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diff --git a/old/21092.txt b/old/21092.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d858e9a..0000000 --- a/old/21092.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7583 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's On the Trail of the Space Pirates, by Carey Rockwell - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere 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 - - -Title: On the Trail of the Space Pirates - -Author: Carey Rockwell - -Illustrator: Louis Glanzman - -Release Date: April 15, 2007 [EBook #21092] -[Last updated: June 14, 2011] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON THE TRAIL OF THE SPACE PIRATES *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - ON THE TRAIL OF THE SPACE PIRATES - - A TOM CORBETT Space Cadet Adventure - - By CAREY ROCKWELL - - WILLY LEY _Technical Adviser_ - - ILLUSTRATIONS BY LOUIS GLANZMAN - - - - -GROSSET & DUNLAP _Publishers_ New York - -COPYRIGHT, 1953, BY -ROCKHILL RADIO -ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - -PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - -[Transcriber's note: This is a rule 6 clearance. PG has not been able -to find a copyright renewal for this book.] - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - -Hawks stood up and eyed the two men coldly - -Tom saw three pretty girls board the ship - -The hatch opened again and the two spacemen entered the air lock - -The scar-faced man obviously wanted something from Tom - -The young cadet timed his move perfectly - -All Solar Guard defense measures seemed to be futile - -Astro and Coxine were locked in mortal combat - - - - -ON THE TRAIL OF THE SPACE PIRATES - - - - -CHAPTER 1 - - -"ALL ABOARD!" - -A metallic voice rasped over the loud-speakers and echoed through the -lofty marble and aluminum concourse of the New Chicago Monorail -Terminal. "Atom City express on Track Seven! Space Academy first stop! -Passengers for Space Academy will please take seats in the first six -cars!" - -As the crowd of people waiting in the concourse surged through the gate -leading to Track Seven, three boys in the royal-blue uniforms of the -Space Cadet Corps slowly picked up their plastic space bags and joined -the mass of travelers. - -Wearily, they drifted with the crowd and stepped on the slidestairs -leading down to the monorail platform. In the lead, Tom Corbett, the -command cadet of the unit, a tall, curly-haired boy of eighteen, -slouched against the handrail and looked back at his two unit-mates, -Roger Manning and Astro. Manning, a slender cadet, with close-cropped -blond hair, was yawning and blinking his eyes sleepily, while Astro, the -third member of the unit, a head taller than either of his unit-mates -and fifty pounds heavier, stood flat-footed on the step, eyes closed, -his giant bulk swaying slightly with the motion of the slidestairs. - -"Huh! A real snappy unit!" Tom muttered to himself. - -"Hmmm? What?" Roger blinked and stared bleary-eyed at Tom. - -"Nothing, Roger," Tom replied. "I only hope you guys can stay awake long -enough to get on the monorail." - -"It's your own fault, Tom," rumbled Astro in his bull-like voice. "If -your family hadn't thrown so many parties for us while we were on leave, -we'd have had more sleep." - -"I didn't hear any complaints then," snorted Tom. "Just get into the car -before you cork off, will you? I'm in no shape to carry you." - -Seconds later, the slidestairs deposited the three boys on the platform -and they slowly made their way through the crowd toward the forward cars -of the monorail. Entering the third car, they found three seats together -and collapsed into their luxurious softness. - -"Oh, brother!" Tom groaned as he curled himself into the cushions, "I'm -going to sleep all the way to the Academy." - -"I'm asleep already," mumbled Roger, his voice muffled by his cap pulled -low over his face. - -Suddenly Astro sat bolt upright. "I'm hungry!" he announced. - -"Oh, no!" moaned Tom. - -"Why, you overgrown Venusian ape, Mrs. Corbett gave you dinner less than -an hour ago!" Roger complained. "Steak, French fries, beans, corn, pie, -ice cream...." - -"Two helpings," chimed in Tom. - -"And now you're hungry!" Roger was incredulous. - -"Can't help it," calmly answered Astro. "I'm a big guy, that's all." He -began digging through his space bag for an apple Mrs. Corbett had -thoughtfully provided. - -Tom finally stirred and sat up. He had learned a long time ago the -futility of trying to deny Astro's Gargantuan appetite. "There's a -dining car on this section of the monorail, Astro," he said, slapping a -crumpled mass of credits into the Venusian's hamlike hand. "Here. Have -yourself a good time." He slumped back in his seat and closed his eyes. - -"Yeah," growled Roger, "and when you come back, don't make any noise!" - -Astro smiled. He got up carefully and climbed over his two sleeping -mates. Standing in the aisle, he counted the credits Tom had given him -and turned to the front of the car. Suddenly a heavy voice growled -behind him. - -"One side, spaceboy!" - -A hand grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him to one side. Caught -off balance, Astro fell back on his sleeping unit-mates. - -"Hey! What th--" stuttered Astro as he sprawled on top of his friends. -The two sleepy cadets came up howling. - -"Astro! What in blazes do you think you're doing?" roared Tom. - -"Why, you space-brained idiot," yelled Roger, "I ought to lay one on -your chin!" - -There was a tangle of arms and legs and finally the three cadets -struggled to their feet. Astro turned to see who had pushed him. - -Two men standing at the end of the car grinned back at him. - -"It was those two guys at the end of the car," explained Astro. "They -pushed me!" He lumbered toward them, followed by Tom and Roger. - -Stopping squarely in front of them, he demanded, "What's the big idea?" - -"Go back to your beauty rest, spaceboy!" jeered the heavier of the two -men and turned to his companion, adding with a snarl, "How do you like -his nerve? We not only have to pay taxes to support these lazy kids and -teach them how to be spacemen, but they're loud-mouthed and sassy on top -of it!" - -The other man, smaller and rat-faced, laughed. "Yeah, we oughta report -them to their little soldier bosses at Space Academy." - -Astro suddenly balled his fists and stepped forward, but Tom grabbed his -arm and pulled him back while Roger eased himself between his mates and -the two grinning men. - -"You know, Tom," he drawled, looking the heavier of the two right in the -eye, "the only thing I don't like about being a Space Cadet is having to -be polite to _all_ the people, including the space crawlers!" - -"Why, you little punk," sneered the bigger man, "I oughta wipe up the -deck with you!" - -Roger smiled thinly. "Don't try it, mister. You wouldn't know what