insistence that Tom had been ordered to broadcast thealert for Roger. 

"That's the last time I ever want to hear any sympathy for a man whobroke his word!" snarled Connel. 

"I have something I'd like to say to the major, " said Astro in adeliberate voice, "as man to man!"

Even at attention, Tom jerked his head involuntarily to look at Astro. Connel's eyes narrowed. "Here it comes, " he thought. "Well, I've handledrebellion of this sort before. " He stepped close to Astro. So close infact that the black and gold of his uniform brushed the massive chest ofthe cadet from Venus. 

"You have permission to speak, man to man!" snapped Connel. 

Astro paused for a moment. Then he relaxed and brought his eyes down tothe level of the major. 

"I am a human being, sir, " said Astro in the deepest voice Tom had everheard. It was strong and full of emotion, yet controlled. "And as longas I am a human being, I shall consider Roger Manning one of the finestmen I'll ever know. "

"Are you finished?" snapped Connel. 

"No, sir, I'm not, " said Astro. "I speak in defense of the man, the_spaceman_, not the uniform, or the trust he betrayed. And Irespectfully request of the major that if his feelings for Cadet Manningare so violent that he finds it difficult to control them, that he makea special effort to control them"--Astro paused and stuck out hischin--"in my presence!"

Connel stepped back. "And if I don't?" he shouted. 

"Then I shall ask for a transfer from your command, sir, and if that isnot granted, then I shall resign from the Academy. "

"And?" asked Connel. 

"And, sir--" Astro stumbled. 

"_And what_, Cadet Astro?" roared Connel. 

"I have nothing more to say, sir, " said Astro. 

Tom, who had at first had to control an impulse to laugh at the strangeseriousness of Astro's manner and tone, now found it equally difficultto hold back the tears that were welling up in his eyes. 

Connel was not going to let the incident stand there. He had secretlyhoped that such a situation would present itself, because he wanted tosee what material the _Polaris_ unit was made of. And he was secretlysatisfied. Any cadet who would offer to resign from the Academy indefense of his unit-mate was a true spaceman. Connel wasn't going toallow Astro or Tom to resign over some foolish trick of Roger's, but, atthe same time, he couldn't allow them to take too many liberties withdiscipline. Connel turned to Tom. 

"I suppose you feel the same way, Corbett?" he asked. 

"I do, sir, " said Tom. 

"Of course you know I could make your lives miserable now, " hethreatened. 

"We are aware of that, sir, " said Tom quietly. 

"Very well, Cadets Corbett and Astro. I shall comply with your request. Not because of your request but out of respect for your feelings asspacemen. I wouldn't have thought much of you if you hadn't come out indefense of Manning. And just for your own sake, Astro, " said Connel, stepping back in front of the big cadet, "never ask to talk to a SolarGuard officer man to man again. As long as you're still a member of theCadet Corps such disrespect will not be tolerated. Another man, whomight not have understood your feelings, could have used your desire forfair play as a means of trapping you into one of the worst offenses inthe Spaceman's Code--striking a Solar Guard officer!"

"Yes, sir, " mumbled Astro. "Thank you, sir. "

"Report aboard the _Polaris_"--Connel glanced at his watch--"in fifteenminutes. I'm going to put you through your paces on hyperdrive and theoperation of the transmitter. "

"Then we're still going to make the trip to Tara, sir?" asked Tom. 

"We certainly are, Corbett, " replied Connel. "In two hours another cadetis arriving from the Academy to replace Roger. His name's Alfie Higgins. Perhaps you know him. "

Tom smiled. "Yes, sir, we know him, " he replied. "Cadet Higgins is afriend of mine. He carries the nickname of 'The Brain. ' Has the highestI. Q. In the Academy. "

"Good. I'm glad you know him, because this is going to be a rough trip. We got off to a bad start, but it's all over now. So forget it. Andbefore I go, I want you to know this. In my personal opinion, Manninghad nothing to do with the crash. I think the whole trouble was causedon the ship. I have nothing to back up my opinion, except my feelings. But feelings can go a long way in making a man innocent until provedguilty. Unit dis-missed!"

Alfie Higgins listened attentively to the story of the crash and Roger'sdisappearance as Tom, and then Astro, described the situation in detail. 

"It is a pity, of course, but Manning was always the impulsive type. Notvery definite in his attitude and emotionally unstable, " commented Alfiewhen the story was finished. 

"Lay off that talk, you overstuffed brain!" growled Astro. "In thisoutfit, Roger is just away on vacation!"

"Yes--yes, of course!" said Alfie quickly. It wasn't wise to get off onthe wrong foot in a new unit, especially when one was trying to fill theshoes of a cadet, who, Alfie had to admit, had everything. AlfieHiggins' mother didn't raise any stupid children, he said to himself. Hewas too happy being a member of the _Polaris_ unit, the hottest crew atthe Academy, to allow anything to interfere with his success. 

"I've heard a great deal about hyperdrive, " he said quickly, changingthe subject. "I would appreciate it if you could describe the basis ofthis new feature in space travel so that I may have at least a surfacefamiliarity with its operation and application. "

Astro gulped and looked at Tom. "Might as well get used to that kind ofchatter, Astro, " said Tom, smiling. "Alfie can't talk any other way. "

"Is there something wrong with the way I speak?" asked Alfie, wrinklingup his nose a little to see through the thick lenses of his glasses. 

"You wanta know about hyperdrive?" growled Astro. 

"To be sure, if you'd be so kind, " said Alfie. 

"Well, if you'll close your trap long enough, I'll tell you about it!"

Alfie sat back and waited, hands clasped around one knee. 

"In the first place, " began Astro, "hyperdrive was developed by JoanDale back at the Academy. And it's so blasted simple, I get mad atmyself for not thinking of it first!"

"Uhhh, " snorted Alfie. "I respect your great talent on the power deck, Astro, but I would hardly compare myself with Dale!"

"Shut up!" barked Astro. "You'll see how simple it is! Hyperdrive isbased on the idea that the thrust of the rockets acts in the exact sameway on _all_ the atoms inside the spaceship. So you can have as muchthrust as you want and no one will feel a thing. Even if the ship wereto accelerate a million times faster than the gravity of the Earth youwouldn't feel a thing, because all the atoms inside would be pushedalong at the same time!" Astro sat back triumphantly. 

"Ummmmh, " commented Alfie. "That sounds all right as a principle, butwill it work out in space?"

"Listen, you--you--" snorted Astro. 

"Sure it will, Alfie, " said Tom. "It's been tested before. "

"Still room for improvement, though, " commented Alfie. 

"I'll improve your head, " barked Astro, "if you don't close that bigmouth! How do you like that, Tom? We get rid of one space-gassing Romeoand now we get one even worse!"

Astro's reference to Roger made Tom draw a quick breath. In the shortwhile since Alfie's arrival and the week since Roger's disappearancethere hadn't been time to forget their old unit-mate and get accustomedto a new personality. Astro sensed Tom's feelings and irritably bangedone hamlike fist into the other. Alfie was O. K. , thought the bigVenusian, but by the craters of Luna, he wasn't Roger. 

"Attention--attention!" The intercom crackled into life. "_Polaris_unit--by order of Major Connel--stand by to blast off immediately. Thisis first warning! Pack your gear and stand by to blast off immediately. "

Tom, Astro, and Alfie got up, and with the image of Roger fresh in theirminds, made their way to the landing-port deck where the great gleamingspaceship was slung on magnetic cradles. They were met at the hatch byMajor Connel. 

"All right, " he said, "we leave all thoughts of Manning right here onthe station. I know it's tough, but we've got a still tougher job to do. This is to be a scientific expedition and we'll need every ounce ofenergy and intelligence we have--_collectively_--to make a success ofthis mission. Cadet Corbett!"

"Yes, sir, " replied Tom. 

"Stand by to blast off in five minutes!"

CHAPTER 10

"Can I speak with you a minute, spaceman?"

Roger turned from the automatic food dispenser and stared at a wizenedlittle man standing beside him, grinning up at him toothlessly. 

"What do you want?" asked Roger. 

"Just talk. Let's sit down at this table, eh?" said the little man, taking the cadet by the arm. "Gotta little deal I think you might beinterested in. "

Roger cast a quick appraising glance over the shabbily dressed man andwalked to the table. Unless someone knew Roger personally, it would havebeen hard to recognize him. No longer wearing the vivid blue of thesenior Space Cadet, he was now dressed in black trousers fitting snuglyaround the legs, a midnight blue pull-over jersey, and the black-billedhat of the merchant spaceman. His once close-cropped blond hair wasbeginning to grow shaggy around the edges, and with the hat pulled lowover his forehead, he might have been another person entirely. 

Leaving the space station on the jet liner had been easy for Roger, since no one suspected he would violate his trust. But once his absencewas discovered and the warrant issued for his arrest, it had beennecessary for him to assume some sort of disguise to elude the SolarGuard MP's. Roger had wound up on Spaceman's Row in Venusport as amatter of course. Luckily, when he left the station, he had theforesight to take all of his money with him, so he was not yet in need. 

On Spaceman's Row, Roger found the new freedom from discipline enjoyableat first, but now the novelty had worn off. Having visited all of theinteresting places on the Row, existence there had become boring. Hisone attempt to leave Spaceman's Row had nearly met with disaster. Running into a squad of Solar Guard MP's, he had made a hurried escapeinto a near-by jet taxi. Back on the Row, Roger had lounged around thecafés, feeling the loneliness that haunts men wanted by the law. Andonly because he was so lonely he had agreed to talk to the little manwho sat and stared at him from across the table. 

"You a rocket pusher, astrogator, or skipper?" asked the little man. 

"Who wants to know?" asked Roger cautiously. 

"Look, sonny boy, " was the quick retort. "I'm Mr. Shinny! I'm the fixerof Spaceman's Row. You want something, come to me and I'll get it foryou. I don't care why you're here. That ain't none of my business. Butthe fact remains that you're here, and you don't come down here unlessyou're in trouble space deep!"

Roger looked at the little man more closely. "Suppose I am in somethingdeep? What could you do for me?" he asked. 

"What would you want done?" asked Shinny slyly. 

"Well, " said Roger casually, "I could use a set of papers. "

"What happened to your own?"

"Solar Guard picked them up, " answered Roger simply. 

"For what?" asked Shinny. 

"Taking ice cream away from the skipper's pet monkey!" snapped Roger. 

Shinny threw back his head and laughed. "That's good--very good!" Hewiped his mouth after spitting at a near-by cuspidor. He reached overand patted Roger on the arm. "You'll do, sonny! You'll do right well onthe Row. Join me in a little acceleration sport?"

"What's that?" asked Roger. 

"Rocket juice!" said Shinny. "Ain't you never heard of rocket juice?"

"I've heard about it, " said Roger with a smile, "and I'm still here totalk about it because I never drank any of it. " Roger liked the littleman for some reason--he couldn't tell why. He had met several people onthe Row since his arrival, but they had all wanted to know how manycredits he had and where he was staying. 

"I took a jolt of that stuff once in Luna City, " said Roger. "I wasready to blast off without a rocket ship!"

Shinny laughed again. "Good lad! Well, you won't mind if I have just alittle one?" He paused and wiped his lips. "On you, of course!"

"One"--Roger held up his finger--"on me, of course!"

"Hey, there!" yelled Shinny. "You, with the asteroid head! Gimme a shortbucket of that juice and bring a bottle of Martian fizz along with it!"The bartender nodded, and Shinny turned back to Roger. "Martian fizz isnothing more than a little water with sugar in it, " he explained. 

"Yeah, I know, " replied Roger. "What about those papers?"

"I'll talk to you, spaceman to spaceman, " said Shinny, "when you'reready to talk to me, spaceman to spaceman!"

They were silent while the bartender slopped a glass full of bluishliquid in front of Shinny and the bottle of Martian fizz and a glass infront of Roger. Roger paid for the drinks and poured a glass of the mildsweet water. Sipping it silently, he suddenly put the glass down againand looked Shinny in the eye. 

"You know who I am, " he stated quietly. 

"Yep!" replied Shinny. "You're Roger Manning, Space Cadet! Breach ofhonor and violation of the Spaceman's Oath. Escaped from the Venus spacestation on a jet liner. But one of the best men on a radar scanner andastrogation prism in the whole alliance!" Shinny related the informationrapidly. 

"He had known all the time, " thought Roger. "He was testing me. " Rogerwondered why. 

"What are you going to do about it?" questioned Roger, thinking aboutthe one-thousand-credit reward, standard price offered by the SolarGuard for all wanted men. 

"If I had wanted to, I could have bought the finest jet liner in spacewith money made on Solar Guard rewards, " snapped Shinny. "We got our ownspaceman's code here on the Row. It goes something like this. What a manwants to bring with him down here, he brings. What he don't bring, don'texist!"

Roger smiled and stuck out his hand. "All right, Mr. Shinny! I want aset of papers--space papers! Made out in any name, so that I can get outinto space again. I don't care where I go or on what, or how long I'mgone. I just gotta blast off!"

"You want papers for the astrogation deck, or control, or as a powerpusher?" asked Shinny. 

Roger thought a moment. "Better make them for the control deck, " hesaid. 

"Credits, " said Shinny. "You have any credits?"

"How much?" asked Roger. 

"One hundred now, " said Shinny, and then added, "and one hundred when Ideliver. "

"Guaranteed papers?"

"Positively!" snorted Shinny. "I don't sell things that ain't good! I'man honest man!"

Roger reached inside his jersey and pulled out a small roll of crumpledcredit notes. He counted off one hundred and handed them over to Shinny. 

"When do I get the papers?" asked Roger. 

"Tomorrow, same place, same time, " answered Shinny. 

"What's the name of this place?" asked Roger. 

"Café Cosmos. "

Roger picked up his glass of sweet water, raising it in a toast to thelittle man in front of him. "Until tomorrow, Mr. Shinny, when you comehere with the papers, or I come looking for you with bare knuckles!"

"You don't scare me!" snapped Shinny. "I'll be here!"

Roger tilted his chair back and smiled his casual smile. "I know you'llbe back, Mr. Shinny. You see, I really mean what I say. And moreimportant, _you_ know I mean what I say!"

Shinny got up. "Tomorrow, same time, same place, " he said, hurrying outthe door. 

Roger finished the bottle of Martian fizz, suddenly very depressed. Hedidn't really want the false papers. He just wanted to get away from thedeadly humdrum existence on Spaceman's Row. He walked wearily back tohis scrubby little bedroom to wait for night to come. He hated to goback to the room, because he knew he would think about Tom and Astro andthe Space Academy. Now he couldn't allow himself to think about it anymore. It was past. Finished. 

"You got _who_?" asked Loring. 

"I said I got the best astrogator in the deep for ya!" snapped Shinny. 

Loring looked at Mason and then suddenly burst out laughing, droppinghis head on the table. 

"What's the matter with you?" demanded Shinny. "You got space fever orsomething?"

Mason, sitting quietly in the dirty hotel room, was grinning from ear toear. 

"So you got Manning for us, eh?" repeated Loring at last. "I wanta tellyou something, Shinny. I was the one that got that kid to break outtathat space station!"

"You what?" asked Shinny. The little spaceman had come to like thestraightforwardness of Roger. 

"That's right, " said Loring. "When Mason and me loused up taking overthe _Annie Jones_, that kid, Manning, was on the radar watch at thestation. At the same time we were gonna crash into the station hecrossed a coupla wires and was talking to his girl back on Earth! Theythink _he_ fouled up the radar and caused the crash!"

"Then he's your fall guy, " commented Shinny thoughtfully. 

"Right, " said Loring. "And now you come along and tell us that we canget him to astrogate us out to Tara! I tell ya, Mason, this is thegreatest gag I've heard in years!"

"Yeah, " agreed Mason, his weak mouth still stretched in a stupid grin, "but you have to be careful he never finds out it was us that got himinto all his trouble!"

"Leave that to me, " said Loring. "He'll never know a thing. In fact, he'll thank us for getting him off the station and then giving him achance to get back in space. " He turned to Shinny. "You got the ship?"

"I told you before, " said Shinny, "there ain't anything to be had. "

"Well, we gotta have a ship, " said Loring. "A fortune waiting for us inthe deep and no space wagon to go get it!"

"There _is_ a ship, " said Shinny. "Not too good, but a spaceship. "

"Where?" asked Loring. 

"Near Venusport. Out in the jungles, to be exact. Needs a little fixing, but it'll make a deep space hop well enough. "

"Who does it belong to?" demanded Loring. 

"Me, " said Shinny, a strange twinkle in his eyes. 

"_You?_" gasped Loring. "By the craters of Luna, where did you get aspaceship?"

"Fifteen years ago a freighter was forced down in the jungles right nearVenusport, " said Shinny. "I was prospecting near by for pitchblende, back when everybody thought Venus was loaded with it. I saw the crewleave in jet boats. Soon as they was out of sight I went over to take alook. I wanted to see if there was any grub I could swipe and savemyself a trip back to Venusport for more supplies. Anyway, I went aboardand found the grub all right, but I got nosy about why they had made anemergency touchdown. I looked around the power deck and found they hadbusted their reaction timer. I got the idea then of fixing it up andbringing it back to Venusport to give them young jerks a surprise. Ilifted her off the ground and then figured why should I give it back?Just move it someplace else and let the vines and creepers grow over itfor a few days. "

"Didn't the crew come back looking for it?" asked Loring. 

"Did they?" chortled Shinny. "I'll say they did! Almost drove them poorfellers crazy. I guess they searched for that old wagon for three monthsbefore giving up. "

"And--and you mean it's still there--and in good condition?" askedLoring. 

"Needs a little fuel, " said Shinny, "and probably a good overhaul, but Idon't think there's anything serious the matter with it. "

"By the craters of Luna, " exclaimed Loring, "we'll blast offimmediately!"

"Hold on, " said Shinny. "I didn't say I'd give it to you. "

"Well, what do you want for it?" demanded Loring. 

"Now let me see, " mused Shinny. "I figure that if _you_ figure to get asmuch as twenty million credits out of the copper, a full quarter shareought to be about right. "

"Five million credits for a--a ship that's been rotting in the junglefor fifteen years!" exclaimed Loring. 

"She's in good shape, " defended Shinny. "I go out there every six monthsor so and turn over the reactors just to keep 'em from getting rusty. "

"Why didn't you try to do something with it before?" asked Loring. 

"Never had no occasion to, " answered Shinny. "Well, is it a deal, orisn't it?"

"Too much, " snapped Loring. 

"That's my price, " said Shinny. 

"I could take the ship and not give you anything, " sneered Loring. 

"If the Solar Guard looked for three months in that jungle, with ahundred men and instruments, do you think you'll find it?"

"I'll give you a fifth share, " said Loring. 

"Nope, " said Shinny, "I've named my price. You either take it or leaveit!" He glared at Loring. 

