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diff --git a/18786-0.txt b/18786-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..15dd09d --- /dev/null +++ b/18786-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6971 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook of Treachery in Outer Space, by Carey Rockwell and Louis Glanzman + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and +most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms +of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at +www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you +will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before +using this eBook. + +Title: Treachery in Outer Space + +Author: Carey Rockwell and Louis Glanzman + +Release Date: July 8, 2006 [eBook #18786] +[Most recently updated: October 15, 2021] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +Produced by: Greg Weeks, Joseph R. Hauser and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TREACHERY IN OUTER SPACE *** + + + + +TREACHERY IN OUTER SPACE + + + +THE TOM CORBETT +SPACE CADET STORIES + +By Carey Rockwell + + +STAND BY FOR MARS! +DANGER IN DEEP SPACE +ON THE TRAIL OF THE SPACE PIRATES +THE SPACE PIONEERS +THE REVOLT ON VENUS +TREACHERY IN OUTER SPACE +SABOTAGE IN SPACE +THE ROBOT ROCKET + + + +[Illustration] + + +A TOM CORBETT Space Cadet Adventure + + + +TREACHERY IN +OUTER SPACE + + +By CAREY ROCKWELL + +WILLY LEY _Technical Adviser_ + + + + +GROSSET & DUNLAP Publishers New York + + + + +COPYRIGHT, 1954, BY +ROCKHILL RADIO + +[TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: +EXTENSIVE RESEARCH SHOWS NO EVIDENCE +OF REQUIRED COPYRIGHT RENEWAL] + +ALL RIGHTS RESERVED + + +ILLUSTRATIONS BY LOUIS GLANZMAN + + + + + +PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + +_Frontispiece_ + +"Great galaxy! There must be a hundred ships!" + +The giant Venusian held up the oil-smeared test tube + +"Yeow!" bawled Astro. "Thanks, sir. Thanks a million!" + +Tom got down on his knees and felt around for an opening + +"Look!" Strong cried. "It's Brett's ship!" + +It would be a rough ride, but at least he was hidden + +Slowly and cautiously he began climbing + +"Proceed to quadrant five and seize the _Space Knight_!" + + + + + +TREACHERY IN OUTER SPACE + + + + +CHAPTER I + + +"All right, you blasted Earthworms! _Stand to!_" + +Three frightened cadet candidates for Space Academy stiffened their +backs and stood at rigid attention as Astro faced them, a furious scowl +on his rugged features. Behind him, Tom Corbett and Roger Manning +lounged on the dormitory bunks, watching their unit mate blast the +freshman cadets and trying to keep from laughing. It wasn't long ago +that they had gone through the terrifying experience of being hazed by +stern upperclassmen and they knew how the three pink-cheeked boys in +front of them felt. + +"So," bawled Astro, "you want to blast off, do you?" + +Neither of the three boys answered. + +"Speak when you're spoken to, Mister!" snapped Roger at the boy in the +middle. + +"Answer the question!" barked Tom, finding it difficult to maintain his +role of stern disciplinarian. + +"Y-y-yes, sir," finally came a mumbled reply. + +"What's your name? And don't say 'sir' to me!" roared Astro. + +"Coglin, sir," gulped the boy. + +"Don't say 'SIR'!" + +"Yes, sir--er--I mean, O.K.," stuttered Coglin. + +"And don't say O.K., either," Roger chimed in. + +"Yes ... all right ... fine." The boy's face was flushed with +desperation. + +Astro stepped forward, his chin jutting out. "For your information," he +bawled, "the correct manner of address is 'Very well.'" + +"Very well," stammered Coglin. + +Astro shook his head and turned back to Tom and Roger. "Have you ever +seen a greater display of audacity and sheer gall?" he demanded. "The +nerve of these three infants assuming that they could ever become Space +Cadets!" + +Tom and Roger laughed, not at the three Earthworms, but at Astro's +sudden eloquence. The giant Venusian cadet usually limited his comments +to a gruff Yes or No, or at most, a garbled sentence full of a veteran +spaceman's oaths. Then, resuming his stern expression, Roger faced the +three boys. + +"Sound off! Quick!" he demanded. + +"Coglin, John." + +"Spears, Albert." + +"Duke, Phineas." + +"You call those _names_?" Roger snorted incredulously. "Which of you +ground crawlers is radar officer?" + +"I am, very well," replied Spears. + +The blond-haired cadet stared at him in amazement. + +"Very well, what?" he demanded. + +"You said that's the correct form of address," replied Spears doggedly. + +Roger turned to Tom. "Well, thump my rockets," he exclaimed, "I didn't +know they made them that dumb any more!" + +"Who is the command cadet?" asked Tom, suppressing a grin. + +"I am, very well," replied Duke. + +"How fast is fast?" + +"Fast is as fast must be, without being either supersonic or turgid. +Fast is necessarily that amount of speed that will not be the most nor +the least, yet will be sufficient unto the demands of fast ..." Duke +quoted directly from the _Earthworm Manual_, a book that was not +prescribed learning in the Academy, but woe unto the Earthworm who did +not know it by heart when questioned by a cadet upperclassman. + +"What is a blip on a radar, Mister?" demanded Roger of Spears. + +"A blip is never a slip. It is constant with the eye of the beholder, +and constant with the constant that is always--" Spears faltered, his +face flushing with embarrassment. + +"Always what?" hounded Roger. + +"I--I don't know," stammered the fledgling helplessly. + +"_You don't know?_" yelled Roger. He looked at Tom and Astro, shaking +his head. "He doesn't know." The two cadets frowned at the quivering boy +and Roger faced him again. "For your information, Mr. Spears," he said +at his sarcastic best, "there are five words remaining in that sentence. +And for each word, you will spend one hour cleaning this room. Is that +clear?" + +Spears could only nod his head. + +"And for your further information," continued Roger, "the remaining +words are 'constantly alert to constant dangers'! Does that help you, +Mister?" + +"Yes, Cadet Manning," gulped Spears. "You are very kind to give me this +information. And it will be a great honor to clean your room." + +Astro stepped forward to take his turn. He towered over the remaining +cadet candidate and glowered at the thoroughly frightened boy. "So," he +roared, "I guess this means you're going to handle the power deck in one +of our space buckets, eh?" + +"Yes, very well," came the quavering, high-pitched reply. + +"Give me the correction of thrust when you are underway in a forward +motion and you receive orders from the control deck for immediate +reversal." + +Coglin closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and the words poured from +his lips. "To go forward is to overtake space, and to go sternward is to +retake space already overtaken. To correct thrust, I would figure in the +beginning of my flight how much space I intended to take and how much I +would retake, and since overtake and retake are both additional +quotients that have not been divided, I will add them together and +arrive at a correction." The cadet candidate stopped abruptly, gasping +for breath. + +Secretly disappointed at the accuracy of the reply, Astro grunted and +turned to Tom and Roger. "Any questions before they blast off on their +solo hop?" he growled. + +The two cadets shook their heads and Roger quickly lined three chairs in +a row. Tom addressed the frightened boys solemnly. "This is your +spaceship. The first chair is the command deck; second, radar deck; +third, power deck. Take your stations and stand by to blast off." + +Spears, Coglin, and Duke jumped into the chairs and Tom walked around +them eying them coldly. "Now, Misters," he said, "you are to blast off, +make a complete circle of the Earth, and return to the Academy spaceport +for a touchdown. Is that clearly understood?" + +"All clear," chorused the boys. + +"Stand by to raise ship!" bawled Tom. + +"Power deck, check in!" snapped Duke from the first chair. "Radar deck, +check in!" + +"Just one moment, Mister," interrupted Roger. "When you issue an order +over the intercom, I want to see you pick up that mike. I want to see +all the motions. It's up to you, Misters, to make us believe that you +are blasting off!" + +"Very well," replied Duke with a nervous glance back at his unit mates. + +"Carry on!" roared Tom. + +Then, as Tom, Roger, and Astro sprawled on their bunks, grinning openly, +the three Earthworm cadets began their simulated flight through space. +Going through the movements of operating the complicated equipment of a +spaceship, they pushed, pulled, jerked, snapped on imaginary switches, +read unseen meters and gauges, and slammed around in their chairs to +simulate acceleration reaction. The three cadets of the _Polaris_ unit +could no longer restrain themselves and broke into loud laughter at the +antics of the aspirants. Finally, when they had landed their imaginary +ship again, the Earthworms were pounded on the back heartily. + +"Welcome to Space Academy!" said Tom with a grin. "That was as smooth a +ride as I've ever had." + +"Yeah," agreed Astro, pumping Coglin's hand. "You handled those reactors +and atomic motors like a regular old space buster!" + +"And that was real fine astrogation, Spears," Roger chimed in. "Why, you +laid out such a smooth course, you never left the ground!" + +The three Earthworms relaxed, and while Astro brewed hot cups of tea +with synthetic pellets and water from the shower, Tom and Roger told +them about the traditions and customs of the Academy. + +Tom began by telling them how important it was for each crew member to +be able to depend on his unit mate. "You see," he said, "in space there +isn't much time for individual heroics. Too many things can happen too +fast for it to be a one-man operation." + +"I'll say," piped up Roger. "A couple of times I've been on the radar +deck and seen a hunk of space junk coming down on us fast. So instead of +following book procedure, relaying the dope to Tom on the control deck +to pass it on to Astro, I'd just sing out to Astro direct on the +intercom, 'Give me an upshot on the ecliptic!' or 'Give me a starboard +shot!' and Astro would come through because he knows I always know what +I'm talking about." + +"Not always, hot-shot!" growled Astro. "How about the time we went out +to Tara and snatched that hot copper asteroid out of Alpha Centauri's +mouth? _You_ said the time on that reactor blast should be set at--" + +"Is that so?" snapped Roger. "Listen, you big overgrown hunk of Venusian +space gas--" Roger got no further. Astro grabbed him by the shirt front, +held him at arm's length, and began tickling him in the ribs. The three +freshmen cadets backed out of the way, glancing fearfully at the giant +Venusian. Astro's strength was awesome when seen for the first time. + +"Lemme go, you blasted space ape!" bellowed Roger, between fits of +laughter. + +"Say uncle, Manning!" roared Astro. "Promise you won't call me names +again, or by the stars, I'll tickle you until you shake yourself apart!" + +"All right--un-un-uncle!" managed Roger. + +Astro dropped his unit mate on a bunk like a rag doll and turned back to +Tom with a shrug of his shoulders. "He'll never learn, will he?" + +Tom grinned at Duke. "Astro's like a big overgrown puppy." + +"Someone ought to put him on a leash," growled Roger, crawling out of +the bunk and rubbing his ribs. "Blast it, Astro, the next time you want +to show off, go play with an elephant and leave me alone." + +Astro ignored him, turning to Coglin. "As much as I gas Roger," the +giant cadet said seriously, "I'd rather ride a thrust bucket with him on +the radar deck than Commander Walters. He's the best." + +Tom smiled. "That's what I mean, Duke. Astro believes in Roger, and +Roger believes in Astro. I believe in them, and they in me. We've got +to, or we wouldn't last long out there in space." + +The three fledgling spacemen were silent, watching and listening with +awe and envy as the _Polaris_ crew continued their indoctrination. They +considered themselves lucky to have been drawn by these famous cadets +for their hazing. The names of Corbett, Manning, and Astro were becoming +synonymous with great adventure in space. But, with all their +hairbreadth escapes, the _Polaris_ unit was still just learning its job. +The boys were still working off demerits, arguing with instructors on +theory, listening to endless study spools, learning the latest advanced +methods of astrogation, communication, and reactor-unit operation. They +were working toward the day when they would discard the vivid blue +uniforms of the Space Cadet Corps and don the magnificent black and gold +of the Solar Guard. + +Tom was aware of the eager expressions on the faces of the Earthworms +and he smiled to himself. It was not a smile of smugness or conceit, but +rather of honest satisfaction. More than once he had shaken his head in +wonder at being a Space Cadet. The odds against it were enormous. Each +year thousands of boys from all the major planets and the occupied +satellites competed for entrance to the famed Academy and pitifully few +were accepted. And he was happy at having two unit mates like Roger +Manning and Astro to depend on when he was out in space, commanding one +of the finest ships ever built, the powerful rocket cruiser _Polaris_. + +As Roger and Astro continued to talk to the fledglings, Tom sipped his +tea and thought of his own first days at the Academy. He remembered his +fear and insecurity, and how hard he had fought to make what was then +Unit 42-D a success, the unit that eventually became the _Polaris_ unit. +And how each assignment had brought him closer to his dream of becoming +an officer in the Solar Guard. + +He got up and walked to the window and looked out across the Academy +campus, over the green lawns and white buildings connected by the +rolling slidewalks, to the gleaming crystal Tower, the symbol of man's +conquest of space. And beyond the Tower building, Tom saw a spaceship +blasting off from the spaceport, her rockets bucking hard against thin +air as she clawed her way spaceward. When it disappeared from sight, he +followed it with his mind's eye and it became the _Polaris_, his ship! +He and Roger and Astro were blasting through the cold black void, their +own personal domain! + +A loud burst of laughter behind him suddenly brought Tom back to Earth. +He smiled to himself and shook his head, as though reluctant to leave +his dream world. He glanced out of the window again, this time down at +the quadrangle, and far below he recognized the squat, muscular figure +of Warrant Officer Mike McKenny drilling another group of newly arrived +cadet candidates. Tom saw the slidewalks begin to fill with boys and men +in varicolored uniforms, all released from duty as the day drew to a +close. Tonight, Astro, Roger, and he would go to see the latest stereo, +and tomorrow they would blast off in the _Polaris_ for the weekly +checkout of her equipment. He turned back to Spears, Coglin, and Duke. +Roger was just finishing the story of their latest adventure (described +in _The Revolt on Venus_). + +"The best part, of course, was the actual hunting of the tyrannosaurus," +said Astro. + +"A tyrannosaurus?" exploded Spears, the youngest and most impressionable +of the three Earthworms. "You actually hunted for a dinosaur?" + +Astro grinned. "That's right. They're extinct here on Earth, but on +Venus we catch 'em and make pets out of the baby ones." + +"We could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble, though," commented +Roger mockingly. "We have several officers here that would have served +just as well. Major 'Blast-off' Connel, for instance, the toughest, +meanest old son of a hot rocket you have ever seen!" + +"_Stand to!_" + +The six boys nearly broke their backs jumping to attention. A squat, +muscular figure, wearing the black-and-gold uniform of a Solar Guard, +strode heavily into their line of vision. Roger gulped as Major Connel +stopped in front of him. "Still gassing, eh, Manning?" he roared. + +"'Evening, Major, sir," mumbled Roger, his face beet red. +"We--er--ah--were just telling this Earthworm unit about the Academy, +sir. Some of its pitfalls." + +"Some of the cadets are going to fall into a pit if they don't learn to +keep their mouths shut!" snapped Connel. He glared at Tom, Astro, and +Roger, then wheeled sharply to face the three quaking freshmen cadets. +"You listen to anything they tell you and you'll wind up with a book +full of demerits! What in blazes are you doing here, anyway? You're +supposed to be at physical exams _right this minute!_" + +The three boys began to shake visibly, not knowing whether to break +ranks and run or wait until ordered. + +"Get out of here!" Connel roared. "You've got thirty seconds to make +it. And if you _don't_ make it, you'll go down on my bad-rocket list!" + +Almost in one motion, the three cadet candidates saluted and charged +through the door. When they had gone, Connel turned to the _Polaris_ +cadets who were still at attention. "At ease!" he roared and then +grinned. + +The boys came to rest and smiled back at him tentatively. They never +knew what to expect from Connel. "Well, did you put them through their +paces?" he asked as he jerked his thumb toward the door. + +"Yes, sir!" said Tom. + +"Did they know their manual? Or give you any lip when you started giving +them hot rockets?" Connel referred to the hazing that was allowed by the +Academy, only as another of the multitude of tests given to cadets. +Cadet candidates might possibly hide dangerous flaws from Academy +officials but never from boys near their own ages. + +"Major," said Astro, "those fellows came close to blasting off right +here in these chairs. They really thought they were out in _space!_" + +"Fine!" said Connel. "Glad to hear it. I've singled them out as my +personal unit for instruction." + +"Poor fellows," muttered Roger under his breath. + +"What was that, Manning?" bellowed Connel. + +"I said lucky fellows, sir," replied Roger innocently. + +Connel glared at him. "I'll bet my last rocket that's what you said, +Manning." + +"Yes, sir." + +Connel turned to the door and then spun around quickly to catch Roger +grinning at Astro. + +"'Poor fellows,' wasn't it?" said Connel with a grin. Roger reddened +and his unit mates laughed. "Oh, yes," continued Connel, "I almost +forgot. Report to Commander Walters on the double. You're getting +special assignments. I recommended you for this job, so see that you +behave yourselves. Especially you, Manning." + +He turned and disappeared through the doorway, leaving the three cadets +staring at each other. + +"Wowie!" yelled Astro. "And I thought we were going to get chewed up for +keeping those Earthworms too long!" + +"Same here," said Roger. + +"Wonder what the assignment is?" said Tom, grabbing his tunic and racing +for the door. Neither Roger nor Astro answered as they followed on his +heels. When they reached the slidestairs, a moving belt of plastic that +spiraled upward to an overhead slidewalk bridge connecting the dormitory +to the Tower of Galileo, Tom's eyes were bright and shiny. "Whatever it +is," he said, "if Major Connel suggested us for it, you can bet your +last reactor it'll be a rocket buster." + +As the boys stepped on the slidestairs that would take them to Commander +Walters' office, each of them was very much aware that this was the +first step to a new adventure in space. And though the three realized +that they could expect danger, the special assignment meant that they +were going to hit the high, wide, and deep again. And that was all they +asked of life. To be in space, a spaceman's only real home! + + + + +CHAPTER 2 + + +"Gentlemen, please!" + +Commander Walters, the commandant of Space Academy, stood behind his +desk and slammed his fist down sharply on its plastic top. "I must +insist that you control your tempers and refrain from these repeated +outbursts," he growled. + +The angry voices that had filled the room began to subside, but Walters +did not continue his address. He stood, arms folded across his chest, +glaring at the assembled group of men until, one by one, they stopped +talking and shifted nervously in their chairs. When the room was finally +still, the commander glanced significantly at Captain Steve Strong, +standing at the side of the desk, smiled grimly, and then resumed in a +calm, conversational tone of voice. + +"I am quite aware that we have departed from standard operational +procedure in this case," he said slowly. "Heretofore, the Solar Guard +has always granted interplanetary shipping contracts to private +companies on the basis of sealed bids, the most reasonable bid winning +the job. However, for the job of hauling Titan crystal to Earth, we have +found that method unsatisfactory. Therefore, we have devised this new +plan to select the right company. And let me repeat"--Walters leaned +forward over his desk and spoke in a firm, decisive voice--"this +decision was reached in a special executive session of the Council of +the Solar Alliance last night." + +A short, wiry man suddenly rose from his chair in the front row, his +face clearly showing his displeasure. "All right, get on with it, +Walters!" he snapped, deliberately omitting the courtesy of addressing +the commander by his title. "Don't waste our time with that 'official' +hogwash. It might work on your cadets and your tin soldiers, but not on +us!" + +There was a murmur of agreement from the assembled group of men. Present +were some of the wealthiest and most powerful shipping magnates in the +entire Solar Alliance--men who controlled vast fleets of commercial +spaceships and whose actions and decisions carried a great deal of +weight. Each hoped to win the Solar Guard contract to transport Titan +crystal from the mines on the tiny satellite back to Earth. Combining +steellike strength and durability with its great natural beauty, the +crystal was replacing metal in all construction work and the demand was +enormous. The shipping company that got the job would have a guaranteed +income for years to come, and each of the men present was fighting with +every weapon at his command to win the contract. + +Heartened by the reaction of the men around him, the speaker pressed +his advantage. "We've all hauled cargo for the Solar Guard before, and +the sealed-bid system was perfectly satisfactory then!" he shouted. "Why +isn't it satisfactory now? What's all this nonsense about a space race?" + +Again, the murmur filled the room and the men glared accusingly at +Walters. But the commander refused to knuckle down to any show of +arrogance. He fixed a cold, stony eye on the short man. "Mr. Brett," he +snapped in a biting voice, "you have been invited to this meeting as a +guest, not by any right you think you have as the owner of a shipping +company. A guest, I said, and I ask that you conduct yourself with that +social obligation in mind!" + +Before Brett could reply, Walters turned away from him and addressed the +others calmly. "Despite Mr. Brett's outburst, his question is a good +one. And the answer is quite simple. The bids submitted by your +companies were not satisfactory in this case because we believe that +they were made in bad faith!" + +For once, there was silence in the room as the men stared at Walters in +shocked disbelief. "There are fourteen shipping companies represented in +this room, some of them the most respected in the Solar Alliance," he +continued, his voice edged with knifelike sarcasm. "I cannot find it in +my conscience to accuse all of you of complicity in this affair, but +nevertheless we are faced with one of the most startling coincidences I +have ever seen." + +Walters paused and looked around the room, measuring the effect of his +words. Satisfied, he went on grimly, "There isn't enough difference +between the bids of each of you, not _five credits'_ worth of +difference, to award the contract to any single company!" + +The men in the room gasped in amazement. + +"The bids were exactly alike. The only differences we found were in +operational procedure. But the cost to the Solar Guard amounted to, in +the end, exactly the same thing from each of you! The inference is +clear, I believe," he added mockingly. "Someone stole the minimum +specifications and circulated them among you." + +In the shocked quiet that followed Walters' statement, no one noticed +Tom, Roger, and Astro slip into the room. They finally caught the eye of +Captain Strong, who acknowledged their presence with a slight nod, as +they found seats in the rear of the room. + +"Commander," a voice spoke up from the middle of the group, "may I make +a statement?" + +"Certainly, Mr. Barnard," agreed Walters, and stepped back from his desk +as a tall, slender man in his late thirties rose to address the men +around him. The three Space Cadets stared at him with interest. They had +heard of Kit Barnard. A former Solar Guard officer, he had resigned from +the great military organization to go into private space-freight +business. Though a newcomer, with only a small outfit, he was well liked +and respected by every man in the room. And everyone present knew that +when he spoke, he would have something important to say, or at least +advance a point that should be brought to light. + +"I have no doubt," said Barnard in a slow, positive manner, "that the +decision to substitute a space race between us as a means of awarding +the contract was well considered by the Solar Council." He turned and +shot Brett a flinty look. "And under the circumstances, I, for one, +accept their decision." He sat down abruptly. + +There were cries of: "Hear! Hear!" "Righto!" "Very good!" + +"No!" shouted Brett, leaping to his feet. "By the craters of Luna, it +isn't right! I demand to know exactly who submitted the lowest bid!" + +Walters sighed and shuffled through several papers on his desk. "You are +within your rights, Mr. Brett," he said, eying the man speculatively. +"It was you." + +[Illustration] + +"Then why in blue blazes didn't I get the contract?" screamed Brett. + +"For several reasons," replied Walters. "Your contract offered us the +lowest bid in terms of money, but specified very slow schedules. On the +other hand, Universal Spaceways Limited planned faster schedules, but +at a higher cost. Kit Barnard outbid both of you in money and schedules, +but he has only two ships, and we were doubtful of his ability to +complete the contract should one of his ships crack up. The other +companies offered, more or less, the same conditions. So you can +understand our decision now, Mr. Brett." Walters paused and glared at +the man. "The Solar Council sat in a continuous forty-eight-hour session +and considered _everyone_. The space race was finally decided on, and +voted for by every member. Schedules were the most vital point under +consideration. But other points could not be ignored, and these could +only be determined by actual performance. Now, does that answer all your +questions, Mr. Brett?" + +"No, it doesn't!" yelled Brett. + +"Oh, sit down, Brett!" shouted a voice from the back of the room. + +"Yes! Sit down and shut up!" called another. "We're in this too, you +know!" + +Brett turned on them angrily, but finally sat down, scowling. + +In the rear of the room Tom nudged Roger. "Boy! The commander sure knows +how to lay it on the line when he wants to, doesn't he?" + +"I'll say!" replied Roger. "That guy Brett better watch out. Both the +commander and Captain Strong look as if they're ready to pitch him out +on his ear." + +Six feet tall, and looking crisp, sure, and confident in his +black-and-gold uniform, Captain Steve Strong stood near Walters and +scowled at Brett. Unit instructor for the _Polaris_ crew and Commander +Walters' executive officer, Strong was not as adept as Walters in +masking his feelings, and his face clearly showed his annoyance at +Brett's outbursts. He had sat the full forty-eight hours with the +Council while they argued, not over costs, but in an effort to make sure +that none of the companies would be slighted in their final decision. It +made his blood boil to see someone like Brett selfishly disregard these +efforts at fairness. + +"That is all the information I can give you, gentlemen," said Walters +finally. "Thank you for your kind attention"--he shot an ironic glance +at Brett--"and for your understanding of a difficult situation. Now you +must excuse me. Captain Strong, whom you all know, will fill in the +details of the race." + +As Walters left the room, Strong stepped to the desk, faced the +assembly, and spoke quickly. "Gentlemen, perhaps some of you are +acquainted with the present jet car race that takes place each year? The +forerunner of that race was the Indianapolis Five-Hundred-Mile Race of +some few hundred years ago. We have adopted their rules for our own +speed tests. Time trials will be held with all interested companies +contributing as many ships that they think can qualify, and the three +ships that make the fastest time will be entered in the actual race. +This way we can eliminate the weaker contenders and reduce the chance of +accidents taking place millions of miles out in space. Also, it will +result in a faster time for the winner. Now, the details of the race +will be given to your chief pilots, crew chiefs, and power-deck officers +at a special meeting in my office here in the Tower building tomorrow. +You will receive all information and regulations governing the minimum +and maximum size of the ships entered, types of reactor units, and +amount of ballast to be carried." + +"How many in the crew?" asked a man in the front. + +"Two," replied Steve, "or if the ship is mostly automatic, one. Either +can be used. The Solar Guard will monitor the race, sending along one of +the heavy cruisers." Strong glanced at his notes. "That is all, +gentlemen. Are there any questions?" + +There were no questions and the men began to file out of the room. +Strong was relieved to see Brett was among the first to leave. He didn't +trust himself to keep his temper with the man. As the room emptied, +Strong stood at the door and grabbed Kit Barnard by the sleeve. "Hello, +spaceman!" he cried. "Long time, no see!" + +"Hello, Steve," replied Kit, with a slow, warm smile. + +"Say! Is that the way to greet an old friend after four, or is it five +years?" + +"Five," replied Kit. + +"You look worried, fellow," said Strong. + +"I am. This race business leaves me holding the bag." + +"How's that?" + +"Well, I made a bid on the strength of a new reactor unit I'm trying to +develop," explained Kit. "If I had gotten the contract, I could have +made a loan from the Universal Bank and completed my work easily. But +now--" Kit stopped and shook his head slowly. + +"What is this reactor?" Strong asked. "Something new?" + +"Yes. One quarter the size of present standard reactors and less than +half the weight." Kit's eyes began to glow with enthusiasm as he spoke. +"It would give me extra space in my ships and be economical enough on +fuel for me to be able to compete with the larger outfits and their +bigger ships. Now, all I've got is a reactor that hasn't been tested +properly, that I'm not even sure will work on a long haul and a hot +race." + +"Is there any way you can soup up one of your present reactors to make +this run?" asked Strong. + +"I suppose so," added Kit. "I'll give the other fellows a run for their +money all right. But it'll take every credit I have. And if I don't win +the race, I'm finished. Washed up." + +"Excuse me, Captain Strong," said Tom Corbett, coming to attention. +"Major Connel ordered us to report here for special assignment." + +"Oh, yes," said Strong, turning to Tom, Roger, and Astro with a smile. +"Meet Kit Barnard. Kit--Tom Corbett, Roger Manning, and Astro, the +_Polaris_ unit. My unit," he added proudly. + +The boys saluted respectfully, and Barnard smiled and shook hands with +each of them. + +"You've heard about the race now," said Strong to Tom. + +"Yes, sir," replied the young cadet. "It sounds exciting." + +"It will be, with spacemen like Kit Barnard, Charley Brett, and the +other men of the big outfits competing. You're going to work with me on +the time trials, and later the _Polaris_ will be the ship that monitors +the race. But first, you three will be inspectors." + +"Of what, sir?" asked Roger. + +"You'll see that all regulations are observed--that no one gets the jump +on anyone else. These men will be souping up their reactors until those +ships will be nothing but 'go,' and it's your job to see that they use +only standard equipment." + +"We're going to be real popular when we tell a spaceman he can't use a +unit he's rigged up specially," commented Astro with a grin. + +Tom laughed. "We'll be known as the cadets you love to hate!" + +"Especially when you run up against Charley Brett," said Kit. + +The cadets looked at the veteran spaceman inquiringly, but he was not +smiling, and they suddenly felt a strange chill of apprehension. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER 3 + + +"It's about time you got here!" + +Charley Brett glared angrily at his chief pilot, Quent Miles, as he +sauntered into the office and flopped into a chair. + +"I had a heavy date last night. I overslept," the spaceman replied, +yawning loudly. + +"We're late for Strong's meeting over at the Academy," Brett snapped. +"Get up! We've got to leave right away." + +Quent Miles looked at the other man, his black eyes gleaming coldly. +"I'll get up when I'm ready," he said slowly. + +The two men glared at each other for a moment, and finally Brett lowered +his eyes. Miles grinned and yawned again. + +"Come on," said Brett in a less demanding tone. "Let's go. No use +getting Strong down on us before we even get started." + +"Steve Strong doesn't scare me," replied Miles. + +"All right! He doesn't scare you. He doesn't scare me, either," said +Brett irritably. "Now that we both know that neither of us is scared, +let's get going." + +Quent smiled again and rose slowly. "You know something, Charley?" he +said in a deceptively mild voice. "One of these days you're going to get +officious with the wrong spaceman, one that isn't as tolerant as I am, +and you're going to be pounded into space dust." + +Quent Miles stood in front of Brett's desk and stretched like a languid +cat. Brett noted the powerful hands and arms and the depth of the +shoulders and chest, all emphasized by the tight-fitting clothes the +spaceman affected. The man was dark and swarthy, and dressed all in +black. Brett had often imagined that if the devil ever took human form +it would look like Quent Miles. He shivered uncontrollably and waited. +Finally Miles turned to him, a mocking smile on his face. + +"Well, Charley? What are we waiting for?" + +A few moments later they were speeding through the broad streets of Atom +City in a jet cab on the way to the Atom City spaceport. + +"What's this all about?" demanded Quent, settling back in his seat. "Why +the rush call?" + +"I didn't get the contract to haul the crystal," replied Brett grimly. +"All the bids were so close the Solar Council decided to have a space +race out to Titan to pick the outfit that would get the job." + +Quent turned toward him, surprised. "But I thought you had all that +sewed up tight!" he exclaimed. "I thought after you got your hands on +the--" + +"Shut up!" interrupted Brett. "The details on the specifications leaked +out. Now the only way I can get the contract is to win the race." + +"And I'm the guy to do it?" asked Quent with a smile. + +"That's what you're here for. If we don't win this race, we're finished. +Washed up!" + +"Who else is in the race?" + +"Every other major space-freight outfit in the system," replied Brett +grimly. "And Kit Barnard." + +"Has Barnard got that new reactor of his working yet?" + +"I don't think so. But I have no way of telling." + +"If he has, you're not going to win this race," said Quent, shaking his +head. "Nor is anyone else." + +"You are here for one reason," said Brett pointedly. + +"I know." Quent grinned. "To win a race." + +"Right." + +Quent laughed. "With those heaps you've fooled people into thinking are +spaceships? Don't make me laugh." + +"There are going to be time trials before the race," said Brett. "The +three fastest ships are going to make the final run. I'm not worried +about the race itself. I've got a plan that will assure us of winning. +It's the time trials that's got me bothered." + +"Leave that to me," said Quent. + +The jet cab pulled up to the main gate of the spaceport and the two men +got out. Far across the field, a slender, needle-nosed ship stood poised +on her stabilizer fins ready for flight. She was black except for a red +band painted on the hull across the forward section and around the few +viewports. It gave her the appearance of a huge laughing insect. Quent +eyed the vessel with a practiced eye. + +"I'll have to soup her up," he commented. "She wouldn't win a foot race +now." + +"Don't depend too heavily on your speed," said Brett. "I would just as +soon win by default. After all," he continued, looking at Miles with +calculating eyes, "serious accidents could delay the other ships." + +"Sure. I know what you mean," replied the spaceman. + +"Good!" Brett turned away abruptly and headed for the ship. Quent +following him. In a little while the white-hot exhaust flare from the +rocket tubes of the sleek ship splattered the concrete launching apron +and it lifted free of the ground. Like an evil, predatory bug, the ship +blasted toward the Academy spaceport. + + * * * * * + +"Well, blast my jets!" Astro gasped, stopping in his tracks and +pointing. Tom and Roger looked out over the quadrangle toward the +Academy spaceport where ship after ship, braking jets blasting, sought +the safety of the ground. + +"Great galaxy," exclaimed Tom, his eyes bulging, "there must be a +hundred ships!" + +"At least," commented Roger. + +"But they can't all be here for the trials," said Astro. + +"Why not?" asked Roger. "This is a very important race. Who knows what +ship might win? It pays the company to enter every ship they have." + +[Illustration: _"Great galaxy! There must be a hundred ships!"_] + +"Roger's right, Astro," said Tom. "These fellows are playing for big +stakes. Though I don't think there'll be more than thirty or forty ships +in the actual speed trials. See those big-bellied jobs? They're repair +ships." + +"I hadn't thought about that," acknowledged the big Venusian cadet. +"They'll probably be jazzing up those sleek babies and that takes a lot +of repair and work." + +"Come on," said Tom. "We've got to get over to the meeting. Captain +Strong said he wanted us to be there." + +The three cadets turned back toward the nearest slidewalk and hopped on. +None of them noticed the black ship with the red band around its bow +which suddenly appeared over the field, rockets blasting loudly as it +began to drop expertly to the ground. + +From early morning the skies over the Academy had been vibrating to the +thunderous exhausts of the incoming fleet of ships. Painted with company +colors and insignia, the ships landed in allotted space on the field, +and almost immediately, mechanics, crew chiefs, and specialists of all +kinds swarmed over the space vessels preparing them for the severest +tests they would ever undergo. The ships that actually were to make the +trial runs were stripped of every spare pound of weight, while their +reactors were taken apart and specially designed compression heads were +put on the atomic motors. + +The entire corps of Space Cadets had been given a special three-day +holiday to see the trials, and the Academy buildings were decorated with +multicolored flags and pennants. A festive atmosphere surrounded the +vast Solar Guard installation. + +But in his office in the Tower of Galileo, Captain Strong paced the +floor, a worried frown on his face. He stepped around his desk and +picked up a paper to re-read it for the tenth time. He shook his head +and flipped open the key of his desk intercom, connecting him with the +enlisted spaceman in the next office. + +"Find Kit Barnard, spaceman!" Strong called. "And give him an oral +message. _Personal._ Tell him I said he can't use his reactor unit +unless he changes it to more standard operational design." Strong paused +and glanced at the paper again. "As it stands now, his reactor will not +be approved for the trials," he continued. "Tell him he has until +midnight tonight to submit new specifications." + +As Strong closed the intercom key abruptly, the three members of the +_Polaris_ unit stepped into his office and saluted smartly. Strong +looked up. "Hello, boys. Sit down." He waved them to nearby chairs and +turned back to his desk. The drawn expression of their unit commander +did not go unnoticed. + +"Is there something wrong, sir?" asked Tom tentatively. + +"Nothing much," replied Strong wearily. He indicated the sheaf of papers +in front of him. "These are reactor-unit specifications submitted by the +pilots and crew chiefs of the ships to be flown in the time trials. I've +just had to reject Kit Barnard's specifications." + +"What was the matter?" asked Astro. + +"Not enough safety allowance. He's running too close to the danger point +in feeding reactant to the chambers, using D-18 rate of feed and D-9 is +standard." + +"What about the other ships, sir?" asked Tom. "Do they all have safety +factors?" + +Strong shrugged his shoulders. "They all specify standard reaction rates +without actually using figures," he said. "But I'm certain that their +feeders are being tuned up for maximum output. That's where your job is +going to come in. You've got to inspect the ships to make sure they're +safe." + +"Then Kit Barnard put down his specifications, _knowing_ that there was +a chance they wouldn't pass," Tom remarked. + +Strong nodded. "He's an honest man." + +The door opened and several men stepped inside. They were dressed in the +mode of merchant space officers, wearing high-peaked hats, trim jackets, +and trousers of a different color. Strong stood up to greet them. + +"Welcome, gentlemen. Please be seated. We will begin the meeting as soon +as all the pilots are here." + +Roger nudged Astro and whispered, "What's the big deal about a D-18 rate +and a D-9 rate? Why is that so important?" + +"It has to do with the pumps," replied the power-deck cadet. "They cool +the reactant fuel to keep it from getting too hot and wildcatting. At a +D-9 rate the reactant is hot enough to create power for normal flight. +Feeding at a D-18 rate is fine too, but you need pumps to cool the +motors, and pumps that could do the job would be too big." + +"Kit's problem," commented Tom, "is not so much building the reactor, +but a cooling system to keep it under control." + +"Will that make a big difference in who wins the race?" asked Roger. + +"With that ship of Kit's," said Astro, shaking his head, "I doubt if +he'll be able to come even close to the top speeds in the trials unless +he can use the new reactor." + +The room had filled up now and Strong rapped on the desk for attention. +He stared at the faces of the men before him, men who had spent their +lives in space. They were the finest pilots and crew chiefs in the solar +system. They sat quietly and attentively as Strong gave them the details +of the greatest race of spaceships in over a hundred years. + +After Strong had outlined the plans for the time trials, he concluded, +"Each of you competing in the time trials will be given a blast-off time +and an orbital course. Only standard, Solar-Guard-approval equipment +will be allowed in the tests. I will monitor the trials, and Space +Cadets Corbett, Manning, and Astro will be in complete charge of all +inspections of your ships." Strong paused and looked around. "Are there +any questions?" + +"When will the first ship blast off, Captain Strong?" asked a lean and +leathery-looking spaceman in the back of the room. + +"First time trial takes place at 0600 hours tomorrow morning. Each ship +has a designated time. Consult your schedules for the blast-off time of +your ships." + +"What if a ship isn't ready?" asked Kit Barnard, who had slipped into +the room unnoticed. + +"Any ship unable to blast off at scheduled time," said Strong, finding +it difficult to look at his old friend, "will be eliminated." + +There was a sudden murmur in the room and Quent Miles rose quickly. +"That's not much time to prepare our ships," he said. "I don't know +who's going to be first, but I can't even strip my ship by tomorrow +morning, let alone soup up the reactant." His voice was full of +contempt, and he glanced around the room at the other pilots. "Seems to +me we're being treated a little roughly." + +There were several cries of agreement. + +Strong held up his hand. "Gentlemen, I know it is difficult to prepare a +ship in twelve hours for a race as important as this one," he said. "But +I personally believe that any spaceman who really wants to make it can +make it!" + +"Well, I'm not going to break my back to make a deadline," snarled +Quent. "And I don't think any of the other fellows here will either." + +"If you are scheduled to blast off tomorrow at 0600 hours, Captain +Miles," Strong announced coldly, "and you are unable to raise ship, you +will be eliminated." + +Stifling an angry retort, Quent Miles sat down, and while Strong +continued to answer questions, Astro, a worried frown on his face, +stared at the spaceman dressed in black. Tom noticed it. "What's wrong +with you, Astro?" he asked. + +"That spaceman Miles," replied Astro. "I could swear I know him, yet I'm +sure that I don't." + +"He's not a very ordinary-looking guy," observed Roger. "He's plenty big +and he's so dark that it wouldn't be easy to mistake him." + +"Still," said Astro, screwing up his forehead, "I know I've seen him +before." + +"If there are no further questions, gentlemen," said Strong, "we'll +close this meeting. I know you're anxious to get to your ships and begin +work. But before you go, I would like to introduce the cadet inspectors +to you. Stand up, boys." + +Self-consciously, Tom, Roger, and Astro stood up while Strong addressed +the pilots. + +"Cadet Manning will be in charge of all electronics inspections, Cadet +Astro in charge of the power deck, and Cadet Corbett will cover the +control deck and over-all inspection of the ship itself." + +Quent Miles was on his feet again, shouting, "Do you mean to tell me +that we're going to be told what we can and can't do by those three +kids!" He turned and glared at Tom. "You come messing around my ship, +buster, and you'll be pitched out on your ear!" + +"If the cadets do not pass on your ship," said Strong, with more than a +little edge to his voice, "it will not get off the ground." + +The two men locked eyes across the room. + +"We'll see about that!" growled Miles, and stalked from the room, his +heavy shoulders swinging from side to side in an exaggerated swagger. + +"I believe that's all, gentlemen," announced Strong coldly, "and +spaceman's luck to each of you." + +After the men had left, the three cadets crowded around Strong. "Do you +think we'll have any trouble with Miles, sir?" asked Tom. + +"You have your orders, Tom," said Strong. "If any ship does not meet +standards established for the race, it will be disqualified!" + +Astro stared at the doorway through which Quent Miles had disappeared. +He scratched his head and muttered, "If it wasn't for just one thing, +I'd swear by the stars that he's the same spaceman who--" He stopped and +shook his head. + +"Who what?" asked Strong. + +"Nothing, sir," said Astro. "I _must_ be mistaken. It can't be the same +man." + +"I suggest that you sleep out at the spaceport tonight," said Strong. +"The first ship will have to be inspected before she blasts off, and +that means you will have to look her over before six." + +"Yes, sir," replied Tom. + +"And watch out for Quent Miles," warned Strong. + +"Yes, sir," said the curly-haired cadet. "I know what you mean." + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER 4 + + +"The course is to Luna and return! Spaceman's luck." + +Captain Strong's voice rasped out over the public address system as a +lone spaceship stood poised on the starting ramp, her ports closed, her +crew making last-minute preparations. Ringing the huge spaceport, crews +from other ships paused in their work to watch the first vessel make the +dash around the Moon in a frantic race against the astral chronometer. +In the temporary grandstands at the north end of the field, thousands of +spectators from cities all over Earth leaned forward, hushed and +expectant. + +"Are you ready _Star Lady?_" Strong called, his voice echoing over the +field. + +A light flashed from the viewport of the ship. + +"Stand by to raise ship!" roared Strong. "Blast off, minus five, four, +three, two, one--_zero!_" + +There was a sudden, ear-shattering roar and smoke and flame poured from +the exhaust of the ship, spilling over the blast-off ramp. The ship +rocked from side to side gently, rose into the air slowly, and then +gathering speed began to move spaceward. In a moment it was gone and +only the echoing blasts of thunder from its exhausts remained. + +[Illustration] + +"There goes number one," said Tom to his unit mates as they watched from +a vantage point near one of the service hangars. + +"He got a pretty shaky start there at the ramp," commented Astro. "He +must've poured on so much power, he couldn't control the ship." + +"Heads up, fellas," announced Roger suddenly. "Here comes work." Kit +Barnard was walking toward them, carrying a small metallic object in his +hand. + +"'Morning, boys," said Kit with a weary smile. His eyes were bloodshot. +The cadets knew he had worked all night to revise and resubmit his +specification sheet to Strong. + +[Illustration] + +"'Morning, sir," said Tom. + +"I'd like to have you O.K. this gear unit. I made it last night." + +Astro took the gear and examined it closely. + +"Looks fine to me," he said finally, handing it back. "Part of your main +pumps?" + +"Why, yes," replied Kit, surprised. "Say, you seem to know your +business." + +"Only the best rocket buster in space, sir," chimed in Tom. "He eats, +sleeps, and dreams about machinery on a power deck." + +"Is that for your new reactor, sir?" asked Astro. + +"Yes. Want to come over and take a look at it?" + +"Want to!" exclaimed Roger. "You couldn't keep him away with a ray gun, +Captain Barnard." + +"Fine," said Kit. "Incidentally, I'm not in the Solar Guard any more; +don't even hold a reserve commission, so you don't have to 'sir' me. I'd +prefer just plain Kit. O.K.?" + +The three boys grinned. "O.K., Kit," said Tom. + +Astro began to fidget and Tom nudged Roger. "Think we can spare the +Venusian for a little while?" + +"Might as well let him go," grunted Roger. "He'd only sneak off later, +anyway." + +Astro grinned sheepishly. "If anyone wants me to check anything, I'll be +over at Kit's. Where is your ship?" he asked the veteran spaceman. + +"Hangar Fourteen. Opposite the main entrance gate." + +"Fine, that's where I'll be, fellows. See you later." + +With Astro bending over slightly to hear what Kit was saying, the two +men walked away. Roger shook his head. "You know, I still can't get used +to that guy. He acts like a piece of machinery was a good-looking space +doll!" + +"I've seen you look the same way at your radarscope, Roger." + +"Yeah, but it's different with me." + +"Is it?" said Tom, turning away so that Roger would not see him +laughing. And as he did, he saw something that made him pause. In front +of the hangar, Captain Strong was talking to Quent Miles. There was no +mistaking the tall spaceman in his severe black clothes. + +"Here comes more work," muttered Tom. Quent had turned away from Strong +and was walking toward them. + +"Strong said I had to get you to O.K. this scope," said Quent with a +sneer. "Hurry it up! I haven't got all day." + +He handed them a radarscope that was common equipment on small pleasure +yachts, and was considerably lighter in weight than the type used on +larger freight vessels. + +"What's the gross weight of your ship?" asked Roger after a quick glance +at the large glass tube with a crystal surface that had been polished to +a smooth finish. + +"Two thousand tons," said Quent. "Why?" + +Roger shook his head. "This is too small, Mr. Miles. You will have to +use the standard operational scope." + +"But it's too big." + +"I'm sorry, sir--" began Roger. + +"Sorry!" Quent exploded. "Give me that tube, you squirt." He snatched it +out of Roger's hand. "I'm using this scope whether you like it or not!" + +"If you use that scope," said Tom coldly, "your ship will be +disqualified." + +Quent glared at the two boys for a moment, his black eyes cold and hard. +"They make kids feel mighty important around here, don't they?" + +"They give us jobs to do," said Roger. "Usually we can handle them fine. +Occasionally we run into a space-gassing bum and he makes things +difficult, but we manage to take care of him." + +Quent stepped forward in a threatening manner, but Roger did not move. +"Listen," the spaceman snarled, "stay out of my way, you young punk, or +I'll blast you." + +"Don't ever make the mistake of touching me, Mister," said Roger +calmly. "You might find that you're the one who's blasted." + +Quent stared at them a moment, then spun on his heels and swaggered back +to his ship. + +"You know, Roger," said Tom, watching Miles disappear into the hangar, +"I have an idea he is one spaceman who'll back up his threats." + +Roger ignored Tom's statement. "Come on. We've got a lot of work to do," +he said, turning away. + +The two cadets headed for the next hangar and boarded a ship with the +picture of a chicken on its nose. While Roger examined the +communications and astrogation deck, Tom busied himself inspecting the +control deck, where the great panels of the master control board were +stripped of everything but absolute essentials. Later, they called Astro +back to make a careful inspection of the power deck on the ship. While +they waited for the Venusian cadet, Tom and Roger talked to the pilot. + +Gigi Duarte was a small, dapper Frenchman who somehow, in the course of +his life, had acquired the nickname "Chicken" and it had been with him +ever since. The cadets had met him once before when they rode on a +passenger liner from Mars to Venusport and liked the small, stubby +spaceman. Now, renewing their friendship, the boys and "Gigi the +Chicken" sat on the lower step of the air lock and chatted. + +"This is the greatest thing that has happened to me," said Gigi. "Ever +since I can remember, I have wanted to race in space!" + +"Don't get much chance when you're hauling passengers around, I guess," +said Tom. + +Gigi shook his head. "One must always be careful. Just so fast, over a +certain route, taking all the precautionary steps for fuel! Bah! But +this flight! This time, I will show you speed! Watch the French Chicken +and you will see speed as you have never--" Suddenly he stopped and +frowned. "But you cannot see me. I will be going too fast!" + +Tom and Roger laughed. After Astro joined them, they shook hands with +the Frenchman, wished him luck, and went to the next ship to inspect it. +Gigi's ship was already being towed out to the blast-off ramp, and by +the time the three boys had completed their inspection of the next ship, +the gaily colored French ship flashed the ready signal to Strong. + +"Blast off, minus five, four, three, two, one--_zero!_" Strong's voice +boomed out over the loud-speakers and the French Chicken poured on the +power. His ship arose from the ground easily, and in five seconds was +out of sight in the cloudless skies above. + + * * * * * + +All day the spaceport rocked with the thunderous noise of stripped-down +spaceships blasting off on their trial runs around the Moon. Kit Barnard +worked like a demon to complete the cooling system in his aged ship, and +as each ship blasted off on its scheduled run to the Moon, the time for +his own flight drew nearer. Kit worked with his chief crewman, Sid +Goldberg, a serious, swarthy-faced youngster who rivaled Astro in his +love for the power-deck machinery on a spaceship. By nightfall, with +Tom, Roger, and Astro standing by to make their final inspection, Kit +wiped the oil and grime from his hands and stepped back. "Well, she's +finished. You can make your inspections now, boys," he said. + +While Tom, Astro, and Roger swarmed over the vessel, examining the newly +designed and odd-looking gear, the veteran spaceman and his young helper +stretched out on the concrete ramp and in thirty seconds were asleep. + +The _Polaris_ unit quickly checked out Kit's ship as qualified for the +race, and then turned, fascinated, to the tangle of pipes, cables, and +mechanical gear of the reactor unit and cooling pumps. Tom and Roger +were unable to figure out exactly what changes Kit had made, but Astro +gazed at the new machinery fondly, almost rapturously. He tried to +explain the intricate work to his unit mates, but would stop in the +middle of a sentence when a new detail of the construction would catch +his eye. + +"Come on, Roger," Tom sighed. "Let's go on to the next ship. This +lovesick Venusian can catch up with us later." + +They turned away and left Astro alone on the power deck, doubtful that +he had even noticed their departure. + +The trials had been suspended at nightfall, and the ships that had +already blasted off left sections of the huge spaceport empty. The day +had been a grueling one for the cadets, and Tom and Roger climbed +wearily on the nearest slidewalk that would take them back to the +Academy grounds. Just as they rode through the main field gate, Roger +nudged Tom. "Look! There's Quent Miles up ahead of us," he said. "Isn't +he scheduled to blast off in the morning?" + +"Yes. Why?" asked Tom. + +"He hasn't called us in to inspect his ship yet." + +"Maybe he isn't ready yet," said Tom. "Probably still souping it up." + +"I've been watching him. He hasn't done very much." + +"What do you mean?" + +"He's the only one working on his ship," replied Roger. "Not one +helper." + +Tom snorted. "You're beginning to suspect everything, Roger. He might be +going to get a part or grab a bite to eat." + +"Where? In Atom City?" asked Roger. "That's the slidewalk to the +monorail station." He pointed to the black-suited figure as he hopped on +another moving belt that angled away from theirs. + +"Oh, forget it," groaned Tom. "I'm too tired to think about it now. +Let's just report to Captain Strong and get some sack time. I'm all out +of reactant." + +"I suppose Astro will spend half the night trying to figure out what it +took Kit Barnard years to build," mused Roger. + +"And if I know Astro," chuckled Tom, "he'll get it figured out too!" + +As the two weary cadets continued their ride into the Academy grounds, +on another slidewalk going in the opposite direction, Quent Miles +watched the darkening countryside closely. It was several miles from the +Academy to the monorail station, and the moving belt dipped and turned +through the rugged country that surrounded Space Academy. Suddenly Quent +straightened, and making certain no one was watching him, he jumped off +the slidewalk and hurried to a clump of bushes a few hundred yards away. +He disappeared into the thick foliage and then reached inside his tunic +and pulled out a paralo-ray gun. + +"You in here, Charley?" Miles whispered. + +There was a movement to his left and he leveled the gun. "All right! +Come out of there!" + +The bushes parted and Charley Brett stepped out. "Put that thing away!" +he snarled. "What's that for?" + +"After I got your message to meet you out here, I didn't know what was +up, so I brought this along just in case," Quent replied. "What's so +secret that you couldn't come to the spaceport?" + +"I've got the stuff for Kit Barnard's reactor." + +"What stuff?" + +"This." Brett took a small lead container out of his pocket and handed +it to Quent. "This is impure reactant. Dump it into his feeders and we +can count him out of the race." + +Quent took the lead container, looked at it, and then stuffed it inside +his tunic. "What'll happen?" + +"Nothing. He'll just get out in space and find his pumps won't handle +the heat from his feeders, that's all. He's the only one I'm worried +about." + +"Reports are coming in from Luna City. You can worry about Gigi Duarte, +too. He's burning up space." + +"Ross is at the Luna spaceport," replied Brett. "He'll take care of any +ship that looks like it's going to be too fast." + +"Then why not have him take care of Kit Barnard too?" demanded Quent. +"There will be less chance of getting caught. Remember, I've got those +three Space Cadets and Strong to worry about." + +"You can't expect to get what we're after unless you take chances. Now +get back to the spaceport and put this stuff in Barnard's feeders. You +blast off tomorrow morning before he does and won't have much time." + +"O.K.," agreed Quent. "When did Ross get to Luna City?" + +"Yesterday. I had him come in from the hide-out." + +"You think there'll be any cause for suspicion with him on the Moon and +me down here?" asked Quent. + +"When you land at Luna City spaceport, he'll disappear. By that time we +should know how the time trials are shaping up." + +"O.K. Where are you going now?" + +"Back to the office. I've still got some things to check on before the +big race. We're going to use the hide-out for that." + +A smile spread across Quent Miles' face. "So that's it, eh? Pretty +clever, Charley. Ross know about it?" + +"Yeah. He's leaving as soon as he knows we've won the time trials. Now +get back to the spaceport and take care of Barnard's ship." + +Quent slipped his hand inside his tunic and patted the lead container. +"Too bad this isn't a baby bomb," he muttered. "We could be sure Barnard +wouldn't finish." + +"He's finished right now, but he doesn't know it." Brett smiled. "He's +borrowed heavily just on this race, and when he loses, the banks will +close him up. Kit Barnard is through." + + + + +CHAPTER 5 + + +"We regret to announce that the spaceship _La Belle France_, piloted by +Gigi Duarte, has crashed!" + +Captain Strong's voice was choked with emotion as he made the +announcement over the spaceport public-address system. There was an +audible groan of sympathy from the thousands of spectators in the +grandstands. In spite of every precaution for safety, death had visited +the spaceways. + +Strong continued, "We have just received official confirmation from Luna +City that the Paris-Venusport Transfer Company entry exploded in space +soon after leaving Luna City. Captain Duarte had flown the first leg of +the race from Earth to the Moon in record time." + +The Solar Guard officer snapped off the microphone and turned to Tom, +Roger, and Astro. "It's hard to believe that the French Chicken won't be +shuttling from Paris to Venusport any more," he murmured. + +"Are there any details, sir?" asked Tom. + +"You know there are never any details, Corbett," said Strong with a +little edge in his voice. Then he immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, +Tom. Gigi was an old friend." + +The door behind them opened and an enlisted spaceman stepped inside, +saluting smartly. "Ready for the next blast-off, Captain Strong," he +announced. + +"Who is it?" asked Strong, turning to the intercom connecting him with +the control tower that co-ordinated all the landings and departures at +the spaceport. + +The spaceman referred to a clipboard. "It's the _Space Lance_, sir. +Piloted by Captain Sticoon. He's representing an independent company +from Marsopolis." + +"Right, thanks." Strong turned to the intercom mike, calling, "Captain +Strong to control tower, check in." + +"Say, I'd like to see this fellow blast," said Tom. "He's supposed to be +one of the hottest pilots ever to hit space." + +"Yeah," agreed Roger. "He's so good I don't see how anyone else could +have a chance." + +"With that hot rocket in this race," said Astro, "the others will have +to fight for second and third place." + +"Control tower to Strong," a voice crackled over the intercom +loud-speaker. "Ready here, sir." + +"Right. Stand by for the next flight, Mac," replied Strong. "It's +Sticoon." + +Strong flipped a switch on the intercom to direct contact with the +waiting ship and gave Sticoon the oft-repeated final briefing, +concluding, "Do not go beyond the necessary limitations of fuel +consumption that are provided for in the Solar Guard space code. If you +return here with less than a quarter supply of reactant fuel, you will +be disqualified. Stand by to blast off!" + +"Uh-huh!" was all the acknowledgment Strong received from the Martian. +Famed for his daring, Sticoon was also known for his taciturn +personality. + +"Clear ramp! Clear ramp!" Strong boomed over the public-address system. +When he received the all-clear from the enlisted spaceman on the ramp, +Strong flipped both the public-address system and the intercom on. +"Stand by to raise ship!" + +He glanced at the astral chronometer. "Blast off, minus five, four, +three, two, one--_zero!_" + +Tom, Roger, and Astro crowded to the viewport in Strong's command shack +to watch the bulky Martian's ship take to space. With Sticoon at the +controls, there was no hesitation. He gave the ship full throttle from +the moment of blast-off and in three seconds was out of sight. There +wasn't much to see at such speed. + +The three members of the _Polaris_ unit left the shack to return to +their task of inspection. They passed the maintenance hangar where Kit +Barnard was readying his ship for blast-off in the next half hour. + +"Any last-minute hitches, Kit?" asked Astro, vitally interested in the +new reactor unit and its cooling system. + +Kit smiled wearily and shook his head. "All set!" + +"Good." Tom smiled. "We'll try to be back before you blast. We've got to +check Quent Miles' ship now." + +As the three cadets approached the sleek black vessel with its +distinctive markings, the air lock opened and Quent Miles stepped out on +the ladder. + +"It's about time you three jerks showed up," he sneered. "I have to +blast off in twenty minutes! What's the idea of messing around with that +Barnard creep? He hasn't got a chance, anyway." + +"Is that so?" snapped Roger. "Listen--!" + +"_Roger!_" barked Tom warningly. + +Quent grinned. "That's right. Lay off, buster. Get to your inspecting +and let a spaceman blast off." + +"Kit Barnard will blast off after you, and still beat you back," growled +Roger, stepping into the ship. He stopped suddenly and gasped in +amazement. "Well, blast my jets!" + +Tom and Astro crowded into the air lock and looked around, openmouthed. +Before them was what appeared to be a hollow shell of a ship. There were +no decks or bulkheads, nothing but an intricate network of ladders +connecting the various operating positions of the spaceship. Everything +that could be removed had been taken out of the ship. + +"Is this legal?" asked Roger incredulously. + +"I'm afraid it is, Roger," said Tom. "But we're going to make sure that +everything that's supposed to be in a spaceship is in this one." + +"When I blast off, I don't intend carrying any passengers," growled +Miles behind them. "If you're going to inspect, then inspect and stop +gabbing." + +"Let's go," said Tom grimly. + +The three boys split up and began crawling around in the network of +exposed supporting beams and struts that took the place of decks and +bulkheads. It did not take them long to determine that Quent Miles' ship +was in perfect condition for blast-off. With but a few minutes to spare, +they returned to face Miles at the air lock. + +"O.K., you're cleared," Tom announced. + +"But it'll take more than a light ship to win this race," said Roger, +and unable to restrain himself, he added, "You're bucking the best space +busters in the universe!" + +"One of them"--Quent held up his finger--"is dead." + +"Yeah," growled Astro, "but there are plenty more just as good as Gigi +Duarte." + +The intercom buzzer sounded in the ship and Quent snapped, "Beat it! +I've got a race to win." He pushed the three cadets out of the air lock +and slammed the pluglike door closed. From two feet away it was +impossible to spot the seams in the metal covering on the port and the +hull. + +"Clear ramp! Clear ramp!" Strong's voice echoed over the spaceport. Tom, +Roger, and Astro scurried down the ladder and broke away from the ramp +in a run. They knew Quent Miles would not hesitate to blast off whether +anyone was within range of his exhaust or not. + +"Blast off, minus five, four, three, two, one--_zero!