hit -you!" - -"Come on, Wallace," said the smaller man. "Leave 'em alone and let's -go." - -Astro took another step forward and roared, "Blast off. Both of you!" - -The two men turned quickly and disappeared through the door leading to -the next monorail car. - -The three cadets turned and headed back down the aisle to their seats. - -"Let's get some sleep," said Tom. "We better be in good shape for that -new assignment when we hit the Academy. No telling what it'll be, where -we'll go, or worse yet, when we'll blast off. And I, for one, want to -have a good night's rest under my belt." - -"Yeah," agreed Roger, settling himself into the cushions once more. -"Wonder what the orders will be. Got any ideas, Tom?" - -"No idea at all, Roger," answered Tom. "The audiogram just said report -back to the Academy immediately for assignment." - -"Hey, Astro!" exclaimed Roger, seeing the Venusian climb back into his -seat. "Aren't you going to eat?" - -"I'm not hungry any more," grunted Astro. "Those guys made me lose my -appetite." - -Tom looked at Roger and winked. "Maybe we'd better tell Captain Strong -about this, Roger." - -"Why?" - -"Get Astro mad enough and he won't want to eat. The Academy can cut down -on its food bills." - -"Ah, rocket off, you guys," growled Astro sleepily. - -Tom and Roger smiled at each other, closed their eyes, and in a moment -the three cadets of the Polaris unit were sound asleep. - - * * * * * - -Suspended from a single gleaming rail that stretched across the western -plains like an endless silver ribbon, the monorail express hurtled -through the early dawn speeding its passengers to their destination. As -the gleaming line of streamlined cars crossed the newly developed -grazing lands that had once been the great American desert, Tom Corbett -stirred from a deep sleep. The slanting rays of the morning sun were -shining in his eyes. Tom yawned, stretched, and turned to the viewport -to watch the scenery flash past. Looming up over the flat grassy plains -ahead, he could see a huge bluish mountain range, its many peaks covered -with ever-present snow. In a few moments Tom knew the train would rocket -through a tunnel and then on the other side, in the center of a deep, -wide valley, he would see Space Academy, the university of the planets -and headquarters of the great Solar Guard. - -He reached over and shook Roger and Astro, calling, "All right, -spacemen, time to hit the deck!" - -"Uh? Ah-ummmh!" groaned Roger. - -"Ahhhoooohhhhhh!" yawned Astro. Standing up, he stretched and touched -the top of the monorail car. - -"Let's get washed before the other passengers wake up," said Tom, and -headed for the morning room. Astro and Roger followed, dragging their -feet and rubbing their eyes. - -Five minutes later, as the sleek monorail whistled into the tunnel -beneath the mountain range, the boys of the _Polaris_ unit returned to -their seats. - -"Back to the old grind," sighed Roger. "Drills, maneuvers, books, -lectures. The same routine, day in day out." - -"Maybe not," said Tom. "Remember, the order for us to report back was -signed by Commander Walters, not the cadet supervisor of leaves. I think -that means something special." - -Suddenly the monorail roared out of the tunnel and into brilliant -early-morning sun again. - -The three cadets turned quickly, their eyes sweeping the valley for the -first sight of the shining Tower of Galileo. - -"There it is," said Tom, pointing toward a towering crystal building -reflecting the morning light. "We'll be there in a minute." - -Even as Tom spoke, the speed of the monorail slackened as it eased past -a few gleaming structures of aluminum and concrete. Presently the white -platform of the Academy station drifted past the viewport and all -forward motion stopped. The doors opened and the three boys hurried to -the exit. - -All around the cadets, men and women in the vari-colored uniforms of the -Solar Guard hurried through the station. The green of the Earthworm -cadets, first-year students of the Cadet Corps; the brilliant rich blue -of the senior cadets like the _Polaris_ unit; the scarlet red of the -enlisted Solar Guard; and here and there, the black and gold of the -officers of the Solar Guard. - -The three cadets hurried to the nearest slidewalk, a moving belt of -plastic that glided silently across the ground toward Space Academy. It -whisked them quickly past the few buildings nestled around the monorail -station and rounded a curve. The three cadets looked up together at the -gleaming Tower of Galileo. Made of pure Titan crystal, it soared above -the cluster of buildings that surrounded the grassy quadrangle and -dominated Space Academy like a translucent giant. - -The cadets stepped off the slidewalk as it glided past the Tower -building and ran up the broad marble stair. At the huge main portal, Tom -stopped and looked back over the Academy grounds. All around him lay the -evidence of mankind's progress. It was the year 2353, when Earthman had -long since colonized the inner planets, Mars and Venus, and the three -large satellites, Moon of Earth, Ganymede of Jupiter, and Titan of -Saturn. It was the age of space travel; of the Solar Alliance, a unified -society of billions of people who lived in peace with one another, -though sprawled throughout the universe; and the Solar Guard, the might -of the Solar Alliance and the defender of interplanetary peace. All -these things Tom saw as he stood in the wide portal of the Tower -Building, flanked by Astro and Roger. - -Turning into the Tower, the three cadets went directly to the office of -their unit commander. The training program at Space Academy consisted of -three cadets to a unit, with a Solar Guard officer as their teacher and -instructor. Steve Strong, captain in the Solar Guard, had been their -cadet instructor since the unit had been formed and he now smiled a -welcome as the cadets snapped to attention in front of his desk. - -"_Polaris_ unit reporting as ordered, sir," said Tom, handing over the -audiogram order he had received the day before. - -"Thank you, Corbett," said Strong, taking the paper. "At ease." - -The three boys relaxed and broke into wide grins as Strong rounded his -desk and shook hands with each of them. - -"Glad to have you back, boys," he said. "Did you enjoy your leave?" - -"And how, sir," replied Tom. - -"Tom's mother showed us a whale of a good time," chimed in Roger. - -"And how she can cook!" Astro licked his lips involuntarily. - -"Well, I hope you had a good rest--" said Strong, but was suddenly -interrupted by the sound of a small bell. Behind his desk a small -teleceiver screen glowed into life to reveal the stern face of Commander -Walters, the commander of Space Academy. - -Strong turned to the teleceiver and called, "Yes, Commander Walters?" - -"Did the _Polaris_ unit arrive yet, Steve?" asked the commander. - -"Yes, sir," replied Strong. "They're