Mason finally spoke. "Take it, Loring, " he said, "and let's get out ofhere. I'm getting jittery over that investigation that's coming up onthe station. "

"All right, " said Loring, "it's a deal. One quarter share for the ship. "

"Done!" said Shinny--"Now I guess we'd better go talk to that boyManning, eh?"

"Don't you think it'll be a little dangerous taking him along?" whinedMason. 

"Yeah, maybe you're right, " said Loring. 

[Illustration]

"If it was me, " said Shinny, "I wouldn't give it a second thought. You're going into _deep_ space. It ain't like a hop to Mars or Titan. This is as deep as you can go. If I was you, I'd want the best there isin my crew. And from what I've heard about that young feller, he's thebest there is on the radar bridge. You know who his father was?"

"Who?" asked Mason. 

"Ken--" Shinny suddenly closed his mouth tight. "Just another spaceman, "he said, "but a good one!" He rose quickly. "Well, I'm supposed to meetManning in an hour at the Cosmos. "

[Illustration]

The three men left the dingy hotel and walked out into the main streetof Spaceman's Row. In a few moments they arrived at the Café Cosmos. Roger was already there, seated at the same table and watching thedoor. When he saw Loring and Mason with Shinny, he eyed them warily. 

"Hiya, kid!" greeted Loring. "Glad to see you took my advice and gotaway from 'Blast-off' Connel. " Mason waved a salute, and the three mensat down. 

Roger ignored Loring and Mason, speaking directly to Shinny. "Did youcomplete our deal?" he asked softly. 

"Nope, " answered Shinny. "I brought you another one instead. "

Roger held out his hand. "My one hundred credits--_now!_"

"Never mind the credits, kid, " said Loring, "we've got more importantthings to talk about. "

Roger continued to look at Shinny, his palm outstretched on the top ofthe table. "One hundred credits, " he repeated coldly. 

Reluctantly, Shinny handed over the money. Slowly, carefully, Rogercounted the bills, and then, after putting them away, he turned to faceLoring for the first time. 

"You said you have something important to discuss with me?" he drawled. 

"I see you learned fast, kid!" said Loring with a crooked smile. "Iwouldn't trust Shinny as far as I could throw a comet!"

Mason laughed loudly. The other three merely glared at him, and hestopped abruptly. 

"Here's the proposition, Manning, " said Loring, leaning across thetable. "I've gotta ship and I wanta make a hop into deep space. I wantyou to do the astrogation!"

"I'm interested, " said Roger. "Keep talking. "

Briefly Loring described the copper satellite, its potential value, andwhat they expected to get out of it. Roger listened without comment. When Loring had finished, Shinny told him about the ship and itscondition. When Shinny finished, Loring turned to Roger. 

"Well, Manning, " he asked, "how do you like the setup?"

"How much do I get out of it?" asked Roger. 

"One twentieth of the take, " said Loring. 

"There are four of us. One full quarter-share, nothing less, " drawledRoger. 

"One-fourth to Shinny and one-fourth to him, " whined Mason. "That onlyleaves us a fourth apiece!"

"That's more than you've got now, " snapped Loring. "All right, Manning, you're in!"

Roger smiled for the first time. "When do we blast off?"

"As soon as we get that space wagon in shape we hit the deep!" saidLoring. 

"I think I need a drink on that, " said Shinny. He yelled for thebartender, who brought rocket juice and Martian fizz. 

Roger picked up the glass of the sweet water and glanced around thetable. 

"What's the name of that space wagon you've got buried in the jungles, Mr. Shinny?"

"Ain't got no name, " said Shinny. 

Roger paused, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "ThenI propose we name her after the hearts of each of us here at the table. "

"What's that?" asked Loring. 

"_Space Devil_, " said Roger. 

Shinny grinned, his frail body trembling slightly from his silentlaughter. He held up the glass of rocket juice. 

"I propose a toast to the _Space Devil_!"

"To the _Space Devil_, " said the others together. 

"And whatever trouble she brings, " added Roger softly. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 11

"Cadet _Higgins_!" Major Connel's voice roared over the ship's intercomas the giant rocket cruiser _Polaris_ blasted smoothly through space. 

"Yes, sir, " squeaked Alfie in reply. 

"Cadet Higgins, " said Connel, "I thought I had requested a sight on thesun star Regulus at fifteen hundred hours!"

"You did, sir, " replied Alfie. 

"_Then why, by the craters of Luna, don't I have that position?_"

"I was--busy, sir, " came the meek reply. 

"Cadet Higgins, " sighed Connel patiently, "would you be so kind as tocome down to the control deck?"

In the short space of time since their departure from the space stationMajor Connel had learned that to scold Cadet Higgins was not the way togain his attention. In fact, Major Connel had not been able to find away of getting the little cadet's attention in any manner, at any time, on anything. 

"I can't right now, sir, " replied Alfie. 

"What do you _mean_, you can't?" exploded Connel. 

"I mean, sir, " explained Alfie, "that I've just sighted Tara and I haveto get a position check on her before we go any farther, to ensure thatwe traverse the same trajectory on our return trip and thus avoid theproblem of finding a new and safe route back. "

"Cadet Alfie Higgins"--Connel's voice climbed to a frenzied shriek--"ifyou are not on this control deck in ten seconds, I'll personally seethat you are fed to a dinosaur when we touch down on Tara and you'llnever return. _Now get down here!_"

Tom and Astro, who could hear the conversation over the intercom, werefinding it very difficult to keep from laughing out loud at theinnocence of Alfie and the outraged wrath of Major Connel. 

Tom, particularly, had discovered that Alfie's innocent refusal to bebullied by Connel had made the time pass more quickly on the long haulthrough deep space. More than once he had seen Major Connel rage againstthe underweight cadet and become even more frustrated at his childlikeresistance. It had helped Tom forget the empty feeling he experiencedevery time he called the radar deck and heard Alfie's mild voice insteadof Roger's usual mocking answer. Astro, too, had managed to forget theloneliness he felt aboard the great cruiser by watching the antics ofAlfie and Major Connel. More than once he had instigated situationswhere Alfie would get caught red-handed in a harmless error, and then helay flat on the power deck, laughing until his sides ached, as helistened to Alfie and Major Connel over the intercom. 

It had helped. Both Tom and Astro admitted it had helped, but it stilldidn't take away the dull ache each felt when an occasional remark, situation, or thought would bring Roger to mind. 

Tom flipped the teleceiver on and waited for the blank screen to showhim Tara. Connel stood to one side, also watching for the image of theplanet to take form on the gray-black screen. A hatch clanked behindthem, and Alfie stepped into the control deck to snap to his version ofattention. 

"Cadet Higgins reporting, sir, " he said quietly. 

Connel stepped in front of him, placed his hands on his hips, and bentslightly, pushing his face almost into Alfie's. 

"Cadet Higgins, I want you to know I have taken all the blastedspace-brained antics I'm going to take from you, " said Connel quietly. 

"Yes, sir, " replied Alfie blandly. 

"And, " said Connel, shaking a finger in Alfie's face, "_and_ if there isone more--just _one_ more brazen, flagrant disregard of my _specific_orders, then, Cadet Higgins, I promise you the most miserable trip backto Earth you will ever know in your entire career! I promise you I'llmake you sweat! I'll--I'll--" Connel stopped short and shuddered. Alfie's owl-eyed look of innocence seemed to unnerve him. He tried toresume his tirade, but the words failed him. He finally turned away, growling, "Higgins, get up on that radar deck and do as you're told, _when_ you're told to do it and _not_ when you want to do it! Is thatclear?"

"Yes, sir, " said Alfie meekly. He saluted and returned to the radardeck. 

"Corbett!" snapped Connel. "If I should appear to be losing control ofmyself when addressing Cadet Higgins, you have my official permission torestrain me. Use force if necessary!"

Tom bit his lip to keep from laughing and managed to mumble "Yes, sir. "He turned quickly to the control board and began focusing on the planetlying dead ahead of the decelerating spaceship. They had been slowingdown for several days, since their speed with the added hyperdrive hadbeen increased greatly. The young cadet adjusted the last dial and theblue-green planet sprang into clear sharp focus on the screen. 

"Why, " gasped Tom. "Sir, look! It's just like Earth!"

"In more ways than one, Corbett, " replied Connel. "What's our range?"

"I'd say we're close enough to reduce thrust to a quarter regular spacespeed, sir. "

"Very well, " said Connel. "Now look to the right on the screen. See thatsmall dark patch over there in the middle of the planet?"

"Yes, sir, " replied Tom. 

"That's where we want to touch down, " said Connel. "You stay here on thecontrol deck and maneuver the ship closer in while I go to the radardeck and contact Space Academy on the transmitter. I've got to reportthat we expect to land soon. "

"Very well, sir, " said Tom. He turned and flipped the intercom switch. "Control deck to power deck, " he said. "Check in, Astro. "

"Power deck here, " replied Astro. "What's up, Tom?"

"We just got our first good look at Tara. She's dead ahead. MajorConnel's going to contact Space Academy, and I'm going to maneuver intoour preliminary glide. Stand by for course changes. "

"Make it an easy touchdown. I wanta get home, you know, " replied Astrogood-naturedly. 

"O. K. , " said Tom. "Better bring her down to one-quarter space speed. "

"Hyper or regular?" asked Astro. 

"Regular!" yelled Tom. "You give me a quarter on hyper and we'll goright through that planet!"

"One-quarter regular space speed, " replied Astro. 

Tom adjusted his controls for the speed reduction, while keeping hiseyes on the teleceiver screen. He watched the planet grow larger beforehis eyes, and the terrain become more distinct. He could see two largeoceans, the green-blue of the water reflecting the sunlight of AlphaCentauri brilliantly. Nearer and nearer the _Polaris_ plummeted, and Tomcould begin to distinguish the rough outline of mountain ranges alongthe horizon line. He switched to a larger view of the planet on themagnascope that revealed a splendor rivaling the beauty of his owncherished Earth. 

"We'll be entering the atmosphere in a minute, Alfie, " yelled Tom intothe intercom. "Stand by to give range for touchdown. "

"Radar deck, aye, " reported Alfie. "Range at present five hundredmiles. "

"Power deck, check in!" yelled Tom. 

"Power deck, aye, " returned Astro. 

"All set below?" asked Tom. 

"All set, " said Astro. 

"Reduce thrust to minimum!" shouted Tom. 

Deep inside the powerful ship, the roar of the mighty atomic rocketmotors began to fade to a deep growling purr. 

"Control deck to radar deck. Major Connel, sir?"

"What is it, Corbett?" asked Connel. 

"We're ready for a touchdown. Do you want to take over the bridge?"

"Can't you do it, Corbett?" asked Connel. 

"Yes, sir!" replied Tom. 

"Then carry on, " replied Connel. "I'm having some trouble trying to getthrough to the Academy on the transmitter. Can't understand it. " Therewas a pause. "I have them now, Corbett! You carry on!" he shouted. 

"Aye, aye, sir, " said Tom. He turned his attention to the control panel, checking the many dials and gauges with one sweeping glance, and thenconcentrated on bringing the ship to a safe landing on the foreignplanet. His fingers tingled as he reached for the switches that wouldbring the ship down on the first intergalactic world he had evervisited. In a flash, the curly-haired cadet remembered childhood dreamsof doing just what he was doing at this moment, preparing to touch downon a new world, millions of miles away from his home near New Chicago. 

"Range one hundred miles, " reported Alfie over the intercom. 

"Power deck, reduce thrust to absolute minimum!" ordered Tom. "I want aslittle sustaining power as you can give me without cutting outaltogether, Astro. "

"Can do!" said Astro. The ship slowed even more, then suddenly picked upspeed again as the gravity of Tara began to tug at the space traveler. 

"Stand by to fire braking rockets!" yelled Tom. He was all nerves now, sensitive to the throbbing of the great ship's motors, eyes fastened tothe dials and meters on the control panel. There was no time to watchthe scanner view of the onrushing planet now. He had to touch downblindly, using only his instruments. "Radar bridge, report!" snappedTom. 

"Range one thousand feet, " reported Alfie, his calm voice in strikingcontrast to the nervous excitement in Tom's. "Seven hundred fifty--sixhundred--five fifty--"

"Fire braking rockets!" rasped Tom into the intercom. 

The great ship bucked under the sudden thrust of the huge brakingrockets. The _Polaris_ held steady for a moment, then gradually, as thepull of Tara began again, she settled back toward the dark-greenjungles beneath her. 

"Two hundred and fifty feet, " reported Alfie. "One hundred andseventy-five--one fifty--" he droned. 

"Ease her up, Astro, " shouted Tom. "Easy! Ease her up, you Venusianclunk, we're dropping too fast!"

Once again, from the heart of the _Polaris_, there came a roaring blastof the powerful motors. The ship steadied once more and then slippedback into her fall toward the new planet under more sure control. 

"Fifty feet, " reported Alfie. "Forty--thirty--twenty--"

There was a brief pause, as if everything had stopped and they were heldstill by a giant hand, and then, suddenly, a rocking motion, a slightbump and rumble. Tom knew they were down. 

"_Touchdown!_" he yelled at the top of his voice. "Touchdown! We madeit--we made it!"

From the power deck, quiet except for the whining of the oxygen feedpump, Astro's bellow could be heard vibrating through the passageways. 

"_Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooooooowwwwwww!_"

Tom began shutting off the many circuits and switches and made a quicklast-minute check of the now dead ship. Satisfied, he glanced at thegreat solar clock, noted the time in the log, and stepped to the ladderleading to the radar bridge. 

"Cadet Corbett reporting, sir, " said Tom, saluting smartly. "I wish toreport, sir, that the _Polaris_ made touchdown on the planet Tara atexactly seventeen fifty-nine, solar time!"

Connel, his great bulk bent over the tiny transmitter, was twirling thedials, his head encased in a vacuum earphone helmet to ensure perfectsilence. He had acquired the knowledge of lip reading out of necessityon the power decks of the old chemical burners thirty years before, andwhile he couldn't hear what Tom had said, he knew what the report was. 

"Very well, Corbett, " he shouted, not being able to judge the volume ofhis voice. "Good job! Can't seem to pick them up at the Academy again. Had them once, then lost them. Am placing you in command of anexpedition for a quick look outside. Arm yourselves with paralo-ray gunsand rifles. Take a jet boat and under no circumstances are you to land. Dismissed! Oh, yes, one more thing. Take Alfie Higgins along with youand keep _your eye on him_. Report back in one hour!"

Tom felt a tingle of excitement run up his backbone as he heard thetough skipper give him permission to explore the planet. 

He saluted and turned away, Alfie trailing him down the ladder. 

"Hey, Astrooooo!" yelled Tom. "Get number-one jet boat out of the hatch. We're going for a look-see at this place!"

Tom went to the gun locker and took out three paralo-ray guns andrifles. He made sure each of them was fully loaded and then handed themto Alfie. 

"Put these on the jet boat, Alfie. I'll be along in a minute. "

Alfie took the guns and walked toward the jet-boat catapult deck. Tomreturned to the radar bridge and stood before Connel. 

"Would you see if there is any news of Roger, sir, when you make contactwith the Academy?"

Connel read the cadet's lips and nodded his head. Tom turned and wentdirectly to the jet-boat deck. Astro and Alfie waited for him inside. 

"Brought along three space suits, Tom, " said Astro. "You can never tellwhat we might run into. "

"Good idea, " said Tom. 

The three cadets climbed into the jet boat, Tom taking the pilot's seat. He pushed a release button, and a portion of the _Polaris'_ steel hullslid back. Tom pressed another button, gripped the wheel of the smallspace craft, and stepped on the acceleration pedal. The little red shipshot out of the open hatch and zoomed over the giant trees. 

Traveling at a slow speed, Tom made a wide arc over the forest, checkinghis position against that of the _Polaris_ before losing sight of it. Hepulled the tiny ship up to one thousand feet, leveled off, set theautomatic pilot, and took his first close look at Tara, four and a halflight years from Earth. 

From above, Tara seemed to be a quagmire of reptiles, dinosaurs, anddense vegetation reaching as high as the gleaming towers of Venusportand Atom City. Huge trees that spread their branches over an area of athousand feet soared skyward, limbs and trunks wrapped in junglecreepers. Now and then Alfie would grasp Tom or Astro by the arm andpoint a wavering finger at a moving animal below, then gasp and fallback white-faced into his seat. While Tom was inclined to share Alfie'sreactions, Astro took it in stride, having been exposed to the dangersof wild jungles on his own Venus. 

The tiny jet boat raced out across the blue-green sea that swept up ingiant swells along the snow-white sandy beaches. It was a temptation toset the small craft down and enjoy the pleasure of a swim after the manydays of cramped, tortured living on the _Polaris_. But Tom rememberedConnel's orders and also had a lot of respect for some of the things hehad seen swimming in the water. 

"Better get back, " said Tom. He flipped the audiophone switch in the jetboat and spoke into a small mike. 

"Jet boat one to _Polaris_. Jet boat one to _Polaris_. Cadet Corbett toMajor Connel. "

There was a crackle of static and then Connel's voice, vibrant andclear, filled the small cabin. 

"Corbett!" he roared. "By the craters of Luna, I couldn't contact you. Return to the _Polaris_ on the double!"

"Is there something wrong, sir?" asked Tom, apprehensive after seeingthe wildness of the jungle below him. 

"Wrong?" blared Connel. "News from Earth--from the Academy! Roger's beencleared of all charges. "

"Cleared?" stammered Tom. 

"Absolutely! When I sealed the radar bridge after the crash, a securityofficer examined the settings on the scanners and transmittingequipment. They showed that Roger _had_ been on duty at the time--thathe had been tracking the ship as he claimed. "

"Then what was the reason for the crash?"

"Security isn't sure yet. An acceleration control lever is missing fromthe wreckage. And it wasn't broken off as a result of the crash. NowLoring and Mason are wanted for further questioning. "

Tom looked at his unit-mate, Astro. The big Venusian had his head turnedto one side; he seemed to be staring out over the vast writhing jungle. 

"Astro, did you hear?" asked Tom softly. 

"Yeah, " mumbled Astro in a small, choked voice. "Just don't ask me toturn around. "

CHAPTER 12

"How much longer before we reach the atmosphere of Tara, Manning?" askedLoring. 

Roger bent over the chart table and quickly measured the distancebetween his present position and that of Tara. 

"About two hours, " he said, straightening up. 

"Good!" said Loring. "Let me know soon as we get close. "

"O. K. , " replied the cadet. 

"Hey, radar deck!" Mason's voice came over the intercom from the powerdeck of the _Space Devil_. "Don't forget to let me know when I have tocut down on thrust!"

"Take it easy, spaceboy, " snapped Roger. "You'll know in plenty oftime!" He turned back to the radar scanner and continued thenever-ending sweep of space ahead. 