_" + +Again the spaceport reverberated to the sound of a ship blasting off. +All eyes watched the weirdly painted black ship shudder under the surge +of power, and then shoot spaceward as if out of a cannon. + +"Well, ring me around Saturn," breathed Tom, looking up into the sky +where the black ship had disappeared from view. "Whatever Quent Miles +is, he can sure take acceleration." + +"Spaceman," said Astro, taking a deep breath, "you can say that again. +Wow!" + +"I hope it broke his blasted neck," said Roger. + + * * * * * + +"And you saw him messing around here, Sid?" asked Kit Barnard of his +young helper. + +"That's right," replied the crew chief. "I was on the control deck +checking out the panel and I happened to look down. I couldn't see too +well, but it was a big guy." + +[Illustration] + +"Messing around the reactor, huh?" mused Kit, almost asking the question +of himself. + +"That's right. I checked it right away, but I couldn't find anything +wrong." + +"Well, it's too late now, anyway. I blast in three minutes." Grimly Kit +Barnard looked up at the sky where the black ship had just vanished. + +"Spaceman's luck, Kit," said Sid, offering his hand. Kit grasped it +quickly and jumped into his ship, closing the air lock behind him. + +As Sid climbed down from the ramp, the three cadets rushed up +breathlessly, disappointed at being unable to give Kit their personal +good wishes. + +"Well, anyway, I gave the new reactor my blessing last night," said +Astro as they walked away from the ramp. + +"You were aboard the ship last night?" Sid exclaimed. + +"Uh-huh," replied Astro. "Hope you don't mind." + +"No, not a bit!" Sid broke into a smile. "Whew! I thought for a while it +was Quent." + +"What about Quent?" asked Tom. + +"I saw someone messing around on the power deck last night and thought +it might be Quent. But now that you say it was you, Astro, there isn't +anything to worry about." + +Reaching a safe distance from the ramp, they stopped just as Strong +finished counting off the seconds to blast off. + +"_Zero!_" + +The three cadets and Sid waited for the initial shattering roar of the +jets, but it did not come. Instead, there was a loud bang, followed by +another, and then another. And only then did the ship begin to leave the +ground, gradually picking up speed and shooting spaceward. + +"What was wrong?" asked Tom, looking at Sid. + +"The feeders," replied the young engineer miserably. "They're not +functioning properly. They're probably jamming." + +Astro looked puzzled. "But I checked those feeders myself, just before +you closed the casing," he said. "They were all right then." + +"Are you sure?" asked Sid. + +"Of course I'm sure," said Astro. "Checking the feeders is one of my +main jobs." + +"Then it must be the reactant," said Tom. "Did Kit use standard +reactant?" + +Sid nodded. "Got it right here at the spaceport. Same stuff everyone +else is using." + +Gloomily the four young spacemen turned away from the ramp and headed +for the control tower to hear the latest reports from the ships already +underway. There were only a few more ships scheduled to blast off, and +the cadets had already inspected them. + +"Wait a minute," said Tom, stopping suddenly. "The fuel tanks are on the +portside of the ship, and the feeders are on the starboard. Where did +you see this fellow messing around, Sid?" + +Sid thought a moment and then his face clouded. "Come to think of it, I +saw him on the portside." + +"I wasn't even close to the tanks!" exclaimed Astro. + +"There was someone messing around them, then," said Roger. + +"Yes," said Tom grimly. "But we don't know _who_--or _what_ he did." + +"From the sound of those rockets," said Astro, "Kit's feeders are +clogged, or there's something in his reactant that the strainers are not +filtering out." + +"Well," sighed Roger, "there isn't anything Kit can do but keep going +and hope that everything turns out for the best." + +"_If_ he can keep going!" said Tom. "You know, there are some things +about this whole race that really puzzle me." + +"What?" asked Roger. + +"Impure reactant in Kit's ship, after fellows like Kit, Astro, and Sid +checked it a hundred times. Gigi Duarte crashing after making record +speed to the Moon. The minimum specifications being stolen from +Commander Walters...." Tom stopped and looked at his friends. "That +enough?" + +Roger, Astro, and Sid considered the young cadet's words. The picture +Tom presented had many curious sides and no one had the slightest idea +of how to go beyond speculation and find proof! + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER 6 + + +"The winners are--" Captain Strong's voice rang loud and clear over the +loud-speakers--"first place, Captain Sticoon, piloting the Marsopolis +Limited entry, _Space Lance_! Second place, Captain Miles, piloting the +Charles Brett Company entry, _Space Knight_! Third place, Captain +Barnard, piloting his own ship, _Good Company_!" + +There was a tremendous roar from the crowd. In front of the official +stand, Tom, Roger, and Astro pounded Sid Goldberg on the back until he +begged for mercy. On the stand, Strong and Kit shook hands and grinned +at each other. And Commander Walters stepped up to congratulate the +three winners. Walters handed each of them a personal message of good +wishes from the Solar Council, and then, over the public-address system, +made a short speech to the pilots of the losing ships thanking them for +their co-operation and good sportsmanship. He paused, and in a voice +hushed with emotion, offered a short prayer in memory of Gigi Duarte. +The entire spaceport was quiet for two minutes without prompting, +voluntarily paying homage to the brave spaceman. + +After Walters left and the ceremonies were over, the three winners stood +looking at each other, sizing up one another. Each of them knew that the +winner of this race probably would go down in the history of deep space. +There was fame and fortune to be won now. Quent Miles ignored Sticoon +and swaggered over to Kit Barnard. + +"You were lucky, Barnard," he sneered. "Too bad it won't last for the +race." + +"We'll see, Quent," said Kit coolly. + +Sticoon said nothing, just watched them quietly. Quent Miles laughed and +walked off the stand. Kit Barnard looked at Sticoon. "What's the matter +with him?" he asked. + +The Martian shrugged. "Got a hot rocket in his craw," he said quietly. +"But watch your step with him, Kit. Personally, I wouldn't trust that +spaceman as far as I could throw an asteroid." + +Kit grinned. "Thanks--and good luck." + +"I'll need it if you get that reactor of yours working," said the +Martian. + +He turned and left the stand without a word to Tom, Roger, or Astro. The +three cadets looked at each other, feeling the tension in the air +suddenly relax. Strong was busy talking to someone on the portable +intercom and had missed the byplay between the three finalists. + +"That Quent sure has a talent for making himself disliked," Tom +commented to his unit mates. + +"And all he's going to get for it is trouble," quipped Sid, who would +not let any argument take away the pleasure he felt over winning the +trials. "I'm going back to our ship and find out what happened to those +feeders." + +"I'll come with you," volunteered Astro. + +"Just a minute, Astro," interrupted Strong. "I've been talking with +Commander Walters. He's on his way back to the Tower of Galileo and +called me from the portable communicator on the main slidewalk. He wants +me to report to his office on the double. You three will have to take +care of the final details here." + +"Come down when you can," said Sid to Astro, and turned to leave with +Kit. + +"Something wrong, sir?" asked Tom. + +"I don't know, Tom," replied Strong, a worried frown on his face. +"Commander Walters seemed excited." + +"Does it have anything to do with the race?" asked Roger. + +"In a way it does," replied Strong. "I'm leaving on special assignment. +I'm not sure, but I think you three will have to monitor the race by +yourselves." + + * * * * * + +Major Connel sat to one side of Commander Walters' desk, a scowl on his +heavy, fleshy face. The commander paced back and forth in front of the +desk, and Captain Strong stood at the office window staring blankly down +on the dark quadrangle below. The door opened and the three officers +turned quickly to see Dr. Joan Dale enter, carrying several papers in +her hand. + +"Well, Joan?" asked Walters. + +"I'm afraid that the reports are true, sir," Dr. Dale said. "There are +positive signs of decreasing pressure in the artificial atmosphere +around the settlements on Titan. The pressure is dropping and yet there +is no indication that the force screen, holding back the real methane +ammonia atmosphere of Titan, is not functioning properly." + +"How about leaks?" Connel growled. + +"Not possible, Major," replied the pretty physicist. "The force field, +as you know, is made up of electronic impulses of pure energy. By +shooting these impulses into the air around a certain area, like the +settlement at Olympia, we can refract the methane ammonia, push it back +if you will, like a solid wall. What the impulses do, actually, is +create a force greater and thicker in content than the atmosphere of +Titan, creating a vacuum. We then introduce oxygen into the vacuum, +making it possible for humans to live without the cumbersome use of +space helmets." Dr. Dale leaned against Commander Walters' desk and +considered the three Solar Guard officers. "If we don't find out what's +happening out there," she resumed grimly, "and do something about it +soon, we'll have to abandon Titan." + +"Abandon Titan!" roared Connel. "Can't be done." + +"Impossible!" snapped Walters. + +"It's going to happen," asserted the girl stoutly. + +Connel sprang out of his chair and began pacing the floor. "We can't +abandon Titan!" he roared. "Disrupt the flow of crystal and you'll set +off major repercussions in the system's economy." + +"We know that, Major," said Walters. "That's the prime reason for this +meeting." + +"May I make a suggestion, sir?" asked Strong. + +"Go ahead, Steve," said Walters. + +"While these graphs of Joan's show us _what's_ happening, I think it +will take on-the-spot investigations to find out _why_ it's happening." + +Connel flopped back in his chair, relaxed again. He looked at Walters. +"Send Steve out there and we'll find out what's going on," he said +confidently. + +Walters looked at Strong. "When are the ships supposed to blast off for +the race?" + +"Tomorrow at 1800, sir." + +"You planned to use the _Polaris_ to monitor the race?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Think we should send the _Polaris_ unit out alone?" + +"I have a better suggestion, sir," said Strong. + +"Well?" + +"Since there are only three finalists, how about putting one cadet on +each ship? Then I can take the _Polaris_ and go on out to Titan now. +When the boys arrive, they could help me with my investigation." + +Walters looked at Connel. "What do you think, Major?" + +"Sounds all right to me," replied the veteran spaceman. "If you think +the companies won't object to having cadets monitor their race for +them." + +"They won't have anything to say about it," replied Walters. "I'd trust +those cadets under any circumstances. And the race won't mean a thing +unless we can find the source of trouble on Titan. There won't be any +crystal to haul." + +"Fine," grunted Connel. He rose, nodded, and left the room. He was not +being curt, he was being Connel. The problem had been temporarily solved +and there was nothing else he could do. There were other things that +demanded his attention. + +"What about me going along too, Commander?" asked Joan. + +"Better not, Joan," said Walters. "You're more valuable to us here in +the Academy laboratory." + +"Very well, sir," she said. "I have some work to finish, so I'll leave +you now. Good luck, Steve." She shook hands with the young captain and +left. + +Walters turned back to Strong. "Well, now that's settled, tell me, what +do you think of the race tomorrow, Steve?" + +"If Kit Barnard gets that reactor of his functioning properly, he'll run +away from the other two." + +"I don't know," mused Walters. "Wild Bill Sticoon is a hot spaceman. One +of the best rocket jockeys I've ever seen. Did I ever tell you what we +went through a few years back trying to get him to join the Solar +Guard?" Walters laughed. "We promised him everything but the Moon. But +he didn't want any part of us. 'Can't ride fast enough in your wagons, +Commander,' he told me. Quite a boy!" + +"And with Quent Miles in there, it's going to be a very hot race," +asserted Strong. + +"Ummmmh," Walters grunted. "He's the unknown quantity. Did you see that +ship of his? Never saw anything more streamlined in my whole life." + +"And the cadets said he stripped her of everything but the hull plates." + +"It paid off for him," said Walters. "He and Charley Brett are certainly +working hard to get this contract." + +"There's a lot of money involved, sir," said Strong. "But in any case +we're bound to get a good schedule with the speeds established so far." + +"Well, advise the cadets to stand by for blast-off with the finalists +tomorrow." + +"Any particular ship you want them each assigned to, sir?" asked Strong. + +"No, let them decide," replied Walters. "But it would be best if you +could keep Manning away from Miles. That's like putting a rocket into a +fire and asking it not to explode." + +The two men grinned at each other and then settled down to working out +the details of Strong's trip. Before the evening was over, Walters had +decided, if necessary, he would follow Strong out to Titan. + +In the distance, they could hear the muffled roar of rocket motors as +the three finalists tuned up their ships, preparing for the greatest +space race in history. And it seemed to Strong that with each blast +there was a vaguely ominous echo. + + * * * * * + +"I've strained that fuel four times and come up with the same answer," +said Astro. The giant Venusian held up the oil-smeared test tube for Kit +Barnard's inspection. "Impure reactant. And so impure that it couldn't +possibly have come from the Academy supply depot. It would have been +noticed." + +"Then how did it get in my feeders?" asked Kit, half to himself. + +"Whoever was messing around on the power deck just before you blasted +off for the trials must have dumped it in," said Tom. + +"Obviously." Kit nodded. "But who is that? Who would want to do a dirty +thing like that?" + +"Who indeed?" said a voice in back of them. They all spun around to +face Quent Miles. He lounged against the stabilizer fin and grinned at +them. + +"What do you want, Miles?" asked Kit. + +"Just stopped by to give you the proverbial handshake of good luck +before we blast off," replied the spaceman with a mocking wink. + +"Kit doesn't need your good wishes," snapped Sid. + +"Well, now, that's too bad," said Quent. "I have a feeling that he's +going to need a lot more than luck." + +"Listen, Miles," snapped Kit, "did you come aboard my ship and tamper +with the fuel?" + +Quent's eyes clouded. "Careful of your accusations, Barnard." + +"I'm not accusing you, I'm asking you." + +"See you in space." Quent laughed, turning to leave, not answering the +question. "But then, again, maybe I won't see you." He disappeared into +the darkness of the night. + +"The nerve of that guy," growled Tom. + +"Yes," Kit agreed, shrugging his shoulders. "But I'm more concerned +about this unit than I am about Quent Miles and his threats. Let's get +back to work." + +Renewing their efforts, Tom, Roger, Astro, Sid, and Kit Barnard turned +to the reactor unit and began the laborious job of putting it back +together again, at the same time replacing worn-out parts and adjusting +the delicate clearances. + +It was just before dawn when Strong visited Kit's ship. Seeing the +cadets stripped to the waist and working with the veteran spaceman, he +roared his disapproval. "Of all the crazy things to do! Don't you know +that you could have Kit disqualified for helping him?" + +[Illustration: _The giant Venusian held up the oil-smeared test tube_] + +"But--but--" Tom tried to stammer an explanation. + +"I couldn't have done it alone," explained Kit. He looked at Strong and +their eyes met. Understanding flowed between them. + +"Very well," said Strong, fighting to control himself. "If no one makes +a complaint against you, we'll let it pass." + +"Thanks, Steve," said Kit. + +"You should have known better, Kit," said Strong. "The Solar Guard is +supposed to be neutral throughout the entire race and do nothing but +judge it." + +"I know, Steve," said Kit. "But someone dumped impure reactant into +my--" + +"What?" It was the first time Strong had heard of it and he listened +intently as the cadets and Sid told him the whole story. + +"Why didn't you make a complaint?" demanded Strong finally. "We'd have +given you more time to get squared away." + +"It's not important," said Kit. "I won a place in the finals and now the +boys and Sid have helped me clean it out." + +Strong nodded. "All right. I guess one seems to balance out the other. +Forget it." He smiled. "And excuse me for jumping like that and thinking +that you would do anything--er--" He hesitated. + +"That's all right, Steve." Kit spoke up quickly to save his friend +embarrassment. + +Strong turned to the cadets. "I've got news for you three. You are going +to monitor the race by yourselves." + +Tom, Roger, and Astro looked at each other dumfounded as Strong quickly +outlined the plan. Later, when Sid and Kit were working inside the +ship, he told them of the sudden danger on Titan. + +"So I'm going to leave it up to you which ship you want to ride," he +concluded. "The commander has suggested that Roger not be sent along +with Miles on the _Space Knight_. He seems to think the two of you +wouldn't get along." + +"On the contrary, skipper," said Roger, "I'd like the opportunity of +keeping an eye on him." + +Strong thought a moment. "Not a bad idea, Roger," he said as he turned +to Astro. "And I suppose you want to ride with Kit and his reactor?" + +Astro grinned. "Yes, sir. If I may." + +"All right. Tom, I guess that means you ride with Wild Bill Sticoon." + +"That's all right with me, sir," the young cadet said excitedly. "This +is something I'll be able to tell my grandchildren--riding with the +hottest spaceman in the hottest race through space." + + * * * * * + +Quent Miles spun around, his paralo-ray gun leveled. He saw a figure +enter through the hatch, but when light revealed the face he relaxed. + +"Oh, it's you!" he grumbled. "I thought you were setting things up back +at Atom City." + +"You fumble-fisted, space-gassing jerk!" snarled Charley Brett. "Depend +on you to get things messed up! That Barnard guy is all set to roll with +his reactor!" + +"Then why didn't Ross take care of him on the Moon?" asked Miles. + +"He didn't land," replied Brett. "He kept going and made the whole trip +without refueling that new unit of his. It's so good that he got back +here still carrying half a tank of reactant." + +"Well, you haven't any kick with me," asserted Miles. "I dumped that +stuff in his tanks." + +"Then how come he made it so fast?" growled Brett. "How come he made it +at all?" + +"How should I know?" snapped Quent. "Listen, Charley, lay off me. You +might be able to order Ross around, but you don't scare me. And I don't +think you have Ross fooled either." + +"Never mind that now!" said Brett irritably. "We've got to line things +up for the race. Listen! Ross left Luna City this morning for the +hide-out. Here's what I want you to do. After you blast off--" Brett's +voice dropped to a whisper and Quent's eyes opened with understanding, +and then his rugged features broke out into a grin as Brett continued +talking. + +Finally Brett straightened up. "I'm going on out to Titan now to see if +things are O.K. You got everything clear?" + +"Everything's clear," said Quent. "And you know something, Charley? You +have a nasty way about you, but you certainly know how to figure the +angles. This is perfect. We can't miss." + +"I love you too, sweetheart," said Brett sourly. He turned and hurried +out of the ship. Just before he stepped on the slidewalk that would take +him to the monorail station, he saw the three members of the _Polaris_ +unit leaving Kit Barnard's installation. He grinned and made a mocking +salute to them in the darkness. + +"So long suckers!" he called softly. + + + + +CHAPTER 7 + + +"What!" + +Quent Miles looked at Strong and then back at Roger. "You mean this +jerk's going to ride with me?" + +Roger Manning squared his shoulders and stuck out his chin. "Let's make +the most of this, Miles," he said. "I don't like it any more than you +do. I wouldn't like to be watched, either, if I had just crawled out +from under a rock." + +Strong suppressed a grin and then turned back to Quent. "That's the way +it is, Miles. Commander Walters' orders. There's nothing that can be +done now. Cadets Manning, Corbett, and Astro have been given these +assignments because they have worked so closely on the race project, +and, I might add, you couldn't ask for a better astrogator should you +get into trouble." + +"The day I'll ask for help from a kid still wet behind the ears is the +day I'll stop flying," snarled Miles. + +Strong shrugged. "You either consent to the regulations, or disqualify +yourself from the race." + +The spaceman's face turned a dusky red under his swarthy complexion. +"All right, all right! If that's the way it is, that's the way we'll +play it. But I'm warning you, Manning, stay away from me." + +Strong glanced at his wrist chronograph. "You have five minutes before +the blast-off, stand by." He shook hands with Roger. "Good luck, Roger, +and be careful. And remember, Captain Miles has already proved himself a +crackerjack spaceman. Don't interfere with him." + +"Yes, sir," said Roger. + +"Good luck, Miles," said Strong and offered his hand. Quent ignored it. + +"Thanks for nothing," he sneered. "I know how much you want me to have." + +"The best man wins," snapped Strong. He turned on his heels and left the +black ship. + +Quent Miles and Roger faced each other. "All right, Manning," said Miles +after he had closed the air lock, "take your station. And remember I'm +skipper of this ship." + +"So what?" said Roger. "I'm still the monitor--!" He turned and +swaggered away. + +Miles watched him go, a crooked smile twisting his lips. "Make the most +of it, Manning," he muttered under his breath. + + * * * * * + +"You will make two stops for refueling on your trip," Captain Strong +called over the loud-speakers, as well as into the intercom connecting +the three ships. "First fuel stop will be on Deimos of Mars and the +second will be at Ganymede. You are to chart a direct course to each of +them. Should an emergency arise, you will call for assistance on the +special teleceiver and audioceiver circuits open to you, numbers +seventeen and eighty-three. You are to circle each fueling stop three +times before making a touchdown, and make a final circle around Titan +when you arrive. + +"Stand by to raise ship! And spaceman's luck!" + +Strong turned and flipped on the intercom to the control tower. "All +ready up there?" he called. + +"All set, sir," replied the enlisted spaceman. + +"All right, give them their orbits and blast-off time." + +There was a slight pause, and then the gruff voice of the tower operator +was heard over the loud-speakers and in the ships. "All ships will blast +off on orbit forty-one ... raise ship at 18:51:35 ... stand by!" + +There was a tense moment of silence while the seconds on the red hand of +the astral chronometer slipped around the dial. Out on the field, the +three ships were pointed toward the darkening afternoon skies. The first +ship, nearest the tower, was Wild Bill Sticoon's ship, the _Space +Lance_, painted a gleaming white. Strong could see Tom sitting beside +the viewport, and across the distance that separated them, the Solar +Guard officer could see the curly-haired cadet wave. He returned the +greeting. + +Next was the black ship with the red markings that had aroused so much +comment. Strong searched the viewports for a sight of Roger but could +not see him. Finally he looked over at Kit Barnard's red-painted _Good +Company_. He knew Astro would be on the power deck, preferring to nurse +the reactor than watch the blast-off. + +And then Strong was conscious of the tower operator counting off the +seconds. He would pick it up at ten minus. He gripped the intercom mike +as Mike's voice droned in his ears. + +" ... fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten...." + +"Stand by to raise ships!" bawled Strong. He watched the sweep hand on +the chronometer. "Blast off, minus five, four, three, two, one--_zero!_" + +There was really very little to see. The three ships left Earth in a +giant upheaval of thunderous noise and blazing red exhaust flames. The +roar of the crowds was lost in the explosions of the rockets. And the +greatest race in space was underway. + +Strong raced up to the control tower and stood in front of the radar +scanner to watch the course of the three vessels now blasting through +the atmosphere. They were three white blips on the green surface of the +glass scope, in perfect line, traveling at incredible speeds. + +Strong turned to the enlisted spaceman. "Contact the ships and see if +everything's all right," he ordered. + +"Very well, sir," replied the spaceman, turning to the audioceiver +microphone. + +"Spaceport control to rocket ships _Space Lance_, _Space Knight_, and +_Good Company_. Come in, please." + +There was a crackling of static over the loud-speaker and then the calm +voice of Tom filled the control tower. "This is Corbett on the _Space +Lance_. Go ahead." + +Strong took the microphone. "This is Captain Strong," he called. "How +was your blast-off, Tom?" + +"Smooth as silk, sir," replied the young cadet. "Wild Bill sends his +greetings and says he'll take a three-inch steak instead of flowers when +he wins." + +"Tell him it's a deal." Strong laughed. "End transmission." + +"See you on Titan, sir," said Tom. "End transmission." + +Strong then spoke to Kit Barnard on the _Good Company_, but did not get +a chance to speak to Astro. "He's down on the power deck, Steve," +reported Kit. "He's watching that reactor as if it were a treasure +chest." + +"To him it _is_," said Strong. "Good luck, Kit." + +"Incidentally," said Kit before signing off, "I heard that crack Wild +Bill made about a steak. Better put _my_ name on it!" + +Strong then contacted Quent Miles' vessel. "Is Manning there, Miles?" + +"Yeah, he's here. Dead asleep!" growled Miles. "I thought you said he +was going to be a help." + +Strong's face grew red. "Well, wake him up," he snapped. + +"You come wake him up," said Miles, and then the speaker went dead. + +"Control tower to _Space Knight_!" Strong called angrily. "Come in, +Miles. Control tower to _Space Knight_!" + +"Yeah. What do you want?" growled Miles over the vast distance of space +that already separated the two men and that each second took them +thousands of miles farther apart. + +"I want to speak to Manning," demanded Strong. "And if you cut me off +like that again, Miles, I'll have you before a Solar Guard court for +violation of the space code, race or no race." + +"I told you once," said Miles. "Manning is asleep. He sacked in right +after we left the Academy. Now leave me alone, will you! I've got a race +to win!" + +"Very well, Miles," said Strong. "But for your sake, I hope Cadet +Manning _is_ asleep." + +"End transmission," growled Miles, and again the speaker went dead. + +"Trouble, Steve?" + +Strong turned to see Commander Walters enter the control room. + +"No, sir," said Strong. "I tried to contact Roger, but Quent Miles told +me he's asleep." + +"Asleep!" cried Walters. "But I thought you weren't going to put Manning +with Miles." + +"Astro wanted to go with Kit, sir. And Tom was anxious to go with Wild +Bill Sticoon. Roger didn't seem to mind." + +"Did Miles object?" + +"Yes, sir. But I think he would object to anyone going with him." + +"And he told you Roger is asleep?" + +Strong nodded. Walters pushed past him to the intercom and took the +microphone. "This is Commander Walters calling rocket ship _Space +Knight_. Come in, _Space Knight_." + +There was a flutter of static and then Quent Miles' voice again. There +was a little more respect in his tone but his story was the same. Roger +was sleeping. + +Walters slammed the microphone down. "By the craters of Luna, this is +the last time I'll take this nonsense from Manning!" He jerked around +and stood facing the viewport. "I'm sorry, Steve, but there have been +more reports from Titan. The situation is serious. I've had to start +evacuation. And then to get this smart-alecky behavior out of Manning. +Well, you know what I mean." + +Strong nodded, now more concerned about the emergency on Mars. "Shall I +blast off right away, sir?" he asked. + +Walters nodded grimly. "Yes. And I'm going with you. I'll leave Major +Connel in charge while I'm gone. I would prefer to have him go, but he's +been working with Dr. Dale on some new idea about reinforcing the force +field and I can't pull him off it. You and I will have to do what we +can." + +Strong turned to the tower operator and ordered the rocket cruiser +_Polaris_ readied for immediate space flight, concluding, " ... and have +a full complement of Space Marines aboard. And I want Warrant Officer +Mike McKenny as squad leader." + +"Have you forgotten, sir?" interjected the enlisted spaceman who was +taking Strong's orders. "Warrant Officer McKenny cannot take +acceleration." + +"All right, get--" Strong hesitated. "Get me Jeff Marshall, Professor +Sykes' assistant." + +Walters nodded. "Good idea. Jeff can take care of any lab tests we may +have to make and also knows how to handle men. As a matter of fact," +Walters continued, "if Jeff does well on this assignment I might put him +up for a commission in the Solar Guard. He did well on that last trip +into deep space during that trouble on Roald." + +"Yes, sir," said Strong. "And I'll gladly endorse it." + +"Is that all, sir?" asked the enlisted man. + +"That's it, spaceman!" said Strong. When the man didn't move right +away, Walters and Strong looked at him. "Well, what is it?" + +"Excuse me, sir," said the guardsman, a bright-faced youngster who had +failed to pass the rigid requirements for cadet training and so had +entered the enlisted Solar Guard. "I heard what Captain Miles said about +Cadet Manning being asleep and--" He hesitated. + +"Well, what about it?" prompted Walters. + +"Well, sir, I don't know if it means anything or not," replied the boy +nervously. "But just before the ship blasted off, I saw Cadet Manning +standing inside the air lock. He looked as if he wanted to get out. But +you were counting the blast-off time, sir. And he disappeared a few +seconds before you hit zero." + +Strong looked at Walters. "Are you sure?" he asked the boy. + +"I'm positive, sir. I know Cadet Manning well, and he looked as though +he was scared." + +Strong clenched his fists. "Asleep, huh?" he growled. "Get me the _Space +Knight_!" + +The boy returned to the audioceiver and began calling Miles, but there +was no reply. After a few minutes Walters interrupted, "We can't waste +any more time here, Steve. We've got to blast off!" + +"Get hold of Corbett on the _Space Lance_," said Strong to the spaceman. +"Tell him I said to get in touch with Manning on the _Space Knight_. Ask +him to find out what's going on." + +"Yes, sir." + +"And then tell him to contact me on the _Polaris_. We're blasting off +immediately." + +"Very well, sir." + +Walters turned to Captain Strong. "What do you think it means, Steve?" +he asked. + +"I can't figure it, sir. Knowing Manning as I do, it could be a crazy +stunt or it could be serious." + +"It had better be serious," said Walters grimly, "for Manning's sake. +One more slip, and I'm bouncing him right out of the Academy!" + +The two officers left the control tower, leaving young Oliver Muffin +alone, droning his monotonous call to Tom Corbett, somewhere between +Earth and Mars--a call that was to be the young cadet's first warning of +treachery in deep space! + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER 8 + + +"All clear ahead, Bill!" + +Tom Corbett stood at the radarscope and watched the thin white line +sweep around the face of the instrument. "Nothing in space but us!" he +announced. + +The veteran spaceman grunted and grinned at the curly-haired cadet he +had grown to like and respect in the short time they had been together. +Not only did Tom know how to handle a ship, spelling the pilot for a few +moments to have a walk around the control deck, but he was good company +as well. More than once, Tom had surprised the Martian spaceman with his +sober judgment of the minor decisions Sticoon had to make in flight. + +"Why don't you try to contact Manning again, Tom?" Sticoon suggested. +"He might be awake now." + +Tom grinned, but in his heart he did not think it very funny. It was no +joke that Captain Strong had called him to contact Roger. And Tom was +worried. So far, he had not been able to reach the blond-haired cadet. +He settled himself in front of the communicator and began calling the +black ship again. + +"Rocket ship _Space Lance_ to rocket ship _Space Knight_! Come in!" + +He waited. Nothing but static and silence greeted him. + +"_Space Knight_, come in!" + +He waited again as the sleek white ship plummeted deeper into space +toward the first refueling stop on Deimos, one of the small twin moons +of Mars. Still there was no acknowledging reply from the black ship that +had streaked ahead of them after the blast-off. + +"I'm going to try to contact Kit Barnard," said Tom. "Maybe he can pick +up Miles' blip on his radar." + +Tom made the necessary adjustment on the audioceiver and broadcast the +call for the owner-pilot of the _Good Company_. Finally, after repeated +tries, he heard a faint signal and recognized the voice of his unit mate +Astro. + +"What's the matter, Astro?" asked Tom. "I can hardly hear you." + +"We're having trouble with the by-pass lines to the generators," replied +Astro. "We've cut down to standard space speed, and Sid and Kit are +making repairs now." + +"Have you heard from Roger?" asked Tom across the vast abyss of space +separating them. "I've been trying to contact the _Space Knight_ for the +last six hours and can't get any acknowledgment." + +"Haven't seen it," replied Astro. "Lost contact with her a long time +ago. She moved ahead at emergency space speed and we lost her on our +radar an hour after we blasted off." + +"O.K., Astro. Hope