here in my office now, sir." - -"Good," said the commander with a smile. "I just received a report the -exposition will open sooner than expected. I suggest you brief the -cadets and raise ship as soon as possible." - -"Very well, sir," answered Strong. The screen darkened and he turned -back to the cadets. "Looks like you got back just in time." - -"What's up, sir?" asked Tom. - -Strong returned to his chair and sat down. "I suppose you've all heard -about the Solar Exposition that opens on Venus next week?" - -Tom's eyes lit up. "Have we! That's all the stereos and visunews and -teleceivers have been yacking about for weeks now." - -"Well," said Strong with a smile, "we're going!" - -The three cadets couldn't restrain themselves and burst out in a happy -shout. Then Roger calmed down enough to comment, "Sounds more like -another vacation than an assignment, sir." - -"Hardly, Manning," replied Strong. "You see, every industry, society, -organization, and governmental agency is setting up exhibits at the -exposition to show the people what's taking place in their part of the -solar system. There'll also be an amusement section." Strong chuckled. -"I've seen pictures of some of the tricks and rides they've developed to -entertain the younger generation. Believe me, I'd rather take full -acceleration on a rocket ship than ride on any of them." - -"But what will we do, sir?" asked Tom. - -"Our job is very simple. We're to take the _Polaris_ to the exposition -and land on the fairgrounds. When the fair opens, we show all the -visitors who are interested, everything about her." - -"You mean we're going to be"--Roger swallowed--"guides?" - -"That's right, Manning," said Strong. "You three will guide all visitors -through the _Polaris_." - -"How long will we be there, sir?" asked Tom. - -"A month or so, I guess. The _Polaris_ will be the first Academy -exhibit. When you leave, another unit will replace you with their ship -and do the same thing." - -"But--but--" stammered Astro, "what will we say to them? The visitors, I -mean?" - -"Just answer all their questions, Astro. Also, make up a little speech -about the functions of your particular station." - -Strong looked at his watch and rose to his feet. "It's getting late. -Check the _Polaris_ over and stand by to raise ship in an hour." - -"Yes, sir," said Tom. - -The cadets came to attention, preparing to leave. - -"One thing more! Don't get the idea that this is going to be a space -lark," said Strong. "It's very important for the people of the Solar -Alliance to know what kind of work we're doing here at the Academy. And -you three have been selected as representatives of the entire Cadet -Corps. So see that you conduct yourselves accordingly. All right, -dismissed!" - -The three cadets saluted sharply and filed out of the room, their -skipper's final words ringing in their ears. - -Fifteen minutes later, having packed the necessary gear for the extended -trip, the _Polaris_ unit rode the slidewalk through the grassy -quadrangle and the cluster of Academy buildings, out toward the -spaceport. In the distance they could see the rocket cruiser _Polaris_, -poised on the launching ramp, her long silhouette outlined sharply -against the blue sky. Resting on her four stabilizer fins, her nose -pointed toward the stars, the ship looked like a giant projectile poised -and ready to blast its target. - -"Look at her!" exclaimed Astro. "If she isn't the most beautiful ship in -the universe, I'll eat my hat." - -"Don't see how you could," drawled Roger, "after the way you put away -Mrs. Corbett's pies!" - -Tom laughed. "I'll tell you one thing, Roger," he said, pointing to the -ship, "I feel like that baby is as much my home as Mom's and Dad's house -back in New Chicago." - -"All right, all right," said Roger. "Since we're all getting sloppy, I -have to admit that I'm glad to see that old thrust bucket too!" - -Presently the three cadets were scrambling into the mighty spaceship, -and they went right to work, preparing for blast-off. - -Quickly, with sure hands, each began a systematic check of his station. -On the power deck Astro, a former enlisted Solar Guardsman who had been -admitted to the Cadet Corps because of his engineering genius, stripped -to the waist and started working on the ship's massive atomic engines. A -heavy rocketman's belt of tools slung around his waist, he crawled -through the heart of the ship, adjusting a valve here, turning a screw -there, seeing that the reactant feeders were clean and clear to the -rocket firing chambers. And last of all he made sure the great rocket -firing chambers were secure and the heavy sheets of lead baffling in -place to protect him from deadly radioactivity. - -On the radar bridge in the nose of the ship, Roger removed the delicate -astrogation prism from its housing and cleaned it with a soft cloth. -Replacing it carefully, he turned to the radar scanner, checking the -intricate wiring system and making sure that the range finders were in -good working order. He then turned his attention to the intercom. - -"Radar bridge to control deck," he called. "Checking the intercom, Tom." - -Immediately below, on the control deck, Tom turned away from the control -panel. "All clear here, Roger. Check with Astro." - -"All clear on the power deck!" The big Venusian's voice boomed over the -loud-speaker. The intercom could be heard all over the ship unless the -many speakers were turned off individually. - -Tom turned his attention back to the great control panel, and one by one -tested the banks of dials, gauges, and indicators that controlled the -rocket cruiser. Tom Corbett had wanted to be a space Cadet as long as he -could remember. After taking the entrance exams, he had been accepted -for the rigid training that would prepare him to enter the ranks of the -great Solar Guard. He had met his two unit-mates, Roger and Astro, on -his very first day at the Academy, and after a difficult beginning, -adjusting to each other's personalities and the discipline of the -Academy routine, the three boys had become steadfast friends. - -As control-deck cadet and pilot, Tom was head of the unit, -second-in-command to Captain Strong. And while he could issue orders to -Astro and Roger and expect to be obeyed, the three cadets all spoke -their minds when it came to making difficult decisions. This had -solidified the three cadets into a fighting, experienced, dependable -unit. - -Tom made a final check on the gravity generator and turned to the -intercom. - -"All departments, report!" he called. - -"Radar bridge checks in O.K.," replied Roger. - -"Power deck checks in on the nose, Tom," reported Astro. - -"Right! Stand by! We blast as soon as the skipper gets around." - -Tom turned to the teleceiver and switched it on. The screen blurred and -then steadied into a view of the spaceport outside. Tom scanned the -launching ramp