After a week of checking and reconditioning the _Space Devil_ in thewild Venusian jungles, Roger had become more and more disgusted withhimself. Being a wanted spaceman had had its disadvantages on Spaceman'sRow, but working in the steaming jungles, fighting deadly reptiles andinsects, with Loring and Mason on his neck every minute had soured hisappetite for adventure. Several times, when Roger had suggested acertain part be replaced, Loring and he had argued violently, and Rogerhad threatened to quit. Now, after the long tedious trip through space, Roger's relationship with the others was more strained than ever. Thesure dependability of Tom on the control deck and Astro on the powerdeck made the work of Loring and Mason sloppy by comparison. Once, whenRoger had been on radar watch, while the ship roared through theasteroid belt, collision with a small asteroid had threatened. Rogerordered a course change, but Mason, who had taken over the power deck, had been asleep. Luckily, Shinny had been near by, had made the coursechange, and saved the ship. Seething with anger, Roger had gone to thepower deck and given the shiftless spaceman a terrific beating. 

Over and over, conflicts had arisen among them as they blasted throughdeep space, and always, it seemed to Roger, he was in the middle of it. The only satisfaction he could find in the hazardous venture was theprospect of the five million credits. And even this had lost itsexcitement in the last few days, as his nerves stretched to the breakingpoint. Only the sly humor of Shinny had saved Roger from the monotony ofthe long haul through space. 

Roger absently flipped the scanner to its farthest range. He had beenobserving the planet Tara for several hours and knew its shape fairlywell. But he suddenly jerked to attention. His hands trembled slightlyas he peered intently at the scope. Finally he slumped back. There wasno doubt about it. On the scanner was a jet boat in flight. 

"Hey, Loring! Shinny! Mason! Get up here on the double!" he yelled intothe intercom. 

"What's up?" demanded Loring. 

"Get up here!" shouted Roger. "We're in for trouble--plenty of trouble!"

Presently the three spacemen were grouped around the scanner, staring atthe unmistakable outline of a jet boat. 

"By the rings of Saturn, " declared Loring, "it must be Connel and hiscrew!"

"What're we going to do?" whined Mason. 

Loring's face darkened. "Only one thing we can do now, " he growled. 

"What do you mean?" asked Roger. 

"I mean that we're going to blast them!" Loring snarled. "Connel andwhoever else is with him!"

"But--but--" stammered Roger, "the _Polaris_ crew is down there!"

"Listen, Manning!" Loring turned to the cadet. "Have you forgotten thatyou're wanted by the Solar Guard? You give that bunch down there achance and they'll make you a space crawler on prison rock!"

"Why--I--" stammered Roger. He knew what Loring had said was the truth. If it was Connel, there would be no question what would happen to him. He faced Loring. "What will you do to them?"

"One well-placed reactant bomb, and they'll never know a thing!" sneeredLoring. 

"But you don't have any bombs aboard, " said Roger. 

"A little of the fuel and I can build one easily enough, " repliedLoring. He turned to Mason. "Go below and suit up to go into thereaction chamber, " he ordered. "Get an extra lead suit out. I'll go inand help you. And find something we can use for a trigger and a fuse. "He smiled at Roger. "It might be a little crude, but it'll be fancyenough for what we want. I'm going to blast the _Polaris_ from here backto your sweet little Space Academy!"

Mason and Loring left the radar bridge while Shinny and Roger watchedthe white blip of the jet boat. 

"That could be Tom and Astro in that jet boat, " said Roger softly tohimself. 

"I guess I'd better stand by the power deck while we maneuver, " saidShinny. "We wanta stay hidden until Loring and Mason get that thingready. "

Roger nodded, and Shinny disappeared. 

Maneuvering cautiously, Roger brought the _Space Devil_ around to thenight side of Tara opposite to the landing site of the _Polaris_. 

Four hours later Loring and Mason came out of the reactant chambercarrying a small lead box. They placed it gently on the deck and begantaking off their lead suits. Roger and Shinny stared at the box. 

"There she is, " said Loring. "Not much to look at, but there's enoughjuice in there to blast the _Polaris_ into space junk!"

"Wait a minute, Loring!" said Roger. "There'll be no killing! No onegets hurt!"

"Got a squeamish stomach, eh, kid?" Loring laughed. He slapped Mason onthe back. "Our little Space Cadet is suddenly worrying about hisfriends. The same friends that wanted to send him away to the prisonasteroid. "

"Blast the ship if you want, " said Roger coldly, "but don't hurt thecrew!"

"Listen, Manning!" snarled Loring. "If the crew gets hurt it ain't myfault. If they're in the ship, that's tough. If not, then that's O. K. With me. I ain't sending them any letter telling them I'm going toblast their ship and then have them come up after me with a spacetorpedo!"

Roger didn't answer. He turned away and climbed back to the radarbridge. Loring followed him up the ladder. 

"Don't get any ideas about warning your buddies, Manning, 'cause if youdo, I'll blast you before I blast them!"

"Don't worry, " replied Roger. "It's daytime on the other side of Taranow, where the _Polaris_ is. The crew might be out on a scouting missionor making observations away from the ship. There's less chance of theirbeing on the ship. If we're going to do it, let's get it over with!"

"O. K. With me, " said Loring. "Take this wagon up toward Alpha Centauri alittle way. Coming out of the sun, they won't see us. We'll use one ofthe jet boats to deliver our little present. I'll set the fuse, put thejet boat on automatic, and aim it right for the _Polaris_. "

"All right, " agreed Manning reluctantly. He turned to the chart table, plotted a course, and issued orders to Shinny at the controls and toMason on the power deck. Soon the _Space Devil_ was blasting away fromthe night side of the planet, heading toward the sun. When they reachedan altitude of a thousand miles above the surface of the planet, Loringmaneuvered the jet boat into position outside the ship and placed thecrude reactant bomb inside. Ready, he gave Roger the signal to make therun out of the sun toward the _Polaris_. Roger relayed the orders toShinny and Mason, and the _Space Devil_ rocketed back toward the planetagain. 

Loring, sitting inside the jet boat, waited until they had reached analtitude of five hundred miles. 

"All right, Manning, " said Loring, "give me the course!"

Roger calculated the rotational speed of the planet, the _Space Devil's_altitude, and the speed of the jet boat. He drew a line between the_Space Devil_ and _Polaris_, checked it on the astro compass, andreached for the intercom mike. He ran a dry tongue over his lips andcalled out the course. 

"Course is one forty-three--" He caught himself and stared at the chart. Suppose Tom or Astro or anyone was near the ship? Even if he missed byseveral hundred yards, the bomb would certainly be fatal. If he onlychanged the course one degree, at a range of five hundred miles, itwould miss the _Polaris_ by several miles. And Loring wouldn't be ableto see anything because of the dust cloud. 

"Course corrected, " said Roger. "New course is one forty-two!"

"One forty-two!" repeated Loring. 

Roger sat back and waited for the small space craft to blast off fromthe ship. In his mind, he saw Loring setting the trigger on the bomb, adjusting the controls, setting the automatic pilot, and then pressingthe acceleration button. Roger gripped the sides of the chart table andstared at the radar scanner. A fast-moving blip was streaking across itssurface. Loring had started the jet boat. 

His eyes showing his great fear, Roger watched the blip as it sped downlike a maddened hornet toward the _Polaris_ resting on its directionalfins in the green jungle. He could hear the hatch slam closed below asLoring re-entered the ship, but he continued to watch the rapidly movingblip. 

Suddenly it disappeared, and Roger knew it had reached Tara. He slumpedback in his chair. His eyes were glassy, his ears deaf to the roar oftriumph from below as Loring and Mason, watching the flight of the jetboat on the control deck teleceiver screen, saw it explode. Rogercouldn't move. He had fired a reactant bomb at Tom and Astro. 

"By the craters of Luna, " roared Connel, "we've been attacked!"

The four Earthmen, exploring a valley several miles north of the_Polaris_, had been thrown to the ground when the bomb landed. Connel'sreaction was immediate and decisive. 

"Get into the jet boat! All of you! We've got to get back to the_Polaris_! If our ship is smashed, we'll spend the rest of our livesfighting this jungle!"

In a matter of seconds the four spacemen were rocketing over the jungletoward the _Polaris_. Presently they came to an enormous dust cloud thathad mushroomed out over the trees. It was so thick Tom found itdifficult to pilot the small craft. 

"Any danger of radioactivity in this dust, sir?" asked Astro. 

"Always that possibility, Astro, " answered Connel. "We'll know soonenough!" He flipped on a built-in Geiger counter on the dashboard of thejet boat, and immediately the cabin was filled with a loud ticking thatwarned of danger. 

"The count is up to seven fifty, sir, " said Astro. "Not enough to botheryou unless you're in it a long time. "

"There's the _Polaris_, sir, " yelled Tom. "She's still on herdirectional fins! They missed her! She's O. K. !"

"By the blessed rings of Saturn, she is!" exclaimed Connel. "Go on, Tom, give this baby the gun! If we have to die, let's die like spacemen, inspace, fighting with spaceman's weapons, not crawling around here in thejungle like worms!"

The three boys smiled at their skipper's rousing statement. "This is thetime, " thought Tom, "when I'd rather have Major Connel in command thananyone else in the Solar Guard. " If there was to be a fight, then theycertainly had found the man who knew how to do just that! Fight!

[Illustration]

Tom swooped over the treetops recklessly, and fearing the blast haddamaged the jet-boat air lock, brought the small craft to rest in theblinding dust a few yards away from the _Polaris_. 

Three minutes later the four spacemen had separated and were standing bytheir respective posts. Hasty but thorough checks were made to determinethe damage, and finding none, they prepared to raise ship. 

"All clear forward and up, " Alfie reported in a high squeaking voice. 

"Energize the cooling pumps, " shouted Tom. 

Astro had already started the mighty pumps, their vibrations rocking theship, and Tom began counting the seconds. 

"Stand by to raise ship. Minusfive--four--three--two--one--_zeeroooooo!_"

Paying scant attention to the crush of sudden acceleration, Tom gave theship all the power she could take for the climb out of Tara'satmosphere, and soon they were rocketing through the airless void ofspace. Alfie and Connel hurriedly swept the area with the radar scannerfor the attacking intruder. 

"There she is!" roared Connel. "There!" He placed a finger on a whiteblip on the scanner. "By the craters of Luna, that's an Earth ship!" Thefear of an outer-space invasion by hostile people from another world hadbeen in the back of his mind, but he had been reluctant to voice hisfears in front of the cadets. "And she's an old one at that!" heexclaimed. "Not even armed. I know that class vessel. Corbett!" heshouted. 

"Aye, aye, sir, " replied Tom. 

"Put the ship on automatic flight, attack-approach pattern number three. Then stand by to send a message to whoever's manning that ship!"

"Aye, aye, sir!" replied Tom. He hurriedly set the delicate device thatwould fly the ship in a preplanned course of zigzag maneuvers and openedthe circuits of the teleceivers. 

"All set for the message, sir, " reported Tom. 

"Tell them, " said Connel heavily, his voice cold, "whoever they are, that I'll give them two minutes to surrender. If they don't, I'll blastthem into protons!"

"Very well, sir, " said Tom. He turned to the teleceiver and begantwirling the dials. 

"Attention! Attention! Rocket cruiser _Polaris_ to spaceship X. _Polaris_ to spaceship X. You are ordered to surrender within twominutes or we will attack. By order of Major Connel, Senior LineOfficer, Solar Guard. "

He switched the teleceiver for reception and waited. In a moment thescreen blurred and then an image appeared. Tom gasped. It was Roger!

"Tom, Tom, " yelled Roger. "Tom, this is me--Roger!"

"Roger! What're you doing out here? How'd you get here?"

"I can't explain now, " said Roger. "I--I--"

Tom interrupted him. "Roger, you've been cleared! The investigation ofthe crash on the station proved that Loring and Mason are guilty. They're wanted for the crash and the deaths of Jardine and Bangs!"

"What! You mean--" stammered Roger. 

"Yes. Loring and Mason did the whole thing!" supplied Tom. 

"Look, Tom, " pleaded Roger, "give me ten minutes. Don't fire for tenminutes! I'm going to try an idea. If I'm not successful, then open upand blast us back to Mars!"

"Roger, wait!" shouted Tom. "What's going on? What're you doing on thatship?"

"I can't talk now, " answered Roger. "Loring and Mason are on the shipwith me. Remember--ten minutes--and if I don't contact you, then openfire!"

CHAPTER 13

Roger flipped off the teleceiver. He stared at the darkened screen andbegan estimating the chances of success for a plan he had in mind. Deciding that, regardless of what happened, he had to take over theship, he got up and turned toward the hatch and the gun locker. Hestopped cold. Loring stood framed in the doorway, a paralo-ray gun ineach hand. 

"Just stand right where you are, spaceboy!" snapped Loring. "You wantten minutes, huh? Ten minutes for what? I thought there was somethingfunny going on when we missed the _Polaris_ with that bomb!"

"You knew all along I didn't have anything to do with that crash back onthe station, didn't you?" shouted Roger. His eyes blazed angrily. 

"Yeah. So what?" growled Loring. "Hey, Mason, " he yelled over hisshoulder, "get up here in a hurry! We gotta work fast!"

"What are you going to do?" asked Roger. 

"You're still valuable to us, Manning, " said Loring with a crooked grin. "You're going to ensure our getting what we came after!"

Mason stepped through the door. "Yeah, Loring?"

Loring quickly told him of Roger's attempt to work with Connel. 

"Take our spaceboy down below and lock him in a storage compartment. " Hehanded over one of the paralo-ray guns, and Mason shoved the muzzle intoRoger's stomach. 

"Get moving, Manning!" he snarled. "I'd like nothing better than to letyou have it right now!"

Roger smiled, knowing Mason still harbored a grudge for the beating hehad taken earlier on the trip. 

"When you have him locked up, get back on the control deck, " saidLoring. "We're going to do some old-fashioned bargaining with'Blast-off' Connel!"

"Bargaining?" exclaimed Roger. 

"Yeah! One slightly used Space Cadet for what we came after--the coppersatellite!"

"Connel won't bargain, " said Roger. "Not for me, not for anything. Youdon't know him!"

"I know this, Manning!" said Loring. "I'm going to get on the teleceiverand tell Connel that if he doesn't blast away from here _right now_, you're a dead Space Cadet!" He jerked his head toward the door. "Allright, take him below and tell Shinny to stand by on the power deck. Incase Connel won't bargain, we'll have to make a run for it!"

"Right, " said Mason as he shoved the paralo-ray gun deeper into Roger'sstomach. "Move, Manning!"

Roger climbed down the ladder and through the long passageway of the_Space Devil_. He passed Shinny on the way down. 

"What's going on here?" demanded Shinny, seeing Mason with theparalo-ray gun. 

"We missed with the bomb, " said Mason, "and Connel raised ship. He'sready to blast us if we don't surrender right away. Loring's trying tomake a deal with him. "

"What kind of a deal?" asked Shinny. 

"Hot-shot Manning for the satellite!"

"He hasn't told you everything, Mr. Shinny, " said Roger in his casualdrawl. "They are the ones who caused the crash of the _Annie Jones_ andthe deaths of Jardine and Bangs. They framed me!"

"Then, " mused Shinny, "you're cleared?"

"Yeah, " growled Mason, "he's cleared! Cleared for a long swim in spaceif Connel doesn't do what Loring tells him! Get in there!" Mason shovedRoger into the cramped storage compartment. He locked the door andturned to Shinny. 

"Loring wants you to stand by the power deck in case Connel won't playball. We might have to make a run for it. "

"Yeah, yeah, " said Shinny, "I'll stand by the power deck. "

Mason turned and walked away. Shinny followed him, a curious gleam inhis eyes. 

Up on the control deck, Loring was twisting the dials in front of theteleceiver screen. 

"_Space Devil_ to _Polaris_--_Space Devil_ to _Polaris_--come in, _Polaris_. " He twisted another dial and watched the darkened screenanxiously. After a moment the screen blurred, and Tom's face graduallycame into sharp focus. 

"Loring!" gasped Tom. "Where's Roger?"

"Never mind him, you punk!" snarled Loring. "Tell that fatheaded ConnelI wanta talk to him! Make it fast!"

Tom's face disappeared to be replaced by the raging features of MajorConnel. "You murdering space rat!" he roared. "I've given you twominutes to surrender and, by the craters of Luna, you've only got thirtyseconds left!"

"It'll only take ten seconds to tell you that if you don't get outtahere Cadet Manning gets blasted!"

"What?" roared Connel. 

"That's right, " snarled Loring. "You're the one that's got thirtyseconds to get out of here, or Manning takes a swim in space!"

"Why, you--" Connel's face was twisted with rage. "You can't threatenme!"

"I ain't threatening you, " said Loring, "_I'm telling you!_ If you don'tget started, you'll never see Manning again. Or if you do, you won'trecognize him! Now make up your mind, Connel!"

The Solar Guard officer hesitated. "Give me two minutes, " he said, "andI'll call you back. Two minutes. "

"Two minutes, " repeated Loring, "and if I don't hear from you by then, or if you try any funny stuff, Manning gets it!"

Aboard the _Polaris_, the screen darkened, and Connel, his fistsclenched, turned to Tom. 

"We're helpless, Tom, " he said softly. "Now that we have proof ofRoger's innocence, I have to do everything in my power to save him. "

Tom didn't say anything. Suddenly Connel smashed one huge fist intoanother. "But by the blessed rings of Saturn, when I _do_ get my handson that Loring, I'll--I'll--" He broke off suddenly and turned back tothe teleceiver. "I'm going to do what he wants, Tom. Roger's life isworth a dozen like Loring, and we'll have to take a chance that Loringwill keep his word. After all, " continued the big officer softly, "ourmission is complete. We've tested the transmitter and found it to bemore than we expected. No real reason why we should stay around here anylonger. "

"Yes, sir, " stammered Tom. "Sir, I--I--"

Connel waved him silent with his hand. "You don't need to say anything, Tom. It's just one of those things. Still I can't help wondering whatthey came out here for. " He turned to the dials on the teleceiver andbegan twisting them. "I'll call him, and you stand by to blast out ofhere. "

Nicholas Shinny sat on the power deck and listened to Loring issueorders over the intercom. 

"I don't know if Connel will go for it, or not, " said Loring, "but justin case he doesn't, we gotta get outta here fast! You got that, Shinny?"

"Yeah, " answered Shinny, "I got it!"

"Mason, " yelled Loring, "you take over on the radar bridge!"

"All ready up here, " said Mason. 

"Well, be sure we've got a clear trajectory out. Better take us into thesun Alpha Centauri. That way, maybe they'll miss us on their radar. Thesun will show all sorts of blips on their screen. "

"O. K. , " said Mason. "You think he'll go for it?"

"I don't know, " answered Loring, "but if he doesn't, it's going to bespace dust for Manning. "

Shinny got up and walked around the deserted power deck. His legs feltweak. The plan he had made was a desperate one. Over and over, hechecked the operation in his mind. It would have to be quick, sure, andsudden. That was the only thing that would ensure success. "Yes, sir, "he thought, "if we can surprise 'em, we can get away with it. " He dugout a piece of chewing tobacco, took a bite, eyed the remaining piece, and then shoved the whole thing in his mouth. His cheek bulged. 