Kit gets his wagon going again. We've got to make a +race of this, or the people throughout the system will be disappointed." +He turned and winked at Wild Bill. + +"Listen, you curly-haired twerp!" roared Astro, and it seemed to Tom +that he could hear his friend without the loud-speaker. "We're going to +give you the hottest run of your lives when we get going!" + +"O.K., Astro," said Tom. "If you can contact Roger, tell him to get in +touch with Captain Strong right away. He's probably blasted off on the +_Polaris_ by now." + +"Right, Tom. End transmission." + +"End transmission." + +Tom turned back to the skipper of the _Space Lance_ with a feeling of +despair. "I can't figure it out, Bill," he said. "Roger's pulled some +boners before, real rocket blasters, but refusing to answer a call from +Strong--" He shook his head. + +The audioceiver suddenly crackled into life. "_Space Knight_ to _Space +Lance_, check in!" Quent Miles' voice was harsh and clear. + +Tom jumped back to the microphone. "_Space Lance_, Cadet Corbett here!" +he shouted eagerly. "Go ahead, _Space Knight_! Where's Manning?" + +"Still asleep!" replied Miles. "Just wanted to tell you boys good-by. +I'm not stopping to refuel at Deimos! I'm going right on through to +Ganymede! End transmission!" + +Only static filled the control deck of the _Space Lance_ as Tom clutched +the microphone and pleaded desperately for Quent Miles to answer him. +"Come in, Miles! This is Corbett on the _Space Lance_ to Quent Miles on +the _Space Knight_! Come in, Miles! Come in!" + +Bill Sticoon shook his head. "Miles must be nuts trying to get to +Ganymede without refueling," he muttered. "Traveling at emergency space +speed, he'll eat up his fuel before he gets one third of the way to +Jupiter!" + +Tom looked at Sticoon. "And Roger's with him." + +Sticoon nodded grimly. "They'll wind up drifting around in space halfway +between Mars and Jupiter. Finding them will be about as easy as looking +for a pebble in the Martian desert." + + * * * * * + +"Have you found the _Space Lance_ yet, Astro?" asked Kit Barnard, +glancing over his shoulder at the giant Venusian, standing at the +radarscope. + +"I think I'm getting it now," said Astro. "Either that or I've picked up +an asteroid." + +"Not likely," said Kit. "We're too far from the belt to have anything +that big drifting around without being charted. It must be Sticoon." + +"Boy!" chuckled Astro. "This reactor really packs a load of power!" + +"How are we doing on fuel, Sid?" Kit called into the intercom. + +"We lost a lot trying to prime the pumps," replied the young crew chief. +"We have to touch down on Deimos and refuel." + +"That's all right," replied Kit with a smile. "We're gaining on Sticoon +fast. We should make Deimos about the same time. I wonder where Quent +Miles is by now." + +"Probably wishing he had stopped for fuel!" interjected Astro with a +sour look on his face. + +"See if you can pick up Sticoon on the audioceiver, Astro," said Kit. +"Ask him for an estimated time of arrival on Deimos. One of us will +have to come in first." + +Astro flipped the switch on the panel and began his call "_Good Company_ +to _Space Lance_, come in!" + +"Right here, Astro," replied Tom immediately. "Boy, you certainly are +burning up space! What have you got in your fuel tanks? Light speed?" + +"Just a little thing we whipped up," said Astro with a grin. "What is +your ETA on Deimos, Tom?" + +"Less than five minutes. Four minutes and thirty seconds, to be exact. +Think you can beat that?" + +"If we can't beat it, we can equal it!" said Astro. "See you on the +Martian moon, buddy! End transmission!" + +Steadily, the _Good Company_ rocketed through space, eating up the miles +and gaining on the _Space Lance_. Both ships now made contact with the +control tower on Deimos and received landing instructions. + +"_Space Lance_ will touch down on Ramp Three, _Good Company_ on Ramp +Six," crackled the voice of the Deimos tower operator, "and don't forget +your approach orbits!" + +"Have you heard from the _Space Knight_?" called Tom. + +"Sorry, _Space Lance_," came the reply, "there has been no contact with +_Space Knight_." + +Tom began to feel the fingers of fear creeping up and down his spine. +Quent Miles had carried out his plan of going on to Ganymede without +refueling, threatening not only his own life, but Roger's as well. + +Sticoon completed the three circling passes around Deimos and shouted to +Tom over his shoulder. "Stand by, Corbett. We're ready to go in!" + +Tom strapped himself into his acceleration chair and, watching the +atmospheric altimeter, a delicate instrument that recorded their height +above the surface of a heavenly body, began to call off the indicated +figures. + +"Five thousand feet, four, three--dropping too fast--compensate for +lesser gravity--two thousand, one, five hundred, two hundred--" Tom +braced himself and seconds later felt the impact of the ship settling +stern first on the concrete ramp. "Touchdown," he sang out in a clear +voice. + +While Sticoon secured the control deck, closing the many switches and +circuits on the master panel, Tom opened the air lock. Almost +immediately, special-trained crews swarmed into the ship to refuel her +and prepare her for the next lap of the race. Tom and Sticoon stepped +out onto the spaceport of the tiny moon of Mars and gazed up at the red +planet that loomed large over the horizon. As a transfer point for the +great passenger liners that rocketed between Venusport, Atom City, and +Marsopolis, the refueling station at Deimos was well staffed and +expertly manned. + +Standing at the air lock, Tom and Sticoon heard the blasting roar of the +_Good Company_ coming down in a fast, expert touchdown, and they hurried +across the spaceport to greet their rivals. + +When the air lock opened, Tom immediately began to kid Astro and Sid, +while Sticoon and Kit Barnard compared flight notes. A Universal Stereo +reporter rushed up with a small portable camera and conducted an +interview that was to be telecast back to Earth. Both spacemen were +reluctant to voice any predictions of the outcome of the race, but Tom +noticed that Kit was smiling and seemed in good spirits. Tom, with all +his worries about Roger, could not help but feel happy that the +independent spaceman was proving his reactor. + +A man in the uniform of a Solar Guard major appeared. He introduced +himself as an official monitor of the race, appointed by Commander +Walters, and asked them for a report. + +"Captain Sticoon has followed all regulations, sir," said Tom. + +"And Captain Barnard, Cadet Astro?" asked the officer. + +"Same thing, sir," replied Astro. "Captain Barnard has followed the +rules of the race exactly." + +"Thank you," replied the officer and started to turn away. + +"Any word from the _Space Knight_, sir?" Tom asked quickly. + +"Nothing, Corbett," the officer replied. "We received the same message +that Captain Miles would attempt to go on through to Ganymede without +stopping here at Deimos for refueling." + +"And you've heard nothing from him since, sir?" asked Astro. + +"Nothing, why?" The officer looked at both of the boys sharply. +"Anything wrong?" + +"No, sir," said Tom. "It's just that Cadet Roger Manning is monitor on +the _Space Knight_ and we haven't been able to talk to him since we +blasted off from Space Academy." + +"I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, Cadet Corbett," snapped the +major. "I've heard of Cadet Manning's reluctance to stick to +regulations. I suspect you will be hearing from him soon enough, when +the ship runs out of fuel and starts drifting around in the asteroid +belt. Those individualists always scream for help when they get in +trouble." + +"Yes, sir," said Tom stiffly. + +"I already have a squadron of ships standing by to go to their +assistance when they do send out a distress alert." + +"Yes, sir," said Tom. "Will that be all, sir? Cadet Astro and I would +like to have a bite to eat before we blast off again." + +"Yes, that will be all, Corbett. Don't wander off too far." The major +turned and walked toward the ships without another word. + +"Wonder what's eating him?" said Tom. + +"Never mind," said Astro. "Come on. Let's grab a bite while we have the +chance." + +They headed for the restaurant in the control building of the spaceport, +but were recognized by the reporter of the stereo company who badgered +them into stepping before the camera and making statements about the +race. He tried to get the boys to commit themselves as to who they hoped +would win, and to offer an opinion on what had happened to the _Space +Knight_. But neither Tom nor Astro said anything but that the best man +would win. There were the usual eager spectators too, thousands from the +large cities on Mars who had taken the ferry rocket up to the spaceport +to see the ships come in for refueling. As soon as Tom and Astro could +tear away from the stereo reporter, they were mobbed by the onlookers +who clamored for autographs. Finally the two cadets had to forego their +meal and return to their respective ships to escape the wild +demonstration. + +Seated in his acceleration chair on the control deck of the _Space +Lance_, waiting for Bill Sticoon to come aboard, Tom found his concern +for Roger overriding his enthusiasm for the race. When Sticoon appeared +and began to prepare the ship for blast-off, Tom went through the +motions mechanically. The _Space Lance_ was scheduled to leave first, +with Kit Barnard following at the exact time interval of their arrivals. +The Deimos tower operator's voice droned over the loud-speaker on the +control deck of the _Space Lance_ " ... minus five, four, three, two, +one"--then the breath-taking pause before the climactic--"_zero!_" + +[Illustration] + +The ship shot spaceward, rockets roaring loudly in the thin atmosphere +of the small satellite. The next moment, before the horrified eyes of +thousands of people, the _Space Lance_ exploded a few miles above the +ground. + +Astro stood frozen at the viewport of the _Good Company_, his eyes +glazed with shock as he watched the Martian ship disintegrate far above +him. All he could do was mutter brokenly, "Tom ... Tom ..." + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER 9 + + +"Blast off!" + +Without any preliminaries, Kit Barnard's order sent the _Good Company_ +hurtling spaceward. Astro had just enough time to throw himself into an +acceleration chair before the ship shot away from the Deimos spaceport +toward the wreckage of the _Space Lance_. + +"Braking rockets!" roared Kit. "Hit them hard, Sid." + +The ship bucked under the force of the counter-acceleration, and the +veteran spaceman fought to keep her under control. He snapped out +another order. "Cut all rockets!" + +The ship was suddenly quiet, hanging motionless in space in the middle +of the still-twisting wreckage. The huge bank of atomic motors, the +largest single unit on the ship, had already begun to swing around the +small moon Deimos in an orbit, while other shattered remains of the once +sleek ship began a slow circle around the motors themselves. + +Astro was struggling into a space suit when Sid and Kit joined him in +the air lock. Quickly the three spacemen clamped their space helmets +closed and adjusted the oxygen nozzles. Then, after testing their suit +intercoms, they closed the inner-portal air lock, reduced the air +pressure, and opened the thick pluglike outer portal. They stared out at +the gruesome spectacle of torn hull plates, twisted spars, and broken +pieces of equipment floating gently in the velvet space, outlined +against the reddish hue of the planet Mars. + +"Astro! Kit!" shouted Sid through the suit intercom. "Look, there's +Sticoon! Over there near that tube." Following Sid's pointing finger, +Astro and Kit turned toward an exhaust tube that had been ripped in half +by the explosion. The Martian spaceman's body floated next to it, limp +and broken. Astro shuddered. If Sticoon was dead, then there was little +hope for Tom. The big Venusian fought back tears. + +Maneuvering themselves away from the ship with the aid of the small jet +packs strapped to their shoulders, they reached the dead spaceman. Sid +carried him back to the ship while Astro and Kit remained to search the +wreckage for Tom. + +By now, three small jet boats and two rocket scouts had blasted off from +Deimos, bringing emergency rescue equipment. More than a dozen men +poured out of the ships and joined in the search. The work was carried +on in silence. No one spoke. + +Astro and Kit worked side by side, pushing their way gently through the +twisting mass that was once a proud spaceship, to the heart of the +spiraling wreckage, down toward the bank of atomic motors that was +attracting all the lesser pieces. Suddenly Astro paled. He gripped the +veteran's arm and gestured toward a large section of the ship on the +other side of the motors that they had not seen before. + +"By the stars," Kit gasped, "it's the air lock! All in one piece!" + +"If Tom managed to get in there, or if he was in there when the ship +exploded, maybe he has a chance." + +"You're right, Astro," said Kit hopefully. + +[Illustration] + +"But we can't open it out here," said Astro. "If Tom is inside, we have +to take it down to Deimos. If we open it here, and he doesn't have a +space suit on, he'd suffocate." + +"He'd freeze solid before that," said Kit, not mentioning the +possibility that Tom might very well be frozen already, since the +ship's heating units had been torn away from the air lock. + +Quickly Astro hailed the members of the emergency crews that had +rocketed up from Deimos and told them of the possibility that Tom was +inside the chamber. They all agreed, since they had failed to find the +cadet anywhere. + +[Illustration] + +Kit and Astro immediately took charge of getting the bulky boxlike +chamber back to Deimos where it could be opened safely. Two of the jet +boats were jockeyed into position on either side of the chamber and +several lengths of cable were stretched between them, forming a cradle +for the chamber. Since the jet boats were equipped with foldaway wings, +which, when extended, would enable them to fly at slower speed through +atmosphere, they hoped to make a glider landing at the Deimos spaceport. + +Astro would not let anyone handle the boats but Kit and himself, and +only by threat of physical violence was he able to keep the regular +pilots out of the control chairs on the speedy little ships. He might +suffer for it later when the officers reported his actions, but the big +Venusian was beyond caring. If Tom was not safe inside the vacuum +chamber, he felt there wasn't much use in being a cadet any longer. +Fleetingly he thought of Roger, who didn't stand a chance of reaching +Ganymede on a single solo hop from Earth in a ship the size of the +_Space Knight_. The _Polaris_ unit seemed doomed. + +With Kit Barnard in one jet boat, Astro strapped himself into the +control chair of the other, and intercoms on, they gently fed power into +their ships. Coordinating perfectly in their maneuvers, they headed back +to the spaceport with their strange cargo. + +Slowly and gently, Kit and Astro circled lower and lower until the two +jet boats were directly over the Deimos spaceport. They circled wide and +shut off power together, coming down in a long, easy glide. Keeping the +cables taut between them, so the chamber wouldn't touch the concrete +strip, the two spacemen made perfect landings, coming to a stop directly +in front of the control tower. Astro was out of his ship in a flash and +almost immediately Kit was beside him. They took no notice of the stereo +reporter who was focusing his camera on their efforts to force open the +portal on the chamber. Nor did they notice the immense crowd, standing +behind police lines, watching and waiting in silence. + +"A cutting torch!" bellowed Astro to the emergency crew below. "Get me a +cutting torch." + +In an instant the torch was handed to him, and ripping the space gloves +off his hands, the big cadet began cutting into the tough metal side of +the chamber. + +The seconds ticked into minutes. The crowds did not move, and only the +low comments of the stereo reporter talking over an interplanetary +network could be heard above the hiss of the torch as Astro bent to his +task. A half hour passed. Astro didn't move or turn away from the +blinding light of the torch as he cut into the section of the chamber +where the portal locks would be. He did not notice that the _Good +Company_ and the emergency fleet had returned to the spaceport, nor that +Sid was now beside him with Kit. + +An hour passed. It seemed to the big cadet that the metal he was +cutting, alloyed to protect spacemen against the dangers of the void, +was now threatening to cost Tom's life, if indeed he still survived. No +one could live long under such conditions unless they had a fresh supply +of oxygen. Kit tried to take the torch away from Astro, but the giant +Venusian would not let him have it. Again and again, the tanks of fuel +supplying the torch were emptied and quickly replaced with fresh ones. + +There was something awe-inspiring about the big cadet as he crouched +over the torch, its white-hot flame reflected in his grim features. +Everyone around him watched in silent fascination, aware that this was a +rare exhibition of devotion toward a comrade. They all were certain +that Astro would reach Tom--or die in the attempt. + + * * * * * + +"Touchdown!" Captain Strong called into the ship's intercom. "Secure +stations." + +The rocket cruiser _Polaris_ had just settled on the blast-stained +concrete of the Titan spaceport after a blazing flight nonstop from +Earth. A Solar Guard cruiser, the most powerful class of spaceship in +the Solar Alliance, the _Polaris_ was also equipped with hyperdrive, a +well-guarded secret method of propulsion, enabling Solar Guard ships to +travel through space faster than any other craft known. Many commercial +shipping companies, including those entered in the race to Titan, had +pleaded for the use of hyperdrive on their ships but were summarily +refused. It was one of the strongest weapons in the entire Solar +Alliance. + +As Commander Walters released the straps holding him securely in his +acceleration chair and stepped up beside Strong, the Solar Guard captain +gestured toward the teleceiver screen on the bulkhead. + +"We're being met by the local officials, sir," he said. + +"Ummm," was the commander's laconic reply as he studied the screen. +"There's Captain Howard." + +"He doesn't look any too happy, sir," commented Strong. + +"How would you feel if you had just spent seven years building up the +mine operations here on Titan and then have something like this happen +to you?" + +Strong shook his head. "You're right, sir. I forgot that Howard asked +for this duty." + +"It's strange how a man will take to a place," mused Walters. "The +first time he returned to the Academy, after a tour of duty here on +Titan, he looked like a man who had just fallen in love." Walters +chuckled. "And in a way I guess he had. He put in for immediate +permanent duty here and went back to school to learn all about the +mining operations. He, more than anyone else in the Solar Guard, is +responsible for our success here." + +"Well, are you ready to leave the ship, sir?" asked Strong. + +"Yes," replied the commander, but he continued to stare at the +teleceiver screen. Strong waited respectfully and finally Walters turned +back to him, shaking his head. "The spaceport looks pretty deserted," +was his only comment. + +Strong had already noticed the desolate appearance of the ordinarily +buzzing spaceport and it troubled him more than he would show. He knew +that unless the defect in the force fields was corrected soon, the +outer-space colony would have to be abandoned to the deadly methane +ammonia atmosphere. And to Strong, who had seen the dead satellite +before the Solar Guard had discovered crystal there, it was like seeing +an old friend sick with a deadly disease. In addition, the hundreds of +thousands of colonists would have to be relocated if the force fields +could not be repaired and the effect on the economy of the whole Solar +Alliance would be disastrous. + +Walters and Strong were met at the air lock by Captain Howard. "I'm +awfully glad to see you, sir," he said, coming to attention and saluting +smartly. "Hello, Steve. Welcome to Titan." + +"Glad to be here, Joe," said Strong. + +"We came out as soon as we received your report that you had started +evacuation," said Walters. "Have you discovered anything new?" + +Howard shook his head. "Not a thing, Commander," he replied. "We've done +just about everything but take the force-field projectors apart, but so +far we haven't found a thing wrong." + +"Any word on the race, Joe?" asked Strong. + +Howard looked surprised. "By the stars, I almost forgot. One of the +ships is trying to make it to Ganymede without stopping at Deimos for +refueling. And another blew up." + +Strong gasped. "Which one?" + +"_Space Lance_," said Howard. "Exploded over Deimos right after +blast-off. _Knight_ is the one that's trying the long solo hop. Haven't +received any word from him yet." + +"But what about the crew of the _Space Lance_?" demanded Strong with a +glance at Walters. + +"The pilot, Sticoon, was killed, and they haven't found Cadet Corbett +yet." And then understanding flashed in Howard's eyes. "Say, that's one +of the boys in your unit, isn't it, Steve?" he asked. + +"Yes," said Strong grimly. He turned to Walters. "Have I your permission +to contact Deimos for the latest details, sir?" + +"Of course, Steve. Go ahead." + +Strong turned quickly and climbed into a nearby jet boat. The enlisted +spaceman at the controls sent the tiny vessel skimming across the broad +expanse of the spaceport toward the control tower. + +Walters and Howard watched him leave. "I hope nothing has happened to +that boy," said Walters. "Corbett is one of the finest cadets we have." + +"I'm afraid it doesn't look too good, sir," Howard answered. + +"Well, what about the other ship, _Space Knight_?" asked Walters. "Cadet +Manning is on that one. Any report on where they are?" + +"Nothing, sir," replied Howard. "We just heard that he was by-passing +Deimos and going on right through to Ganymede, hoping to get a jump on +the other two." + +"Did Cadet Manning make that report?" asked Walters. + +"No, sir. It was the pilot. Quent Miles. There was no mention of Cadet +Manning, sir." + +Walters shook his head. "Certainly is strange," he mused aloud. Then he +barked, in his usual brusque manner, "Well, we've got this problem here +to worry about now. All mining operations have stopped, I suppose?" + +"Yes, sir. The men won't work unless they have a guarantee that their +wives and children are safe." + +"Can't blame them," said Walters, surveying the quiet spaceport. + +The two Solar Guard officers climbed into another waiting jet boat and +shot away from the _Polaris_ toward the tower. + +Inside the shimmering crystal control tower, Steve Strong paced up and +down behind the enlisted spaceman trying to contact the Deimos spaceport +across the millions of miles of space. + +"This is Titan spaceport calling Deimos spaceport! Come in, Deimos +spaceport." + +There was a flood of static, and then, very faintly, the voice of the +tower operator on Deimos answered. "This is Deimos spaceport. Go ahead, +Titan." + +"Transmitting request for information by Captain Steve Strong of the +Solar Guard," the Titan operator called into the microphone. +"Information concerning explosion of rocket ship _Space Lance_. Please +give details on survivors." + +There was a momentary pause and the loud-speaker crackled with static. +The voice of the Deimos operator broke through. "Captain Sticoon dead. +Cadet Corbett believed trapped in air-lock chamber. They have just cut +through the chamber. It will be a few minutes before I can give you any +further information." + +"Very well, Deimos. I will hold this channel open." + +Walters and Howard entered the room. "Any word, Strong?" asked the +commander. Strong shook his head. + +The loud-speaker over the control panel crackled into life again. +"Ganymede station to Titan spaceport! Come in, Titan!" + +The three Solar Guard officers looked at each other in surprise as the +Titan operator acknowledged the call. "This is Titan. Go ahead, +Ganymede." + +"We have just received word that the rocket ship _Space Knight_ is +within five minutes of a touchdown this spaceport. Will probably blast +off again immediately after refueling. Acknowledge, Titan!" + +"I read you, Ganymede!" replied the Titan operator. + +"What is your estimated time of arrival at Titan?" + +The Ganymede operator was silent a moment, then announced a time that +made Strong and Walters blink in amazement. "It is based on his speed +from Earth to this point, Titan." + +"Very well, Ganymede. End transmission," said the Titan man, closing his +key. + +Captain Howard stared at Strong and Walters in amazement. "I can't +believe it." Strong shook his head. "It's fantastic!" + +"I know it is, gentlemen," said a voice in back of them. "But +nevertheless the Ganymede station confirms it." + +Strong, Walters, and Howard spun around to look into the smiling face of +Charley Brett. + +Before anyone could say anything, the voice of the Deimos operator broke +the stunned silence. "Deimos to Titan, I have your information now. Are +you ready, Titan?" + +"Go ahead, Deimos," said the Titan man. + +And then, as Strong held his breath, the metallic voice from the +loud-speaker reported on the final result of the tragic explosion over +Deimos. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER 10 + + +" ... Chamber was cut open and Cadet Corbett was rushed to the +spaceport's sick bay...." + +As the metallic voice of the Deimos tower operator continued his report +of the tragic crash of the _Space Lance_, Strong and Walters sighed with +relief. At least Tom was not dead! + +"He is still in a state of shock, but after a preliminary examination, +the medical officer reports that he will recover. That is all the +information I have at this time, Titan. End transmission." The +loud-speaker was silent except for the continuous flow of static. + +"By the stars," breathed Strong, "I'm sure glad to hear that." + +Walters put his arm around the captain's shoulder. "I'm glad too, Steve. +I know how you feel about those three boys." + +"And that Astro," said Strong, beaming. "Wouldn't you know he'd be the +one to rescue Tom." He paused and then continued thoughtfully, "You +know, sir, with the exception of Manning, I'd be willing to recommend +Solar Guard commissions for the unit right now." + +Walters snorted. "Manning! By the stars, he could be the best astrogator +in the universe, but--but he's so undisciplined." + +"Excuse me, sir," the enlisted spaceman interrupted. "Here is a +transcript of the report from Deimos if you care to have it." + +"Thank you," said Walters, putting it into his pocket. "Well, Steve, I +guess we'd better start to work here." He turned to the Titan senior +officer who had been waiting respectfully. + +"Ready, Captain Howard?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Lead on, then," said Walters. + +As the three officers turned to leave the control tower, they noticed +Charley Brett sitting near the door. In the excitement of the news of +Tom's narrow escape, they had forgotten the company owner was there. + +Strong stopped and looked at him coldly. "What are you doing on Titan, +Brett?" + +"Came on ahead to welcome the winner," Brett replied easily, not even +bothering to stand. + +"Pretty confident your man will win, eh?" + +"Most assuredly," said Brett with elaborate sarcasm. "I would never have +entered a ship in the race if I didn't think I would win. Though, in all +fairness, I think I should have received the contract to haul the +crystal without this extra effort." + +"What kind of reactant is Quent Miles using in that ship of yours?" +asked Walters sharply. + +Brett smiled. "The same as everyone else, Commander." + +"What about your feeders?" asked Strong. "With ordinary reactant, and no +new cooling units aboard your ship, you must have oversized feeders to +make such fantastic speeds." + +Brett shrugged and held out his hands in a gesture of innocence. "I +don't even know myself, Captain Strong," he said blandly. "It's one +reason why I have Quent Miles piloting for me. He has a few tricks that +apparently are quite effective." + +"I hope they are legitimate tricks, Mr. Brett," said Walters. "Let's go, +Steve." + +The three officers turned away and left Brett sitting there, smiling +triumphantly. + +"I think we'd better start from the beginning in our inspection of the +screens, Captain Howard," said Walters, as the three officers left the +control tower and walked across the spaceport. "First of all, I want a +twenty-four-hour watch placed on all operational centers, pump houses, +and generator plants. I cannot discount the idea of sabotage. Why anyone +would want to wreck the screens is beyond me, but we cannot ignore the +possibility." + +"I already have men stationed at the main operational centers, sir," +replied Howard. "Your Space Marines will help me cover the rest." + +"Steve," said Walters, turning to the Solar Guard officer, "if this is a +natural phenomenon--some new element in Titan's atmosphere breaking down +the force screens--the problem is bad enough. But if this is caused by +man--if it really is sabotage--we'll have a doubly hard time. We can +find the reason eventually, if it is natural, but man can conceal his +reasons. And until we find out the motives behind this we must count on +the situation getting worse. I want you to pursue _that_ line of +investigation. Find out if anyone has a good reason to force the +abandonment of Titan." + +"It's a big order, sir," said Strong. "I'll do the best I can." + +"That's good enough for me," replied the commander, nodding his +satisfaction. + + * * * * * + +"Any word, sir?" asked Astro eagerly as the white-clad medical officer +emerged from the room. + +The man smiled. "Thanks to you, Cadet Astro," he replied, "your friend +will be able to leave as soon as he gets his pants on." + +"Yeow!" bawled Astro in his famous bull-like bellow. "Thanks, sir. +Thanks a million!" He turned and wrenched open the sick-bay door, almost +splintering it in his enthusiasm. Tom was just sitting up on the side of +the bed. + +"Hiya, Astro!" called Tom with a weak grin. "The sawbones tells me I owe +you a brand-new shiny credit piece for saving my life." + +His enthusiasm at high pitch, Astro was nevertheless unable to do more +than smile broadly at his unit mate. "Only reason I did it," he said. + +"All right, here you are." Tom handed over a coin. "That's all I thought +my chances were worth." + +At that moment the Solar Guard major in command of the Deimos spaceport +entered, followed by Kit Barnard and Sid. After greeting Tom with +enthusiasm that matched Astro's, Kit and Sid stood to one side quietly +and listened while Tom gave his preliminary report to the major who +held a recorder microphone in front of him. + +[Illustration: _"Yeow!" bawled Astro. "Thanks, sir. Thanks a +million!"_] + +"I heard a terrific noise on the power deck as soon as we blasted off," +Tom began. "And Captain Sticoon ordered me to go below and check on it. +I saw the trouble right away. The lead baffles around the reactant +chambers had become loose and the reactant was spilling out, starting to +wildcat. I called Bill over the intercom right away and he ordered me to +get into a space suit and wait for him in the air lock. I heard him shut +off the generators--but that's all. The reactant blew and I must've been +knocked cold, because the next thing I remember was this big ugly face +bending over me ordering me to wake up." Tom grinned at Astro. + +"I see," mused the major aloud. "Now about the baffles. How could they +have worked loose? Do you think the lock bolts gave way in the excessive +heat due to the intense blast-off speed?" + +"No, sir," said Tom firmly. "Those bolts were loosened. I distinctly +remember seeing one of them fall to the deck as I walked in." + +"Then you suspect that the ship was sabotaged?" + +"That's not for me to say, sir," said Tom after a moment's hesitation. +"In all my experience, I have never seen one of those bolts work loose +of its own accord or because of heat or vibration on the power deck." He +glanced at Astro, who was hunched forward, listening intently. "Have +you, Astro?" + +The big Venusian shook his head slowly. "Never," he said. + +"Well, thank you, Corbett, that will be all for now," said the major and +then turned to Kit. "I want to congratulate you, sir, on your sacrifice +in going to the aid of the _Space Lance_." + +"Wild Bill would have done the same thing for me," said Kit without +emotion. "Do I have permission to continue the race now?" + +The major was startled. "You mean you still want to go on?" + +"Every cent I have is tied up in my ship and in this race, sir," said +Kit. "I have my new reactor unit working properly now, and I believe +that I still have a chance." + +"But you've lost hours, man," protested the major. + +"I can make them up, sir," said Kit. "Am I permitted to carry on?" + +The major was flustered, but nodded his head. "By all means. Yes, +indeed! And spaceman's luck to you." + +"I'd like to make the trip with him if he'll have me, sir," said Tom, +getting off the bed. "I'm all right. The doctor said so." + +"But--but--but you need rest, Cadet Corbett," said the major. "No, I +can't permit it." + +Just at that moment the medical officer walked in. + +"So far as I'm concerned," he said, looking at Tom, "he's a lot +healthier than you are, sir. With all due respect, sir." + +"Very well, then," shrugged the major. "Carry on! Do as you please!" +Shaking his head in confusion, the major left the room. + +"Well," said Kit Barnard, stepping forward, a big smile on his face, +"what are we waiting for?" + + * * * * * + +"Minus five, four, three, two, one--_zero!