below, and, satisfied it was clear, he switched the -teleceiver to the spaceport traffic-control circuit. - -"Rocket cruiser _Polaris_ to spaceport control," he called. "Come in, -spaceport control. Request orbit clearance." - -"Spaceport traffic control to _Polaris_," reported the traffic officer, -his face in focus on the teleceiver screen. "Your orbit has been cleared -for blast-off. Orbit number 3847--repeat, 3847--raise ship when ready!" - -"Orbit 3847," repeated Tom. "End transmission!" - -"End transmission," said the officer. Tom flipped off the teleceiver and -the officer's face disappeared. - -At the rear of the control deck, Captain Strong suddenly stepped through -the hatch and dropped his black plastic space bag on the deck. Tom got -up and saluted sharply. - -"_Polaris_ ready to blast off, sir," he said. "Orbit cleared." - -"Very well, Corbett," replied Strong, returning the salute. "Carry on!" - -Tom turned back to the control board and flipped on the intercom. -"Control deck to power deck! Energize the cooling pumps!" - -"Cooling pumps, aye!" said Astro. - -From the power deck, the massive pumps began their whining roar. The -great ship shuddered under the pressure. - -Tom watched the gauge that indicated the pressure control and then -called into the intercom. - -"Radar bridge, do we have a clear trajectory?' - -"All clear forward and up, Tom," reported Roger from the radar bridge. - -"Strap in for blast-off!" bawled the curly-haired cadet. - -Captain Strong took his place in the pilot's chair next to Tom and -strapping himself in snapped out, "Feed reactant!" - -Spinning a small wheel at the side of the control panel, Tom reported, -"Feeders at D-9 rate, sir!" - -Then, as the hiss of fuel pouring into the mighty engines of the ship -blended with the whine of the pumps, Tom snapped out a third order. "Cut -in take-off six yards!" - -Receiving acknowledgment from below, he grasped the master blast-off -switch and watched the sweeping hand of the astral chronometer. - -"Stand by to raise ship!" he yelled. "Blast off -minus--five--four--three--two--one--_zero_!" - -He pulled the switch. - -Slowly, the rockets blasting evenly, the giant ship lifted itself free -of the ground. Then, gaining speed, it began rocketing away from the -Earth. Like a giant shining bullet, the great spaceship blasted through -the dark void of space, her nose pointed to the distant misty planet of -Venus. - -Once again Tom Corbett and his unit-mates had embarked on a mission for -the Solar Guard. - - - - -CHAPTER 2 - - -"Stand by for touchdown!" bellowed Captain Strong's voice on the big -spaceship's intercom. - -"Control deck standing by," replied Tom. - -"Corbett," Strong continued, "you may take her down as soon as you get -clearance from Venusport traffic control." - -Tom acknowledged the order with a brisk "Aye, sir! In a few moments he -received permission to touch down on the newly colonized planet. Then, -turning his attention to the control board, he requested a -ground-approach check from Roger. - -"About two miles to touchdown, Tom," reported Roger from the radar -bridge. "Trajectory clear!" - -"O.K., Roger," said Tom. Glancing quickly at the air speed and rocket -thrust indicators, he flipped a switch and sang out, "Power deck, reduce -thrust on main drive rockets to minimum!" - -"Got ya, Tom," boomed Astro. - -"Closing in fast, sir," said Tom to Strong, who had come up from below -and now stood at the cadet's shoulder watching as Tom maneuvered the big -ship through the Venusian atmosphere, his keen eyes sweeping the great -panel of recording gauges and dials. - -"One thousand feet to touchdown," intoned Roger from the radar bridge. - -Reacting swiftly, Tom adjusted several levers, then picking up the -intercom microphone, he threw a switch and yelled, "Power deck! Full -braking thrust!" - -Deep inside the _Polaris_, Astro, who tended the mighty rocket power -plant with loving care, eased home the sensitive control mechanism, -applying even pressure to the braking rockets. - -As the giant spaceship settled smoothly to within a few feet of the -surface of the concrete spaceport, Tom threw the master switch that cut -all power. A moment later the huge craft dropped easily, then settled on -the landing platform with a gentle thump. - -"Touchdown!" yelled Tom. Then, glancing at the astral chronometer on the -control board, he turned to Strong, and saluting smartly, reported, -"_Polaris_ completes space flight at exactly seven fifty-two-O-two!" - -Strong returned the salute. "Very well, Tom. Now, I want you, Roger, and -Astro to come with me to the exposition commissioner's office for an -interview and detailed orders." - -"Yes, sir," said Tom. - -A few minutes later, dressed in fresh uniforms, the three cadets -followed their unit commander out of the ship, then stood by as Strong -ordered the chief petty officer of an enlisted Solar Guard working party -to prepare the _Polaris_ for moving to the exposition site. - -"Empty the reactant fuel tanks of all but enough for us to raise ship -and touch down over to the fairgrounds," said Strong. "Better strip her -of armament, too. Paralo-ray pistols and rifles, the three-inch and -six-inch atomic blasters, narco sleeping gas; in fact, everything that -could possibly cause any trouble." - -"Yes, sir," replied the scarlet-clad enlisted spaceman. - -"One thing more," added Strong. "There will be a crew living aboard, so -please see that the galley is stocked with a full supply of both fresh -and synthetic foods. That's about all, I guess." - -"Very well, sir," replied the petty officer with a crisp salute. He -turned and began bawling orders to a squad of men behind him and -immediately they were swarming over the great ship like ants. - -Fifteen minutes later, a jet cab swerved to a stop in front of the -tallest of the Venusport buildings, the Solar Alliance Chamber. Strong -paid the driver, adding a handsome tip, and flanked by his three cadets -strode briskly into the building. - -Crossing a high-ceilinged lobby, they entered an express vacuum elevator -and five seconds later stepped out onto the four-hundredth floor. There, -Strong slid a panel door to one side, and, followed by the cadets, -stepped inside the office of Mike Hawks, exposition commissioner and -retired senior officer of the Solar Guard. - -The office was impressively large and airy, with an outside wall forming -a viewport of clear Titan crystal reaching from floor to vaulted ceiling -and affording a magnificent view of the city of Venusport and, beyond -it, the futuristic buildings of the exposition itself. Another wall, -equally as large, was covered by a map of the exposition grounds. - -Mike Hawks, a man with steel-gray hair, clear blue eyes, and a ramrod -military bearing, sat behind a massive desk talking to two men. He -looked up when Strong and the cadets walked in and rose quickly with a -broad smile to greet them. - -"Steve!" he exclaimed, rounding the desk to shake hands with his old -friend. "I never dreamed we'd have you and the _Polaris_ unit at our -fair!" He nodded warmly to the cadets who stood at rigid attention. "At -ease, cadets. Glad to have you aboard." - -"I was just as surprised to get this assignment, Mike," said Strong, -pumping the officer's hand. Nodding toward the men seated in front of -Hawks' desk, he apologized, "Sorry to bust in on you like this, old man. -Didn't know you were busy." - -"It's quite all right." The commissioner smiled. "Just handing out a few -licenses for the concessions in the amusement section at the fair. -People expect to have a little fun when they go to a fair, you know. By -the stars, they're going to have it so long as I'm commissioner." He -turned to the cadets. "Sit down, boys. You too, Steve. I'll be with you -in a minute." He turned back to his desk and the waiting men. - -The cadets, at a nod from Strong, sat down on a leather couch that -stretched the length of one wall and listened while Hawks completed his -business with the two men. - -"There you are," said Hawks, applying the seal of his office to a slip -of paper. "That gives you the right to operate a concession in the -amusement area as long as the fair is open." - -One of the men took the paper and glanced at it quickly. - -"Wait a minute, Commissioner. This is over near the edge of the area," -he complained. "We wanted to get in the middle. How do you expect us to -make any credits away out there by ourselves?" The man's tone was surly -and disrespectful. - -"Sorry, but that's the only location left. In fact," Hawks added acidly, -"you're lucky to get it!" - -"Really?" sneered the heavier of the two. "Well, I'm sure going to find -out about this!" - -Hawks stood up and eyed the two men coldly. "I've been appointed -commissioner of this exposition by the delegates to the Solar Alliance -Council. I answer only to the council. If you have a complaint, then you -must present your case before that body." He cleared his throat and -glared at them from behind his desk. "Good day, gentlemen!" he said. - -[Illustration: _Hawks stood up and eyed the two men coldly_] - -The two men, who until now had been seated facing the desk, got up, and -after glaring at Hawks, turned and walked toward the door. Tom gasped, -and grabbing Roger by the arm, involuntarily pointed at the two men. - -"Look, Roger--those men--" he whispered. - -"Yeah," said Roger. "Those are the wise-guy space crawlers we met on the -monorail, the ones who called us punks!" - -"How'd they get here so fast?" asked Astro. - -"Must have taken a jetliner from Atom City, I guess." - -Strong, who sat near Tom, heard the exchange between the cadets. - -"You know those men?" he asked. - -"Well--uh--not exactly, sir. We just had a little run-in with them on -the monorail returning from leave, that's all," said Tom. "Nothing -serious. They don't think much of the Solar Guard, though." - -"I gathered as much," said Hawks dryly. He walked over from his desk. "I -hated to give them the license to operate, but I had to, since I had no -valid reason to turn them down. They have a good idea, too." - -"That so? What is it?" asked Strong. - -"They have an old chemical-burning space freighter in which they're -going to take fair visitors up for a short ride. You see, the big one, -Gus Wallace, is an old deep-space merchantman. The smaller one is Luther -Simms, a rocketman." - -"Hm. Not a bad idea at all," mused Strong. "They should make out all -right." - -With that, the two Solar Guard officers dropped the incident of Wallace -and Simms and turned to exchanging news of mutual friends and of what -each had been doing since their last meeting. Finally, as the -conversation was brought around to the exposition, Hawks got up and sat -on the side of the desk, facing Strong and the cadets. His eyes glowed -as he spoke. - -"Steve," he said, "this is going to be the greatest gathering of minds, -thoughts, and ideas in the knowledgeable history of mankind! There are -going to be lectures from the greatest minds in the system on any and -all subjects you can think of. In one building we're going to build a -whole spaceship--a rocket cruiser--piece by piece, right in front of the -eyes of fair visitors. In another building we're going to have the -greatest collection of musicians in the universe, continuously playing -the most beautiful music, in a hall built to seat a half million people. -Industry, science, medicine, art, literature, astrophysics, space -flight, to say nothing of a comparative history exhibit designed to show -the people where our forefathers went off the track by warring against -each other. In fact, Steve, everything you can think of, and then more, -will be represented here at the exposition. Why, do you know I've been -working for three years, co-ordinating ideas, activity, and -information!" - -Strong and the cadets sat transfixed as they listened to the -commissioner speak in glowing terms of the exposition, which, until this -time, by the cadets at least, had been considered little more than a -giant amusement park. Finally Strong managed to say, "And we thought the -_Polaris_ was going to be so big, it'd be the center of attraction." He -smiled. - -Hawks waved his hand. "Look, I don't want to offend you or the boys, -Steve, but the fact is, the _Polaris_ is one of the _smaller_ exhibits!" - -"I can see that now," answered Strong. "Tell me, Mike, just what do you -want us to do?" - -"I'll answer that in two parts. First, I would like the cadets to set up -the _Polaris_, get her shining and bright, and with quiet courtesy, -answer any question anyone might ask concerning the ship, referring any -question they can't answer to the information center in the Space -Building." - -"That's all, sir?" asked Tom incredulously. - -"That's all, Corbett. You open the _Polaris_ at nine in the morning and -close her at nine at night. You'll be living aboard, of course." - -"Yes, sir. Of course, sir." - -"That sounds so simple," drawled Roger, "it might be tough." - -"It will be tough, Manning," commented Hawks. "Don't fool yourself into -assuming otherwise." - -"Don't worry about these boys, Mike. Now, what is part two?" Strong -asked. - -Hawks smiled. "Here it is, Steve. The Solar Alliance has decided to open -the exposition with a simple speech made by a relatively unknown person, -but one who is deserving of such an honor. They left the choice of that -person up to me." He paused and added quietly, "I'd like you to make -that opening speech, Steve." - -"Me!" cried Strong. "Me, make a speech?" - -"I can't think of anyone more deserving--or dependable." - -"But--but--" stammered the captain, "I can't make a speech. I wouldn't -know what to say." - -"Say anything you want. Just make it short and to the point." - -Strong hesitated a