He went to the intercom and flipped it on. "Hey, Loring, " he yelled. "I've got to check the timer on number-three rocket. She's not actingjust right. It'll take me about a minute. "

"O. K. , " came Loring's reply, "but make it snappy. "

The timers were to the left of the control board, but Shinny turned tothe right and the ladder leading to the lower deck. He eased the hatchopen, glanced around, and then climbed down quickly. He stopped at alocker, opened the doors quietly, and took out two paralo-ray guns andtwo rifles. Then, closing the doors, he made his way to the oppositeside of the ship. 

"Hey, Manning!" he whispered through the closed storeroom hatch. "Can yahear me?"

"Who is it?" asked Roger. 

"Me--Shinny, " hissed the wizened spaceman. He opened the hatch and Rogerquickly stepped out. 

"What's the idea?" gasped Roger when Shinny shoved a rifle and pistolinto his hands. 

"I ain't got time to explain now, " said Shinny. "We've got to hurry ifwe're going to take over this tub. "

Roger's eyes glowed. "You mean--"

"Never mind what I mean, " said Shinny. "Just listen. Loring's on thecontrol deck and Mason's on the radar bridge. Loring's just talked toConnel. He's trying to make him blast outta here. If Connel doesn't, Loring's going to dump you in space!"

"Yeah, I know. That murdering space crawler!" snarled Roger. He grippedthe rifle tightly. "I'll blast him--"

"Now wait a minute, " hissed Shinny. "You go up and get Loring, see? Makeit look like you got out by yourself. If you can handle him, O. K. I'llstay in back, and if anything goes wrong, I'll back you up!"

"Fine, " said Roger. He patted the spaceman on the back and smiled. "Don't worry, Mr. Shinny, nothing will go wrong!"

"Watch your step. That Loring is a smart cookie!"

Roger turned into the passageway and made his way silently to thecontrol-deck hatch. He peered around the edge of the hatch and sawLoring sitting in front of the teleceiver screen, his back toward Roger. The cadet quickly stepped into the control room, leveled the rifle, andsaid quietly, "All right, Loring, keep your hands in view!"

Loring spun around and stared openmouthed at Roger. "Mann--" he gasped. 

"Yeah, me!" said Roger. "Call Mason and tell him to come down here onthe double. But one wrong move, Loring, and I'll give you a quick freezewith this ray gun!"

Moving slowly, Loring turned to the intercom and flipped the switch. "Hey, Mason, " he yelled. "Come down here a minute, will ya?"

"What do you want?" growled Mason. "I've got to figure out this course. "

Roger stepped close to Loring, raising the gun. 

Loring licked his lips and turned back to the intercom. "Don't gimme anyback talk! I said get down here!"

Suddenly the teleceiver came to life. "_Polaris_ to _Space Devil_! Comein, Loring! This is Major Connel on the _Polaris_ calling Loring on the_Space Devil_!"

The suddenness of the voice startled Roger, and for a split second hetook his eyes off Loring. In that instant Loring leaped for the boy, grabbing at the rifle. The quickness of his lunge caught Roger off guardand he was thrown back against the bulkhead, but he held onto the rifleas Loring tried to twist it out of his grasp. 

"What th--" cried Mason from the ladder leading to the radar bridge. When he saw Roger and Loring struggling, he grabbed for the paralo-raygun at his side. Just at that moment Shinny stepped through the hatchand fired his rifle. Mason was frozen into a rigid statue, unable tomove. 

"All right, Loring, " yelled Shinny, "step back or I'll blast you like Idid Mason!"

Roger wrenched the rifle out of Loring's grasp and stepped back. "Goodwork, Mr. Shinny!" he said to the little spaceman. "You sure figured itright!"

"Attention! Attention! This is Connel on the _Polaris_. Come in, Loring . .. "

Shinny looked over at Roger and winked. "Better answer him, while I getthis joker locked up. " He motioned to Loring who stood backed up againstthe bulkhead, his hands high over his head. 

"You dirty double-crossing space rat!" he snarled at Shinny. 

"Now, now, none of that, " said Shinny, leveling the rifle. "If you gettoo noisy, I'll freeze you like I did Mason to keep your trap shut!"

Loring cast a sidelong glance at Mason, who stood as if carved out ofmarble. The effects of the ray blast were devastating, having paralyzedhis entire nervous system. While the victim was still able to breatheand his heartbeat remained normal, he was unable to move so much as aneyelid. The gun was developed after all lethal weapons had been outlawedby the Solar Alliance. Though any victim could be released from itsparalyzing effect by a neutralizing charge from the same gun, whileunder its power the victim was reduced to a state of mild hysteria. Hewas able to hear, see, and think, but not to act. When released, it wasnot unusual to see a man crumple to the floor from exhaustion. 

[Illustration: _Mason was frozen into a rigid statue, unable to move_]

Loring marched meekly in front of Shinny to the storage room that hadheld Roger. The cadet spaceman remained on the control deck. He twistedthe dials of the teleceiver and spoke into the mike. 

"_Space Devil_ to Major Connel. Come in! This is Manning on the _SpaceDevil_ calling Major Connel . .. "

"Manning!" shouted Connel. "I thought you were a prisoner!"

"Ah, it was nothing, skipper, " said Roger blandly. "I just took over theship--with a little help, of course!"

"A little help?" asked Connel. "From whom?"

Roger then gave the officer a complete review of what had happened tohim since leaving the space station, finishing with Shinny's aid in hisescape. 

"Why would he want to help you?" asked Connel. 

"I don't know, sir, " replied Roger. 

"Well, never mind, " said Connel. "I suppose you two can handle that shipall right between you. Land on Tara as soon as you can. I'll get thedetails then!"

"Aye, aye, sir, " replied Roger. Then, just before breaking contact, heyelled into the mike, "Hey, Astro--Tom! See ya in a few minutes!"

As the teleceiver screen darkened, Shinny reappeared. He had releasedMason from the effects of the ray charge, and both Mason and Loring weresafe in the storage room. He walked over and slapped Roger on the back. 

"Well, it looks like we did it, sonny boy!" he said. 

Roger turned to look at the wizened spaceman who still was chewing onthe plug of tobacco. "What made you do this for me, Mr. Shinny?" askedRoger quietly. 

"Tell ya a little secret, " said Shinny, with a merry twinkle in his eye. "I was in the Solar Guard for twenty years. Enlisted man. Got into anaccident and hurt my leg, but it wasn't in the line of duty, so I wastossed out without a pension. Ever since then I been kinda bitter, youmight say. And, strangely enough, it was Major Connel that kicked meout. "

"But you--you--" gasped Roger. 

"Let's just say, " said Shinny with a smile, "that once you're a SolarGuardsman, you're always a Guardsman. Now, how about getting this wagondown to Tara?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, " said Roger absently, his eyes trailing after thesmall limping figure. Once a Solar Guardsman, always a Guardsman, hethought. Smiling, he turned to the control board. He felt the same way. He was a Guardsman, and it was good to be back home!

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 14

Major Connel paced nervously in front of the group of spacemen. Tom, Roger, Astro, Alfie, and Mr. Shinny were lounging around the smallclearing between the _Polaris_ and the _Space Devil_. A piece of thinspace cloth had been stretched between the two ships to shield the menfrom the blazing sun. Connel stopped in front of Roger and Shinny. 

"And you say the satellite is three-quarters solid copper?" askedConnel. 

"Yes, sir, " replied Roger, "at least that's what Loring and Mason toldus. "

"Where is it?" asked Connel. "I mean, where exactly?"

"I spotted her coming in, sir, " replied Roger. "I'd say she was aboutthree hundred thousand miles outside of Tara in perfect orbit. "

"By the blessed rings of Saturn, " exclaimed Connel, "it's almost toogood to be true! The whole Solar Alliance needs copper desperately. Andif what you say is true, that's enough to last for a hundred and fiftyyears!"

"Didn't you have any idea they discovered it, sir?" asked Tom. "I mean, when they took that unauthorized flight on your first trip out here?"

"Didn't suspect a thing, Tom, " replied Connel. "I thought they hadgotten a little space rocky on some homemade rocket juice and just wenton a wingding. Imagine the colossal nerve of those two wanting to cornerthe market with the largest deposit of copper ever found. "

"How do you plan to get it back, Major?" asked Shinny. 

"I don't know, Shinny--"

"_Mr. _ Shinny!" snapped the wizened spaceman. "_I'm_ not one of yourcadets!"

"Still the hotheaded rocket buster, eh?" asked Connel, eying thetoothless spaceman. "It was the same thing that got you kicked out ofthe Solar Guard twenty years ago!"

"Wasn't either! And you know it!" snapped Shinny. "You retired mebecause I busted my leg!"

"That helped, " said Connel, "but the main reason was because you weretoo hotheaded. Couldn't take orders!"

"Well, " said Shinny doggedly, "I ain't in no Solar Guard now, and whenyou talk to me, it's _Mr. _ Shinny!"

"Why, you old goat!" exploded Connel. "I ought to arrest you for aidingcriminals!"

"You can't do a thing to me, " barked Shinny. "Prospecting isprospecting, whether it's in the asteroid belt or out here on Tara!"

Unable to hold back any longer, the four space cadets suddenly roaredwith laughter at the sight of the two old space foes jawing at eachother. Actually, Connel and Shinny were glad to see each other. And whenthey saw the boys doubled up with laughter, they couldn't help laughingalso. Finally Connel turned to Roger. 

"Can you find that satellite again?" he asked. 

"Yes, sir!" Roger grinned. 

"All right, then, " said Connel finally, "let's go take a look at it. Istill won't believe it until I see it!"

"Who's hardheaded now?" snorted Shinny, climbing into the _Polaris_. 

Later, as the rocket cruiser blasted smoothly through space, Conneljoined Roger and Alfie on the radar deck. The two cadets were bent overthe radar scanner. 

"Pick her up yet?" asked Connel. 

"There she is, right there, sir, " said Roger, placing a finger on acircular white blip on the scanner. "But the magnascope shows prettyrugged country. I think we'd better take a look on the opposite side. Maybe we can find a better place to touch down. "

"Very well, Manning, " replied Connel. "Do what you think best. Tell Tomto land as soon as possible. "

"Aye, aye, sir, " replied Roger. 

Leaving Alfie on watch at the scanner, Roger hurried down the ladder tothe control deck where Tom was seated in front of the great board. 

"Tom, " called Roger, walking up behind his unit-mate, "we're going totake a look at this baby on the other side. See if we can't find abetter place to touch down. Stand by to pick up the surface of thesatellite on the teleceiver as soon as we get close enough. "

"O. K. , Roger, " said Tom. "Where are you going?"

"Down to Loring and Mason in the cooler! I want to see their faces whenI tell them they finally are getting where they wanted to go, but underslightly different circumstances!"

Tom laughed and turned back to the board. "Power deck, check in!"

"Power deck, aye, " replied Astro. "When do we set down on the preciousrock, Tom?" asked the Venusian. 

"Should be soon, Astro, " said Tom. "Better stand by for maneuvering. "

"Right!" replied Astro. 

Tom turned his full attention to the control board and the teleceiverscreen above his head. He was happier than he had ever been in his life. The report sent back to Space Academy by Major Connel had been answeredwith a commendation to both Roger and Shinny for capturing Loring andMason. With Roger back in the unit, Tom was at peace. Even Alfie wasoverjoyed at seeing Roger back aboard the _Polaris_. 

And Tom had noticed that Major Connel was beginning to call them bytheir first names!

"Radar deck to control deck!" said Alfie. "From casual observations, Tom, the surface of the far side of the satellite is more suitable for atouchdown. I would suggest you observe the planetoid yourself with themagnascope and draw your own conclusions. "

"O. K. , " replied Tom. He switched the teleceiver screen on to the morepowerful magnascope and studied the surface of the small celestial body. He saw a deep valley with a flat hard surface set between two tallcliffs. It would be a tricky spot for a landing, but it looked like thebest place available. Tom snapped open the intercom. 

"Attention! Attention! Stand by for touchdown. Power deck stand by fordeceleration. Radar bridge stand by for range and altitude checks!"Sharply, crisply, Tom's orders crackled through the ship. 

Working together with the ease and thoroughness of men well acquaintedwith their jobs, Astro and Shinny on the power deck, Roger and Alfie onthe radar bridge, and Tom on the control deck handling the delicatemaneuvering, combined to bring the great ship to a safe landing on thedry valley floor of the satellite. 

"Touchdown!" yelled Tom and began securing the ship. Two minutes laterthe entire crew faced Major Connel for briefing. 

"We'll all go out to different parts of the satellite and makegeological tests, " announced Connel. "We'll pair off, two to a jet boat. Astro and Roger, Alfie and Mr. Shinny, Tom and myself. This is a simpletest. " He held up a delicate instrument and a vial full of colorlessliquid. "You simply pour a little of this liquid, about a spoonful, onthe ground, wait about five minutes, and then stick the end of this intothe spot where you poured the liquid. " He held up a two-foot steel shafta quarter inch in diameter, fastened to a clock-face gauge with numbersfrom one to a thousand. The other end of the shaft was needle sharp. "When you stick this into the ground, there'll be a reading on themeter. Relay it to me. This way well get an estimate of the amount ofcopper in a three-mile area for a depth of a hundred feet. It must bemore than two hundred tons per square mile to make it worth while!"

He held up the testing equipment for all to see and explained its useonce more. Then, giving each team a kit, he ordered them to the jetboats. 

Just before the crew of Earthmen left the _Polaris_, Connel gave themlast-minute instructions. 

"Report back to the _Polaris_ in one hour. Make as many tests as you canover as wide an area as possible. Don't forget to leave one man in thejet boat while the other is making the test. Keep your audiocommunicator in the jet boat on at all times. And be sure your beltcommunicator is always open. Check your oxygen supply and space suits. All clear?"

One by one, the spacemen checked in through the audio communicators thatall was clear. The sliding hatch on the side of the _Polaris_ wasopened, and the jet boats blasted out into the brilliant sunlight ofAlpha Centauri, going in three different directions. 

Tom piloted his small craft over the rugged surface of the satellite, circling the larger peaks and swooping into the small valleys. Connelwould indicate when it was time to stop, and Tom would set the craftdown. While Connel made the tests, Tom would talk to the others over theaudio communicators. The three small ships covered the satellite quicklyin evenly divided sections, reporting their readings on the needlelikeinstrument to Connel, who kept recording the reports on a pad at hisknee. 

An hour later the boats returned to the _Polaris_ and the Earthmenassembled in the control room. Connel, Tom, and Alfie were busy reducingthe readings of the tests into recognizable copper ton estimates persquare mile. 

Finally Connel turned around, wiped his brow, and faced the others. 

"This is one of the greatest discoveries for Earthmen since they learnedhow to blast off!" The big officer paused and then held up the resultsof the tests. "This satellite is _really_ three-quarters solid copper!"

There was a loud mumble as everyone began talking at once. 

"How are we going to get it back home, sir?" asked Tom. "Wouldn'thauling it back in spaceships cost too much?"

"Yes, it would, Corbett, " answered Connel, "but I've got an idea how wecan lick that problem. "

"Can't see how you can lick it, " snorted Shinny, "unless you take thewhole blasted satellite back!"

"That's exactly what I'm going to do!" answered Connel. 

"What?" exclaimed Roger, momentarily forgetting he was addressing asenior officer. "How in blazes are you going to do that?"

Connel turned to the chart-screen projector and switched it on. Immediately an image of Earth and its Moon, and much farther away thesun, was visible. Connel stepped to the screen and pointed to Moon. 

"The Moon is a captive satellite of Earth, revolving around Earth thesame way Earth revolves around the sun. It's the same situation we havehere. This satellite is a captive of Tara, and Tara is a captive ofAlpha Centauri. The difference is that the satellite is a peanutcompared in size to the Moon, being only about fifteen miles indiameter. I'm not sure, but I think I can get enough reactant energy outof the _Space Devil's_ fuel supply to blast the satellite out of Tara'sgrip and send it back to our solar system in one piece!"

"You mean, sir, " asked Tom, perplexed, "you'll tear the satellite out ofTara's gravitational pull?"

"That's right, Tom, " replied Connel, "using the same principle to cleargravity that we use on the _Polaris_ or any spaceship. Enough power fromthe rockets will blast the _Polaris_ off Tara. Well, if you can getenough power, you can blast this satellite out of Tara's grip also, since the only thing holding it here is the gravity of Tara--the samething that holds the Moon in orbit around Earth!"

Astro's eyes bulged. He looked at Connel blankly. "Why, sir, " hestammered, "it'd take--take--a _ton_ of reactant fuel to pull somethingthat size away from Tara. The _Polaris_ is a kiddy car in comparison!"

"You're right, Astro, " said Connel, "but there's one thing you'veforgotten. The copper of the satellite itself. That's going to be themain source of power. The reactant fuel from the _Space Devil_ willserve only as a starter, a trigger, you might say, to make use of thecopper as fuel!"

Once again Astro gasped. "Then--then--there isn't anything to stop you, sir, " he finished slowly. 

Connel smiled. "I know there isn't. I'm going to contact Space Academynow for permission to pitch the biggest ball in the history of man!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 15

"Well, I'll be a star-gazing lunatic!" exclaimed Roger a few minuteslater. "You really think that you can blast this satellite out of itsorbit?"

"Not only that, Manning, " said Connel with a smile, "but I might be ableto get it back to our sun faster than we could get back ourselves. "

"Why that would be the biggest project ever attempted by man, sir, " saidTom. "You'd be transporting an entire satellite from one star system toanother!"

"That's right, Corbett, " said Connel. "I've just finished talking toSpace Academy and they've given me permission to do anything I thinknecessary to accomplish just that. Now pay close attention to me, all ofyou. We haven't much time. "

Tom, Roger, Astro, Alfie, and Mr. Shinny gathered in a close circlearound the major on the control deck of the _Polaris_ and watched him ashe drew several rough diagrams on a piece of paper. 

"Getting the satellite back is the trickiest part of the wholeoperation. Astro, are you sure you made a correct estimate on the amountof reactant fuel in the _Space Devil_?"

"Yes, sir, " replied Astro. "I checked it four times, and Mr. Shinnychecked it, too!"

"All right, then, listen, " said Connel. "I've given the satellite aname. From now on we call it Junior. And this will be known as Junior'sPitch! I've explained how Junior is a captive satellite revolving aroundTara, the same way our Moon revolves around Earth. We have two problems. One is to blast it out of Tara's grip. And the other is to takeadvantage of Tara's orbital speed around its sun Alpha Centauri, _and_Junior's orbital speed around Tara. We've got to combine the velocitiesof the orbits, so that when we do spring Junior loose, he'll gain inspeed!"

"But how do we get the orbital speeds to help us, Major?" asked Alfie. His glasses had slipped to the very end of his nose. 

"If you'd give the major a chance, he'd tell you, Big Brain, " drawledRoger. Alfie gave Roger a withering look and turned back to the major. 