_" + +The spaceship _Good Company_ shot away from the small moon of Mars and +thousands of eyes at the spaceport followed it into the heavens, +watching its blazing track disappear into the depths of space. If +sympathy and good wishes could decide the race to Titan, the spaceship +_Good Company_ was a certain winner. + +Aboard the sleek craft, Tom Corbett relaxed after the tremendous +blast-off acceleration and turned to look at the tense face of Kit +Barnard who was seated in the pilot's chair. + +"Why don't you get some sleep, Kit?" said Tom. "I can take this baby +over. It's the least I can do for all you've done for _me_." + +"Thanks, Tom, but I'll stay with it awhile longer," replied the veteran +spaceman. "At least until we find out where the _Space Knight_ is." + +Tom suddenly remembered the trouble with Roger. + +"Has there been any news of them at all?" he asked. + +"The last thing we heard was that he was approaching Ganymede. And that +was a few hours ago, when you were trapped in the air-lock chamber." + +"Ganymede!" Tom was thunderstruck. "But--but--how did he do it?" + +Kit shook his head. "I don't know, Tom, but he sure has some speed in +that black ship of his." + +"Ganymede!" Tom repeated in bewilderment. It was beyond belief. The +_Polaris_, using hyperdrive, could scarcely have made the flight any +faster. Tom felt his heart sinking. The hope that Kit Barnard could +catch the black _Space Knight_ was faint now. + +"Shall I call Ganymede again and see if they have anything new?" Tom +asked finally. + +"Yes, do that, Tom," Kit replied. + +The curly-haired cadet quickly climbed the ladder to the radar bridge +and sat wearily in front of the teleceiver. + +"Spaceship _Good Company_ to Ganymede spaceport," he called. "Come in, +Ganymede." + +Seconds later, the voice of the Ganymede control operator crackled over +the loud-speaker in reply. "Ganymede station to _Good Company_. Go +ahead." + +"Can you give me any information on the departure time of _Space Knight_ +from Ganymede?" + +"She has not blasted off yet. She is having trouble in her after +burners." + +"How long do you estimate it will take for her to effect repairs and +blast off?" asked Tom, a note of rising hope in his voice. While the +black ship had made it to Ganymede under full power without refueling, +the strain might have damaged her seriously. Tom waited patiently for +the reply, drumming his fingers on the table in his excitement. + +"Not more than sixteen hours, _Good Company_," the Ganymede operator +finally answered. "Where are you now?" + +Tom quickly ascertained his position and relayed it to the tiny +Jovian-moon station. "Space sector fourteen, chart B for baker." After +the metallic voice had repeated the information, Tom asked for +information on Roger Manning. + +"No such person has reported to this office, Cadet Corbett," came the +negative reply. "End transmission." + +"End transmission," said Tom gloomily and slumped back into his chair. +Something had happened to Roger, or he had completely blown his top. And +in the light of past performances by the blond-haired radar expert, Tom +could not decide which. Roger had threatened many times that if he +should ever leave the Academy, he would do it quietly, without fanfare. + +There was no better place to drop out of sight than on Ganymede, for it +was here that the deep spacers, gigantic spaceships that hauled supplies +to the colonies of Alpha Centauri, Tara, and Roald made their last stop. +If Roger had finally made good his threat to leave the Academy, Ganymede +was the logical place to do it. + +But why? + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER 11 + + +"Yeow!" + +Astro's bull-like roar echoed through the _Good Company_. Tom and Kit +jumped around in their seats to stare dumfounded at the half-stripped +cadet climbing through the hatch into the power deck, followed by Sid. +Sweating, his body streaked with grease, the belt of rocketman's tools +swinging from his hips, Astro pounded the two spacemen on the back. "We +did it!" he roared, turning to hug Sid who was equally grimy and naked +to the waist. + +"Did what?" demanded Kit. + +"You know that by-pass feeder you said wouldn't hold a pressure of more +than D-18 rate?" said Astro eagerly. + +When Kit nodded, Astro roared triumphantly, "Well, it'll hold more than +D-18 rate now!" + +"What do you mean?" demanded Kit. + +Astro's involved and detailed reply in engineering terms was almost +gibberish to Tom, but he understood enough of the unit construction to +sense that Astro had done something extraordinary. + +"And he did it all himself, too," said Sid quietly. "I didn't do any +more than hold the tools." + +"But I still don't understand," protested Kit. "The by-pass won't take +more than D-18." + +"We built another one," said Astro proudly. "Since you were making a +small unit, you naturally built a small by-pass feeder. We made a big +one." Astro grinned. "I admit that it looks a little lopsided, with that +tank joint on the side nearly twice as big as the whole cooling unit, +but if you'll cut your motors and give me fifteen minutes to change that +line, I'll give you a reactant feed at D-30 rate." + +[Illustration] + +"D-D-30," stammered Kit. "You're space happy!" He glanced over at Sid. +"Is that right, Sid?" he asked, almost hesitantly. + +The youth nodded. "It'll work, Kit. And believe me, I didn't have a +thing to do with it. It was his idea and I thought he was nuts too. But +he can holler louder than I can and--well, he's bigger'n I am and--" Sid +shrugged his shoulders. "He went and did it." + +"I want to see that thing for myself!" exclaimed Kit, jumping out of his +seat. "Take over for a while, Tom." + +Tom slid under the controls of the sleek ship, and while Astro, Sid, and +Kit went below to the power deck, he began to figure their speed at a +D-30 rate. He used a pencil at first, scribbling on a piece of paper, +but the answer he reached was so fabulous, he put the ship on automatic +gyro control and climbed to the radar deck where he checked the figures +on the electronic calculator. When the result was the same, he let out a +whoop. + +When he returned to the control deck again, Astro, Kit, and Sid were +already working the master control panel, adjusting some of the controls +to take the enormous increase in speed. Kit grinned up at Tom. "Here we +go, Tom," he said. "This is going to be the fastest ride you've ever had +next to hyperdrive." + +"Then it really works?" yelled the cadet. + +"It not only works, but from the looks of that thing, we'll use very +little more fuel. So now it's our turn to by-pass a fuel stop! We're +going right on through to Titan!" + + * * * * * + +"You're whistling into the wind, Barnard!" Quent Miles' voice was harsh +and derisive as it crackled over the audioceiver. "You could never catch +up with me in a hundred light years! This race is in the bag for yours +truly!" + +Across the vast distance of space that separated the two speeding ships, +Tom, Astro, and Kit Barnard listened to Miles' bragging voice and smiled +at each other. All Kit ever wanted was a fair chance, and now, thanks to +Astro and Sid, he had better than a fair chance. With their added speed, +Tom calculated that the two ships would arrive at the Titan spaceport at +about the same time. Only scant minutes separated their estimated times +of arrival. + +"How much farther do you think that wagon of yours will hold out, +Barnard?" continued Miles over the audioceiver. "You'll burn it up or +shake it apart. This race is in the bag!" + +"All right, Miles," interrupted Tom. "We'll do our talking at the Titan +spaceport. Now let me talk to Roger." + +"You mean, Manning?" asked Miles, after an almost imperceptible pause. + +"Yes, I mean Manning!" snapped Tom. + +"Can't oblige, Corbett," said Quent Miles. "Your pal took it on the lam +back at Ganymede. He ran out on me. As far as I know, he's still there. +Didn't you see him when you stopped for refueling?" + +"We didn't stop," said Tom. "What do you mean, he got off at Ganymede? +He's supposed to stay with you throughout the race." + +"I gotta go now, Corbett," came Miles' abrupt reply. "I'm hittin' rough +stuff here, a swarm of meteors. See you on Titan. Be down there to +welcome you in." + +"Wait! What about Roger?" Tom called frantically into the audioceiver, +but Quent Miles did not answer. The young cadet slammed the microphone +down on the table. "That blasted Roger!" he cried hotly. "When I get my +hands on him, I'm going to--" + +"Take it easy, Tom," said Astro, putting a hand on the cadet's shoulder. +"You know how Roger is. Wait until he has a chance to explain before you +blast him." + +"I suppose you're right, Astro," replied Tom. "But why in the stars +would he leave the ship?" + +"Whatever he's done, I'm sure Roger has a good explanation," replied the +big Venusian. But inwardly he couldn't help feeling that Roger, somehow, +had gotten into another scrape which would, in the end, reflect on the +whole unit. Neither Tom nor Astro cared much for their own individual +reputations, but they were concerned about the record of the unit. Roger +had managed to pull himself out of some narrow scrapes, but there was +always the first time for everything. Leaving his post as monitor in the +race was as serious as anything he had done so far. + +"Heads up, Tom!" Kit called out. "Meteor storm in our course. We've got +to change our heading." + +"Aye, aye, sir," replied the young cadet, pushing aside his concern over +his unit mate and concentrating on routine flight operations. + +On and on, the sleek ship plummeted through the black depths of space +beyond Jupiter, heading for the planet Saturn and her magnificent rings +of different colors, and to her largest satellite with its deadly +methane ammonia gas atmosphere, the crystal-bearing moon, Titan. + + * * * * * + +"They are approaching the spaceport, sir," called the Titan +control-tower operator, and Strong jumped to the radarscope to stare at +the two blips on the screen. Only a mile separated them, with Quent +Miles' _Space Knight_ ahead. + +"Five minutes to touchdown," reported the operator. + +"Come on, Kit," muttered Strong through clenched teeth. "Pour it on, +boy. Give her the gun!" + +The two blips drew closer to the heart of the scope. First one and then +the other shooting ahead for brief seconds as they began deceleration. + +"You can see them outside, now, sir," said the operator, and Strong +jumped to the door, stepping out on the observation platform that looked +out over the spaceport. He searched the skies above him, and then, +faintly, he could see the exhaust trails of the two ships as they +streaked over the field, beginning their deceleration orbits around the +satellite. + +Behind him, Strong heard the voice of the tower operator ordering Ramp +Four and Ramp Five cleared for the two ships, and the mobs of people on +the spaceport surged back. Strong noted the irony of the situation. The +people of Titan were not out to greet a hero of space, but were waiting +for the next evacuation rocket ship. + +The ramps were cleared and within minutes the two ships reappeared over +the horizon, nosing upward over the spaceport in an arc, their braking +rockets blasting loudly as they prepared to land. + +Then, feeling that his heart would stop, Captain Strong saw Quent Miles' +black ship touch the surface of the spaceport first. Kit Barnard had +lost the race. By seconds to be sure, but he had lost the race. + +A weak cheer arose from the crowds and then quickly died out. To them +the race was futile and the prize empty. How could the winning company +ship crystal, when soon, none would be mined? + +Strong raced across the field and boarded the _Good Company_ to find +Kit, Tom, Astro, and Sid sitting glumly on the control deck. There was a +quick smile of greeting on the two cadets' faces when they saw their +unit commander, but their smiles died away. Abruptly Kit Barnard was on +his feet looking past Strong to someone entering the hatch behind him. + +"Congratulations, Quent!" said Kit, extending his hand. "That was a +great race." + +"Thanks," replied Miles. "But I never figured it would end any other +way. You put up a great fight, Barnard. Yes, sir! A great fight!" He +turned to Captain Strong and chortled. "Good race, eh, Strong?" + +The Solar Guard officer shook hands with the winner and then asked, +"Where is Cadet Manning?" + +"Say, I want to make a complaint about that!" exclaimed Miles. He looked +at Tom and Astro. "It was bad enough to have to be bothered with these +kids, but when they behave the way that kid Manning behaved, I've got a +right to be sore!" + +"When did Manning leave the ship?" asked Strong. + +"As soon as we made touchdown on Ganymede. He left the ship after +sleeping all the way out, made a couple of nasty cracks, and the last I +saw of him, he was heading over toward the deep-space section of the +spaceport." + +"You're sure of that?" asked Strong. + +Quent Miles sneered. "I just said that's what happened, didn't I?" + +"Yes, that's what you said," Strong replied. "And I'll have to take your +word for it until Manning can answer for himself." + +"How did you manage to make it from Earth to Ganymede without refueling, +Quent?" asked Kit slowly. "And what have you got in your ship to get +that kind of speed?" + +Miles' lips curled in a twisted grin. "That's my secret, spaceman," he +said, turning away. "Well, I've got to report to my boss. Great race, +Kit. Too bad there couldn't be more than one winner." He laughed and +swaggered out of the ship. + +"I'd like to brain that guy," growled Tom. + +"All right, Corbett, Astro, pack your gear and report to the control +tower for reassignment," snapped Strong. He turned and with a nod of +sympathy to Kit left the control deck. + +"Let's go, Astro," sighed Tom. "We'll see you later, Kit. You too, Sid. +And--" They looked at each other, but there was nothing more that could +be said. The race was finished. + +When Tom and Astro had finished packing their gear and left the ship, +Sid turned to Kit. "I'm going to take a look at the _Space Knight_!" he +announced. + +"Better not, Sid." Barnard shook his head. "Miles is a rough customer. +He might not like visitors around his 'secret' on the power deck." + +Sid's face was set. "I'm going," he repeated and ducked through the +hatch. + +His face showing his disappointment at having lost the race, Kit paced +the deck for a moment and then he strode purposefully toward the hatch, +calling: + +"Hey! Wait, Sid. I'm coming with you." + +In the control tower at the far end of the spaceport, Tom and Astro +entered the station commander's office in time to overhear the last of +Commander Walters' orders to Captain Strong. + +" ... might as well give the boys a rest before we begin our +investigations, Steve." He looked up as the door opened. "Oh, here they +are now." + +"Cadets Corbett and Astro reporting, sir." Tom and Astro saluted +smartly. + +"Stand easy, boys," said Walters, rising to face them. "I don't know how +much you've heard of this emergency on Titan, but you can be briefed on +details later. For the moment, all you have to know is that your +assignment here is concerned with a detailed checking-out of the whole +force-screen machinery. Take a twenty-four-hour rest and then report +back here ready for the hardest work you'll ever do in your lives." + +"Yes, sir," said Tom. + +"Where is Manning? Didn't he think it necessary to report to me?" +Walters looked at Strong. "Well, Steve? It's your unit?" + +"It seems he got off the _Space Knight_ at Ganymede, sir," replied +Strong reluctantly. "Captain Miles said the last he saw of Manning he +was walking toward the deep-space section of the spaceport." + +Walters' eyes suddenly became very bright and hard. "He got off, did he? +Well," he snapped, "this is just about the end of the line for Cadet +Roger Manning!" + +"I'm sure Roger has a good explanation, sir--" began Tom. + +Walters glared at the cadet. "None of that, Corbett. Manning is a bad +rocket and the sooner I get rid of him the better off the Academy and +the _Polaris_ unit will be. Now take your twenty-four-hours' leave and +report back here ready to work." + +"Yes, sir," replied Tom. He and Astro saluted and turned to leave the +office but were stopped by the sudden appearance of Sid and Kit. Sid's +face was aglow. Kit was scowling. + +"You know what we found on the _Space Knight_?" exclaimed Sid, unable to +hold back. + +"What?" asked Tom. + +"Almost a full tank of reactant!" replied the young engineer. "And the +after burners showed about as much wear as if the ship had jumped from +Earth to Venus." + +"What's that, young man?" snapped Walters, stepping forward quickly. +"What are you talking about?" + +Kit Barnard faced the commander and began to explain. + +"We were both curious about Quent Miles' ship, sir," he said. "We +wondered what kind of equipment he had to get that kind of speed, so we +went aboard and looked her over. She looks as if she just made a routine +flight. Hardly any of her baffling has been eaten away and her motors +are cooling fast, and I'd swear by the stars there isn't anything on +that ship to give her the kind of speed she made out here." + +"Hm-m! There's something funny about this," mused Walters. + +Strong stepped forward quickly. "Would you like me to investigate, sir?" +he asked eagerly. + +"Of course not," snapped Walters. "What's the matter with you? We've got +a whole planet full of people about to lose their homes and you want to +take time off to investigate pure speculation!" + +"I'm sorry, sir." Strong's face flushed at the rebuke. + +"Carry on! Work with Joe Howard." + +"Yes, sir." + +Strong saluted and started for the door. He passed Tom, Astro, Sid, and +Kit without so much as a glance. His jaw was set like a rock. + +Tom Corbett shuffled uncomfortably, embarrassed at the rebuke Strong had +just suffered from Walters. It was not like the commander to flare up so +quickly. The situation on Titan must be extremely serious. He and Astro +ducked out of the room quickly. + +"Come on, Astro," muttered the young cadet. "Let's get a bite to eat. +I'm starved." + +"I was," said the giant Venusian. "But I lost my appetite." + +"Boy, do I wish I had Roger here now!" + +"Yeah, me too!" + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER 12 + + +Olympia, the largest colony on Titan, was gripped by a wave of fear. The +broad streets were empty; the shops and stores were deserted; and the +population waited in line at the spaceport, with their most valuable +belongings, for their turn to leave the threatened settlement. Slowly +the satellite of Saturn was dying, and through the methane ammonia +atmosphere, the glittering rings of the mother planet shone down on her +death struggle. + +Tom Corbett and Astro walked through the streets silently, overcome by +the desolation around them. Many parts of the city were completely +abandoned, and the few remaining citizens wore cumbersome oxygen masks +as the deadly atmosphere of gas seeped through the force field to reach +the ground surface of the satellite. + +As the two cadets continued their dismal tour, they could only find one +small restaurant open, a self-service food center that required no help. +They were the only customers. During the meal they hardly talked, as +they watched the slow procession of people outside, heading for the +spaceport. + +When the two cadets left the restaurant, a jet car suddenly blasted to a +stop beside them and a master sergeant, dressed in the scarlet red of +the enlisted Solar Guard, jumped out to face them. + +"All persons are required to wear oxygen masks, Cadets," the sergeant +announced, handing over two masks. "And I would suggest that you leave +this section of the city as quickly as possible. The screens are leaking +badly again. We may have to close off this section too." + +[Illustration] + +Tom and Astro took the masks but did not put them on. + +"Thanks, Sergeant," said Tom. "But we'll probably be around here for +some time. We're on special duty with Commander Walters and Captain +Strong." + +At the mention of Strong's name, the sergeant started, looked at the +boys closely, and then smiled. "Say, aren't you Corbett and Astro?" + +"That's right," acknowledged Tom. + +"Well, don't you remember me?" asked the sergeant. + +Tom looked at him closely and then smiled in sudden recognition. +"Morgan! Phil Morgan!" he cried. + +"Of course," chimed in Astro. + +"Sure," said the sergeant. "We went through our first test together at +the Academy and I washed out." + +"And you became an enlisted man!" exclaimed Tom. "Man, you're a real +space buster!" + +"I figured if I couldn't get into space one way, I'd do it another," +said Morgan proudly. "A lot of times I wished I was still a cadet with +you, but now I don't think I'd change it for anything in the world." + +"I can believe that," said Tom, smiling. "And a master sergeant at that! +McKenny told us once it took a man nearly fifteen years to get top +rating. It must really be a labor of love for you to have made it this +quickly." He stuck out his hand. "Congratulations, Morgan." + +They shook hands. "Well, I've got to get rolling," said Morgan. "I sure +hope you fellows find out what's cooking here. I've got a lot of friends +here and they stand to lose everything they own if Titan is abandoned." + +"With Captain Strong on the job, you can bet we'll find out the +trouble," declared Astro. + +Morgan smiled. "See you around," he said, and jumped back into the jet +car. A second later it was roaring down the street to the western part +of the city. + +"Boy, sure makes you feel good to know that a guy loves space so much +that he would fight his way to the top of the enlisted guard as Morgan +did!" said Tom. + +Suddenly Astro jerked Tom by the sleeve and pulled him back into the +restaurant to crouch behind the door. + +"Hey, what's the matter with you?" growled Tom. + +"Sh-h-h!" hissed Astro and pointed across the street. "Look!" + +Tom poked his head around the corner of the doorway and quickly jerked +it back again. Quent Miles was hurrying down the street. + +"Wonder what he's doing around here?" whispered Astro, watching the +black-clad spaceman pass directly opposite them and continue down the +street, seemingly unaware that he was being watched. + +"He must be heading for the evacuated section," said Tom. + +"How do you figure that?" asked Astro, as they peered cautiously around +the edge of the doorway. + +"He's wearing his oxygen mask." + +"Come on!" said Astro. "Let's find out what that heel is up to." + +Hugging the buildings, the two cadets walked down the street, following +Miles. There was a puzzled frown on Astro's face as he stared at the +spaceman, a hundred feet away. "I swear, Tom," he complained, "I'm about +to bust a rocket. Every time I see that guy, I think I know him, but +when I try to pin it down, it slips away from me." + +"Watch it!" cried Tom. "He's stopping." + +The boys ducked behind a deserted jet car as Quent Miles suddenly spun +around to stare suspiciously back down the street. + +"I don't know if he saw us or not," whispered Tom. + +"With that oxygen mask," replied the big cadet, "maybe he can't see very +well." + +"He's going on," replied Tom. "Come on. We've got to find out what he's +up to. He wouldn't be concerned about someone following him if he +weren't trying to hide something." + +They slipped around the jet car and stepped back on the sidewalk. Ahead +of them, Quent Miles was walking quickly, reading all the street signs. +Suddenly he turned down a side street, and the two cadets raced after +him. + +They were in the outskirts of the city now. Great areas were covered +with rolling grass fields where the citizens of Titan spent their +leisure hours playing ball and picnicking, and it was easy for the +cadets to follow the black-suited spaceman. They had to put on their +oxygen masks as the deadly fumes of the methane ammonia atmosphere began +to swirl around them. They were near the outer limits of the atmosphere +screen's effectiveness. + +"I think he's going into that building up ahead, Astro," said Tom, his +voice distorted to a low metallic hiss by the miniature amplifier in the +face of the mask. + +Astro nodded and they ducked into a gully as Quent Miles turned once +again and glanced down the street. + +"Wonder what's in that building?" mused Tom. + +"One way to find out," said Astro. "Come on. He's moving again." + +The gas began to thicken now, and the two cadets found it difficult to +see more than a few feet ahead as they moved cautiously through the +swirling death around them. After what seemed like an hour, but was +actually hardly more than a few minutes, they found the building Miles +had entered. + +"I'd give two weeks' leave for a ray gun now," said Tom. + +"Want me to try the door?" asked Astro. + +"Go ahead. We can't learn anything standing out here." + +Astro put his hand on the circular latch and twisted it slowly. The door +slid back on rollers, exposing a dark interior. The two boys slipped +inside. + +"Better close the door, Astro," said Tom. "The ammonia doesn't seem to +be so thick in here." + +Astro twisted the latch on the inner side and the heavy door rolled back +into place. They turned slowly and saw a room that was dark except for a +single light gleaming weakly through the haze of the gas. When their +eyes became adjusted to the semidarkness, they moved, searching for +another door in the huge room. + +"Are you sure this is the right place?" asked Astro. + +"I can't be positive," said Tom. "The stuff outside was too thick--" He +stopped, touched Astro on the arm, and pointed to his left. There was +the sound of a door sliding back and light filtered into the murky room. +Quent Miles stood framed in the doorway, the unmistakable outline of a +paralo-ray gun in his right hand. + +"Drop to the floor," hissed Tom. + +The two cadets dropped lightly to the floor and lay face down, while +Quent Miles walked toward them fanning the gun around menacingly. Then, +as he was about to step on Astro's hand, he turned and walked quickly +back to the door. "You must be nuts, Charley," the two cadets heard him +say. "There's nobody here." + +The door rolled closed and the light was cut off. Tom and Astro rose and +quietly made their way toward the door. They stopped, leaned against the +door, and tried to hear what was going on inside, but were unable to +distinguish more than a vague mumble of voices, because of their masks +and the thickness of the door. Suddenly, however, they were conscious of +footsteps approaching from the other side. + +There was no time to hide. Each boy flattened himself against the wall +on opposite sides of the door and held his breath as the door opened +slowly. + + * * * * * + +"There can be no doubt about it, Steve," said Commander Walters to the +young captain. "What we need are more powerful pumping stations for +oxygen _and_ additional generators for supplying power to the force +field." + +"How do you figure that, sir?" asked Strong. + +"It's simply this," replied Walters. "The population here has nearly +tripled in the past two years. The force-field screens were set up +originally to accommodate only a minimum number of miners and their +families. With the heavy demand for crystal, and therefore, more +civilians to dig it out, the force field has been overloaded." + +"But I still don't see how, sir," Strong protested. + +"The more people, the more oxygen needed to keep them alive, right?" + +Strong nodded. + +"The force screens hold back the methane ammonia gas and create a vacuum +into which we pump oxygen, right?" + +Again Strong nodded. + +"Now we have a demand for more and more oxygen, and we pump it into the +vacuum, but eventually we arrive at the point where the pressure of the +oxygen inside is greater than the pressure outside. Therefore, the +screening force field is broken in its weaker points and the oxygen +escapes. When the balance is restored, the rupture isn't sealed and gas +seeps in." + +Strong glanced questioningly at Captain Howard and at Kit Barnard, who +had been asked to remain on Titan and lend his assistance to the problem +of the screens. + +"Well, gentlemen?" asked Walters, noticing Strong's glance. "That is my +theory. Do any of you have a better one? Or a more reasonable +explanation?" + +Strong, Barnard, and Howard shook their heads. A complete check of every +possible source of trouble had been made by the four men and they had +found nothing. + +"We still have to wait for a report from the electronics sections, sir," +said Howard, rubbing his eyes. He started to get up and then suddenly +slumped to the floor. + +"By the craters of Luna!" cried Walters, jumping to the young officer's +side. Howard was picked up and placed on a nearby couch. While Strong +and Kit loosened his clothing, Walters grabbed the nearest oxygen mask +and slipped it over the spaceman's face. + +"Funny that he should pass out like that," commented Strong, sniffing +the air. "I _still_ don't smell anything." + +Kit looked up at Strong and grinned. "He's not gassed. He's asleep." + +"Asleep!" exclaimed Walters. + +The enlisted spaceman standing on guard at the door stepped forward and +saluted smartly. "Captain Howard hasn't slept for the last five days," +he said. "He's been working night and day." + +Walters smiled. "All right, Sergeant, take him to his quarters." Then he +held up his hand. "No, let him stay where he is." He turned to Steve. +"Come on, Steve. You too, Kit. Let's see if we can't get a report from +the electronics section before we speculate any further." + +The three men left the control-tower office under the watchful eyes of a +squad of Space Marines. Trouble had already started at the spaceport +when a crowd of excited miners had charged a detachment of enlisted men +guarding Solar Guard cruisers. The crowds were growing panicky as the +deadly gas filled the city, unchecked. + +Strong, Walters, and Kit Barnard climbed into a waiting jet car, amid +the hoots and catcalls from the waiting miners, and hurtled away to the +giant building housing the electronic "brain" that controlled the +force-field screens. + +Walters' face was grim. Beside him, Strong and Kit were silent as they +raced through the empty streets. If there was no positive discovery by +the electronics section of the huge screening operations, then it would +have to be assumed that Commander Walters was right in his theory of +overpopulation. To remedy that situation would require complete +reconstruction of the satellite settlement and temporary abandonment of +Titan. Millions of dollars would be lost and thousands of people thrown +out of work. It would be a severe blow to the Solar Alliance. + +The jet car slowed to a stop. They were in front of the electronics +building and the three men climbed out wearily. They would know in a few +minutes now. + + + + +CHAPTER 13 + + +"You're afraid of your own shadow!" Miles snarled over his shoulder to +Charley Brett who followed him out of the room. Brett was adjusting his +oxygen mask with one hand and gripping a paralo-ray gun tightly with the +other. + +"Never mind the cracks," snapped Brett, his voice muffled by the mask. +"I tell you I heard someone moving around in here." + +Miles laughed again and walked straight to the middle of the room. With +their backs pressed to the wall beside the door, Tom and Astro saw Miles +bend over and lift a trap door in the middle of the floor. + +The two men flashed a light down into the opening and climbed down, +pulling the trap door closed after them. + +No sooner was it shut than Tom and Astro jumped forward to examine it +cautiously. Astro started to pull it open but Tom held out a warning +hand. He turned and pointed toward the room that Miles and Brett had +left. Astro nodded and they walked quickly back to the door. Sliding it +open, they stepped inside. + +"By the rings of Saturn!" cried Astro. + +"Well, blast my jets!" Tom exclaimed. + +The air in the room was clear, completely free of the misty whirling +methane ammonia of death that swirled around them outside. Recovering +from his surprise quickly, Astro closed the door and walked to the +center of the room, looking around curiously. Tom had already slipped +off his mask and was examining the equipment lying on the floor. Astro +bent over an oddly shaped machine that looked somewhat like an ancient +compressed-air drill, with a long bar protruding from one end. He +examined the bar closely and then turned slowly to Tom. + +"Do you know what this machine is?" he asked in almost a whisper. + +Tom looked at it and then shook his head. + +"I haven't seen one of these since I left Venus, and then only when I +was a kid hanging around the spaceports where the space rats used to +blast off for the asteroids looking for uranium." + +"You mean you hunt uranium with that thing?" asked Tom. + +"No, you dig it out with this." + +Tom gazed at the machine thoughtfully. "Why would it be here?" he mused. +"It's already been used," said Astro, standing up. "Look, the drill head +is dull." + +"That trap door!" Tom exclaimed. "It leads to a mine. Miles and Brett +have discovered high-grade uranium right here on Titan where everyone +thought there was nothing but _crystal_!" + +Astro nodded grimly. "And that isn't all. This room is free of ammonia +gas." + +"But how in the star-blazing dickens can they keep it out of here when +everything else outside is flooded with it?" asked Tom. + +Astro spun around and began to examine the walls. "Just as I thought!" +he exclaimed. "This room is airtight! Sealed! Oxygen is being pumped in +here." + +"From where?" + +"Might be from somewhere below," replied the big Venusian. "Down that +trap where Miles and Brett went." + +Tom put his mask back on and headed for the door. Astro followed him. +They opened it a little and peered into the swirling mist. + +"Then it's being pumped in directly," Tom asserted. "Through a duct +leading directly up into this room from somewhere below." + +Astro nodded. "Then there's only one thing left to do. Go down through +that trap door and see what we can find." He stepped forward. + +"Wait a minute, Astro," said Tom, stopping him. "Let me check our +oxygen. There might not be any down there. Remember, Miles and Brett +wore _their_ masks." + +Making a quick check of their oxygen supply, Tom patted Astro on the +back and started forward. "It's O.K. We've got another four hours left. +Come on!" + +They moved toward the trap door slowly. + +"I still wish I had a ray gun," whispered Tom. + +"As long as I can use these"--Astro balled his hamlike hands into +fists--"we're O.K." + +When they reached the trap door, Tom got down on his knees and felt +around for the opening. He found a small ring bolt, motioned to Astro to +step back, and pulled. The trap door swung back easily and a shaft of +white light gleamed in his face. The young cadet