moment. He realized it was a great honor, but his -naturally shy personality kept him from accepting. - -"Steve, it may make it easier for you to know," said Hawks teasingly, -"that there's going to be a giant capsule lowered into the ground which -will contain a record of every bit of progress made since the inception -of the Solar Alliance. It's designed to show the men of the future how -to do everything from treating a common cold to exploding nuclear power. -This capsule will be lowered at the end of your opening address. So, -most of the attention will be focused on the capsule, not you." The -commissioner smiled. - -"All right, Mike," said Strong, grinning sheepishly. "You've got -yourself a speechmaker!" - -"Good!" said Hawks and the two men shook hands. - -Tom Corbett could contain himself no longer. "Congratulations, sir!" he -blurted out as the three cadets stood up. "We think Commissioner Hawks -couldn't have made a better choice!" His unit-mates nodded a vigorous -assent. - -Strong shook hands with the cadets and thanked them. - -"You want the cadets for anything right now, Mike?" asked Strong. - -"Not a thing, Steve." - -Strong turned back to the boys. "Better hop out to the spaceport and get -the _Polaris_ over the exposition site, cadets. Soon as you set her -down, clean her up a little, then relax. I'll be at the Galaxy Hotel if -you need me." - -"Yes, sir," said Tom. - -The cadets saluted sharply and left the office. - -Arriving at the spaceport, they found the _Polaris_ stripped of her guns -and her galley stocked with food. The chief petty officer in charge of -the enlisted spacemen detail was roving through the passageways of the -rocket cruiser when Tom found him. - -"Everything set, chief?" asked Tom. - -"All set, Cadet Corbett," reported the elderly spaceman, saluting -smartly. He gave Tom a receipt for the list of the equipment that had -been removed from the ship and signed the logbook. Tom thanked him and -made a hurried check of the control deck, with Roger and Astro reporting -from the radar and power decks. With the precision and assurance of -veteran spacemen, the three Space Cadets lifted the great ship up over -the heart of the sprawling Venusian city and brought it down gently in -the clearing provided for it at the exposition site, a grassy square -surrounded on three sides by buildings of shimmering crystal walls. - -No sooner had the giant ship settled itself to the ground, than a crew -of exposition workers began laying a slidewalk toward her, while another -crew began the construction of an aluminum staircase to the entrance -port in her giant fin. - -Almost before they realized it, Tom, Roger, and Astro found themselves -busy with a hundred little things concerning the ship and their part in -the fair. They were visited by the subcommissioner of the exposition and -advised of the conveniences provided for the participants of the fair. -Then, finally, as a last worker finished the installation of a -photoelectric cell across the entrance port to count visitors to the -ship, Tom, Roger, and Astro began the dirty job of washing down the -giant titanium hull with a special cleaning fluid, while all around them -the activity of the fair buzzed with nervous excitement. - -Suddenly the three cadets heard the unmistakable roar of jets in the -sky. Automatically, they looked up and saw a spaceship, nose up, -decelerating as it came in for a touchdown on a clearing across one of -the wide spacious streets of the fairgrounds. - -"Well, blast my jets!" exclaimed Astro, his eyes clinging to the flaming -exhausts as the ship lowered itself to the ground. - -"That craft must be at least fifty years old!" - -"I've got a rocket-blasting good idea, Tom," said Roger. - -The exit port of the spaceship opened, and the three cadets watched Gus -Wallace and Luther Simms climb down the ladder. - -"Hey," yelled Roger, "better be careful with that broken-down old -boiler. It might blow up!" - -The two men glared at the grinning Roger but didn't answer. - -"Take it easy, Roger," cautioned Tom. "We don't want to start anything -that might cause us and Captain Strong trouble before the fair even -opens. So let's leave them alone." - -"What are you afraid of?" drawled Roger, a mischievous gleam in his -eyes. "Just a little fun with those guys won't hurt." He stepped to the -side of the clearing and leaned over the fence separating the two areas. - -"Tell me something, spaceman," he yelled to Wallace, who was busy with -some gear at the base of the ship, "you don't expect people to pay to -ride that thing, do you?" He smiled derisively and added, "Got insurance -to cover the families?" - -"Listen, punk!" sneered Wallace, "get back over to your Solar Guard -space toy and keep your trap shut!" - -"Now--now--" jeered Roger, "mustn't get nasty. Remember, we're going to -be neighbors. Never can tell when you might want to borrow some baling -wire or chewing gum to keep your craft together!" - -"Look, wise guy, one more crack out of you, and I'll send you out of -this world without a spaceship!" snarled Wallace through grating teeth. - -"Any time you'd like to try that, you know where I am," Roger snapped -back. - -"Okay, punk! You asked for it," yelled Wallace. He had been holding a -length of chain and now he swung it at Roger. The cadet ducked easily, -hopped over the fence, and before Wallace knew what was happening, -jolted him with three straight lefts and a sharp right cross. Wallace -went down in a heap, out cold. - -Luther Simms, who had been watching the affair from one side, now rushed -at Roger with a monkey wrench. With the ferocity of a bull, Astro roared -at the small spaceman, who stopped as if pulled up by a string. Roger -spun around, made an exaggerated bow, and smiling, asked, "Next?" - -At this point, aware that things were getting a bit thick, Tom strode -across the clearing, and grabbing the still smiling Roger, pulled him -away. - -"Are you space happy?" he asked, "You know you goaded him into swinging -that chain, Roger. And that makes you entirely responsible for what just -happened!" - -"Yeah," growled Astro. "Suppose he had hit you with it, then what?" - -Roger, still grinning, glanced over his shoulder and saw Simms helping -Wallace to his feet. He turned to Astro, threw his arm over the big -cadet's shoulder, and drawled, "Why, then you'd have just taken them -apart to avenge me! Wouldn't you, pal?" - -"Aw, stow it," snapped Tom. For a second Roger looked at him sharply, -then broke into a smile again. "O.K., Tom, I'm sorry," he said. "O.K., -let's get back to work," ordered Tom. - -Back at the _Polaris_, as they continued cleaning the hull of the ship, -Tom saw the two men disappear into their craft, throwing dirty looks -back at the three cadets as they went. - -"You know, Roger, I think you made a very bad mistake," he said. "One -way or another, they'll try to even the