"Do you remember when you were kids and tied a rock on the end of a ropeand then swung it around your head?" asked Connel. 

"Sure, sorta like a slingshot, " said Astro. 

"That's right, Astro, " said Connel, "and if you released the rope, therock would fly in the direction it was headed, _when you let go_!"

"I get it, " cried Tom excitedly. "The gravity of Tara is the ropeholding Junior--ah"--he fumbled--"making it swing around!"

"And the reactant power of the _Space Devil_ placed in the right spotwould be the trigger to make it let go!" commented Roger. 

"It's as simple as that, boys!" said Connel with a smile. 

"But how in the blazing beams of the sun are you going to _stop_ thatblasted thing when you get it rolling?" asked Shinny. 

"The chances of Junior hitting anything on the way home are so small itdoesn't present a problem. So we just aim Junior for our solar system!Later on, arrangements can be made to steer it into an orbit around oursun. "

"You know, " wheezed Shinny, his merry eyes twinkling, "that soundspretty neat!"

"It is, " replied Connel. He leaned against the control-board desk topand folded his arms across his massive chest. He looked at each of thecadets and Shinny a long time before speaking. Finally he steppedforward and stood among them, turning now and then to speak directly toeach of them. 

"We have only four days, five hours, and some few minutes to pull Juniorout of Tara's grip, and later, the grip of Alpha Centauri. You boys willhave to work as you've never worked before. You'll do things you neverdreamed you could do. You'll work until your brains ache and your bodiesscream. But when you're finished, you will have accomplished one ofman's greatest challenges. You're going to do all this because I knowyou can--and I'm going to see that you do! Is that clear?"

There was a barely audible "Yes, sir" from the cadets. 

"The six of us, working together, are going to send a hunk of copperfifteen miles in diameter hurtling through twenty-three million millionmiles of space, so let's get that ball rolling. _Right now!_"

With Major Connel roaring, pleading, and blasting, four young cadets anda derelict spaceman began the monumental task of assembling the mass ofinformation necessary for the satellite's big push through space. Duringthe three days that their project had been under way, Tom, Roger, Astro, Alfie, and Mr. Shinny worked, as Major Connel promised, as theyhad never worked before. 

Late in the afternoon of the third day Connel stepped through the hatchof the control deck where Tom was busy over a table of ratios forbalancing the amount of thrust from each of the reactant-power units. The power units were to give Junior its initial thrust out of thegravity of Tara. 

"Well, Corbett, " asked Connel, "how're you making out with the ratios?"

"I've finished them, sir, " replied Tom, looking up at the major. Hisface was drawn, his eyes red from lack of sleep. "But I just can't seemto get a time for escaping the orbit on a true tangent. "

"Have you tried making an adjustment for the overall pull of bothcomponents?" asked Connel. "That of Tara and of Alpha Centauri onJunior?" He picked up the paper Tom had been working on and glanced overthe figures. 

"Yes, sir, " replied Tom, "but I still can't seem to make it come outright!"

"You'll get it, Tom, " said Connel. "Go over it again. But remember. Time's running out. Just one day and about twenty hours left. " Connel'svoice was friendly--more friendly than at any time Tom could remember. He smiled, and taking a fresh sheet of paper, he began the complicatedcalculations of escape time all over again. 

Connel slipped out of the control room and went below to the power deck, where Astro and Mr. Shinny had been working without sleep for over fiftyhours. When Connel slipped into the room he found the two men puzzlingover a drawing board. 

"What seems to be the trouble, Astro?" asked Connel. 

Astro turned, startled. "We've tried building that lead baffle for thereactant units five times now, sir, " said Astro. "We're having a hardtime getting the correct amount of reactant power we need in a unit thissmall. "

"Maybe you're trying to make it _too_ small, Astro, " commented Connel, looking over the drawing. "Remember, this unit has but one job. To_start_ the reaction. When the reaction fuel gets hot enough, it'llstart a reaction of the copper on Junior and sustain itself. Try asmaller amount of the reactant. But whatever you do, keep working. Onlya day and a few hours left. "

Connel looked at Shinny. "Keep him working, Mr. Shinny, " he ordered. "Iknow he can do it. Just keep him going. "

Shinny grinned and nodded. 

"I'll try, sir, " said Astro, shaking his head, "but I won't guaranteeit--"

Connel cut him off with a roar. "Cadet Astro, I don't want yourguarantee! _I want that unit. Now build it!_"

Hour after hour the cadets racked their brains for what seemed likeimpossible answers to an impossible task. Working until their eyesclosed fast shut, they would lie down right where they were--power deck, control deck, or radar bridge--and sleep. They would awake, stillgroggy, drink hot tea, eat cold sandwiches, and continue their strugglewith time and astrophysics. 

One by one, the problems were solved and set aside for newer ones thatarose on the way. Each cadet worked in his particular field, and all oftheir information was assembled and co-ordinated by Major Connel. Morethan once, Connel had found the clever minds of his cadets reaching foranswers to questions he knew would have troubled the professors back atSpace Academy. Connel, his eye on the clock, his sharp tongue lashingout when he thought he detected unclear thinking, raced from onedepartment to another while the incessant work continued. On the morningof the fourth day he walked into the radar bridge where Roger and Alfiehad been working steadily for seventy-two hours on an electronic fuse totrigger the reactant units. 

"There you are, skipper, " said Roger. "The fuse is all yours. Deliveredtwelve hours ahead of time!"

"Good work, Roger. You too, Alfie. Excellent!" said Connel, his eyesappraising the fuse. 

"Ah, that's nothing, skipper, " said Roger with a smile. "Anyone couldhave done it with Alfie here to help. He's got a brain like acalculator!"

"Now, I want to see how smart you two really are!" said Connel. 

"Huh?" asked Roger stupidly. Alfie had slumped to the deck, holding hishead in his hands. 

"I want a communications unit, " said Connel, "that can send out aconstant beam, a signal Space Academy can pick up to follow Junior intransit back to Earth. "

"In twelve hours?" exploded Roger. "Impossible, skipper!"

"_Cadet Manning_, " roared Connel, "I don't want your _opinion_, I askedfor that _unit_!"

"But one day, sir, " said Roger. "Not even a day. Twelve hours. I can't, sir. I'm sorry. I'm so tired I can't see straight. "

Alfie let out a low moan. 

Connel studied the two cadets. He was aware that he had already askedthem to do the impossible, and they had done it. And they deserved to belet alone. But Major Connel wasn't himself unless he had given everyounce of energy he had left, or the energy left in those around him. Hepatted Roger on the shoulder and spoke softly. 

"Roger, did I ever tell you that I think you have one of the finestbrains for electronics I've ever seen? And that Alfie is sure to have abrilliant future in astrophysics?"

Roger stammered. "Why--ah--thank you, sir--"

Alfie looked up at Connel and then struggled to his feet. 

"You know, Roger, " he said haltingly, "if we took that unit we came outhere to test--you know, the transmitter unit--"

[Illustration]

Roger cut him off. "Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. We couldborrow some of the reaction mass that Astro got out of the _SpaceDevil_ and use that as a power source. "

Connel backed away from the two cadets and tiptoed off the bridge. Hesmiled to himself. He was going to win his race with time yet! And hewas going to do it because he had learned long before that you couldonly push a man so far, then you had to sit down, pat him on the back, tell him how smart he was, and he would push himself. Connel almostlaughed out loud. 

Six hours later Connel sat in his quarters puzzling over one of the manyminor problems of Junior's Pitch when he heard footsteps behind him. Heturned. Astro, Tom, Roger, Alfie, and Shinny walked silently into theroom. Connel stared. 

"Wha--what is it?" he demanded. 

[Illustration]

"We're finished, sir, " said Tom simply. 

"Finished?" exploded Connel. "You mean--"

"That's what he means, skipper, " said Shinny. His eyes were bloodshotfor want of sleep, but there was a merry twinkle left tugging at thecorners. 

"Everything?" asked Connel. 

"Everything, sir, " said Roger. "The power units are built and the fusesinstalled. All it needs is to be set. Tom's worked out the ratios andthe amount of reactant fuel needed in each unit for escape tangent. Theescape time, combining orbital speeds of Tara and Junior, are completed, and we have six hours and fifty-five minutes before blast-off!" Heturned and rumpled Alfie's hair. "Alfie and I have completed thecommunications unit and have tested it. Junior is ready to get his bigkick in the pants!"

Connel stood up. He was speechless. It was almost too much to believe. 

"_Get below_, " he roared, "and go to sleep! If I catch one of you awakein five minutes, I'll log you fifty demerits!"

The tired workers grinned back at their commander. 

"I'll get everything set, " said Connel, "and wake you up an hour beforewe have to get things ready. Now _hit the sack!_"

Their grins spreading even wider on their haggard faces, they turnedaway. Connel stepped to the desk on the control deck and wrote acrossthe face of the logbook page. 

". .. October 2nd, 2353. Space Cadets Corbett, Manning, Astro, andHiggins and ex-enlisted spaceman Nicholas Shinny completed this day allpreparation for operation Junior's Pitch. By authority vested in me asSenior Officer, Solar Guard, I hereby recommend official commendationof "_well done_" to the above-mentioned spacemen, and that all honorspursuant to that commendation be officially bestowed on them. Signed, Connel, Major, SO--SG . .. "

He closed the book and wiped the corners of his eyes with the back ofhis hand. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 16

"Well, fellows, " said Tom, stifling a yawn, "it looks like we did it. But I could use some more sleep. That five hours was just enough to getstarted on!"

"Yeah, " agreed Roger sourly, "but where does this Venusian lummox getoff grabbing all the credit. " He looked at Astro. "If I hadn't built thefuses for your little firecrackers--"

"_Firecrackers!_" yelped Astro. "Why, you skinny space fake! If I hadn'tbuilt those nuclear reactors, _you_ wouldn't have anything to set off!"

Connel appeared in the small messroom of the _Polaris_, his hands fullof papers and drawings. "When you've finished congratulating each other, I'd like to say a few things!" he snapped. 

"Congratulate _him_?" exclaimed Roger. "Skipper, his head's so thick, the noise on the power deck can't even reach his eardrums!"

"Just one more word, Manning, " growled Astro, "and I'll take a deepbreath and blow you away!"

"_One more word out of either of you_, " roared Connel, "and I'll throwyou both in the brig with Mason and Loring!"

Suddenly he glared at the five spacemen. "Who's on prisoner watchtoday?" he asked. 

The four cadets and Mr. Shinny looked at each other then at Roger. 

"Uhhh--I am, sir, " Roger confessed. 

"I had a sneaking suspicion you would be!" said Connel. "Cadet Manning, one of the first things an officer of the Solar Guard learns is to carefor the needs of his men and prisoners before himself. Did you knowthat, Cadet Manning?"

"Uhhh--yes, sir. I was just going to--" mumbled Roger. 

"Then go below and see that Mason and Loring get their rations!"

"Yes, sir, " said Roger. He got up and collected a tray of food. 

"All of you report to the control deck in five minutes for briefing, "said Connel and followed Roger out of the door. 

"How do you like that?" said Astro. "We break our backs for the guy andwe're no sooner finished then he starts the old routine again!"

"That has nothing to do with it, Astro, " said Tom. "Put yourself in hisposition. We've only got one or two things to think about. He'sresponsible for it all. "

"Just like he was when I sailed with him twenty-five years ago, " saidShinny. He swallowed the remains of his tea and reached for a plug oftobacco. "He's all spaceman from the top of his head to the bottom ofhis space boots. "

"I'm rather inclined to agree with you, Tom, " said Alfie mildly. "Leadership carries with it the greatest of all burdens--responsibilityfor other peoples' lives. You, Corbett, as a control-deck cadet, woulddo well to mark Major Connel's pattern of behavior. "

"Listen, " growled Astro, "if Tom ever turned out to be a rocket busterlike Connel--I'd--I'd--"

"Don't worry, Astro, " Tom said, laughing. "I don't think there'll beanother Major Connel in a million light years!"

Shinny laughed silently, his small frame shaking slightly. "Say itagain, Tommy. Not in the whole universe will there ever be another likeold 'Blast-off' Connel!"

On the deck below the messroom, Roger, balancing a tray carefully on onehand, opened the electronic lock of the brig and then stepped backquickly, leveling a paralo-ray gun. 

"All right, Mason, Loring, " he yelled, "come and get it!" The door slidopen, and Loring stuck his head out. "Any funny business, " Roger warned, "and I'll stiffen you so fast, you won't know what hit you!"

"It's about time you showed up!" growled Loring. "Whaddaya trying to do, starve us to death?"

"That's not a bad idea!" said Roger. Loring took the tray. Rogermotioned him back inside the brig and slammed the door shut. He lockedit and leaned against the grille. 

"Better eat it while you can, " he said. "They don't serve it so fancy ona prison asteroid. "

"You'll never get us on a prison asteroid, " whined Mason. 

"Don't kid yourself, " said Roger. "As soon as we get the reactor unitsset, we're going to send this hunk of copper back to Earth and then takeyou back. They'll bury you!"

"Who's going to do all that?" snapped Loring. "A bunch of punk kids anda loudmouthed Solar Guard officer?"

"Yeah, " retorted Roger. 

"_Cadet Manning!_" Connel's voice roared over the intercom. "You wereordered to report to the control deck in five minutes! You are alreadyone minute late! Report to the control deck on the double and _I meandouble!_"

Loring and Mason laughed. "Old 'Blast-off' Connel's really got yournumber, eh, kid?"

"Ah, rocket off, you pinheaded piece of space junk! It didn't take himlong to dampen _your_ tubes!"

Connel roared again. "_Blast your hide, Manning, report!_"

"Better raise ship, Manning, " said Loring, "you might get another nastydemerit!"

Roger turned away and raced to the control deck. He entered breathlesslyand stood beside his unit-mates while Connel eyed him coldly. 

"Thank you, Cadet Manning, " said Connel. "We appreciate your beinghere!"

"Yes, sir, " mumbled Roger. 

"All right, " barked Connel, "you know your assignments. We'll take thejet boats as before and go out in pairs. Tom and myself, Astro andRoger, and Shinny and Alfie. We'll set up the reaction charges on Juniorat the points marked on the chart screen here. " He indicated the charton the projection. "Copy them down on your own charts. Each team willtake three of the reaction units. My team will set up at points one, two, and three. Astro and Roger at four, five, and six. Alfie and Shinnyat seven, eight, and nine. After you've set up the charges, attach thetriggers for the fuses and return to the ship. Watch your timing! If wefail, it'll be more than a year before Junior will be in the sameorbital position again. How much time do we have left, Corbett?"

Tom glanced at the clock. "Exactly two hours, sir, " he said. 

"Not much, " said Connel, "but enough. It shouldn't take more than anhour and a half to set up the units and get back to the ship to blastoff. All clear? Any questions?"

There were no questions. 

"All right, " said the officer, "put on your space gear and move out!"

Handling the lead-encased charges carefully, the six spacemen loaded thejet boats and, one by one, blasted off from the _Polaris_ to positionsmarked on the map. 

Working rapidly, each of the teams of two moved from one position toanother on the surface of the desolate satellite. Connel, referringconstantly to his watch, counted the minutes as one by one the teamsreported the installation of a reactor unit. 

"This is Shinny. Just finished installing reaction charge one at pointseven . .. "

"This is Manning. Just finished installing reaction charge at point four. .. "

One after the other, the teams reported. Connel, with Tom piloting thejet boat, finished setting up their units at points one, two, and threeand headed back to the _Polaris_. 

"How much time, sir?" asked Tom as he slowed the small craft for alanding. 

"Less than a half hour, Corbett, " said Connel nervously. "I'd bettercheck on Shinny and Alfie. " He called into the audiophone. "Major Connelto Shinny and Higgins, come in Shinny--Higgins!"

"Shinny here!" came the reply. "We're just finishing up the last unit. Should be back in five minutes. "

"Make it snappy!" said Connel. "Less than a half hour left!"

"We'll make it, " snorted Shinny. 

"Coming in for a touchdown, " said Tom. "Better strap in, sir!"

Connel nodded. He laced several straps across his lap and chest, gripping the sides of the seat. Tom sent the jet boat in a swoopingdive, cut the acceleration, and brought the small ship smoothly insidethe huge air lock in the side of the _Polaris_. 

"I'd better get right up on the control deck and start warming up thecircuits, sir, " said Tom. 

"Good idea, Tom, " said Connel. "I'll try and pick up Manning and Astro. "

Tom left the officer huddling over the communicator in the jet boat. 

"Major Connel to Manning and Astro, come in!" called Connel. He waitedfor a moment and then repeated. "Manning--Astro, come in! By the ringsof Saturn, come in!" There was the loud roar of an approaching jet boat. Shinny guided the ship into the _Polaris_ with a quick violent blast ofthe braking rockets. The noise was deafening. 

"Belay that noise, you blasted space-brained idiot!" roared Connel. "Cutthat acceleration!"

Shinny grinned and cut the rockets. The jet-boat catapult deck wasquiet, and Connel turned back to the communicator. 

"Come in, Manning--Astro! This is Major Connel. Come in!"

On the opposite side of the airless satellite, Roger and Astro were busydigging a hole in the hard surface. Near by lay the last of theexplosive units to be installed. Connel's voice thundered through theirheadset phones. 

"Boy, is he blasting his jets!" commented Roger. 

"Yeah, " grunted Astro. "He should have to dig this blasted hole!"

"Well, this is where it's got to go. If the ground is hard, then it'sour tough luck, " said Roger. "If we stick it anywhere else, it mightmess up the whole operation. "

Astro nodded and continued to dig. He held a small spade and jabbed atthe ground. "How much--time--have we got left?" he gasped. 

"Twenty minutes, " replied Roger. "You'd better hurry. "

"Finished now, " said Astro. "Get the reactor unit over here and set thefuse. "

Roger picked up the heavy lead box and placed it gently inside the hole. 

"Remember, " Astro cautioned, "set the fuse for two hours. "

"No, you're wrong, " replied Roger. "I've set the fuses each time, subtracting the amount of time since we left the _Polaris_. I set thisone for twenty minutes. "

"You're wrong, Roger, " said Astro. "It's maximum time is two hours. "

"Listen, you Venusian clunk, " exploded Roger, "_I_ built this thing, soI know what I'm doing!"

"But, Roger--" protested Astro. 

"Twenty minutes!" said Roger, and twisted the set-screw in the fuse. "O. K. , it's all set. Let's get out of here!"

The two cadets raced back to the jet boat and blasted off immediately. Once in space, Astro turned to Roger. 

"Better check in with Major Connel before he tears himself to pieces!"

"Yeah, " agreed Roger. "I guess you're right. " He flipped on the audiocommunicator. "Attention! Attention! Manning to Major Connel. Am makingflight back to _Polaris_. All installations complete. "

[Illustration: "_Remember, " Astro cautioned, "set the fuse for twohours. _"]

"What took you so long, Manning?" barked Connel in reply. "And whydidn't you answer me?"