leaned down and looked +through the opening. What he saw made him gasp. + +"What is it?" demanded Astro. + +[Illustration: _Tom got down on his knees and felt around for an +opening_] + +Tom motioned for him to get down and look. The big cadet dropped lightly +to his knees to peer through the opening. "By the moons of Jupiter," he +exclaimed, "it's a--a mining shaft!" + +"Just what we thought it was," whispered Tom. "Come on. Let's go down +and find out where it leads." + +"Maybe we'd better go back and tell Captain Strong about this first," +Astro said speculatively. + +"There's no telling what Brett and Miles are liable to do while we're +gone," said Tom. "You find Captain Strong and I'll go down into the +shaft and look around." + +"Not on your life," protested Astro. "You don't think I'd let you go +down there alone, do you? _You_ go back to Captain Strong and _I'll_ see +what those two are doing down there." + +Tom grinned. "O.K., we'll both go down," he said. + +Opening the trap door all the way, Tom eased himself down into the +opening. Astro followed. Immediately below the trap, they found a +ladder, fixed to the wall of the shaft, which led directly down to a +point about thirty feet below the surface of Titan. At the bottom the +two cadets paused. A long tunnel stretched before them. + +"Listen to that!" exclaimed Astro. + +Tom ripped off the mask and listened. He heard a strange noise which +sounded more like the roar of escaping gas than a motor. + +"What is it?" asked Tom. + +"That's what I'd like to know!" + +"And that light," continued Tom, pointing down the length of the tunnel. +"Do you suppose it's Miles and Brett?" + +"It isn't moving," commented Astro. + +"Well, since we're here we might as well find out as much as we can," +Tom decided. "Let's go." + +The two cadets flattened themselves against the side of the shaft and +inched forward. The hissing noise was slowly building up to a roar now, +and as they made their way along the shaft, they passed other smaller +tunnels that branched off to the left and right. There was evidence of +recent work. Tools were scattered along the tunnel floors, as if the +workers had dropped them in sudden flight. + +The light ahead of them grew brighter, and as they rounded a corner, +they saw a bare, unshaded lamp suspended from the roof of the tunnel. + +Tom suddenly stopped and jerked Astro back. "Look!" he exclaimed, +pointing to the floor, not two paces away. A thin wire, hardly +noticeable, was stretched across the floor at ankle height. + +"That bright light is to attract your attention while you trip over that +thing and probably blow yourself to bits," he said grimly, pointing to +the wall where the wire was connected to a small charge of explosives. +"Nothing to bring the roof down," he continued, "but enough to blast +whoever tripped over this wire." + +Stepping over the wire carefully, they started down the shaft again, but +Tom paused thoughtfully. + +"What's the matter?" asked Astro. + +"That booby trap," said Tom. "We'd better not take any chances of +tripping over it on the way back. We might be in a hurry." + +"I know what you mean," grunted the big Venusian. He knelt down beside +the menacing box of explosives and quickly disconnected the trip wire, +throwing the box to one side. + +Straightening up, Astro announced, "It's harmless now." + +Cautiously the two cadets continued down the tunnel, the roaring sound +growing louder and louder. After twenty minutes, Astro paused, his +homely features wrinkled in a frown of worry. + +"Think maybe Miles and Brett went off into one of the other side +tunnels?" he asked. + +Tom thought a moment. "No, I don't, Astro. We haven't hit another side +tunnel since we passed that booby trap back there. What would be the use +of setting that thing up if they went in another direction?" + +"There must be another way out of here, then," Astro remarked. + +"Why?" + +"That part of the tunnel back there by the bomb was loose dirt. If the +bomb had exploded, the whole tunnel would have been blocked off and how +could they get out?" + +Tom didn't answer. He was thinking about what he was going to do if +there should be another booby trap in the tunnel. It was so dark now +that they could hardly see more than a few feet ahead. The bright light +was merely a pinpoint in the distance behind them. + +And then Tom became aware that the roar that had been with them +constantly since they had entered the shaft had now lessened in volume. +But they had not passed a single branch-off tunnel where the sound could +have originated. Tom made up his mind quickly. + +"Come on, Astro," he said. "We're going back." + +"Why?" + +"I haven't time to explain now, but you walk close to one side of the +shaft and I'll take the other. Feel along with your hands for anything +like a door or an opening. I think we've passed them." + +Without another word, Astro turned around and headed back, feeling along +the tunnel wall. + +It did not take the two cadets long to discover what they were looking +for. A heavy wooden door was set flush with the side of the tunnel. And +when Tom pressed his ear to it, he could hear the roaring sound +throbbing heavily inside. + +"See if you can open it, Astro," said Tom. "But take it easy." + +Astro felt along the side of the door until he found a wooden latch and +he lifted it gently. The door swung back, as if pushed, as a powerful +draft caught it from the other side. The roar was now deafening. + +Tom stepped inside cautiously, followed by Astro. They found themselves +on a small balcony overlooking a huge subterranean room. In the room +they saw Quent Miles and Charles Brett bending over a table on which +were several delicate electronic instruments. Tom and Astro recognized +them immediately as testing machinery for radioactivity, much more +advanced and sensitive than the ordinary Geiger counter. Around the two +men was ample evidence of Astro's original assumption that they were +digging into a hot vein of uranium pitchblende. To one side of the room, +lead sheets lined a rough boxlike structure that Astro and Tom guessed +was covering for the radioactive vein. Against the wall lay the +lead-lined suits used by the miners. Further to one side, Tom saw a +huge open pipe. He nudged Astro. + +"Look, over there," Tom whispered. "That's where the oxygen is coming +from!" + +Below them, Miles suddenly walked to the pipe and pulled a large lever +on its side. The roaring sound stopped immediately and the boys felt the +air pressure in the room lessen slightly. + +"That blasted noise is driving me crazy," explained Miles, walking back +to the table, his voice echoing in the rock-walled cavern. + +Brett, leaning over the table, was stabbing around futilely in one of +the sets of tubes in a complicated testing device. "Wish we had that +squirt Manning here," he mumbled. "He could fix these things up in no +time at all." + +"I could always go back to the hide-out and get him," suggested Miles. + +On the balcony Tom gripped Astro's arm tightly. + +"Astro! Did you hear that?" he exclaimed. + +The big cadet nodded and started to rise from their place of +concealment. Tom pulled him down. "Wait," he whispered sharply. "No use +barging in on them yet. Maybe we can find out where Roger is first." + +Astro reluctantly crouched down again, his hamlike hands balled into +fists. + +The two cadets watched Quent Miles and Brett work on the instruments +awhile longer. Finally Miles slammed down a pair of wire cutters on the +table and growled at Brett. "No use messing with this thing any longer. +I don't know what makes it tick, so I can't find the trouble. We need +new equipment." + +"It'll take at least two weeks to get new equipment the way things are +going here at Titan," replied Brett. + +"Well, there's no use hanging around here if we can't dig any more of +the stuff out, and I ain't going behind that lead shield unless I got a +machine that tells me it's safe." + +"I've been thinking about Manning," said Brett. + +"What about him?" + +"Suppose we move the stuff we've already mined to the hide-out, and take +this equipment along too. He can repair it out there. We can turn off +the oxygen that we're sucking off from the Solar Guard pumps, and by the +time we get back here, the old satellite will be back to normal. Then, +with the equipment repaired and Olympia back to normal, we can really +begin operations." + +Quent nodded quickly. "Good idea. Come on. Let's get this stuff aboard +the ship." + +On the balcony Tom and Astro looked at each other. + +"They're responsible for what's happened here on Titan!" whispered Tom. +"They have been sucking off oxygen from the main pumps supporting the +force field." + +"Come on, Tom," growled Astro. "My fist is just itching to make contact +with a couple of no-good chins." + +"Not so fast! We still don't know where they've got Roger." + +"You want to keep on following them?" asked Astro. + +"At least to their ship," Tom replied. "Then we can notify Captain +Strong and he can track them in the _Polaris_. If we barge in on them +now, we'll just get the satisfaction of knocking their heads together +with no guarantee of any information." The young cadet turned to the +door. "We'll sneak up the tunnel a way and then follow them out." + +"Hurry!" said Astro. "Here they come." Quent, carrying one of the +instruments, had started up the steps to the balcony. + +Tom grabbed the latch and pushed up but the door would not open. "Give +me a hand, Astro, quick!" he called. + +Astro grabbed the latch and heaved his bulk against the door. Suddenly +he stepped back dumfounded, holding the latch in his hand. It had +snapped off. + +Just at that moment Brett looked up and saw them. He shouted a warning +to Miles, who dropped the instrument he was carrying and pulled out his +ray gun. + +"Just stand where you are!" he snarled, leveling the gun at them. + +Tom and Astro stood quietly, hands in the air. + +"How in blazes did they get here?" Brett cried. + +"They must have followed me," said Miles. "They certainly couldn't have +known about this place." + +"But how did they get past the trap?" Brett persisted, still amazed and +shaken by the unexpected appearance of the cadets. + +Astro snorted his contempt. "You must think we're a couple of prize +space jerks," he growled. "You can't even kill a mouse with that thing +now." + +"Let's cut the talk," said Miles. "What do we do with them?" + +"Freeze them!" snapped Brett. "No telling how long they've been here and +how much they know." + +"We know enough to put you on a prison asteroid," challenged Tom. + +"Freeze 'em, it is," said Quent. "We'll get the ship loaded and decide +what to do with them later." + +He pressed the trigger on his ray gun. There was a harsh crackling sound +and Tom and Astro stiffened into immobility, every nerve and muscle +deadened. With the exception of their hearts, and sense of seeing and +hearing, they might have been dead men. + +Laughing to themselves, Quent Miles and Charles Brett picked up their +instruments, walked past them, and disappeared through the door. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER 14 + + +Charles Brett swaggered into the control room of the electronics +building. Commander Walters, Captain Strong, and Kit Barnard looked up +from their study of the reports the chief engineer had handed them. + +"What are you doing here, Brett?" demanded Walters. "I thought you had +blasted out of here long ago." + +"I'm leaving as soon as we sign the contracts for hauling the crystal, +Commander," said Brett. + +"Contracts!" exploded Strong. "Why, man, do you realize that this +satellite is about to die? If we don't find out what's wrong with the +screens, there won't be any crystal mined here for the next ten years." + +Brett shook his head and smiled. "That's all right with me too," he +said. "The contracts call for either party to satisfy the other should +either party fail to fulfill the contractual agreements. In other words, +Strong, I get paid for making the trip out to Titan, whether you have +crystal to haul or not." + +"Why, you dirty--" snarled Strong. + +"Just a moment, Steve," Walters interrupted sharply. "Brett's right. We +had no way of knowing that this situation would arise, or grow worse +than it was in the beginning. Brett went to a great deal of expense to +enter the race and win it. If he insists that the Solar Guard abide by +the contract, there's nothing we can do but pay." + +"It won't be too bad, Commander Walters," said Brett. "I have my ship +loaded with crystal now, and if you'll just sign the contracts, I can +deliver one cargo of crystal to Atom City before Titan is abandoned." + +"Wait a minute," cried Strong. "Who gave you the right to load crystal +before signing the contract?" + +"I assumed the right, Captain Strong," replied Brett smoothly. "My ship +won the race, didn't it? Why shouldn't I start work right away?" + +"Well, that's beside the point now, anyway," Walters said. "We may need +your ship to take miners and their families to Ganymede or Mars, Brett. +Never mind the crystal. One load won't mean very much, anyway." + +"No, thank you," growled Brett. "I don't haul any miners in my ship. The +contracts call for crystal and that's all." + +"I'm ordering you to take those people, Brett," said Walters coldly. +"This is an emergency." + +"Order all you want," snapped Brett. "Look at your space code book, +section four, paragraph six. My rights are fully protected from +high-handed orders issued by men like you who think they're bigger than +the rest of the people." + +Walters flushed angrily. "Get out!" he roared. + +"Not till you sign that contract," Brett persisted. "And if I don't +leave with a signed contract in my pocket, I'll have you up before the +Solar Alliance Council on charges of fraud. You haven't got a leg to +stand on and you know it. Now sign that contract." + +Abruptly, Walters turned to an enlisted spaceman and instructed him to +get his brief case from the _Polaris_, then deliberately turning his +back on Brett, continued his study of the report. Strong and Kit Barnard +watched Brett with narrowed eyes as the arrogant company owner crossed +to the other side of the room and sat down. + +"You know something, Steve," said Kit quietly. "Back at the Academy, I +failed to register a protest about someone dumping impure reactant into +my feeders." + +"What about it?" asked Strong. + +"I'd like to register that protest now." + +"Now?" Steve looked at him, a frown on his face. "Why now?" + +"For one thing, Brett couldn't blast off until there was an +investigation." + +"You might have something there, Kit," replied Strong with a smile. +"_And_ since Brett won the race under such--er--mysterious +circumstances, I'd suggest an investigation of the black ship as well, +eh?" + +Kit grinned. "Shall I make that a formal request?" + +"Right now, if you like." + +Kit turned to face Commander Walters. "Commander," he announced, "I +would like to register a formal protest with regard to the race." + +Walters glanced up. "Race?" he growled. "What the devil are you talking +about, Kit?" + +"Captain Barnard seems to think that Mr. Brett's ship might have used +equipment that was not standard, sir," Strong explained. "In addition, +his own ship was sabotaged during the time trials." + +Walters looked at Strong and then at Kit Barnard, unable to understand. +"What's happened to you two? Bringing up a thing like that at this time. +Have you lost your senses?" + +"No, sir," replied Kit. "But I believe that if a formal investigation +was started, the Solar Guard would be within its legal rights to delay +signing the contracts until such investigation was completed." + +Walters grinned broadly. "Of course! Of course!" + +Brett jumped up and stormed across the room. "You can't get away with +this, Walters!" he shouted. "I won this race fairly and squarely. You +have to sign that contract." + +"Mr. Brett," said Walters coldly, "under the circumstances, I don't have +to do a space-blasted thing." He turned to Kit. "Is this a formal +request for an investigation, Kit?" He was smiling. + +"It is, sir." + +"Very well," said Walters, turning to Brett. "Mr. Brett, in the presence +of two witnesses, I refuse to sign the contracts as a result of serious +charges brought against you by one of the participating entrants. You +will be notified of the time and place of the hearing on these charges." + +Brett's face turned livid. "You can't do this to me!" + +Walters turned to one of the enlisted guardsmen. "Escort Mr. Brett from +the room," he ordered. + +A tall, husky spaceman unlimbered his paralo-ray rifle and nudged Brett +from the room. "I'll get even with you, Walters, if it's the last thing +I do," he screamed. + +"You make another threat like that to a Solar Guard officer," growled +the enlisted spaceman, "and it'll be the _last_ thing you do." + +As the door closed, Walters, Strong, and Kit laughed out loud. A few +seconds later, as the three men returned to their study of the report, +there was a distant rumble, followed quickly by the shock wave of a +tremendous explosion. Walters, Strong, and Kit and everyone in the room +were thrown to the floor violently. + +"By the craters of Luna," yelled Strong, "what was that?" + +"One of the smaller screens has given way, sir!" yelled the chief +electronic engineer after a quick glance at the giant control board. +"Number seven." + +Walters struggled to his feet. "Where is it?" he demanded. + +Strong and Kit got to their feet and crowded around the commander as the +engineer pointed out the section on the huge map hanging on the wall. + +"Here it is, sir," he said. "Sector twelve." + +"Has that area been evacuated yet?" asked Strong. + +"I don't know, sir," replied the engineer. "Captain Howard was in charge +of all evacuation operations." + +Walters spun around. "Get Howard, Steve. Find out if that part of the +city has been cleared," he ordered and then turned to Kit. "You, Kit, +take the Space Marines and round up every spare oxygen mask you can find +and get it over to that section right away. I'll meet you here"--he +placed his finger on the map--"with every jet car I can find. No telling +how many people are still there and we have to get them out." + +Almost immediately the wailing of emergency sirens could be heard +spreading the alarm over the city. At the spaceport, where the citizens +were waiting to be taken off the satellite, small groups began to charge +toward the loading ships in a frenzy of fear. Since Titan had been +colonized, there had never been a single occasion where the sirens had +warned of the failure of the screens. There had been many tests, +especially for the school-age children and the miners working far below +the surface of the satellite, but this was the first time the sirens +howled a real warning of danger and death. + +Strong raced back to the control tower of the spaceport in a jet car and +burst into the room where the captain was still asleep on the couch. +Strong shook him violently. + +"Wake up, Joe!" he cried. "Come on. Wake up." + +"Uh--ahhh? What's the--?" Howard sat up and blinked his eyes. "Steve, +what's going on?" + +"The screen at sector twelve has collapsed. How many people are still in +there?" + +"Collapsed! Sector twelve?" Howard, still groggy with sleep, dumbly +repeated what Strong had said. + +Strong drew back his hand and slapped him across the face. "Come out of +it, Joe!" he barked. + +Howard reeled back and then sat up, fully awake. + +"What--what did you say?" he stammered. + +"Sector twelve has gone," Strong repeated. "How many people are left +there?" + +"We haven't even begun operations there yet," Howard replied grimly. +"How long have I been asleep?" + +"A couple of hours." + +"Then there's still time." + +"What do you mean?" + +"Just before I folded, I ordered the evacuation crews to start working +on sector eleven. They should be finished now and just about starting on +twelve. If they have, we have a good chance of saving everyone." + +"Let's go." + +The two men raced out of the control tower to the jet car and roared +through the desolate streets of the city. All around them commandeered +jet cars raced toward the critical area. Commander Walters stood in the +middle of an intersection on the main road to sector twelve, waving his +arms and shouting orders to the enlisted guardsmen and volunteer miners +that had raced back into the city to help. On the sidewalk, enlisted +guardsmen handed out extra oxygen masks to the men who would search the +area for anyone who might not have gotten out before the screen +exploded. The main evacuation force that had been under Howard's +supervision had already moved in but there was still a large area to +cover. + +"We'll split up into six sections!" roared Walters, standing on top of a +jet car. "Go down every street and alley, and make a house-to-house +search. Cover every square inch of the sector. If we lose one life, we +will have failed. Move out!" + +With Strong, Kit, Howard, Walters, and other officers of the Solar Guard +in the lead, the grim lines of men separated into smaller groups and +started their march through the deserted city. The swirling gas already +was down to within a hundred feet of the street level. When it dropped +to the surface, each man knew there would be little hope for anyone +remaining alive without oxygen masks. + +Every room of every house and building was searched, as over all, the +deadly swirling gas dropped lower and lower and the pressure of the +oxygen was dissipated. + +Once, Strong broke open the door to a cheap rooming house and raced +through it searching each room. He found no one, but something made him +go back through the first-floor rooms again. Under a bed in a room at +the end of the hall he found a young boy huddled with his dog, wide-eyed +with fear. Such incidents were repeated over and over as the searchers +came upon sleeping miners, sick mothers and children, elderly couples +that were unable to move. Each time they were taken outside to a jet car +where masks were strapped over their faces, and then driven to the +spaceport. And, all the while, the deadly methane ammonia gas dropped +lower and lower until it was within ten feet of the ground. + +There were only a few buildings left to search now. The lines of the men +had reached the open grassy areas surrounding the city proper, and as +they collected in groups and exchanged information, Walters gathered +them together. + +"You've done a fine job, all of you," he said. "I don't think there's a +living thing left in this entire sector. All volunteers and the first +four squads of enlisted guardsmen and second detachment of Space Marines +return to the spaceport and prepare to abandon Titan. Give all the aid +to the officer in charge that you can. Again, I want to thank you for +your help." + +As the group of men broke up and began drifting away, Walters hurried +over to Strong and Kit Barnard. "Steve," he said, "I want you to +supervise the evacuation at the spaceport. Since this screen has blown +up, those poor people are frightened out of their wits. And they have a +right to be. If a major screen blew instead of a small one, we really +would be in trouble." + +"Very well, sir," replied Strong. "Come on, Kit, you might as well blast +off with a load of children." + +"Sure thing." + +"Just a minute," Walters interrupted. "I would consider it a service, +Kit, if you would send your young assistant back with your ship and you +stick around until we get all the people safely off." + +"Anything I can do to help, sir," replied Kit. + +At that moment a tall enlisted spaceman walked up to Walters and saluted +sharply. Walters noticed the stripes on his sleeve and his young-looking +face. He couldn't remember ever seeing such a young master sergeant. + +"Captain Howard asked me to make my report to you, sir," said the +guardsman. + +"Very well, sergeant," said Walters. + +The young spaceman made a detailed report of his search through sectors +eleven and twelve. While he spoke, Strong kept looking at him, puzzled. +When the guardsman had finished, Strong asked, "Don't I know you from +somewhere, Sergeant?" + +The guardsman smiled. "You sure do, Captain Strong. My name's Morgan, +sir. I was a cadet with Tom Corbett and Astro, sir, but I washed out. So +I joined the enlisted guard." + +"Congratulations, Sergeant," said Walters. "You're the youngest top kick +I've ever seen." He turned to Strong. "Apparently we slipped up, Steve, +letting this chap get out of the Academy so he could make a name for +himself in the enlisted ranks." + +"Thank you, sir," replied Morgan, blushing with pride. + +"Have you seen the cadets, by any chance, Sergeant?" asked Strong. +"They're both here on Titan with me." + +"Oh, yes, sir," said Morgan. "I saw them some time ago." + +"Where?" + +"A few blocks closer to the heart of town," said Morgan, pointing back +down the avenue. "We were just starting in on sector eleven and I saw +them coming out of a restaurant." + +"Funny they haven't returned," commented Walters. "And what would they +be doing down there?" + +Strong's forehead creased into a frown of worry. "Sir, I wonder if you'd +allow me a half hour or so to look for them?" he asked. "If they were +anywhere near this section when the screen collapsed, they could have +been injured by the sudden release of pressure." + +"They had masks, sir," said Morgan. "I gave them a couple myself." + +Walters thought a moment. "It's just possible they might have been +injured in some way," he mused. "Go ahead, Steve. If you don't find +them, and they don't show up at the spaceport, we'll organize a full +search." + +"Thank you, sir," said Strong. "You come along with me, Sergeant." + +Adjusting their oxygen masks, Captain Strong and Sergeant Morgan strode +down the street through the swirling mist of deadly methane ammonia to +begin their search for Tom and Astro. + + + + +CHAPTER 15 + + +"Listen!" + +Captain Strong grabbed the young master sergeant by the arm and stood +stock-still in the swirling methane ammonia gas, his eyes searching the +misty sky. + +"What is it, sir?" asked Morgan. + +"A spaceship decelerating," said Strong, "coming in for a touchdown!" + +"I think I hear it now, sir!" said Morgan. + +"Can you figure out where it is? I can't see a blasted thing." + +"Sounds to me as though it's to the left, sir." + +"O.K., let's go and investigate," said Strong. "There isn't any good +reason for a ship coming down in this deadly soup--or in this area." + +Walking slowly and cautiously, the two spacemen angled to the left, +peering through the clouds of gas that seemed to get thicker as they +moved along. The roaring blast of the ship became louder. + +Strong put his hand out to stop Morgan. "Let's hold up a minute, +Sergeant," he said. "I don't want to get too close until I know what +we're facing." + +They stood absolutely still, the gas swirling around them in undulating +clouds that grew thicker one minute and then thinned out again. As the +gas thinned for a few seconds, Strong gasped and pointed. + +"Look!" he cried. "By the craters of Luna, it's Brett's ship!" + +"Brett?" asked Morgan. + +"Charles Brett. He owns that ship. It's the one that won the space race +from Earth. Now, what would he be doing landing out here?" + +"I think he came down beside that warehouse up ahead, sir," said Morgan, +as the gas cloud closed in again, cutting off their view of the actual +landing. "It used to be a storehouse for mining gear a couple of years +ago, but it's been empty for some time." + +"I think we'd better check this, Sergeant," said Strong firmly. "Come +on." + +Strong started forward, then stopped, as a particularly heavy cloud of +the deadly gas swirled around them. The two spacemen clung together +blinded by the dense methane ammonia that would kill them in thirty +seconds should their oxygen masks fail. In a moment the foggy death +thinned out again and they continued toward the warehouse and the sleek +black ship behind it. + + * * * * * + +Tom Corbett and Astro heard the roaring blast of the ship's exhaust. +They saw Brett and Miles haul the instruments out of the cavern. They +saw; they could hear; but they could not move. For nearly three hours +they had remained alone in the cavern, frozen in the exact position they +were in when Quent Miles had blasted them with his paralo-ray gun. And +then Brett and Miles were standing before them again, Miles covering +them with his paralo-ray gun. + +"Why should we break our backs loading the ship?" sneered Miles. "Let +them carry it out for us." + +[Illustration: _"Look!" Strong cried. "It's Brett's ship!"_] + +"All right, release them," agreed Brett. "But get that stuff loaded in +a hurry. Walters is either getting suspicious or he's pulling a bluff. +We can't take any more chances." + +Miles flipped on the neutralizer switch of the paralo ray and leveled it +at Tom. "We'll take the little fella first," he said. "If he acts up, +we'll just leave the other fella the way he is." + +He fired at Tom, and the young cadet began to shudder violently. His +teeth chattered and he found it difficult to focus his eyes as his +nervous system tried to shake off the effects of the ray. He crumpled to +a heap on the balcony floor and gasped for breath. + +"He won't be much use to you for a while." Brett laughed. "Look at him +flopping around like a fish out of water." + +"Get up!" snarled Miles at Tom, quickly flipping the ray gun back to +positive charge. "Come on. You're not that bad off. Get up." He leaned +over and prodded the cadet with the gun. "If you don't get up, I'll +freeze you again," he threatened. + +Tom struggled to his feet. "I'll get you for this, Miles," he gasped +weakly, his teeth still chattering. + +"Never mind the hot air!" snarled Brett. "Go down there and start +hauling up those boxes." + +Tom turned helplessly and stumbled down the stairs to the floor of the +cavern. + +"Now for the big fellow," said Miles. He fired the neutralizer charge +and Astro started to quiver at the shock of the release. But he clamped +his teeth together and made a quick lunge for Miles, reaching for the +spaceman's throat. Expecting the attack, Miles stepped aside quickly and +brought the gun down sharply on the big cadet's head. Astro dropped to +the floor, half-stunned. The black-clad spaceman leveled the ray gun and +sneered, "Try that again, you overgrown punk, and I'll drop you on your +head." + +Astro shook his head and stumbled to his feet. He glared at Miles, spun +away, and walked down the stairs shakily. + +Miles and Brett stood on the balcony and watched the two cadets working +on the cavern floor. "Hurry it up there!" shouted Miles. "We haven't got +all day." + +Brett took his ray gun from his belt and stepped forward. "I'll handle +Corbett," he said. "You take care of the big one." + +"Right," replied Miles. "But stay well in back of them and keep your gun +on them all the time." + +"How long do you think it'll take to get the ship loaded?" asked Brett. + +"Couple of hours. But what are you going to do about Walters if he's +wise?" Miles shrugged his shoulders. + +"Simple," said Brett. "We take the stuff we've got, haul it to the +hide-out, dump it, and return to Atom City. Then we just sit tight and +wait until the situation clears up here on Titan." + +"What about that investigation?" asked Miles, keeping his eyes on the +cadets, who were now staggering back to the stairs, each carrying a +heavy lead box containing the precious uranium pitchblende. + +"What can an investigation prove?" snorted Brett. + +"I don't know. Walters and Strong are pretty smart cookies." + +"Unless they have witnesses that you were messing around Kit Barnard's +ship, which they don't, and unless they find out about Ross, which they +won't, there isn't anything they can do." + +Miles looked down at the shorter man beside him. "Ross, eh?" He laughed. + +Brett stared at him and then shrugged. "I always get mixed up," he said. +"But you know what I mean." + +"Sure, I know." Miles turned to watch Astro and Tom start up the stairs +to the balcony, the lead boxes on their shoulders. "What are you going +to do with them?" he said. + +"Take them to the hide-out and decide later. Besides, they'll be handy +for unloading the ship." + +"Good idea," nodded Miles. He took a deep breath and smiled. "I sure +wish I could see Walters' face when he learns about the new load of +uranium that'll flood the market." + +Brett laughed. "Yeah, and with the customs clearance we'll get to haul +in the crystal, there'll be no way they can figure out how it's getting +in." + +Miles turned and shouted at the two cadets struggling up the stairs. +"Come on, you two. Get a move on." + +"We're making it as fast as we can, Miles," Astro protested. + +"It ain't fast enough," sneered the spaceman. He reached out with his +free hand and slapped Astro across the mouth. "That's just to remind you +to watch your tongue, or you might wind up an icicle again." + +Astro dropped the box and crouched, his big frame ready to be released +like a coiled spring. Miles backed up and fingered the trigger on the +ray gun. "Come on, stupid," he snarled. "Come on, I'll give it to you +again, only this time--" He smiled. + +"No, Astro," called Tom. "There's nothing we can do now. No use getting +frozen again." + +"That's using your head, Corbett." Miles laughed. "Pick up that box and +get going." + +Astro picked up the lead box again and staggered after Tom toward the +door. Miles and Brett stepped back, guns ready, and watched the two +cadets walk slowly ahead of them into the tunnel. + + * * * * * + +Captain Strong and Sergeant Morgan crept to the side of the warehouse +and flattened themselves against the wall. With the gas swirling around +them thicker than ever, they found it more difficult than ever to see +where they were going. + +"I think I see a door ahead," said Strong. + +"Want me to see if it'll open, sir?" asked Morgan. + +"No. I'll look around in the warehouse," replied the Solar Guard +captain. "You investigate the ship. If anyone's aboard, keep him there +until I contact you. If not, come back here and wait for me." + +"Very well, sir," said Morgan, and turned toward the black ship. In a +moment he was lost in the deadly mist. + +Strong made his way to the door and twisted the latch. The door slid +open easily, and he stepped inside, closing it behind him and waiting +for some signs of life or movement. The gas was like a thick fog in the +room and he inched his way forward, hands outstretched like a blind +person. Gradually he began to see the vague form of a door on the +opposite wall and he made his way toward it, completely unaware that he +came within inches of falling through the open trap door in the floor. + +He opened the door in the wall slowly, peering inside cautiously. He was +startled to feel the faint rush of air on his hands and to see the room +clear of the dangerous methane ammonia gas. He moved quickly inside and +made a hurried inspection of the gear, not bothering to look to examine +it closely. He shrugged his shoulders. It was just as Morgan had said. +An abandoned warehouse with old mining gear and nothing else. + +Suddenly he stopped. There was something strange about the room and he +looked around again. The gas! There were no ammonia vapors in the room. +He quickly searched along the walls for some outlet of oxygen, +remembering now the rush of air he had felt as he opened the door. Close +to a corner near the door, he found a small opening. Air poured out of +it in a steady rush. He straightened up, his face grim. "So that's it," +he said to himself. "Somebody has been sucking off oxygen from the main +pumps!" + +Strong headed for the door. "But why?" he asked himself. "Why in this +particular building?" + +He strode out of the room and inched his way across the outer room +toward the front door, again narrowly missing the open trap door. + +Once outside, he made his way along the side of the building in the +direction that Morgan had taken. When he reached the corner, he could +see the black bulk of the _Space Knight_ a hundred yards away. He ran +toward the base of the ship and met Morgan coming toward him. + +"Find anything, Sergeant?" he called. + +"Nothing, sir," replied Morgan. "The ship is ready to blast off and her +cargo holds are full. But that's all." + +"Full of what?" + +"I couldn't see, sir. The main hatch was locked and I could only see +through the viewport. But it just looked like general cargo to me." + +"Couldn't have been crystal?" + +"It might have been, sir. It was pretty dark in the hold but it looked +like a lot of boxes to me." + +"You don't put crystal blocks in boxes," said Strong. + +"Sometimes they do, sir. The more expensive grades are crated, so that +the surfaces won't get scratched. Pieces that are going to be used for +outer facings on a building, for instance." + +"All right, Sergeant. But I found something back in that building that +is going to prove very interesting." + +"The cadets, sir?" + +"No. An illegal use of oxygen!" + +Quickly Strong explained his discovery, concluding, "Come on. We're +going back in there for a closer inspection!" + +"But we can't, sir," said Morgan. + +"Why not?" + +"We only have enough oxygen left in our tanks to get us back to the +cleared area." + +"Blast it!" growled Strong. "Aren't there any masks aboard the ship?" + +"No, sir," replied Morgan. + +"Very well, then. The only thing we can do is go back and bring out a +searching party in force." Strong turned and walked rapidly away. "Come +on, Sergeant, I think we're on the way to answering a lot of questions +about the failure of the screens." + +Almost running, the two spacemen disappeared into the swirling mist of +deadly gases. + +No sooner were they out of sight than Tom Corbett and Astro, faces +covered with oxygen masks, emerged from the warehouse and headed toward +the ship, Miles and Brett close behind them with paralo-ray guns leveled +at their backs. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER 16 + + +Roger Manning opened his eyes, then closed them. He lay perfectly still +and listened. The sound he heard was the unmistakable blasting roar of a +spaceship. But there was another sound, much closer. In fact, it was in +the room with him. + +He opened one eye to see Quent Miles moving about in the one-room, +airtight space hut which had been his jail for the last week. Miles was +throwing clothes into a space bag, keeping a wary eye on Roger, sprawled +on the bunk. Hoisting the bag to his shoulder, Miles closed the face +plate of his space helmet, turned to the air lock, and stepped inside, +slamming the portal behind him. From the bunk, Roger could hear the +hissing of the change of pressure inside the lock from normal to the +vacuum of space outside. + +The entire week had been a time of waiting and wondering. He couldn't +understand Miles' actions in taking him prisoner the moment before +blast-off from Earth, and then keeping him at the asteroid, seemingly +giving up all chances of winning the race. + +Roger waited until he was sure that the black-clad spaceman had gone, +then he sat up and worked desperately on the thin metal chain binding +his wrists. He had been working on one of the links ever since his +arrival at Miles' strange asteroid base, scraping it against the rough +metal edge of one of the legs of his bunk. Two days before, he had +succeeded in wearing it down to a point where he could snap it easily +when the opportunity came for him to make a break. But so far the chance +had not presented itself. He had been kept prisoner in the space hut, +and Miles had pushed his food in through a vent in the air lock. Now, +however, with the sound of the spaceship outside, the cadet decided it +was time for action. + +Working quickly, Roger snapped the link and tore off the chain, freeing +his hands. He allowed himself the longed-for luxury of stretching just +once, and then crossed to the small locker beside the air-lock door to +take out a space suit. He climbed into it hurriedly, secured the helmet, +and began searching the small room for a weapon. In the bottom of a +chest he found a rocketman's wrench. Grasping it tightly, he stepped +into the air lock. Just before he turned on the oxygen in his space +suit, he listened again for the noise of the blasting ship. Then he +grinned as he realized that it wasn't the noise of the ship he heard, +but the vibration it created on the surface of the asteroid. Sound +wouldn't travel through the vacuum of space outside. Suddenly it stopped +and Roger realized the tubes were being blasted in preparation for +take-off. The young cadet closed the inner portal of the lock, adjusted +the pressure, turned on the oxygen of his suit, and waited. In a moment +the indicator showed the pressure to be equal to that outside in space, +and he opened the outer portal cautiously. + +A section of the asteroid belt swam above him. Hundreds of small +planetoids and various-sized pieces of space junk drifted in the cold +vacuum of space overhead. Roger looked around. The asteroid he was on +was so small and the horizon such a short distance away that the base of +Miles' giant black ship was half-covered by the curvature of the +planetoid. + +Holding the wrench tightly in his hand, the blond-haired cadet circled +around the space hut cautiously, looking for Quent Miles, but the +spaceman was nowhere in sight. He had walked all the way around the hut +and back to the air lock when he saw a movement out of the corner of his +eye. It was Miles, returning to the space hut. Moving quickly, Roger +ducked behind a huge boulder and waited for Miles to come closer. It +would be impossible to hit Miles with the heavy wrench. The space helmet +would ward off the blow. His only chance was to get aboard the ship +while Miles was inside the hut. And he would have to move fast. When +Miles discovered the hut was empty, he would come looking for the young +cadet. + +But to the cadet's great relief, Miles went past the hut and disappeared +over the horizon of the asteroid in the opposite direction. + +Slipping out from behind the boulder and utilizing the near lack of +gravity, Roger ran in giant leaps toward the black spaceship. His last +jump brought him to the base of the ship where he quickly clambered up +the ladder, opened the portal, and slipped into the air lock. In a +matter of seconds he had built up the pressure in the lock to equal the +pressure inside the ship. He opened the inner portal and raced up the +ladder to the control deck. Throwing himself into the pilot's chair, he +prepared to raise ship. Then he slumped in despair. The master switch +had been removed. It was impossible for him to blast off! + +He leaped out of the chair and scrambled up the ladder to the radar +deck. He flipped on the audioceiver and nervously waited for the tubes +to warm up. Nothing happened. Only then he remembered that the +communications would not work without power from the generators and they +could not be started without the master switch. + +"Boy! He sure wasn't taking any chances of me getting away and leaving +him here," Roger muttered to himself, as he turned back to the ladder +and climbed down to the air lock. He stepped inside, and crossing to the +small viewport, looked out over the dead landscape of the tiny world for +a sign of Quent Miles. He saw the black-clad spaceman returning toward +the hut. Roger held his breath. If Miles went into the hut this time and +found him missing, he would know that the cadet was aboard the ship. +"Manning," Roger said to himself, "if you ever needed luck, you need it +now!" + +Miles walked slowly, as if in no hurry, still heading for the space hut. +But as Roger held his breath in fear, he passed it again, without so +much as pausing to look at it. + +Roger grinned. "Spaceman, you are going to say your prayers every night +after this," he murmured. + +The cadet turned, and racing as fast as the cumbersome space suit would +allow him, headed toward the power deck. Passing the galley, he snatched +up several plastic packages of food. + +Down on the power deck, Roger went directly to the lead baffling shields +around the reactant chambers and carefully squeezed between them and the +outer hull. It was going to be a rough ride on the power deck, jammed in +behind the firing chambers, but at least he was hidden--and more +important, _free_. + +He listened for the clank of metal shoes on the ladder above him. When +he heard them, followed closely by the slam of the air-lock portal, he +grinned in satisfaction. Opening one of the plastic bags, he began to +eat. + +In a moment the ship came to life and the power deck became a raging +torrent of noise and vibration. As Roger braced himself, he felt the +ship quiver and then shake, as under heavy acceleration, it blasted off +into space. + + * * * * * + +Captain Strong and young Sergeant Morgan hailed a passing jet truck +loaded with Space Marines. "Get me to Commander Walters right away, +Lieutenant!" said Strong to the young officer in charge. "This is an +emergency." + +"Yes, sir," acknowledged the young officer, and sent the truck roaring +down the empty avenue toward the electronics building where Walters was +still checking the reports on the screens. + +"Is there anything new, sir?" asked the young officer. "Have the +technicians been able to find out what's making the screens fail?" + +"We're on the right track, Lieutenant," said Strong shortly. "Can't you +get any more speed out of this thing?" + +[Illustration: _It would be a rough ride, but at least he was hidden_] + +"Yes, sir," replied the officer. He rammed the accelerator to the floor +and the small truck blasted through the streets as though shot out of +cannon. + +In a few minutes the truck screamed to a halt in front of the building +and Strong leaped toward the door, followed closely by Sergeant Morgan +and the Space Marine lieutenant. + +Strong found Walters before the telemetering board waiting impatiently +for some figures Dr. Joan Dale had sent him to be analyzed and +evaluated. He spun around when Strong entered the room at a dead run. + +"Steve!" he exclaimed. "What's the matter? Anything happen to the +cadets?" + +"We didn't find them, sir, but we did find something else. We--" Before +Strong could finish, the calculator began pouring out its answers. + +"Excuse me, Steve! These figures could tell us why the screens are +failing." + +"But I know why they're failing, sir!" shouted Strong. + +"You know what?" exclaimed Walters. + +As all the men in the room stared at him, Strong hurriedly told the +commanding officer what he had found, concluding, "I think the room I +stumbled into was used as a repair shop. But it was gas-free and pure +oxygen was coming out of the pipe I described." + +"I see," said Walters grimly. "Let me check that against these figures." +He turned to the calculator and with the assistance of Joe Howard, Kit +Barnard, and the chief electronics engineer began studying the figures. + +Strong paced up and down nervously. The faces of the technicians in the +room clearly showed the strain they had been under the past few days. +And when they heard the startling news Strong had delivered, there +wasn't one who didn't feel his fingers tighten into fists at Brett and +Miles' selfishness. + +Walters straightened up and glanced at the faces of the men around him. +"Well, gentlemen," he said. "I think the figures speak for themselves." + +There was a murmur of agreement. Walters turned back to Strong. "Those +figures prove conclusively that what you say is true. It is impossible +for the screens to collapse except from a vital leak--exactly such a +leak as you have described." + +Walters turned and began to snap orders to the men around him. "I want +every available man sent out on the double. I want every inch of that +area searched for an opening to a mine shaft or anything that leads +underground. Take half the men off the spaceport detail." + +"Shall we continue evacuation operations for the miners and their +families?" asked the young Space Marine lieutenant. "There is quite a +force of men out there that could be used in the search." + +"What do you think, Steve? Should we take off the guardsmen and suspend +evacuation in the hope that we can find that leak?" + +"I would say yes, Commander," said Strong. "Your figures and those Dr. +Dale sent you point to a leak of this nature." + +"Very well, Lieutenant," said Walters. "Order every man to the area and +begin search operations immediately. I want that leak found--and found +fast! And I want Charles Brett and Quent Miles arrested at once!" + + * * * * * + +Tom and Astro bent over the lead boxes again and heaved them to their +shoulders. A quick glance showed them that Miles had not followed them +to the floor of the cavern as he had done before, but had remained on +guard on the balcony. + +As they struggled to lift the boxes to their shoulders, Tom whispered +out of the side of his mouth, "I know how we can get out of here, +Astro." + +"How?" + +"Since Brett is staying on the ship for this trip, Miles is going to +have trouble watching both of us." + +"Yeah, I know," muttered Astro. "Want me to jump him?" + +"No," Tom growled. "Miles has been trailing us through the tunnel by +twenty to thirty feet each trip. When we pass that spot where the light +is, you drop your box. He'll be watching you then and that will give me +a chance to grab that booby trap you took apart, remember?" + +"Yeah!" + +"O.K. Now remember, when I give you the word, you drop your box on the +right-hand side of the tunnel." + +"Hurry up down there!" yelled Miles from the balcony. "We haven't got +all night." + +"Keep your shirt on, buster," growled Astro. "We're tired." + +The two cadets balanced the heavy lead boxes on their shoulders, and, +with Tom leading the way, climbed up the stairs past Miles and started +up the tunnel in front of the black-suited spaceman. + +They walked slowly, side by side, and as before, Miles stayed a good +twenty paces behind them. As they neared the light where they knew the +explosive charge would be, Tom began slowing his pace. + +"Come on, get going, Corbett!" Miles yelled. + +"He's tired," said Astro. "Leave him alone." + +"What are you, his protector?" snarled Miles. "Get going, I said." + +"O.K.," said Tom, struggling forward. + +They came closer and closer to the light. Tom glanced at Astro and +winked. Astro winked back and braced himself to fake the accident. + +As closely as Tom could remember, Astro had tossed the charge to one +side about ten feet beyond the light. If he knew exactly where it was, +he could fall forward on top of it and stuff it in his tunic. He tried +to recreate the scene as it happened. They passed under the light. One +step ... two steps ... three steps.... "Now, Astro," Tom whispered. + +The big cadet lunged to one side, dropping the heavy box to the floor. +At the same time, Tom dropped his box and lunged forward, arms +outstretched, feeling along the floor for the precious explosives. + +Miles ran up quickly, ray gun cocked and ready. + +"Get up!" he shouted. "Get up or I'll freeze you both and leave you +here!" + +Tom and Astro struggled to their feet. They lifted the heavy boxes to +their shoulders and started down the tunnel again. + +When Astro dared a glance at Tom, he saw his unit mate grin and wink at +him. Astro winked back. Suddenly it seemed that the heavy lead box was +as light as air! + + + + +CHAPTER 17 + + +The streets of Olympia echoed to the thunderous roar of jet trucks and +jet cars racing to sector twelve. Miners, Solar Guardsmen, and Space +Marines jammed the vehicles, their faces grim with determination as they +prepared for an all-out attempt to prevent the death of the colony. + +Walters, Strong, and Kit Barnard sat behind Blake, the Space Marine +lieutenant, and Sergeant Morgan as they rocketed through the streets. +There was little conversation, each man thinking bitterly of Charles +Brett and Quent Miles. Walters had already foreseen the possibility of +trouble with emotional miners and had ordered Blake to be personally +responsible for the safety of Miles and Brett when they were arrested. + +"They get a fair trial like anyone else," declared Walters. "And they +are innocent until proven guilty by a jury." + +Now, as he sat beside Strong, Walters wondered if they would be able to +save the city from the ammonia gas. He had taken a calculated risk in +ordering guardsmen at the spaceport to aid in this search. If they +should fail to find the leak, and the gas death spread farther across +the city, the miners and their families would be helpless before it. The +thought of the riots that would ensue if the people tried to get aboard +the spaceships without order made the hardened commander shudder. + +The jet car slowed and finally stopped. "What's the matter?" growled +Walters. + +"This is as far as we can go in the car, sir," replied Blake. "The gas +is so thick I can't see where I'm driving." + +"Very well. Put on your masks," Walters announced. "Keep in contact with +the spaceport control tower. They'll relay messages to me and my orders +back to you. Let's go. Spaceman's luck." + +The men opened the doors of the small jet car and stepped out into the +swirling mists. Though there were more than a thousand men searching the +area, they could not rid themselves of a strange feeling of loneliness +as they each walked forward into the mists of death. + +Strong and Walters inched their way down the street like blind men, +feeling for each step with hesitant feet. + +"Are you sure we're heading in the right direction, Steve?" asked +Walters. + +"Yes, Commander," replied Strong. "The warehouse is located about a half +mile down this street." + +"Of all the blasted messes," grumbled Walters. "We've got the finest +radar system in the universe and we have to walk along here feeling our +way like blind men." + +"There's no other way, I'm afraid," said Strong grimly. + +"Are you still with us, Kit?" called Walters. + +"Right here, sir," came Barnard's voice, immediately behind them. + +The spacemen continued their slow march through the mist in silence. +Once, when Walters stumbled and nearly fell, he roared angrily. + +"By the craters of Luna, when I get my hands on those two space +crawlers, there won't be enough of them left for a trial!" + +"Yes, sir," said Steve. "But if anything has happened to those cadets, +you'll have to excuse ranks, sir, and wait your turn." + +"Of course!" Walters exclaimed a moment later. "That's what happened to +Manning! He didn't run away. He must have gotten on to them during the +trip out here and they shut him up." + +"Exactly what I was thinking, sir," said Strong, and then suddenly +stopped. "I just bumped into a wall. We're here." + + * * * * * + +Tom and Astro climbed wearily through the trap door into the room above +the main shaft while Quent Miles watched them closely, keeping his +paralo-ray gun leveled. The two boys hitched the heavy lead boxes into a +more comfortable position on their shoulders and started toward the door +leading outside. But neither boy thought of his discomfort or weariness +now. With the explosive charge safely hidden under Tom's blouse, they +had a chance to fight back. It was a small chance, perhaps, but at least +a chance. + +Outside, they walked slowly through the swirling methane ammonia and Tom +edged closer to his unit mate. + +"Can you hear me, Astro?" he whispered through the mask amplifier. The +big cadet simply nodded, keeping his eyes forward. + +"We'll have to bluff our way now," continued Tom in a low whisper. "This +stuff has to be set off with a charge of electricity." + +"Where do we get it?" mumbled Astro. + +"The paralo-ray gun." + +"You're space happy. It won't work." + +"I know that," hissed Tom. "But maybe Miles doesn't. I'll challenge +Miles, hold the stuff right in front of me, and warn him that if he +fires he'll set off the explosive and blow the four of us up." + +"Oh, brother. That's a bluff to end all bluffs! Suppose he doesn't +bite?" + +"Then get set to take another paralo-ray charge." + +"O.K.," sighed Astro. "When do you want to try it?" + +"I'll give you the word," replied Tom. "Just be ready." The cadet turned +away quickly. "Watch it," he hissed. "He's suspicious." + +The two boys plodded along across the field as Miles moved up closer. He +stared at them for a long moment and then continued to walk along +directly behind them. + +When they reached the ship, Miles allowed them to rest and catch their +breath before making the long climb up the ladder to the air-lock +portal. Brett suddenly appeared in the open portal above them. + +"Hey, Miles," he called, "is that the last of it?" + +"Yes," Miles called back. "You get in touch with our pal?" + +"Uh-huh. He's going to meet us out in space." + +"In space?" Miles stared up at Brett with a strange gleam in his eye. +"Why not the hide-out?" + +"I don't know," Brett replied from above. "Let's not waste time talking +now. Get those other two cases up here. I want to blast off." + +Miles turned to the two cadets and waved his paralo-ray gun menacingly. +"All right, you two. Get going!" + +"Give us a few more minutes, Miles," said Tom. "We're so tired we can +hardly move." + +"Get up, I said," snarled the black-suited spaceman. + +"I can't," whined Tom. "You'll have to give me a hand." + +Miles pointed his gun straight at the young cadet. "All right. That +means the big fella makes two trips and I freeze you right now." + +"No, no!" cried Tom, jumping to his feet. "I can make it. Please don't +freeze me again." Astro turned away to hide his smile. + +Sneering his disgust at Tom's apparent fear, Miles prodded the cadets up +the ladder. Tom went first, the heavy box digging into his shoulder. +Astro followed, cursing the fog that prevented him from seeing where +Miles stood below him so he could drop the heavy box on him. + +Above them, Charles Brett watched them emerge out of the ammonia mist, +ray gun held tightly in his hand. Tom climbed into the air lock safely +and dropped the box on the edge of the platform, slumping to the deck +beside it. Astro followed seconds later, and then Miles. + +"Don't stop now," barked Miles. "Put those boxes below with the rest of +them." + +Tom got up slowly, leaning heavily on the outer edge of the +precariously placed box. The box suddenly tilted and then slipped out of +the air lock to disappear in the mist. + +"Why, you clumsy--" Brett roared, raising his gun menacingly. + +Astro stepped in front of Tom. "I'll get it," he cried. "Don't shoot!" + +"Go on then," snarled Brett. "Go down with him, Miles. I'll stay here +with Corbett." + +"You go down with him," sneered Miles. "I've been up and down that +ladder fifty times while you sat up here doing nothing." + +"Is that so?" cried Brett angrily, turning to face the black-clad +spaceman. This gave Tom the opportunity he was waiting for. He pulled +the small charge of explosives from his tunic and held it in front of +him. + +"All right, you two!" he shouted. "Drop those paralo-ray guns. This is +the booby trap you planted in the tunnel. You fire those ray guns and we +all go up together." + +Brett jumped back. Miles took a half step forward and stopped. "You +haven't got the nerve," he sneered. + +"Shoot and you'll find out," said Tom. "Go ahead! Shoot, if you've got +the guts. Get down the ladder, Astro," he said. "They won't fire as long +as I've got this in my hand." + +Brett had begun to shake with fear but Miles brought his ray gun up +slowly. He aimed it at Astro who was starting down the ladder, his head +and shoulders still showing in the open air-lock portal. Tom saw what +Miles was going to do. "Jump, Astro!" he shouted. + +Astro jumped at the exact instant Miles fired. "Rush him," cried Miles. +Brett made a headlong dash for Tom, but the cadet side-stepped at the +last moment and Brett fell headlong out of the ship, wailing in sudden +terror as he fell to the ground. + +Miles turned to Tom. He ripped off his mask and with his free hand +closed the air-lock portal. + +"You fooled Brett, but you didn't fool me, Corbett." He laughed. "It +takes a direct electric charge to set that stuff off. You just helped me +get rid of a very obnoxious partner." He leveled his paralo-ray gun. + +"I hate to do this," he said, "but it's you or me." + +He fired. Tom was again frozen into that immobile state more dead than +alive. Miles laughed and hurried to the control deck. + + * * * * * + +Astro got up on his knees slowly. Though the fall had been a hard one, +he had rolled quickly with the first impact, thus preventing any +injuries. He shook his head, regained his sense of direction, and then +rose to his feet, starting back to the ship in hope of helping Tom. He +tripped over something and fell to the ground. Groping around in the +thickening ammonia gas he felt the still form of a body. For a moment, +thinking it was Tom, his heart nearly stopped, and then he breathed a +silent prayer of thankfulness when he recognized Charley Brett. He felt +the man's heart. There was a faint beat. + +Astro opened the valve on Brett's oxygen mask wide and waited until the +man was breathing normally. Then he began feeling his way back to the +ladder. Suddenly he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. It was +the unmistakable whine of the cooling pumps building for blast-off. And +he was directly underneath the exhaust tubes. + +He scrambled away, heading back to the spot where Brett lay. The whining +of the pumps built to an agonizing scream. There were scant seconds left +to save himself. He could not wait to find Brett. He began running +wildly away from the ship, stumbling, falling, rising to his feet again +to plunge on, away from the deadly white-hot exhaust blast of the _Space +Knight_. + +[Illustration] + +There was a terrific explosion, and then Astro was lifted off his feet +and hurled through the mist, head over heels. He screamed and then +blacked out. + + * * * * * + +"We found him about a thousand yards away from the warehouse, +Commander," said the guardsman. "He looks pretty beat and his clothes +are burned a little. I think he must have been caught in the blast of +that ship we heard take off." + +Walters looked down at Astro's big frame, sprawled on the ground, and +then at the medical corpsman who was giving him a quick examination. The +corpsman straightened up and turned to Walters and Captain Strong. +"He'll be all right as soon as he wakes up." + +"Shock?" asked Strong. + +"Yes. And complete fatigue. Look at his hands and knees. He's been doing +some pretty rough work." The corpsman indicated the big cadet's hands, +skinned and swollen from his labor in the mines. + +"Wake him up!" growled Walters. + +"Wake him up!" exclaimed the corpsman. "Why, sir, I couldn't allow--" + +"Wake him up. And that's an order!" insisted Walters. + +"Very well, sir. But this will have to go into my report to the senior +medical officer." + +"And I'll commend you for insisting on proper care for your patients," +Walters stated. "But in the meantime we've got to find out what +happened. And Cadet Astro is the only one who can tell us." + +The corpsman turned to his emergency kit. He took out a large hypodermic +needle, filled with a clear fluid, and injected it into the big cadet's +arm. + +In less than a minute Astro was sitting up and telling Walters +everything that had happened. When he told of the pipe that was sucking +off the oxygen from the main pumps, Walters dispatched an emergency crew +to the mine immediately to plug the leak. Then, when Astro revealed the +secret of the mine, the presence of the uranium pitchblende, Walters +shook his head slowly. + +"Amazing!" he exclaimed. "Greed can ruin a man. He could have declared +such a discovery and still had more money than he could have spent in a +lifetime." + +Walters spun around. "Steve, I want the _Polaris_ ready to blast off +within an hour. We're going after one of the dirtiest space rats that +ever hit the deep!" + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER 18 + + +Roger peered around the edge of the baffling shields. The power deck was +empty. He edged out and stood upright, eyes moving constantly for signs +of Miles. + +No longer needing the cumbersome space suit, he stripped it off and +walked across the deck to the ladder. He stopped to listen again but +there was only the sound of the rockets under emergency space drive. A +quick glance at the control panel told him that the ship was hurtling +through space at a fantastic speed. Satisfied that Miles was nowhere +near, Roger gripped the rocketman's wrench tightly and began climbing +slowly and cautiously. + +When he reached the next deck, he raised his head through the hatch +slowly. Then, in one quick movement, he pulled himself up on the deck +and ran for cover behind a small locker to his right. Above him, through +the open network of frames and girders, he could see the control deck, +but Miles was nowhere in sight. + +Something on the opposite side of the ship caught his eye. Miles' space +suit hung on its rack, the heavy fish-bowllike space helmet beside it in +its open locker. Roger's heart skipped a beat as he noticed the holster +for a paralo-ray gun nearby. But the large flap was closed and he could +not see if it held a gun. + +[Illustration: _Slowly and cautiously he began climbing_] + +The young cadet moved away from the protection of the locker and started +toward the space suit. He moved slowly, watching the upper deck where he +figured Miles would be at the control board, operating the ship. + +Suddenly Miles appeared above him, walking across the open control deck +with a clip board in his hand, making a standard check of the many +instruments. Before Roger could find a hiding place, Miles saw the +cadet. He drew his paralo-ray gun quickly, firing with the speed of a +practiced hand. Roger dove toward the space suit and wrenched open the +holster but found it empty. Miles was behind him now, running down the +ladder. + +Roger spun around, darted to the ladder leading to the power deck, and +just missed being hit by Miles' second shot. He jumped the ten feet to +the power deck and darted behind the huge bank of atomic motors. + +Miles came down the ladder slowly, gun leveled, eyes searching the deck. +He stopped with his back to the rocket motors and called, "All right, +Manning, come on out. If you come out without any trouble, I won't +freeze you. I'll just tie you up again." + +Roger was silent, gripping the wrench tightly and praying for a chance +to strike. Miles still remained in one position, protected by the motor +housing. + +"I'm going to count five, Manning!" he shouted. "Then I'll hunt you down +and freeze you solid." + +Gripping the wrench tightly and raising it above his head, Roger eased +out from his hiding place and slipped across the floor lightly. He was +within four feet of Miles when the black-suited spaceman spun around +and stepped back quickly. "Sucker," he snarled, and fired. + +Roger stood motionless, his arm still raised, the wrench falling to the +deck. Miles stuck his face close to Roger's head and said, "I don't know +how you got here, but it doesn't make any difference now. In a little +while you and your pal, Corbett, are going for a swim out in space." + +Holding Roger by the arm, he tipped the boy over and lowered him to the +deck. Roger's arm stuck up like the branch of a tree. Miles stood over +him, flipped on the neutralizer charge of the gun, and fired again, +releasing Roger from the paralyzing effect of the ray. + +The young cadet began to shake violently and through his chattering +teeth he muttered a space oath. Miles only grinned. + +"Just wanted you to make yourself comfortable, Manning," he said. He +flipped the gun to direct charge again and pointed it at the boy. Seeing +it was useless to try and jump the burly spaceman, Roger relaxed and +stretched out on the deck. Miles fired again calmly, and after testing +the effect of the ray with his toe, he turned to the ladder. + +As the spaceman climbed back to the control deck, Roger, though in a +paralyzed state, could hear the communicator loud-speaker paging Miles. + + * * * * * + +"Come in, Quent! This is Ross! Come in!" + +Tom Corbett sat bound and gagged in the copilot's chair of the black +ship, listening to Miles call again and again over the audioceiver. The +fact that Miles was identifying himself as Ross puzzled the young cadet +and he wondered if it was an alias. Tom was even more puzzled when +Miles addressed the person he was calling as Quent. + +"This is Ross! Acknowledge, Quent! Come in!" + +Static spluttered over the loud-speaker and then a clear, harsh voice +that was a perfect imitation, answered, "I read you, Ross," it said. +"Where are you?" + +Tom watched as Miles made a hasty check on the astrogation chart. "Space +quadrant four," he replied. "Chart C for Charley! Where are you?" + +"Same space quadrant, but on chart B for Baker," came the reply. "I +think we can make visual contact on radar in above five minutes. Make +the usual radar signal for identification. O.K.?" + +"Good!" the _Space Knight_ pilot replied. "What course are you on?" + +There was a pause and then the voice answered, "South southwest. Speed, +emergency maximum." + +"Very well. I will adjust course to meet you. But what's the hurry?" +asked Tom's captor. + +"Better get out of space as soon as possible." + +"Yeah, I guess you're right." + +Tom listened intently. He closed his eyes and tried to visualize the +charts and space quadrants he had heard mentioned. He knew the quadrants +by heart, and knew that he was close to the asteroid belt. But each +quadrant had at least a dozen or more charts, each one taking in a huge +area of space. + +"Is Brett with you?" asked the voice over the audioceiver. + +"No. I'll tell you about it when we get together. All the rockets in +space broke loose up there on Titan for a while." + +"What do you mean? Hey! I think I just picked you up on my radar!" said +the voice over the loud-speaker. "Give me the identification signal." + +Tom watched Miles go to the radarscope and make a minute adjustment. The +voice came over the loud-speaker again. "That's you, all right. Cut back +to minimum speed and I'll maneuver to your space lock." + +"Very well," replied the spaceman on the _Space Knight_. + +He cut the rockets and in a matter of minutes the ship was bumped +heavily as contact was made. The voice over the communicator announced +the two space vessels had been coupled. "Open your air lock and come +aboard." + +"You come aboard my ship," said Miles. "We've got the stuff here." + +"O.K. But I have to go below and wake up that jerk, Manning." + +"Wake him up?" + +"Yeah. I got him frozen." + +"All right, make it snappy." + +Miles turned to look at Tom, a sneer on his face. "I'm giving you a +break, Corbett," he said. "You're going to swim with your cadet buddy. +You'll have company!" + +Gagged, Tom could only glare his hatred at the black-suited spaceman. In +a moment he heard the air lock open below and then footsteps clattered +up the ladder to the control deck. + +The hatch opened and Roger stumbled inside. He saw Tom immediately and +yelled, "Tom! What are--" Suddenly he stopped. He looked at the man +standing beside Tom and gasped in astonishment. + +Tom watched the hatch as Roger's captor stepped inside. What he saw made +him twist around in his chair and stare at the man beside him, utterly +bewildered. + +"_Twins!_" cried Roger. "Identical twins." + +The man stepped through the hatch and walked over to his brother. They +shook hands and slapped each other on the back. + +"What happened to Charley, Ross?" asked Quent Miles. + +"Just a minute, Quent," replied his brother. He turned and grinned at +Tom and Roger. "Surprised, huh? Don't let it bother you. We've been +driving people crazy ever since we were born. Does this tell you how we +won the race?" + +"T-t-twin pilots," stuttered Tom in amazement. "And twin ships?" + +"Exactly." Ross laughed. "Pretty smart, eh?" + +"Never mind them now," snarled Quent. "I've been sitting up there on +that asteroid rock talking to myself. What happened to Charley?" + +"Take it easy, will you, Quent?" said Ross. "I want to have some fun." +He turned to Manning. "Untie Corbett and get on the other side of the +deck. Have yourselves a nice long talk before you take your last walk." + +Roger slowly bent over to untie Tom, muttering a space oath under his +breath. The two brothers retired to the opposite side of the control +deck and sat down. Ross kept his paralo-ray pistol in his hand and never +once took his eyes off the two cadets. + +"Well, what happened?" demanded Quent. "What are you doing here with +Corbett and where in the blazes is Charley?" + +"Charley is back on Titan, and probably dead," replied Ross easily. "He +wouldn't pay any attention to us when we suggested plugging up the old +tunnels when we started mining that uranium, so the oxygen which we were +sucking off from the main screen supply took too much. The screens +started to go. Practically the whole city is flooded with ammonia gas +and it's being abandoned." + +Roger and Tom stood quietly, listening, and when Roger heard the news he +turned to Tom with a questioning look on his face. Tom merely nodded +grimly. + +"But what are you doing here with this load of pitchblende?" Quent +persisted. + +"Everything would have been all right, even with the screens letting +go," explained Ross, "if it hadn't been for Corbett and that big jerk +Astro. They followed me out to the warehouse and down into the mine. +Good thing we caught them, or we'd be on our way to a prison asteroid +right now." + +Quent glared over at Tom. "And Charley spilled the beans about the whole +thing, eh?" + +"Not exactly, but the Solar Guard knows enough to be suspicious," +replied Ross. "We had some trouble with the radiation-detection gear and +wanted to haul it out to the hide-out for Manning to check. We decided +to bring out as much of the stuff as we had mined, and when we caught +Corbett and Astro snooping around, we made them load the ship. Corbett, +here, got smart and Astro escaped. In the fight, Charley fell out of the +ship. I don't know if he got away or not." + +"Do we have a whole shipload of the stuff?" asked Quent. + +Ross grinned. "About two million credits' worth." + +Quent rubbed his hands together. "We're in clover." He laughed and +slapped his brother on the back. "Well, I suppose the Solar Guard is +looking for us by now?" + +Ross grinned. "Right. So we pull the old trick, eh? We have two very +likely prospects right there." He pointed to Roger and Tom. + +"What is that supposed to mean?" snapped Roger. + +"You'll find out, squirt," sneered Quent Miles. + +"Wait a minute, Quent," said Ross. "I just thought of something. No one +knows there are two of us, except these two punks here. We can't work +the old gag. We can only use one of them." + +"How do you mean?" + +"Simple. The Solar Guard thinks Manning took it on the lam from +Ganymede, right?" + +Quent nodded. + +"Well, we take Manning, dress him up in one of our outfits and stick him +aboard the empty ship alongside. The ship blows up, and should they find +anything of Manning, he'll be dressed like you, or me, and that will end +the situation right there. Later, we can dump Corbett out in a space +suit with a little oxygen, and write a note, sticking it in his glove. +When they find him, they'll think he got away from Quent Miles, and when +his oxygen gave out, wrote the note giving all the details. And who can +say No, since Quent Miles, as such, will be dead?" + +"End to the affair!" shouted Quent. "That's perfect." + +The audioceiver behind them crackled into life, and there was a clear, +piercing signal, a sign that an emergency transmission was taking over +all channels. The signal continued until the clear, strong voice of +Commander Walters flooded the control deck of the ship. + +"Attention! Attention! This is Commander Walters of the Solar Guard! +Attention all Solar Guard units in space quadrants one through +seven--repeat, all ships in quadrants one through seven. This is +emergency alert for the rocket ship _Space Knight_, believed to be +heading for the asteroid belt. All ships are to institute an immediate +search of quadrants one through seven for the _Space Knight_ and arrest +any and all persons aboard. Repeat. All ships...." + +Ross Miles rose up and snapped off the audioceiver. "Come on. We've got +to get out of here!" + +"What about them?" asked Quent, pointing to Roger and Tom. "Will we have +time to--?" + +"Plenty of time," said Ross coldly. "Blast 'em now." + +"With pleasure," replied Quent Miles, taking his gun from his holster. + +"Jump, Roger!" shouted Tom. + +Both boys threw themselves sideways as Miles leveled his gun. + +Tom plunged headlong through the hatch door and scrambled down the +ladder. Roger tried to follow, but Quent fired as Roger started to jump +feet first through the hatch. His body became rigid as he tumbled +through the hatch. Tom looked up just in time to break his unit mate's +fall, but seeing that it would be useless to stay with him, left him on +the deck and turned to flee through the depths of the black ship. + + + + +CHAPTER 19 + + +"Never mind, Manning!" shouted Quent Miles as he jumped past Roger's +body. "We've got to find Corbett. Take the starboard ladder; I'll take +the port. Search all the way aft to the exhaust tubes if you have to!" + +Ross nodded quickly, hefted his ray gun, and moved down the opposite +ladder. + +Tom watched both of them come down like twin devils, hands holding the +ray guns as steady as rocks. The cadet hid behind the open door leading +to the lower cargo holds. Ross was the nearer of the two, walking like a +cat, slowly, ready to spring or fire at the slightest movement. Tom +quickly saw that if he jumped Ross, Quent would be on him in seconds. +His only chance lay in their passing him, giving him the opportunity to +return to the control deck and search for a ray gun for himself. And if +that failed, at least he could call Commander Walters. + +Ross crept closer. Tom crouched tensely. Should Ross see him, Tom would +have to make an attempt to knock him out and get the ray gun before +Quent could do anything. + +"Careful, Quent!" called Ross as he moved toward the open hatch. + +"You too," replied his brother. "This kid is plenty smart." + +Tom breathed a silent prayer. Ross was now opposite the door. Should the +black-suited spaceman decide to look behind it, Tom would be at his +mercy. + +Ross stopped beside the door and hesitated a moment. + +"Hey, Ross!" Quent called, and Ross turned away from the door. "I think +I hear something down inside the hold. Slip down the ladder a little way +and cover me. I'll go down inside and look around. He must be down here +somewhere, and if you guard the door, he can't get out." + +Ross grinned. "Like flushing quail in Venus jungles," he said, moving +away from the door and down into the hold where the lead boxes filled +with uranium pitchblende were stored. + +Tom could scarcely suppress a loud sigh of relief at his narrow escape. +After a moment he peered cautiously around the edge of the door, and +seeing the way clear to the control deck, ran back to the ladder. He +paused at Roger's inert form and bent over, his lips close to the +paralyzed cadet's ear. + +"I'm going to try and find a ray gun," he whispered quickly. "If I +can't, then I'm going to try and get in touch with Commander Walters or +the Solar Guard patrols." + +He patted the blond-haired cadet on the shoulder and raced up the +ladder to the control deck. Once inside, he barred the door to the rest +of the ship and began a frantic search of the many lockers and drawers. +But it was fruitless. He could find no ray gun or weapon of any kind. +Desperate, knowing that Ross and Quent would return to the control deck +when they had searched the rest of the ship, Tom turned and scrambled up +the ladder to the radar deck. + +Again, barring the door behind him, he sat before the audioceiver and +began calling the _Polaris_. + +"This is Cadet Corbett aboard rocket ship _Space Knight_ in quadrant +four, chart C for Charley. Corbett aboard spaceship _Space Knight_ in +quadrant four, chart C for Charley! Come in, Commander Walters! Come +in!" + +Tom spun the dials on the audioceiver desperately, ranging over every +circuit and repeating his cry. "This is Cadet Corbett! I am being held +prisoner with Cadet Roger Manning aboard the spaceship _Space Knight_ in +space quadrant four, chart C for Charley...." + +Suddenly the hum of the generators stopped and the glow of the tubes in +the audioceiver died. Without a second's hesitation, Tom spun around and +lunged for the door leading back to the control deck. + +"They must have shut off the power," he decided. "When they didn't find +me down below, they guessed that I came this way." + +He raced through the control deck and down the ladder to the starboard +companionway. If he could only get to the ship alongside! + +He chided himself for not thinking of it before and darted toward the +air lock that coupled the two ships together in space. + +He turned a corner in the companionway and saw the door to the coupling +chamber ahead. It was open. He dashed inside. + +"Greetings, Corbett!" sneered Ross Miles. He stood just inside the +doorway, the ray gun leveled at Tom. + +"We figured you'd get around to thinking about the other ship sooner or +later," said Quent behind him, jamming the ray gun in his back. "So we +just came here and waited for you." + +"Go get the other one, Quent," said Ross. Jerking Tom sideways into the +coupling chamber, he rammed his gun into the curly-haired cadet's +stomach. "I'll get this guy fixed aboard the other ship, and then set +the firing chambers so they'll blow up." + +"What are we going to do with Manning?" asked Quent. + +"We'll figure that out later. Hurry up! Corbett probably called the +Solar Guard." + +"That's right, I did, Miles," said Tom. "They're probably closing in on +you right now." + +"Is that so?" snarled Quent. "Well, it's too bad you won't be alive to +say hello to them." + + * * * * * + +"I want every pound of thrust you have on that power deck, Astro," +roared Commander Walters into the intercom. "We just received word from +a freighter that picked up an S O S from Tom aboard the _Space Knight_." + +Steve Strong and Kit Barnard sat in the pilot and copilot's chairs on +the control deck of the _Polaris_ and watched the needle of the +accelerometer climb as Astro poured on the power in answer to Walters' +command. + +"If I know Astro," said Strong, "you'll probably get the fastest ride +you've ever had short of hyperdrive, Kit." + +Kit Barnard gulped as he watched the needle. "I see what you mean," he +said. + +Walters strode up and down the deck behind the two veteran spacemen, a +scowl on his face. "By the stars," he rumbled, "this is the most +incredible thing I've run up against in all my years in space!" + +He paced up and down several times silently. "To think that two men +could--_would_--jeopardize the safety and lives of thousands of people +for--a--a uranium mine! It's beyond my comprehension." + +"Excuse me, sir," said Sid, Kit Barnard's young assistant, coming down +the radar-bridge ladder. "This report just came in from Titan spaceport +control." + +Walters took the message and read it quickly. He grunted and handed it +to Strong. "They've found the mine and the leak," he said. "The screens +are working again." + +"Then you'll call off the evacuation operations, sir?" asked Strong. + +"Right." Walters turned to Sid. "Son, send a message back to Titan +control and tell Captain Howard to stop all evacuations as soon as he +has enough oxygen to provide for the citizens of Titan. And then stand +by for a general order to all units in this area." + +"Yes, sir," said Sid, climbing back up to the radar bridge quickly. + +The three men on the control deck fell silent as the ship hurtled +through space. Each of them prayed silently for Tom and Roger's safety. + +On the power deck below, Astro opened every valve and adjusted the +firing chambers to their emergency maximum, forcing the giant ship +faster and faster through space. And when he had done all he could, he +paced up and down the deck, snapping a greasy wiping rag against his +thigh again and again. His face showed the concern he felt for Tom and +Roger, and at the same time, there was a questioning look in his eye. +The auxiliary loud-speaker of the audioceiver overhead spluttered with +static. He stopped to listen. + +"This is Lieutenant Frazer aboard the Solar Guard cruiser _Hydra_ to +Commander Walters!" crackled an unfamiliar voice. "Come in, Commander +Walters!" + +Astro stared at the loud-speaker and held his breath. + +"This is Walters on the _Polaris_. Go ahead, Frazer!" + +"I am in command of a squadron of ships on space maneuvers in quadrant +five, sir. Shall I abandon my orders and proceed under your general +emergency alert to search quadrant four?" + +"How many ships do you have with you, Lieutenant?" asked Walters. + +"Three heavy cruisers and a rocket destroyer, sir," replied the voice +across the gulf of space. "And I am fully armed, sir." + +"Proceed to quadrant four, Lieutenant, and seize the vessel _Space +Knight_." There was a pause, and then Astro's blood ran cold as he heard +the words, "and if necessary open fire!" + +On the control deck, Captain Strong turned to Walters quickly. "But Tom +and Roger, sir," he protested. + +Commander Walters glared at Strong and turned back to the audioceiver. +"Proceed to quadrant four," he said coldly. "Seize the vessel _Space +Knight_, and if there is any resistance, open fire!" + + * * * * * + +"Did'ja hear that!" yelled Quent on the control deck of the _Space +Knight_. + +[Illustration: "_Proceed to quadrant four and seize the_ Space Knight!"] + +"I heard," replied Ross grimly. "With a whole squadron sweeping this +quadrant we won't make it." + +"What are we going to do?" asked Quent. + +"We're staying right here." + +"What?" + +"Right here," said Ross. "Get Corbett off the other ship and set the +fuses in the firing chambers to blow up after we cast off." + +"But I don't see--" + +"Don't ask questions!" snapped Ross. "Do as I tell you." + +"O.K." Quent spun away and headed for the coupling locks that held the +two ships together. Ross turned back to the ladder and flipped his ray +gun on neutralizing charge, releasing Roger from the effects of the +paralo ray. + +The blond-haired cadet staggered to his feet shakily. "Where's Tom?" he +said, clenching his teeth to keep them from rattling. "If you've done +anything to him--!" + +"Take it easy, Manning," growled Ross. "Just get up on the control deck +and behave." + +Roger glared at the spaceman, and realizing it would be useless to jump +him in his weakened condition, started up the ladder. Ross followed at a +careful distance. + +A few minutes later Quent appeared on the control deck, forcing Tom +ahead of him. "All right," he growled. "What do I do now?" + +"Did you cast off the other ship?" asked Ross. And when Quent nodded, he +jerked his head toward Tom and Roger and barked, "Cover them!" + +As Quent stood before the two cadets, his gun leveled, Ross strode to +the audioceiver and flipped it on. "This is Quent Miles to Commander +Walters aboard the _Polaris_," he called. "Come in, Walters." + +Tom and Roger looked at each other, puzzled. + +"If you can hear me, Walters, this is Quent Miles. I'm surrendering to +you. And you alone! Call off your squadrons and come alongside in the +_Polaris_ by yourself. If you hear me, Walters, you better do what I +say, or you'll never see Manning and Corbett again." He flipped the +audioceiver off and grinned at his brother. "When Walters comes aboard, +he's going to get a nice surprise." + +"Like what?" demanded Tom. + +Ross grinned wickedly, looking very much like the devil incarnate. "You +heard Walters' order to open fire, didn't you?" he said. "It seems that +Space Cadets aren't worth much as hostages. But what do you think it +will be like with a full-fledged commander in our hands, eh? And a +rocket cruiser like the _Polaris_ to run around in." + +"You wouldn't dare kidnap Commander Walters!" exclaimed Tom. + +"Oh, no." Ross laughed. "Listen, punk, with a murder charge hanging over +our heads, and a couple of million credits' worth of pitchblende in the +holds, both of us would do anything! And don't you forget it!" He turned +to his brother. "Come on over here, Quent, and I'll tell you what we're +going to do." + +When the two spacemen were out of earshot, Tom turned to Roger. "How do +you feel, Roger?" + +"As if I'm going to shake myself apart," replied the radar-deck cadet, +his teeth still chattering from the effects of the paralo ray. + +"Well, hold on just a little bit longer, boy, because the next few +minutes might spell the difference between getting out of here and--" + +Tom was cut off by a sudden blast from the loud-speaker of the +audioceiver. + +"This is Commander Walters!" came a clear voice. "I accept your +proposal, Miles. But I warn you, if anything has happened to those +boys--" + +"No, Commander!" yelled Tom. "It's a trap!" + +" ... you will suffer for it," the voice continued. + +"No use, Tom," said Roger. "The set was only on reception." + +The two boys looked at each other and then across the control deck to +the grinning faces of the twins, Quent and Ross Miles. + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER 20 + + +"Ease her up a little more, Steve!" + +Commander Walters stood at the viewport watching the mighty _Polaris_ +slide alongside the black ship toward the coupling devices that would +lock the two ships together in space. + +"A little more!" said Walters. "About twenty feet!" + +"Short burst on the main jets!" Strong called into the intercom. + +"Aye, aye!" shouted Astro from below. + +The giant ship inched along, the skins of the two ships barely touching. + +"That's it!" shouted Walters. "The magnetic coupling links are in place. +We're locked together!" He turned to Strong and Barnard. "Secure ship +and come with me." + +"Are you going to leave anyone on the ship, sir?" asked Strong as he cut +all power. + +"No, I want everyone with me," replied Walters. "No telling what Miles +might try. As soon as we get aboard, spread out and search the ship. +Find Tom and Roger if you can and then come up to the control deck." + +"Aye, aye, sir," acknowledged Strong. + +Walters turned to the audioceiver and spoke sharply into the microphone. +"This is Walters, Miles. We're alongside and preparing to board your +ship. I warn you not to try any tricks. I've accepted your surrender and +hold you to it on your honor as a spaceman!" He paused, waiting for +acknowledgment, then called again. "Are you there, Miles?" + +There was a crackle of static over the loud-speaker and Miles' voice +rang out on the control deck of the _Polaris_. "I'm here, Walters. Come +on aboard!" + +Walters turned to Strong and Kit. "Let's go. You know your jobs, so +search the ship and report on the control deck." He strode toward the +coupling locks that held the two ships together in space. + +Aboard the black ship, Quent and Ross Miles smiled at each other. "You +know what to do, Quent?" said Ross. + +The brother nodded. "All set!" he said. + +"Get going then. And don't make a move until you hear me draw their +attention!" + +"Right!" + +The two brothers shook hands and Quent turned away, hurriedly leaving +the control deck. Ross walked over to Tom and Roger, who watched the +scene with anxious eyes. + +"I really hate to do this, boys," he said, "but as you can see, things +are pretty tight!" With that, he suddenly brought the butt of his ray +gun down hard on Roger's head. The blond-haired cadet slumped to the +floor. Tom leaped at the spaceman, but before he could close with him, +Ross stepped back quickly and brought the gun down sharply on his head. +The cadet slumped to the deck. + +Quickly Ross propped them up against the bulkhead. Then, after a fast +look around the control deck for any last thing he might have forgotten, +he walked casually over to the control station and sat down. Seconds +later Walters and Strong stepped inside. + +"I arrest you for murder, willful destruction of Solar Guard property, +and illegal operation of a uranium mine, Quent Miles!" said Walters. The +spaceman shrugged and said nothing. + +Strong bent over the unconscious forms of the two cadets and tried to +bring them to, but they failed to respond. + +"Better leave them alone, Steve," said Walters. "We have to get a +medical officer for them. They look as if they've been bumped pretty +hard." + +Strong stood up abruptly and walked over to Miles, who lounged casually +in his chair. Ignoring Walters, the Solar Guard captain stood in front +of the black-suited spaceman, his jaw within an inch of the other man's +face. + +"If anything serious has happened to those two boys, Miles," he said in +a cold, flat voice, full of menace, "I'll tear you apart!" + +Miles paled for an instant and then grinned uneasily. "Don't worry about +it, Strong. They're pretty tough kids." + +Kit Barnard suddenly burst into the control room. "I've searched the +cargo holds, Commander," he said. "Nothing there but lead boxes. Didn't +find the boys--" Barnard stopped suddenly at the sight of the two +unconscious cadets. "Tom! Roger!" he cried. + +"They were slugged, Kit," said Strong. "You go back to the _Polaris_ and +send out an emergency call. Find the closest ship with a medical +officer aboard and arrange for a meeting out here in space. We'll be +ready to blast in five minutes." + +"O.K., Steve," replied Kit, turning to the door and then stopping to +glare at Miles. "And save a piece of that space rat for me!" + +Under Barnard's steely look, Miles rose to his feet and stepped back +hesitantly. Then, suddenly, he jumped up on the chair, scrambled to the +top of the master control panel, and crouched there tensely. + +Strong, Walters, and Kit were momentarily stunned by his strange action. +It seemed like a senseless and futile effort to get away. There was no +way Miles could get out of the control deck or off the ship. + +Beyond the reach of anyone on the control deck, Miles began to laugh. + +Walters turned beet red with anger. "This is stupid, Miles!" he roared. +"You can't get away and you know it!" + +"That all depends on where you're standing, Walters!" said a voice from +the hatch. + +The three spacemen whirled at the sound of the voice and were dumfounded +by the appearance of Quent Miles, standing to one side of the hatch, +holding an automatic paralo-ray rifle, trained on them. + +"Stay right where you are," he said softly. "The first man that moves +gets frozen solid!" + +Walters, Strong, and Kit were too stunned to make a move. They could +only stare in open disbelief at Quent Miles. + +"Come on down, Ross!" called Quent. "And if anyone tries to stop him, +I'll let all three of you have it!" + +Ross climbed down from the control panel and stripped the three +helpless spacemen of their weapons. He threw them out of the hatch and +then went to stand by his brother. As they stood side by side, Strong +and Walters couldn't help but gasp at the identical features of the two +men. + +"You can never hope to get away, either of you," growled Walters, when +he finally regained his composure. + +Quent laughed. "We're doing more than just hope, Walters." + +"Just for your information," Ross chimed in, "we're changing ships and +taking the cargo with us." He backed toward the hatch slowly. "Come on, +Quent." The two brothers stepped back through the doorway, Ross keeping +his rifle leveled at the three men. + +Safely outside, Quent slammed the heavy door closed. Then, with a rocket +wrench, he worked on the outer nuts of the door used in emergency to +seal off the ship by compartments. + +"All set!" said Quent, stepping back. "They can't get out now until +someone comes and loosens up those nuts." + +"Get down below and start transferring that cargo to the _Polaris_," +ordered Ross, slinging the rifle over his shoulder. "I'll get on the +audioceiver and tell that cruiser squadron to go back." + +Quent laughed. "You know, Ross, this is terrific," he chortled. "We not +only get away, but we get ourselves a Solar Guard rocket cruiser. +Nobody'll be able to touch us in that ship." + +"Nobody but me, Miles!" said a voice behind them. The two brothers spun +around to see Astro, stripped to the waist, a heavy lug wrench in his +hand, legs spread apart, ready to spring. + +"Had me fooled there for a while, Ross!" he growled. "I saw your brother +back at the Academy and thought it was you. But he didn't have the split +ear lobe, the one I gave you. Remember?" + +Ross slowly reached for the rifle that was slung over his shoulder. + +"Don't do it, Ross!" warned Astro. "Get your hands off that rifle or +I'll ram this wrench down your throat!" + +Ross lowered his hand again slowly. + +"Who is this guy, Ross?" asked Quent, licking his lips nervously. "How +does he know about us?" + +Ross kept his eyes on Astro, glaring at the cadet in hot fury. "I met +him on a deep spacer, five years ago, when you were laid up in the +hospital," he said between his teeth. "This punk was a wiper on the +power deck. I was his petty officer." + +"We got into a fight," snarled Astro, "when he wanted to send me into a +firing chamber without letting it cool off first." + +"There are two of us now, Astro!" said Ross. + +Astro nodded slowly. "That's right. Two of you!" Suddenly he dove toward +the two men, arms outstretched. With one mighty swipe of the wrench he +knocked Quent unconscious. Ross was hurled against the bulkhead by the +impact but managed to stay on his feet. Desperately he tore the +paralo-ray rifle from his shoulder, but before he could level it, Astro +was upon him, wrenching it out of his grasp. Pushing Ross away, he +calmly broke it in two and threw the pieces to one side. Then he faced +the black-clad spaceman squarely. + +"I was a kid when I first saw you, Ross," he said between his teeth. "So +you had me fooled like everyone else. When your brother showed up at the +Academy with his ears in good shape, I thought it was a curious +coincidence two guys should look so much alike. And on Titan, when you +had me hauling up those boxes, you wore your hat all the time, along +with the oxygen mask, so I didn't think anything of it. But now I know!" + +[Illustration] + +All the while Astro talked, the two men circled each other like two +wrestlers, each waiting for his opponent to make a mistake. + +"So you know!" sneered Ross. "All right, wiper, come on!" + +The black-suited spaceman suddenly dove straight at Astro and the cadet +caught the full force of his body in his stomach. He sprawled on the +deck, gasping. Miles was on top of him in a second, hands at Astro's +throat. + +[Illustration] + +Fire danced in the cadet's brain as Ross Miles' steely fingers closed +around his windpipe. Slowly, with every ounce of strength he had in his +body, Astro grasped Miles' wrists in his hands and began squeezing. The +fingers around the muscular wrists were the fingers of a boy filled +with hate and revenge. Slowly, very slowly, as the seconds ticked away +and the wind whistled raggedly in his throat, Astro increased the +enormous pressure. + +Now he felt the fingers around his throat begin to relax a little, and +then a little more, and he kept tightening the pressure of his mighty +hands. Expressions of surprise and then pain spread across Miles' face +and he finally relaxed his grip around Astro's throat. He struggled to +free himself from the viselike grip but it was hopeless. + +Astro continued to apply pressure. He forced Miles up from his chest and +then up on his feet, never relenting. Miles' face was now twisted in +agony. + +They stood on the deck, face to face, for almost a minute in silent +struggle. There seemed to be no end to the power in the cadet's hands. + +Suddenly Ross Miles slumped to his knees and sprawled on the deck as +Astro let him go. The black-clad spaceman had fainted. + + * * * * * + +"They got a couple of hard bumps, but they'll be all right," announced +the medical officer, straightening up. "But that man outside, Ross +Miles, is going to stand trial with a broken wrist!" He turned to +Strong. "What do you feed these cadets?" + +Strong smiled and replied, "These are special types we train to take +care of space rats!" + +Tom and Roger lay stretched out on emergency cots set up on the control +deck of the _Polaris_. They grinned weakly at Astro, who hovered over +them solicitously. + +"This is the first time we've ever wound up an assignment on our backs, +you big Venusian hick!" said Roger. "And I suppose I'll have to thank +you for saving my life!" + +Astro grinned. "Wasn't much to save, Roger." + +"Listen you!" Roger rose on one elbow, but the medical officer pressed +him gently back on the cot. + +"Did you ever find out how Bill Sticoon's ship was sabotaged, Captain +Strong?" asked Tom. + +"We sure did, Tom," said Strong. "One of Brett's confederates slugged +the Solar Guard officer in charge of monitoring the race on Deimos and +took his place. If it hadn't been for a brash stereo reporter that kept +taking pictures of everything and everyone, the impersonator wouldn't +have been caught." + +"And to think that I wanted to give that reporter a few lumps!" Tom +exclaimed. + +"Did you find out anything about the crash of Gigi Duarte's ship, sir?" +asked Roger. + +"Yes. Ross confessed that he was in Luna City and planted a time bomb on +Gigi's ship when the French Chicken came in for refueling." + +"Say," exclaimed Roger, "I just happened to think! With Miles +disqualified, Kit wins the race!" + +Seated in the pilot's chair, Kit turned to Roger and waved a paper. +"Here's the contract, Roger. Signed, sealed, and with only the crystal +to be delivered." + +"There's only one thing bothering me now," sighed Tom. + +"What's that, Tom?" asked Strong. + +"Do you think I could get a three-day pass before we go back to class at +the Academy?" + +Strong and Kit looked at each other, puzzled. "With sick leave, you'll +have plenty of time," said Strong. "Why a three-day pass especially?" + +Tom settled deeper into the cot. "Well, sir," he said, grinning, "I +figure it'll take just about three days for Astro and Roger to argue it +out about who did the most to catch Ross and Quent Miles. And I don't +want to have to listen to it!" + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration] + + + +TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: +Standardized Punctuation +Corrected " where necessary +List of Illustrations: Changed quadrant five in caption to quadrant + four to match story +Page 16: Changed oufit to outfit (Printer Error) +Page 19: Changed jet-car to jet car for consistency +Page 59: Changed well to we'll (Printer Error) +Page 106: Changed Corbet to Corbett (Printer Error) +Page 144: Changed I'll met you to I'll meet you (Printer Error) +Page 149: Changed come alone with to come along with (Printer Error) +Page 196: Changed quadrant five in caption to quadrant four to match + story + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TREACHERY IN OUTER SPACE *** + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will +be renamed. + +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the +United States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. 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