"Couldn't, sir, " said Roger. "We had a tough time digging a hole for thelast unit. "

"Come back to the _Polaris_ immediately, " said Connel. "We're blastingoff in fifteen minutes. "

"Very well, sir, " said Roger. 

Presently the jet boat circled the _Polaris_ and made a landing run forthe open port. Roger braked the small craft and brought it to restalongside the others. 

"That's it, spaceboy, " he said to Astro. "All out for the _Polaris_express back home!"

"Just be sure you give me a good course, Manning, " grunted Astro, heaving his huge frame out of the small cabin of the jet boat, "and I'llgive you all the thrust you want!"

Astro secured the jet boats while Roger closed the air-lock hatch, shutting out the last view of the rugged little planetoid. Roger threwthe landscape a mocking kiss. 

"So long, Junior! See you back home!" The two cadets climbed the ladderleading to the control deck. 

Seated in front of the control panel, Tom watched the sweeping hand ofthe solar clock. Connel paced nervously up and down behind him. Shinnyand Alfie stood to one side also watching the great clock. 

"How much time, Corbett?" asked Connel for the dozenth time. 

"Junior gets his kick in the pants in ten minutes, sir, " replied Tom. 

"Fine, " said Connel. "That gives me just enough time to notify SpaceAcademy to get ready to receive Junior's signal. You know what to do?"

"I don't have to do anything, sir, " answered Tom, nodding to the solarclock over his head. "In nine minutes and twenty seconds, the reactorunits go off automatically at one-second intervals. "

Roger and Astro entered the control deck and came to attention. Connelreturned their salute and put them at ease. 

"All right, our work here is done, " said Connel. "No point in hangingaround any longer. Tom, you can blast off immediately. "

"Yes, sir, " replied Tom. 

Connel climbed the ladder to the radar bridge to contact Space Academy. Astro, Roger, Shinny, and Alfie went to their posts and began quickpreparations for the blast-off. One by one, they checked in to Tom onthe control deck. 

"Power deck, ready to blast off!" reported Astro. 

"Radar bridge, all set. Clear trajectory forward and up, " said Roger. 

"Energize the cooling pumps!" bawled Tom into the intercom. 

The great pumps began to wheeze under the strain of Astro's suddenswitch to full load without the usual slow build-up. Tom watched thepressure needle rise slowly in front of him and finally reached out andgripped the master switch. 

"Stand by to raise ship!" he yelled. "Blast off minusfive--four--three--two--one--_zeroooooo!_"

He threw the switch. The great ship shivered, vibrated, and thensuddenly shot away from the precious satellite. Tom quickly adjusted forfree fall by switching on the synthetic-gravity gyro generators and thenannounced over the intercom, "Major Connel! Cadet Corbett reporting. Ship space-borne at exactlythirty-one, sir!"

"Very well, Corbett, " replied Connel. "Space Academy sends the crew a'_well done!_' Everything's set back home to take over the beam as soonas Junior starts on his way back. How much time until zero blast-off onthe satellite?"

Tom glanced at the clock. "Less than two minutes, sir!"

"All right, " said Connel over the intercom, "everybody to the controldeck if you want to see Junior do his stuff!"

In a moment the six spacemen were gathered around the magnascope waitingfor the final act of their great effort. Breathlessly, their eyesflicking back and forth from the solar clock to the magnascope, theywaited for the red hand to sweep around. 

"Here it comes, " said Tom excitedly. "One second--twoseconds--three--four--_five!_"

On the surface of the planetoid, giant mushrooming clouds appearedclimbing into the airless void. One by one the reactor units exploded. Connel counted them as they blew up. 

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight--" he paused. Juniorbegan moving away from them. "Nine!" shouted Connel. "What happened tonine?"

"Roger, " shouted Astro, "you made a mistake on the timer!"

"But I couldn't. I--I--"

Connel spun around, his eyes blazing, breathing hard. "What time did youset the last one for, Roger?" he demanded. 

"Why, twenty minutes to blast-off time, sir, " answered the blond-headedcadet. 

"Then it won't go off for another forty minutes, " said Connel. 

"But, sir--" began Roger, and then fell silent. The room was quiet. Everyone looked at Roger and then at Connel. "Honestly, sir, I didn'tmean to make a mistake. I--" pleaded Roger. 

Connel turned around. His face suddenly looked very tired. "That's allright, Roger, " he said quietly. "We've all been working pretty hard. Onelittle mistake is bound to show up in an operation like this. " Hepaused. "It's my fault. I should have checked those fuses myself. "

"Does it make so much difference, sir?" asked Astro. 

"A lot of difference, Astro, " said Connel. He sat down heavily. 

"But how, sir?" asked Tom. 

"It's very simple, Tom, " answered Connel. His voice was strangely quiet. "Junior spins on its axis in two hours, just as Earth spins intwenty-four hours. I thought we had the explosions timed so at theproper moment we'd push Junior out of his orbit around Tara, and thegreater orbit around Alpha Centauri, by utilizing both speeds, plus theinitial thrust. But by being one blast short, forty minutes late, theexplosion will take place when Junior is forty minutes out ofposition"--he paused and calculated rapidly in his mind--"that's aboutforty-eight thousand miles out of position. When it goes off, instead ofsending Junior out into space, it'll blast it right into its own sun!"

"Isn't there something we can do, sir?" asked Tom. 

"Nothing, Corbett, " answered Connel wearily. "Instead of supplying theSolar Alliance with copper, in another week Junior will be hardly morethan a molten piece of space junk. " He looked at the teleceiver screen. All ready, Junior was falling away. 

"Stand by for full acceleration, hyperdrive, " said the big officer in ahoarse whisper. "We're heading home!"

CHAPTER 17

The subdued whine of the hyperdrive filled the power deck and made Rogerwince as he stepped through the hatch and waved at Astro. He climbeddown the ladder and stopped beside the big Venusian who stood strippedto the waist, watching the pressure gauges on the power-deck controlboard. 

"Hiya, Roger, " said Astro with a big grin. 

"Hello, Astro, " replied Roger and sat down on a stool near by. 

"Excuse me a minute, hot-shot, " said Astro. "Gotta check the bafflingaround reaction tube three. " The big cadet hurriedly donned a lead-linedprotective suit and entered the reaction chamber. After a moment hereappeared and took off the suit. He poured a glass of water, handed itto Roger, and poured another for himself. 

"Gets pretty hot down here, " he said. "I don't like to use the airconditioner when I'm on hyperdrive. Sucks my power output and reducespressure on the oxygen pumps. "

Roger nodded absently at the needlessly detailed explanation. Astrolooked at him sharply. "Say, what's eating you?"

"Honestly, Astro, " said Roger, "I've never felt more miserable in mylife. "

"Don't let it get you down, Roger, " said Astro. "The major said it was amistake anyone could make. "

"Yeah, " flared Roger, "but have you seen the way he just--_talks_?"

"Talks?" asked Astro blankly. 

"Yeah, talks, " said Roger. "No yelling, or blasting off, or handing outdemerits like they were candy. Nothing! Why he hasn't even chewed Alfieout since we left Junior. He just sits in his quarters. "

Astro understood now and nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, you'reright. I'd rather have him fusing his tubes than the way he is now. "

"Tom must feel pretty rotten, too, " said Roger. "I haven't seen much ofhim either. "

"Or Alfie, " put in Astro. "Neither of them have done anything but work. I don't think either of them has slept since we left Tara. "

"It's all my fault!" said Roger. "I'm nothing but a loudmouthed bag ofspace gas--with an asteroid for a head!" He got up and lurched toward theladder. 

"Hey, where you going?" yelled Astro. 

"Almost forgot, " yelled Roger from the top of the ladder. "I've got tofeed our prisoners a meal. And the way I feel, I'd like to shove it downtheir throats!"

Roger went directly to the galley off the control deck and prepared ahasty meal for Loring and Mason. He piled it on a tray and went below tothe brig. 

"All right, Loring, " he growled, "come and get it!"

"Well, well, well, " sneered Loring. "Where's the big Manning spirit? Youboys are kinda down since you blew that little operation, huh?"

"Listen, you space crawler, " said Manning coldly, "one more word out ofyou and I'll bring you out in the passageway and pound that head ofyours into space junk!"

"I wish you'd try that, you little squirt!" snarled Loring. "I'd breakyou in two!"

"O. K. , pal, " said Roger, "I'm going to give you that chance!" He openedthe door to the cell and Loring stepped out. Holding the paralo-ray gunon him, Roger relocked the door. Left inside, Mason stuck his face closeto the grille. 

"Give it to him, Loring, " he hissed. "Take him apart!"

Roger threw the paralo-ray gun in the corner of the passageway and facedthe heavier spaceman. He held his arms loosely at his side, and hebalanced on the balls of his feet. A slight smile played at the cornersof his mouth. 

"Start breaking, Loring, " he said quietly. 

"Why, you--" snarled Loring and rushed in. He swung wildly for Roger'shead, but the cadet slipped inside the punch and drove a hard right toLoring's mid-section. The prisoner doubled over, staggered back, andslowly straightened up. Roger's lips were drawn tightly in a grimace ofcold anger. His eyes were shining hard and bright. He stepped in quicklyand chopped two straight lefts to Loring's jaw, then doubled thespaceman up again with a hard right to the heart. Loring gasped andtried to clinch. But Roger threw a straight jolting right to his jaw. The prisoner slumped to the floor, out cold. The fight was finished. 

Roger went over, picked up the paralo-ray gun, and opened the cell dooragain. 

"All right, Mason, " he said coldly, "drag him inside. And if you want totry me for size, just say so. "

Mason didn't answer. He merely hurried out, and grabbing Loring by thefeet, dragged him inside. Roger slammed the door and locked it. 

[Illustration]

Rubbing his knuckles and feeling better than he had felt for days, hestarted back to the radar bridge. As he neared Major Connel's quarters, he heard Connel's voice. He stopped and listened outside the door. 

"It's a beautiful job of calculation, Tom, " Connel was saying. "I don'tsee how you and Higgins could have done it in so short a time. Andwithout an electronic computer to aid you. Beautiful job--reallyexcellent--but I'm afraid it's too risky. "

"I've already talked to Astro and Mr. Shinny, sir, " said Tom, "andthey've volunteered. I haven't spoken to Roger yet, but I'm sure he'dbe willing to try. "

Roger stepped through the door. 

"Whatever it is, " said Roger, "I'm ready. "

"Eavesdropping on your commanding officer, " said Connel, eying theblond-headed cadet speculatively, "is a very serious offense. "

"I just happened to hear my name mentioned, sir, " replied Roger with asmile. 

Connel turned back to Tom. "Go over that again, Tom. "

"Well, sir, " said Tom, "Junior's falling into the sun at a speed oftwenty-two miles a second right now. But we could still land a jet boaton Junior, set up more nuclear explosions to blast him out of the sun'sgrip, and send him on his way to our solar system. We wouldn't get asmuch speed as before, but we'd still save the copper. "

By this time, Astro and Shinny had joined the group and were standingoutside the door in the passageway, listening silently. 

Connel tugged at his chin. "Let's see, " he said, "if we could get backto Tara in three days . .. " He looked up at Astro. "Do you think youcould get us back in three days, Astro?"

"Major Connel, for another crack at Junior, " roared the big Venusian, "I'd get you back in a day and a half!"

"All right, " said Connel. "That's one problem. But there are others. "

"What, sir?" asked Tom. 

"We have to prepare reactant fuses and we have to build new reactorunits. If we could do that--"

"If Astro can get us back, " said Shinny, "and Roger and this smart youngfeller here, Alfie, can make up some fuses, I'll build them thereunits. After all, Astro showed me how once. I guess I can follow hisorders!"

"Good!" said Connel. "Now there is the element of time. How much timewould we need on Junior?" He looked at Tom. 

"Let me answer this way, sir, " said Tom. "We'd only have two hours toplant the reaction charges and trigger them, but that should be enough. "

"Why so close, Tom?" asked Roger. 

"It has to be, " answered Tom. "We know what the pull of the sun is, andthe power of the jet boat. When the sun's pull becomes greater than theescape speed of the jet boat, the boat would never clear. It would keepfalling into the sun. I've based this figure on reaching Junior at thelast possible moment. "

"It'd take at least five men to set up the five explosions we need, "mused Connel. "That means one of us will have to stay on the _Polaris_. "

There was an immediate and loud chorus of "Not me!" from everyone. 

"All right, " said Connel, "we'll draw numbers. One, two, three, four, five, and six. The man who draws number six will stay with the_Polaris_. All right?"

"Yes, sir, " said Tom, glancing around. "We agree to that. "

Connel went to his desk and wrote quickly on six slips of paper. Hefolded each one, dumped them in his cap, and offered it to Astro. 

"All right, Astro, " said Connel, "draw!"

Astro licked his lips and stuck in his big paw. The Venusian fingeredseveral, then pulled out a slip of paper. He opened it and read aloud. "Number two! I go!" He turned and grinned at the others. 

Connel offered his cap to Alfie. Alfie dipped in two fingers and pulledout a slip. "Number four! I go!" he squealed. 

Roger and Shinny drew numbers one and three. Tom looked at the major. "Go ahead, Corbett, " said Connel. 

"After you, sir, " said Tom. 

"I said draw one!" roared Connel. 

"Yes, sir, " said Tom. He reached in and quickly pulled out one of thetwo remaining slips. 

"Number six, " he said quietly. "I stay. "

Connel, not bothering to open the last one, slapped the hat on his headand turned away. 

"But, sir, " said Tom, "I--ah--"

Connel cut him off with a wave of his hands. "No _buts_!" He turned tothe others. "Manning, Higgins! Get me a course back to Junior and makeit clean and straight. Astro, Shinny, stand by on the power deck forcourse change. Tom, get on the control deck. We're going back to snatcha hot copper filling right out of a sun's teeth!"

Once again the energy of the six spacemen was burned in twenty-four hourstretches of improvisation and detailed calculations. Roger and Alfieredesigned the fuse to ensure perfect co-ordination of the explosions. Astro and Shinny surpassed their previous efforts by putting enoughpower in the five small reaction units to more than do the job required. Tom, standing long watches on the control deck, devoted his spare timeto the torturous equations that would mean failure or success to thewhole project. And Major Connel, alert and alive once more, drove hiscrew toward greater goals than it had achieved before. 

Nearly three days later, the _Polaris_ appeared over the twin oceans ofTara and glided into an orbit just beyond the pull of the planet'sgravity. Aboard the spaceship, last-minute preparations were made by thered-eyed spacemen. 

In constant contact with Space Academy, using the resources of theAcademy's scientific staff to check the more difficult calculations, thesix men on the _Polaris_ worked on. 

Connel appeared on the radar bridge and flipped on the long-rangescanner. 

"Have to find out where Junior is, " he said to Roger and Alfie. 

"That doesn't work, sir, " said Roger. 

"What do you mean it doesn't work?" exploded Connel. 

"Junior's falling into the sun, sir. The radiations are blocking it outfrom our present position. "

"Couldn't we move to another position?" asked the officer. 

"Yes, sir, " said Roger, "we could. But to do that would take extra time, and we haven't got it. "

"Then how are you going to find Junior?" asked Connel. 

"Alfie's busy with a special scanner, sir, one that's especiallysensitive to copper. Since the sun is composed mostly of gas, with thisfilter only Junior will show up on the screen. "

"By the rings of Saturn, " exclaimed Connel, "you mean to tell me thatAlfie Higgins is building a new radar scanner, just like that?"

"Why, yes, sir, " answered Roger innocently. "Is there something wrongwith that?"

"No--no--" said Connel, backing off the bridge. "Just--just go right on. You're doing fine! Yessirree, fine!" He literally ran from the bridge. 

"Most humorous of you, Manning, " said Alfie, smiling. 

"I'll tell you something funnier than that, " said Roger. "I feel thesame way he does. Is there anything you _can't_ do, Alfie?"

Alfie thought a moment. "Yes, there is, " he said at last. 

"What?" demanded Roger. 

"I can't--shall I say?--make as much progress as you do with--er--spacedolls. "

Roger's jaw dropped. "Space dolls! You mean--girls?"

Alfie nodded his head. 

"Listen, " said Roger, "when we get Junior on his way home, and we getback to the Academy, I promise you I'll show you how to really blastyour jets with the space lovelies in Atom City!"

Alfie put out his hand seriously. "And if you do that for me, Roger, I'll show you how to use the new electronic brain they recently acquiredat the Academy. Only one other person can operate it. But you definitelyhave the potential. "

Roger stared at him stupidly. "Huh? Yeah. Oh, sure!"

Gradually the mass of data was brought together and co-ordinated, andfinally, as Tom stood beside him, Major Connel checked over hiscalculations. 

"I can't see a thing wrong with it, Tom, " Connel said at last. "I guessthat's it. Figuring we land on Junior at exactly seventeen hundredhours, we'd reach the point of no return exactly two hours later. "

"Shall I alert stations to blast off for Junior?" asked Tom. 

"Yes, " said Connel, "bring the _Polaris_ to dead ship in space aboutthree hundred miles above Junior. That's when we'll blast off in jetboats. "

"Yes, sir, " said Tom. His eyes bright, he turned to the intercom. "Allright, you space babies, " he announced, "this is it. Stand by to blastJunior. Here we come!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 18

Dawn broke over the tangled jungles of Tara, followed by the bright sunof Alpha Centauri rising out of the eastern sea and slowly climbinghigher and higher. In the dense unexplored wilderness, living things, terrible things, opened their eyes and resumed their never-ending questfor food. Once again Alpha Centauri had summoned one hemisphere of itssatellite planet to life. 

Meanwhile, high in the heavens above Tara, six Earthmen blasted into theflaming brilliance of the sun star. Using delicate instruments insteadof claws, and their intelligence instead of blind hunger, they preparedto do battle with the sun star and force it to release the preciouscopper satellite from its deadly, consuming grasp. 

The crew of the _Polaris_ assembled on the control deck of the greatspaceship, and facing their commanding officer, waited patiently for theword that would send them hurtling out to their target. 

"The jet boats are all ready, sir, " reported Tom. "We're dead ship inorbit around Junior at an altitude of about three hundred miles. "

"Does that mean we're falling into the sun too?" gasped Shinny. 

"It sure does, Mr. Shinny, " said Alfie, "at more than twenty miles persecond. "

"The jet boats have enough power to get back from Junior to the_Polaris_, Mr. Shinny, " reassured Tom. "And then the _Polaris_ can blastoff from here. The jet boats wouldn't go much higher off Junior thisclose to the sun. "

"But if we go beyond the two-hour limit, the _Polaris_ can't blast offeither, " commented Roger dryly. 

"All right. Is everything set?" asked Connel. "Astro, is the reactantloaded?"

"No, sir, " said Astro, "but it's all ready to go in. "

"Good!" said Connel. "Now we all know how important--and howdangerous--this operation is. I don't have to tell you again. You stayhere on the control deck, Tom, and keep in touch with us on Junior atall times. You know what to do?"

"Yes, sir, " replied Tom. "I'm to stand by and give you aminute-by-minute warning check until final blast-off time. "

"Right, " said Connel. "And remember, we're counting on you to tell uswhen to blast off. We'll be too busy down there to pay any attention. "

"I understand, sir, " replied Tom. His face was passive. He was wellaware of the responsibility. 

"Very well, " said Connel finally, "the rest of you board your jet boats!This is going to be the hottest ride we'll ever take, and I don't wantit to get any hotter!"

Silently, their faces grim masks, the five spacemen filed out of thecontrol room, leaving Tom alone. Presently he heard the cough of therockets in the jet boats as one by one the small space craft blasted outof the _Polaris_. Suddenly Tom began to shake as he realized theimportance of his task--the responsibility of counting time for fivemen, time that could cost them their lives. If he made a single mistake, miscounted by a minute, the expedition to Junior would end not only infailure, but in tragedy. 

As quickly as the thought came, Tom pushed it aside and turned to thecontrol board. No time now for fear. Now, more than any other time inhis life, he had to keep himself alert and ready for every emergency. Asa child he had often dreamed of the day when, as a spaceman, he would befaced with an emergency only he could handle. And in the dreams he hadcome through with flying colors. But now that it was a reality, Tom feltnothing but cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. 

He turned his whole attention to the great solar clock overhead. Timehad already begun slipping away. Ten minutes of the two hours had sweptpast. They must be on Junior by now, he thought, and flipped on theteleceiver. He focused on the satellite's surface. There in front of himwere the three jet boats. Major Connel, Roger, Astro, Alfie, and Mr. Shinny were so close that Tom felt as though he could touch them. Theywere unloading the first reactor unit, with Astro and Shinny digging thehole. Tom glanced at the clock, turned to the microphone, and announcedclearly:

"Attention! Attention! Corbett to Connel. One hour and forty-eightminutes until blast-off time--one hour and forty-eight minutes toblast-off. "

He flipped the switch and watched the screen with rising excitement. Thecrew on the satellite had completed the installation of the firstreactor unit. He saw them blasting off in their jet boats for the secondspot. He adjusted the teleceiver and tried to follow them, but theydisappeared. He glanced at the clock. 

"Attention! Attention! Corbett to Connel. One hour and forty-sevenminutes to blast-off--one hour and forty-seven minutes to blast-off. "

On the satellite, in the deep shadow of a protecting cliff, each of thefive Earthmen paused involuntarily when they heard Tom's warning. 

"Forget about the time!" snapped Connel. "By the blessed rings ofSaturn, we'll finish this job if it's the last thing we do!"

Connel went to each of the working figures and adjusted the valve, regulating the air-cooling humidity control on their space suits. "Getting pretty hot, eh, boys?" he joked, as he stopped one and then theother to make the delicate adjustment counteracting the heat that wasincreasing each second they remained on the satellite. 

"How hot do you think it is, sir?" asked Roger. 

"Never mind the heat, " said Connel. "These suits were designed towithstand the temperature of the light side of Mercury! It gets boilingthere, so I guess we can stand it here for a while. "

One by one, Alfie, Shinny, Roger, and Astro completed their assignedroles, digging the holes, placing the reactors inside, setting the fuse, covering it up, then quickly gathering the equipment, piling back intothe three jet boats, and heading for the next point. Landing, they wouldtumble out of the small space craft almost before the rocket had stoppedfiring and begin their frantic digging in the hard surface. 

[Illustration: _Landing, they would tumble out of the jet boat and begintheir frantic digging_]

Over and over, they heard Tom's crisp clear count of time. Five minutespassed, then ten, and before they knew it, a full half-hour of theprecious time had vanished. They completed the installation of thesecond unit and climbed back into the jet boats. The first two unitshad been buried at points protected from the sun by cliffs, and they hadbeen sheltered from the burning rays. 

But, approaching the position for the third reactor unit, Connelsearched in vain for some shade. He wasted five precious minutes, scouting an area of several miles, but he could find nothing to protectthem on the flat plain. 

"Better put in the ultraviolet glass shields in our helmets, boys, " hecalled into the jet-boat communicator. "It's going to be mighty hot, anddangerous. "

"Aye, aye, sir, " came the replies from the other two jet boats soaringclose by. 

Roger began refitting their space helmets with the dark glass that wouldshield them from the strong rays of the enlarging sun. 

"Ever been outside in the direct path of the sun with no protection, Roger?" asked Astro. 

"No, " replied Roger. "Have you?"

"Once, " said Astro softly. "On the second moon of Mars, Phobos. I wasbucking rockets on the old chemical burners. I was on a freighter calledthe _Happy Spaceman_. A tube blew on us. Luckily we were close enough toPhobos to make a touchdown, or the leak would have reached the main fueltanks and blown us clean out to another galaxy. "

"What happened?" asked Roger. 

"I had to go outside, " said Astro. "I was junior rocketman in the crew, so naturally I had to do all the dirty work. "

Tom's warning call from the _Polaris_ control deck, tuned to the opencommunicators of all the jet boats, broke through the loud-speaker. 

"Attention! Attention! Corbett to Connel. One hour and twenty minutes toblast-off time. One hour and twenty minutes to blast-off time. "

The two cadets looked at each other as they heard Tom's voice, butneither spoke. Finally Roger asked, "What happened on Phobos?"

"No one bothered to tell me, " continued Astro, "that I had to protectmyself from the ultraviolet rays of the sun, since Phobos didn't have anatmosphere. It was one of my first hops into space and I didn't know toomuch. I went outside and began working on the tube. I did the job allright, but for three weeks after, my face was swollen and I couldn'topen my eyes. I almost went blind. "

Roger grunted and continued to line the clear plastic fish-bowl helmetswith the darker protective shields. 

Connel's voice rang through the cabin over the communicator: "I guesswe'd better go down and get it over with. I don't see anything that willgive us any protection down there. Be sure your humidity control isturned up all the way. As soon as you step outside the jet boat, you'regoing to be hit by a temperature of four hundred degrees!"

"Aye, aye, sir, " came Shinny's reply over the intercom. Roger flippedthe communicator on and acknowledged the order. 

Astro and Shinny followed Connel's jet boat in a long sweeping dive tothe surface of the satellite. Stepping out of the air-cooled jet boatonto the torrid unprotected surface of the flat plain was like steppinginto a furnace. Even with space suits as protection, the five Earthmenwere forced to work in relays in the digging of the hole for the reactorunit. 

"Attention! Attention! Corbett to Connel. One hour exactly to blast-offtime! One hour--sixty minutes--to blast-off time. "

Tom flicked the teleceiver microphone off, and on the teleceiver screen, watched his spacemates work under the broiling sun. They were ahead oftime. One hour to complete two more units. Tom allowed himself a sigh ofhope and relief. They could still snatch the copper satellite from thepowerful pull of the sun. 

Suddenly Tom heard a sound behind him and whirled around. His eyesbulged in horror. 

"Loring!" he gasped. 

"Take your hand off that microphone, Corbett, " snarled Loring, "or I'llfreeze you!"

"How--how did you get out?" Tom stammered. 

"Your buddy, Manning, " sneered Loring with a short laugh, "decided hewanted to paste my ears back. So I let him. He was so anxious to make melose a few teeth that he didn't notice the spoon I kept!"

"Spoon?" asked Tom incredulously. 

"Yeah, " said Mason, stepping through the door, a paralo-ray gun leveledat Tom. "A few teeth for a spoon. A good trade. We waited for your palsto leave the ship, and then I short-circuited the electronic lock on thebrig. "

Tom stared at the two men unbelievingly. 

"All right, Corbett, get over there to that control board, " growledLoring, waving the paralo-ray gun at Tom. "We're going back to Tara. "

"Tara?" exclaimed Tom. "But Major Connel and theothers--they're--they're down on the satellite. If I don't pick them up, they'll fall into the sun!"

"Well, ain't that too bad, " sneered Loring. "Listen to that, Mason. Ifwe don't hang around and pick them up, they'll fall into the sun!"

Mason laughed harshly and advanced toward Tom. "I only got one regret, Corbett. That I can't stay around to see Connel and the Manning punkfry! Now get this wagon outta here, and get it out quick!"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 19

"Major!" shouted Astro. "Look! The _Polaris_! The _Polaris_ is blastingoff!"

The five Earthmen stared up at the silvery spaceship that was rapidlydisappearing into the clear blue void of space. Without hesitation, Connel raced for the nearest jet boat and roared into the communicator. 

"Corbett! Corbett! Come in, Tom!"

He waited, the silence of the loud-speaker more menacing than anythingthe spaceman had ever encountered before. Again and again, the SolarGuard officer tried to raise the cadet on the _Polaris_. Finally heturned back to the four crewmen who hovered around the jet boat, hopingagainst hope. 

"Whatever it is, " he said, "I'm sure Tom is doing the right thing. Wecame down here to do a job and we're going to do it! Get moving! Westill have to set up the rest of these reactor units. "

Without a word, the five men returned to their small ships and followedtheir commanding officer. 

The sun grew larger and the heat more intense with each minute, sinceeach minute brought them almost thirteen hundred miles closer to thesun's blazing surface. With the humidity-control and air-coolingmechanisms in the space suits working at top capacity but affordinglittle relief, Alfie, Roger, Shinny, and Astro buried the fourth reactorunit and headed for the fifth and last emplacement. Occasionally one ofthem would turn and cast a swift glance at the clear blue spaceoverhead, secretly hoping to find the rocket cruiser had returned. Or, they would strain their ears for Tom's voice counting off the minutes socarefully for them. But they saw nothing and they heard nothing. Theyconcentrated on their jobs, working like demons to complete theinstallations as planned. They could not stop now and wonder what hadhappened to the _Polaris_, or even hope for its speedy return. They hada job to do, and they went about it silently, efficiently, and surely. 

Astro stood up, the small spade in his hand hanging loosely at his side. He watched Roger and Alfie bring the last of the reactor units fromMajor Connel's jet boat. They gently lowered it into the hole andstepped back while Shinny, under the watchful eyes of Major Connel, setthe fuse. Shinny stepped back, and Astro began covering up the lead box. 

"That's it, " said Connel. "We're finished!"

What Connel meant was that they were finished with the placement of thereactor units, but he knew immediately that his words had been taken tomean something each felt but had not dared to put into words. 

Connel started to correct this misunderstanding but caught himself intime. It would not do, he thought, for him to make excuses for what theyknew to be the truth. 

"All right, everyone in my jet boat, " he snapped. "Astro, you and Rogertake all the fuel out of the other boats and pour it into mine. It'll bea tight squeeze, but we can all fit into one craft. No use expendingfuel wastefully. "

Astro and Roger bent to the task of draining the fuel from their jetboats and loading it into Connel's. 

Alfie came over to join them, while Shinny and Connel scanned the skyoverhead for some sign of the _Polaris_. 

"This is really a desperate situation to be in, isn't it, Roger?" askedAlfie. 

"Offhand, I'd say yes, " drawled Roger, "but since we've got two bighuskies like Astro and Major Connel along, I don't think we'll have muchtrouble. "

"Why not?" asked Alfie. 

"We'll just let them get out and help push!"

"And if that doesn't work, " snorted Astro, "we'll stick Manning outsideand let him talk about himself. That oughta give us enough gas to get usaway from this hunk of copper. "

"I believe, " said Alfie emphatically, "that you're joshing me, Manning. "

"Now, whatever gave you that idea?" asked Roger in a hurt tone. 

"This _is_ a serious situation, isn't it?" asked Alfie, looking atAstro. 

"It sure is, Alfie, " said Astro soberly, "and I'm the first one to sayI'm a little scared!"

Alfie smiled. "I'm very glad you said that, Astro, " he said, "because Ifeel exactly the same way!" He turned and walked back to Major Connel. 

"What was the idea of telling him that?" hissed Roger at Astro. "Whatare you trying to do? Get the little guy space happy, or something?"

"Look at him!" said Astro. "I'm twice his size. He figures if a big guylike me is scared, then he's got a right to be scared too!"

Roger grunted in appreciation of the way Astro had treated Alfie'sfears and turned back to the loading of the fuel. 

Major Connel walked over and watched them transfer the last of the fuelinto the tanks. 

"How much have you got there, Astro?" he asked. 

"I'd say enough to sustain flight for about three hours, sir. Considering we'll have such a big load. "

"Ummmmh, " mused Connel. "You know we're up against big odds, don't you?"

Roger and Astro nodded. 

"If Tom doesn't come back soon, we'll be so far into the pull of thesun, even a ship the size of the _Polaris_ wouldn't be able to breakout. "

"How much time have we got, sir?" asked Roger. 

"Not too much, Manning, " said Connel. "Of course we can blast off in thejet boat and get up a few hundred miles, in case Tom does come back. Then he won't have to bring the _Polaris_ down here. But if time runsout on us up there, we'll have to come back and take our chance onJunior being blasted out of the sun's grip. "

There was a pause while Astro and Roger considered this. 

"That would mean, " asked Roger, "that we'd be here when the reactorunits go off, wouldn't it, sir?"

"That's right, Manning, " said Connel, admitting to the danger. "Even ifJunior were blasted out of the pull of the sun, we couldn't survive theexplosions. "

"Couldn't we blast off in the jet boat and then land after theexplosions, sir?" asked Astro. 

"Yes, " admitted Connel, "we could do that. But the radioactivity wouldbe so powerful we couldn't last more than a few days. We have noantiradiation gear. Not even food or water. " He paused and scanned thesky. "No, " he said in a surprisingly casual voice, "the only way we canget out of this is for Tom to come back and get us. "

Shinny and Alfie came over and joined the group around the jet boat. Noone said anything. There wasn't anything to say. Each of them felt theheat burning through his space suit. Each felt the same fear tugging athis throat. There was nothing to say. The _Polaris_ was not to be seen;the sky was empty of everything except Alpha Centauri, the great burningmass of gases that once they had all seen only as a quiet twinkling starin the heavens, never dreaming that someday it would be pulling themrelentlessly into its molten self. 

Tom Corbett had a plan. 

He sat at the control board of the great rocket cruiser, apparentlywatching the needles and gauges on the panel, but his mind was racingdesperately. The two-hour deadline had just passed. The great solarclock had swung its red hand past the last second. Only a miracle couldsave the five men on Junior now. But Tom was not counting on miracles. He was counting on his plan. 

"Keep this space wagon driving, Corbett!" ordered Loring from behindhim. "Keep them rockets wide open!"

"Listen, Loring, " pleaded Tom. "How about giving those fellows a break?If I don't pick them up, they'll all be killed. "

"Ain't that too bad, " snarled Mason. 

"Look, " said Tom desperately, "I'll promise you nothing will happen toyou. We'll let you go free. We'll--"

Loring cut him off. "Shut your trap and concentrate on them controls!You and Major Connel and them other punks are the only guys between mestaying free or going back to a prison asteroid. So you don't think I'mgoing to let them stay alive, do you?" He grinned crookedly. 

"You dirty space crawler!" growled Tom and suddenly leaped up from thecontrol seat. 

Loring raised the paralo-ray gun threateningly. "One more move outta youand I'll freeze you so solid you'll think you're a chunk of ice!" heyelled. 

Mason stepped to the other side of the control deck. They had Tomblocked on either side. 

"Now get back to them controls, Corbett, " snarled Loring, "or I'll giveit to you right now. "

"O. K. , Loring, you win, " said Tom. He sat down and faced the controlpanel. He tried hard not to smile. They had fallen for it. Now they wereseparated. Mason remained on the opposite side of the room. Tom took adeep breath, crossed his fingers, and put the next step of his plan intoaction. He reached out and pulled the master acceleration switch all theway back. The _Polaris_ jumped ahead as if shot out of a cannon. 

"Hey, " growled Mason, "what're you doing?"

"You want more speed, don't you?" demanded Tom. 

"O. K. , " said Mason, "but don't try any funny stuff!"

"I don't see how I can. You've got me nailed with that paralo-ray, " Tomreplied. 

He got up leisurely, so as not to excite the nervous trigger finger ofLoring, and turned slowly. 

"What is it this time?" demanded Loring. 

"I just gave you an extra burst of speed. All the _Polaris_ will take. Now I've got to adjust the mixture of the fuel, otherwise she'll kickout on you and we'll have to clean out the tubes. "

"Yeah, " sneered Loring. "Well, I happen to know you do that right on thecontrol board. " He motioned with the paralo-ray gun. "Get back down!"

"On regular space drive, you do, " agreed Tom. "But we're on hyperdrivenow. It has to be done there"--he pointed to a cluster of valves andwheels at one side of the control deck--"one of those valve wheels. "

"Stay where you are, " said Mason. "I'll do it!" He moved to the corner. "Which one is it?" he asked. 

Tom gulped and struggled hard to keep the terrible nervousness out ofhis voice. He had to sound as casual as possible. "The red one. Turn itto the right, hard!" he said. 

Loring sat down and Mason bent over the valve wheel. He gave the wheel avicious twist. Suddenly there was the sound of a motor slowing downsomewhere inside the great ship. Tom gripped the edge of the controlboard and waited. Slowly at first, but surely, Tom felt himselfbeginning to float off his chair. 

"Hey!" yelled Mason. "I'm--I'm floating!"

"It's the gravity generators, " yelled Loring. "Corbett's pulled a fastone. We're in free fall!"

Tom lifted his feet and pushed as hard as he could against the controlpanel. He shot out of the chair and across the control room just asLoring fired his ray gun. There was a loud hiss as the gun was fired, and then the thud of a body against the wall, as Loring was suddenlyshoved by the recoil of the charge. 

Tom huddled in the upper corner of the control deck like a spider, hislegs drawn up underneath him waiting for Mason to fire. But the smallerspaceman was tumbling head over heels in the center of the room. Themore he exerted himself, the more helpless he became. His arms and legssplayed out in an effort to level himself, as he kept trying to fire theray gun. 

Tom saw his chance and lunged through the air again, straight at thefloating spaceman. He passed him in mid-air. Mason made an attempt tograb him, but Tom wrenched his body to one side and pulled the ray gunout of the other's hand. 

He flipped over and turned his attention to Loring who was moredangerous, since he was now backed up against a bulkhead waiting for Tomto present a steady target. Loring started to fire, but Tom saw him intime and shot away from the wall toward the hatch. He twisted his bodycompletely around, and with his shoulder hunched over, fired at Loringwith his ray gun. The charge hit the target and Loring became rigid, hisbody slowly floating above the deck. His back to the wall, braced forthe recoil, Tom brought his arm around slowly and aimed at Mason. Hefired, and the spaceman stiffened. 

Tom smiled. Neither of the spacemen would give him any more trouble now. He pushed slightly to the left and shot over to the valve that Mason hadunwittingly turned off. Tom turned it on and clung to an overhead pipeuntil he felt the reassuring grip of the synthetic gravity pull him tothe deck. Loring and Mason, in the same positions they had been in whenTom fired, settled slowly to the deck. Tom walked over and looked atboth of them. He knew they could hear him. 

"For smart spacemen like you two, " said Tom, "you sure forgot your basicphysics. Newton's laws of motion, remember? Everything in motion tendsto keep going at the same speed, unless influenced by an outside force. Firing the ray gun was the outside force that will land you right on aprison asteroid! And you'd better start praying that I can pull thosefellows off that satellite, because if I don't, you'll wind up frying inthe sun with us!"

He started to drag them to a locker and release them from the effects ofthe ray blast, but, remembering their cold-blooded condemnation ofConnel and the others to death on the satellite, he decided to let themremain where they were. 

He turned to the control board and flipped on the microphone. He was toofar away to pick up an image on the teleceiver, but the others couldhear him on the audio, if, thought Tom, they were still alive. 

"Attention! Attention! _Polaris_ to Major Connel! Major Connel, can youhear me? Come in, Major Connel--Astro--Roger--somebody--come in!"

He turned away from the mike and fired the starboard jets full blast, making a sweeping curve in space and heading the _Polaris_ back toJunior. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 20

"There's only one answer, boys, " said Connel. "Loring and Mason haveescaped and taken over the ship. I can't think of any other reason Tomwould abandon us like this. "

The jet boat was crowded. Alfie, the smallest, was sitting on Astro'slap. For more than an hour they had circled above the copper satellite, searching the surrounding skies in vain for some sign of the _Polaris_. 

"Major, " said Roger, who was hunched over the steering wheel of thesmall space craft, "we're almost out of fuel. We'd better drop down onthe night side of Junior, the side away from the sun. At least therewe'd be out of the direct heat. "

"Very well, Roger, " said Connel. "In fact, we could keep shifting intothe night side every hour. " Then he added quietly, thoughtfully, "Butwe're out of fuel, you said?"

"Yes, sir, " said Roger. "There's just enough to get down. " Roger sentthe craft in a shallow dive. Suddenly the rockets cut out. The last ofthe fuel was gone. Roger glided the jet boat to a smooth stop on thenight side of the planetoid. 

"How much longer before the reactor units go up?" asked Shinny. 

Connel turned, thinking he had heard something on the communicators, then answered Shinny's question. "Only four hours, " he said. 

The crew of spacemen climbed out of the jet boat into the stillblackness of the night side of the planet. There wasn't anything left todo. 

They sat around on the hard surface of the planet, staring at thestrange stars overhead. 

"You know, " said Astro, "I might be able to set up something to convertsome of the U235 in the reactors to fuel the jet boat. "

"Impossible, Astro, " said Alfie. "You'd need a reduction gear. And notonly that, but you haven't any tools to handle the mass. If you openedone of those boxes, you'd be fried immediately by the radiation!"

"Alfie's right, " said Connel. "There's nothing to do but wait. "

Major Connel turned his face up as far as he could in the huge fish-bowlhelmet to stare at the sky. His eyes wandered from star cluster to starcluster, from glowing Regulus, to bright and powerful Sirius. He stifleda sigh. How much he had wanted to see more--and more--and more of thegreat wide, high, and deep! He remembered his early days as a youth onhis first trip to Luna City; his first sensation at touching an alienworld; his skipper, old, wise, and patient, who had given him his creedas a spaceman: "Travel wide, deep, and high, " the skipper had said tothe young Connel, "but never so far, so wide, or so deep as to forgetthat you're an Earthman, or how to act like an Earthman!" Even now, years later, the gruff voice rang in his ears. It wasn't long after thatthat he had met Shinny. Connel smiled behind the protection of hishelmet, as he looked at the wizened spaceman, who was now old andtoothless, but who still had the same merry twinkle in his eye thatConnel had noticed the first time he saw him. Connel had signed on asfirst officer on a deep spacer bound for Titan. Shinny had come aboardand reported to Connel as rocketman. Shinny had promptly started roaringthrough the passageways of the huge freighter in his nightshirt singingsnatches of old songs at the top of his voice. It had taken Connel fourhours to find where Shinny had hidden the bottle of rocket juice! Connellaughed. He looked over at the old man fondly. 

[Illustration]

"Say, Nick, " said Connel, addressing the man by his given name for thefirst time, "you remember the time it took me four hours to find thatbottle of rocket juice you hid on that old Titan freighter?"

Shinny cackled, his thin voice coming over the headphones of the othersas well as Connel's. 

"I sure do, Lou!" replied Shinny, using Connel's first name. They werejust old spacemen now, reliving old times together. "Funny thing, though, you never knew I had two more bottles hidden in the tubechamber!"

"Why, you old space crawler!" roared Connel. "You put one over on me!"

[Illustration]

Roger and Astro and Alfie had never known Connel's first name. Theyrolled the name over in their minds, fitting the name to the man. Unknown to each other, they decided that the name fitted the man. LouConnel!

"Say, Lou, " asked Shinny, "where in the blessed universe did you comefrom? You never told me. "

There was a long pause. "A place called Telfair Estates, in the deepSouth on the North American continent. I was raised on a farm close by. I used to go fishing late at night and stare up at the stars. " He pausedagain. "I ran away from home. I don't know if--if--anyone's still thereor not. I never went back!"

There was a long silence as each man saw a small boy fishing late atnight, barefoot, his toes dangling in the water, a worm wiggling on theend of a string, more interested in the stars that twinkled overheadthan in any fish that might swim past and seize the hook. 

"Where are you from, Nick?" asked Connel. 

"Born in space, " cackled Shinny, "on a passenger freighter carryingcolonists out to Titan. Never had a breath of natural fresh air until Iwas almost a grown man. Nothing but synthetic stuff under the atmospherescreens. My father was a mining engineer. I was the only kid. One nighta screen busted and nearly everybody suffocated or froze to death. My paand ma was among 'em. I blasted off after that. Been in the deep eversince. And you know, by the blessed rings of Saturn, I'd be on a nicefarm near Venusport, living on a pension, if you hadn't kicked me out ofthe Solar Guard!"

"Why, you broken down old piece of space junk, " roared Connel, "Ioughta--" Connel never finished what he was going to say. 

"Attention! Attention! Roger--Astro--Major Connel--come in, please! Thisis Tom on the _Polaris_!"

As if they had been struck by a bolt of lightning, the five spacemen satup and then raced to the jet boat. 

"Connel to Corbett!" roared the major. "Where are you? What happened?"

"I haven't got time to explain now, sir, " said Tom. "Loring and Masonescaped and forced me to take them to Tara. I managed to overcome themand blast back here. Meet me up about fifty miles above Junior, sir. I'mbringing the _Polaris_ in!"

"No!" yelled Connel. "It's no use, Tom. We're out of fuel. We've used upall our power. "

"Then stand by, " said Tom grimly. "I'm coming in for a landing!"

"No, Tom!" roared Connel. "There's nothing you can do. We're too farinto the sun's pull. You'll never blast off again!"

"I don't care if we all wind up as cinders, " said Tom, "I'm coming in!"

The communicator went dead and from the left, over the close horizon ofthe small satellite, the _Polaris_ swept into view like a red-tailedfire dragon. It shot up in a pretouchdown maneuver, and then began todrop slowly to the surface of the planetoid. 

No sooner had the _Polaris_ touched the dry airless ground than theair-lock hatch was opened. From the crystal port on the control deck, Tom waved to the men below him. 

Shinny climbed into the lock first, followed by Astro, Alfie, Roger, andConnel. While Roger and Alfie closed the hatch, Astro and Conneladjusted the oxygen pressure and waited for the supply to build tonormal. At last the hissing stopped, and the hatch to the inner part ofthe ship opened. Tom greeted them with a smile and an outstretched hand. 

"Glad to have you aboard!" he joked. 

After the back slapping between Roger, Astro, and Tom was over, Connelquestioned Tom on his strange departure from the satellite. 

"It was just like I told you, sir, " explained Tom. "They got out of thebrig, " he paused, not mentioning the spoon that Loring had used or howhe had gotten it. "They forced me to take them to Tara. I managed to getthe gravity turned off and gave them a lesson in free-fall fighting. They're still frozen stiff up on the control deck. "

"Good boy!" said Connel. "I'll go and have a talk with them. Meantime, Astro, you and Shinny and Alfie get below and see how much fuel we havein emergency supply. We're going to need every ounce we have. "

"Aye, aye, sir, " said Astro. The three hurried to the power deck. 

Connel followed Roger and Tom to the control deck. Loring and Mason werestill in the positions they were in when Tom had fired his paralo-ray. Connel took Tom's gun and switched to the neutralizer. He fired twiceand the two men rose shakily to their feet. Connel faced them, his eyesburning. 

"I'm going to say very little to you two space-crawling rats!" snappedConnel. "I'm not going to lock you in the brig; I'm not going to confineyou in any manner. But if you make one false move, I'll court-martialyou right here and now! You've caused enough trouble with yourselfishness, jeopardizing the lives of six men. If we fail to get offthis satellite, it'll be because _you_ put us in this position. Now getbelow and see what aid you can give Astro. And if either of you so muchas raises your voice, I'm going to let _him_ take care of you! Is thatclear?"

"Yes, sir!" mumbled Loring. "We understand, sir. And we'll do everythingwe can to--to--make up for what we've done. "

"The only thing you can do is to stay out of my sight!" said Connelcoldly. 

Loring and Mason scuttled past Connel and climbed down to the powerdeck. 

"Attention! Attention! Control deck--Major Connel! Sir, this is Roger onthe radar bridge. I just checked over Tom's figures on thrust, sir, andI'm not sure, but I think we've passed the point of safety. "

"Thanks, Roger, " said Connel. He turned to the intercom. "Power deck, check in!"

"Power deck, aye, " said Astro. 

"Loring and Mason there?" asked Connel. 

"Yes, sir. I'm putting them right to work in the radiation chamber, sir. I'm piling all emergency fuel into the reaction chambers to try for onebig push!"

"Why?" asked Connel. 

"I heard what Roger said, sir, " replied Astro. "This'll give us enoughthrust to clear the sun's gravity, but there's something else that mightnot take it. "

"What?" asked Connel. 

"The cooling pumps, sir, " said Astro. "They may not be able to handle aload as hot as this. We might blow up. "

Connel considered this a moment. "Do what you can, Astro. I haveabsolute faith in you. "

"Aye, aye, sir, " said Astro. "And thank you. If this wagon holdstogether, I'll get her off. "

Connel turned to Tom who stood ready at the control panel. 

"All set, sir, " said Tom. "Roger's given me a clear trajectory forwardand up. All we need is Astro's push!"

"Unless Astro can build enough pressure in those cooling pumps to handlethe overload of reactant fuel, we're done for. We'll get off this moonin pieces!"

"Power deck to control deck. "

"Come in, Astro, " said Tom. 

"Almost ready, Tom, " said Astro. "Maximum pressure is eight hundred andwe're up to seven seventy now. "

"Very well, Astro, " replied Connel. "Let her build all the way to aneven eight hundred and blast at my command. "

"Aye, aye, sir, " said Astro. 

The mighty pumps on the power deck began their piercing shriek. Higherand higher they built up the pressure, until the ship began to rockunder the strain. 

"Stand by, Tom, " ordered Connel, "and if you've ever twisted thosedials, twist them now!"

"Yes, sir, " replied Tom. 

"Pressure up to seven ninety-one, sir, " reported Astro. 

"Attention! All members strap into acceleration cushions!"

One by one, Shinny and Alfie, Loring and Mason, Astro and Roger strappedthemselves into the acceleration cushions. Roger set the radar scannerand strapped himself in on the radar bridge. Connel slumped into thesecond pilot's chair and took over the controls of the ship, strappinghimself in, while Tom beside him did the same. The whine of the pumpswas now a shrill whistle that drowned out all other sounds, and thegreat ship bucked under the force of the thrust building in her heart. 

In front of the power-deck control panel Astro watched the pressuregauge mount steadily. 

"Pressure up to seven ninety-six, sir, " he called. 

"Stand by to fire all rockets!" roared Connel. 

"Make it good, you Venusian clunk, " yelled Roger. 

"Seven ninety-nine, sir!" bellowed Astro. 

Astro watched the gauge of the pressure creep slowly toward theeight-hundred mark. In all his experience he had never seen it aboveseven hundred. Shinny, too, his merry eyes shining bright, watched theneedle jerk back and forth and finally reach the eight-hundred mark. 

"Eight hundred, sir, " bellowed Astro. 

"Fire all stern rockets!" roared Connel. 

Astro threw the switch. On the control board, Connel saw a red lightflash on. He jammed the master switch down hard. 

It was the last thing he remembered. 

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 21

Tom stirred. He rolled his head from side to side. His mouth was dry andthere was a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He opened his eyesand stared at the control panel in front of him. Instinctively he beganto check the dials and gauges. He settled on one and waited for hispounding heart to return to normal. His eyes cleared, and the gauge swaminto view. He read the figures aloud:

"Distance in miles since departure--fourteen thousand, five hundred . .. "

Something clicked. He let out a yell. 

"We made it! We made it!" He turned and began to pound Connel on theback. "Major Connel! Major, wake up, sir! We made it. We're in freefall! Junior's far behind us!"

"Uh--ah--what--Tom? What?" Connel said, rolling his eyes. In all hisexperience he had never felt such acceleration. He glanced at the gauge. 

"Distance, " he read, "fifteen thousand miles. " The gauge ticked on. 

"We made it, sir!" said Tom. "Astro gave us a kick in the pants we'llnever forget!"

Connel grinned at Tom's excitement. There was reason to be excited. Theywere free. He turned to the intercom, but before he could speak, Astro'svoice roared into his ears. 

"Report from the power deck, sir, " said Astro. "Acceleration normal. Request permission to open up on hyperdrive. "

"Permission granted!" said Connel. 

"Look, sir, " said Tom, "on the teleceiver screen. Junior is getting hisbumps!"

Connel glanced up at the screen. One by one the white puffs of dust fromthe reactor units were exploding on the surface of the planetoid. Soonthe whole satellite was covered with the radioactive cloud. 

"I'm sure glad we're not on that baby now, " whispered Tom. 

"Same here, spaceman!" said Connel. 

It was evening of the first full day after leaving Junior before theroutine of the long haul back to Space Academy had begun. The _Polaris_was on automatic control, and everyone was assembled in the messroom. 

"Well, boys, " said Connel, "our mission is a complete success. I'vefinished making out a report to Space Academy, and everything's fine. Incidentally, Manning, " he continued, "if you're worried about havingbroken your word when you escaped from the space station, forget it. Youmore than made up for it by your work in helping us get Loring andMason. "

Roger smiled gratefully and gulped, "Thank you, sir. "

Loring and Mason, who had eaten their meal separately from the others, listened silently. Loring got up and faced them. The room became silent. 

Loring flushed. 

[Illustration: _"I know we're going to be sent to the prison asteroidand we deserve it, " said Loring. _]

"I'd like to say something, " he began haltingly, "if I can?"

"Go ahead, " said Connel. 

"Well, " said Loring, "it's hard to say this, but Mason and myself, well--" He paused. "I don't know what happened to us on the first tripout here, Major, but when we saw that satellite, and the copper, something just went wrong inside. One thing led to another, and beforewe knew it, we were in so deep we couldn't get out. "

The faces around the table were stony, expressionless. 

"Nobody deserves less consideration than me and Mason. And--well, youknow yourself, sir, that we were pretty good spacemen at one time. Youpicked us for the first trip out to Tara with you. "

Connel nodded. 

"And well, sir, the main thing is about Jardine and Bangs. I know we'regoing to be sent to the prison asteroid and we deserve it. But we beenthinking, sir, about Jardine's and Bang's wives and kids. They mustalost everything in that crash of the _Annie Jones_, so if the majorwould recommend that Mason and me be sent to the Titan mines, instead ofthe rock, we could send our credits back to help take care of the kidsand all. "

No one spoke. 

"That's all, " said Loring. He and Mason left the room. 

Connel glanced around the table. "Well?" he asked. "This is your firststruggle with justice. Each of you, Tom, Roger, Astro, Alfie, will befaced with this sort of thing during your careers as spacemen. Whatwould you do?"

The four cadets looked at each other, each wondering what the otherwould say. Finally Connel turned to Alfie. 

"You're first, Alfie, " said Connel. 

"I'd send them to the mines, sir, " said Alfie. 

Connel's face was impressive. "Roger?"

"Same here, sir, " replied Roger. 

"Astro?" asked Connel. 

"I'd do anything to help the kids, sir, " said Astro, an orphan himself. 

"Tom?"

Tom hesitated. "They deserve the rock, sir. I don't have any feeling forthem. But if they go to the rock, that doesn't do any more than punishthem. If they go to the mines, they'll be punished and help someone elsetoo. I'd send them to Titan and exile them from Earth forever. "

Connel studied the cadets a moment. He turned to Shinny. 

"Think they made a good decision, Nick?"

"I like what young Tommy, here, had to say, Lou, " answered Shinny. "Bestpart about justice is when the man himself suffers from his own guiltyfeelings, rather than what you do to him as punishment. I think they didall right!"

"All right, " said Connel. "I'll make the recommendation as you havesuggested. " Suddenly he turned to Shinny. "What about you in all this, Nick? I don't mean that you were hooked up with Loring and Mason. I knowyou were just prospecting and you've proved yourself to be a truespaceman. But what will happen to you now?"

"I'll tell you what's going to happen to me, " snapped Shinny. "You'regoing to re-enlist me in the Solar Guard, right here! Right now!"

"What?" exploded Connel. 

"And then you're going to retire me, right here, right now, with a fullpension!"

"Why you old space-crawling--" Suddenly he looked around the table andsaw the laughing faces of Tom, Roger, Astro, and Alfie. 

"All right, " he said, "but between your enlistment and your retirement, I'm going to make you polish every bit of brass on this space wagon, from the radar mast to the exhaust tubes!"

Shinny smiled his toothless smile and looked at Tom. 

"Get the logbook, Tommy, " he said. "This is official. I'm going to dosomething no other man in the entire history of the Solar Guard ever didbefore!"

"What's that, Mr. Shinny?" asked Tom with a smile. 

"Enlist, serve time, and retire with a full pension, all on the sameblasted spaceship, the _Polaris_!"

[Illustration]

+--------------------------------------------------------------+| Transcriber's Note || || Typographical errors corrected: || || 1) familarity changed to familiarity || 2) but's changed to buts || 3) word changed to work || || Possible typographical error left as is: || || All ready possibly should read Already || || Standardized hyphenation: || || 1) paralo ray changed to paralo-ray || 2) upperclassmen changed to upper-classmen || || In addition, the nickname Blast-off occurs in two forms || throughout the text: "Blast-off" and 'Blast-off'. One is || used consistently in descriptive text ("Blast-off") the || other is used consistently in dialog ('Blast-off'), || as such both forms have been retained. || |+--------------------------------------------------------------+