score with you." - -"And it won't be just a report to Captain Strong," added Astro darkly. - -Roger, cocky and unafraid, broke out his engaging grin again and -shrugged his shoulders. - - - - -CHAPTER 3 - - -"... And so we dedicate this capsule to the civilizations of the future. -Those who may dig this cylinder out of the ground in ages to come will -find within it the tools, the inventions, and the scientific wonders -which have made the era of the Solar Alliance one of peace and lasting -prosperity." - -Captain Steve Strong paused, glanced at the huge crane and the -shimmering steel capsule that dangled at the end of a cable, then called -out, "Lower the capsule!" - -The cheers of a hundred thousand people massed in the exposition plaza -greeted the order. The stereo camera and teleceiver scanners that were -sending the opening ceremonies of the Solar Exposition to all parts of -the Alliance moved in to focus on the capsule as it was lowered into a -deep, concrete-lined pit. - -The three members of the _Polaris_ unit, standing to one side of the -platform, joined in the cheers as their skipper shook hands with the -delegates and waved again and again at the roaring crowd. - -"That was some speech, Tom," commented Roger. "I wonder who wrote it for -him?" - -"He wrote it himself, Roger," replied Tom. - -"Ah, go on," scoffed Roger. - -"Sure he did," said Astro indignantly. "He sweated over it for nearly a -week." - -"Here he comes," said Tom. The three cadets watched Captain Strong, -resplendent in his dress gold-and-black uniform, fight his way off the -platform, shaking hands with congratulating strangers along the way. - -"Congratulations, Captain Strong," said Tom with a smile. - -"That was swell!" Roger and Astro chorused their agreement. - -"Thanks, boys," gasped Strong. "But let me tell you, I never want to do -that again. I was never so scared in my life!" - -"Just making a speech?" asked Roger. "After all the lectures you've -given at Space Academy?" - -"They weren't before teleceiver and stereo cameras." Strong laughed. "Do -you realize this ceremony is being seen on Mars, Earth, and all the -colonized moons, clear out to Titan." - -"Wow!" breathed Astro. "That would make me tongue-tied!" - -"Huh! All that to stick a metal box into the ground," snorted Roger. - -"It's not the capsule, Roger," said Tom. "It's what's inside the -capsule." - -"Right, Tom," said Strong. "Inside that capsule scientists have packed -the whole history of man's march through the stars. They've included -scientific formulas, medical, cultural, and industrial facts. Everything -we know. Even some things that are known by only a handful of the most -trusted men in the universe!" Strong stopped suddenly and laughed. -"There I go, making another speech! Come on. Let's get out of here," he -cried. - -"Do we start showing people through the _Polaris_ now, sir?" asked -Astro. - -"In the morning, Astro," replied Strong. "Tonight there's a big Solar -Alliance banquet. You three are invited, too." - -"Er--" stammered Roger, "you mean--a banquet--with--uh--?" - -Strong laughed. "More speeches? I'm afraid so, Manning. Of course -there'll be plenty of food." - -"Well, it's not that we're against speeches," ventured Astro. - -"Not yours anyway, sir," added Tom hastily. "But what we mean, sir, is -that--" - -Strong held up his hand. "I understand perfectly. Suppose you stay here -on the exposition grounds. Have a look around. See the sights, have some -fun." - -_"Yes, sir!"_ The boys chorused their reply. - -"Just don't spend all your credits at the first booth," continued -Strong. "And watch that Venusian cloud candy. It's good, but murder on -the Earthman's stomach." - -"Captain Strong!" A voice called from the platform above. It was one of -the Venusian delegates. "They want some pictures of you!" - -"Be right there, sir," replied Strong. He turned to the boys and smiled. -"You're lucky you don't have to go through this. See you aboard ship -later." Spinning quickly on his heel, he made his way back through the -crowd to the platform. - -"What a great guy," sighed Tom. - -"Sure is," agreed Astro. - -"Well, fellas," announced Roger, "we've got twelve hours liberty and a -small scale model of the whole solar system to have fun in! What're we -waiting for?" - -Fighting their way through the crowds in the plaza, the three boys -finally reached the amusement area where they wandered among gaily -colored booths and plastic tents, their eyes lighting up with each new -attraction. - -Two hours later, stuffed with spaceburgers and Martian water, their arms -loaded with assorted prizes, won by Astro's prowess in the -weight-lifting booth, Tom's skill as a marksman, and Roger's luck at the -wheels of chance, the cadets wearily returned to the Polaris. - -As they neared their section of the fair site they heard a harsh voice -appealing to a small crowd around the stand in front of Wallace and -Simms' spaceship. A huge sign spelled out the attraction: RIDE IN -SPACE--ONE CREDIT. - -Luther Simms, a bamboo cane in one hand, a roll of tickets in another, -was hawking his attraction to the bystanders. - -"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Step right up! It's a thrill of a -lifetime, the greatest sensation of the entire exposition. Ride a rocket -ship, and all this for one credit! A lone, single credit, ladies and -gents, will buy you a pathway to the stars! Step right up--" - -In laughing groups, the crowd around the stand began to purchase tickets -and climb aboard the old freighter. - -The three cadets watched from the outer edge of the crowd. - -"Hey, fellas," said Roger suddenly, "whaddya say we go?" - -"What?" gulped Astro. "On that thing?" - -"Why not?" urged Roger. - -"But that hulk should have been shipped back to the scrap furnace years -ago!" Tom protested. - -"So what, Junior?" drawled Roger. "Scared?" - -"Don't be silly," replied Tom. "But with all the other things to do -here, why should we--" - -"Oh," said Astro, nudging Tom, "now I get it!" - -"You get what?" asked Roger innocently. - -"Those girls," said Astro. "They're just climbing aboard." - -Glancing at the air lock, Tom saw three young and pretty girls file into -the ship. "Oh, so that's it, huh?" he said, looking quizzically at his -unit-mate. - -[Illustration: _Tom saw three pretty girls board the ship_] - -The blond cadet's eyes were wide with mock surprise. - -"Girls? Well, what do you know about that? I never noticed!" - -"Yeah, I'll bet you didn't!" said Tom. - -"Well, they _are_ trim little space dolls. And there are three of them!" - -"Come on, Astro," sighed Tom. "We have to give the little boy his fun." - -They walked toward the stand where Simms was still making his pitch to -the crowd. - -"Just five more seats left, ladies and gentlemen, only five chances to -blast into space ..." - -Tom stepped up and put three credits on the counter. "Three, please," he -said. - -Simms looked down and suddenly stopped his harangue. His eyes narrowed -with suspicion as he saw the three cadets standing before him. -Hesitating, he glanced around, seemingly looking for help. Then, -shrugging his shoulders, he handed over the tickets and turned to the -crowd. "Three tickets for the Space Cadets, who live out there in space. -Just can't stay away from it, eh, boys?" - -"I only hope that tub of yours holds together," said Tom. - -Simms snarled out of the side of his mouth, "Shut up, wise guy!" And -then continued aloud, "Yes, Space Cadet, I agree with you. Everyone -should take a trip into space." - -Tom started to protest, but then shrugged his shoulders and followed -Roger and Astro into the ship. On the stand, Simms continued his appeal -to the crowd. - -"Just two more tickets left, ladies and gentlemen! Who'll be the lucky -two?" - -Suddenly Gus Wallace appeared from behind the ship and approached the -stand, calling, "Hey, Simms!" - -Simms stopped speaking and turned to his partner. "Yeah?" - -"Everything's all set. Let's blast off!" - -"I'll be with you as soon as I sell the last two tickets," said Simms. -"Here you are, ladies and gents, the last two--" - -Wallace grabbed him by the arm and yanked him from the stand. "I said we -blast off, you idiot! You want to risk everything for two lousy -credits?" - -"O.K., O.K. Don't blow a fuse!" - -Simms quickly closed the stand, turned out the lighted sign, and -followed Wallace into the old freighter. He then collected the tickets -and made sure all the passengers were strapped into their acceleration -chairs and finally went below to the power deck. Wallace disappeared -into the control room and seconds later his voice was heard over the -ship's intercom gruffly announcing the blast-off. The lights in the -cabin dimmed, the air was filled with a low whining hiss, and for an -instant the old ship bucked and groaned. Suddenly, with a loud explosive -roar, she blasted into the sky and began a sluggish arching climb into -space. - -"All right, fellas," said Roger, after the force of acceleration eased -off, "let's try a little encircling maneuver on those girls up ahead." - -"Oh, no, Roger," answered Tom. "You're flying solo on that project!" - -"Yeah, you go ahead, Romeo." Astro laughed. "I'd like to see the Manning -technique in action." - -A loud explosion suddenly rocked the spaceship. - -"What was that?" cried Roger. "Maybe this old tub won't make it after -all!" - -Astro smiled. "This is a chemical burner, remember? Her initial -acceleration isn't enough. They have to keep blasting her to make -speed." - -"Oh, sure," drawled Roger, relaxing again and watching the girls ahead. -"Well, here I go!" He got up and lurched down the aisle running between -the seats. - -"Hey there!" roared Simms, who had suddenly appeared at the power-deck -hatch. "Keep your seat!" - -"Who, me?" asked Roger. - -"Not your Aunt Tilly, wise guy! Sit down and shut up!" - -"Listen," said Roger, "you don't seem to realize--" - -"I realize you're going to sit down or else!" snarled Simms. - -Roger retreated to his seat and sat down. "Ah, go blast your jets," he -grumbled as Simms continued up the aisle to the control deck. - -Tom and Astro doubled over with laughter. "Welcome back, Roger," -bellowed the big Venusian. "I don't think those girls are the sociable -type, anyway." - -"Wouldn't you know," moaned Roger, "that space creep had to show up just -when I had the whole campaign laid out in my mind." He gazed sadly at -the pert heads of the girls in front of him. - -Tom gave Astro a wink. "Poor Manning. All set to go hyperdrive and ran -into space junk before he cleared atmosphere." - -Suddenly another explosion racked the ship and the rockets cut out all -together. The passengers began to look around nervously. - -"By the craters of Luna, what was _that_?" demanded Tom, looking at -Astro. - -"The rockets have cut out," answered the Venusian. "Hope we're out in -free fall, beyond the pull of Venus' gravity." - -The forward hatch of the passenger cabin opened and Simms reappeared -followed by Wallace. - -"Take it easy, folks," said Wallace, "nothing to get excited about. -We're in free fall, holding a course around the planet. So just sit back -and enjoy the view!" - -A chorus of sighs filled the cabin and the passengers began laughing and -chatting again, pointing out various sights on the planet below them. -Smiling, Wallace and Simms marched down the aisle. Suddenly Roger and -Tom rose and blocked their path. - -"What's up, Wallace?" demanded Tom. - -Wallace gave the two boys a hard look. "So it's you, huh? You got a lot -of nerve coming aboard this ship." - -"If there's something wrong, Wallace," said Tom, "maybe we could give -you a hand." - -"Get back in your seats," ordered Wallace. "We don't need any cadet -squirts getting in our way!" - -"Why, you overweight space jockey," snapped Roger, "we know more about -spaceships than you'll ever learn!" - -"One more crack out of you and I'll blast your ears off!" roared -Wallace. _"Now sit down!"_ - -Roger's face turned a deep red and he moved toward Wallace, but Tom put -out a restraining hand. - -"Take it easy, Roger," he said. "Wallace is the skipper of this boiler. -In space he's the boss." - -"You bet I'm the boss," snarled Wallace. "Now keep that loud-mouthed -punk quiet, or I'll wipe up the deck with him and send the pieces back -to Space Academy!" - -"Hey, Wallace," yelled Simms, who had walked away when the argument -started. "Come on. We gotta fix that reactor unit!" - -"Yeah--yeah," Wallace called back. He turned to Roger again. "Just -remember what I said, cadet!" Brushing the boys aside, he strode down -the aisle to join Simms. - -As the two men disappeared through the power-deck hatch, Tom turned to -Roger and tried to calm him down. "Skippers are skippers, Roger, even -aboard a piece of space junk!" - -"Yeah," growled Roger, "but I don't like to be called a squirt or a -punk! Why, I know more about reactor units than--" - -"Reactor units?" broke in Astro from his seat. - -"Yeah. Didn't you hear what Simms said?" - -"But this is a chemical burner," said Astro. "Why an atomic reactor unit -aboard?" - -"Might be a booster for extra speed," offered Tom. "And more power." - -"On a simple hop like this? Hardly out of the atmosphere?" Astro shook -his head. "No, Tom. It doesn't make sense." - -"Well," chimed in Roger, "here's something else I've been wondering -about. They charge one credit for this ride. Which makes a total of -about fifty credits for a capacity load--" - -"I get you," Tom interrupted. "It costs at least two hundred credits in -fuel alone to get one of these chemical jalopies off the ground!" - -Roger looked at Tom solemnly. "You know, Tom, I'd certainly like to know -what those guys are doing. You just don't hand out free rides in space." - -"How about snooping around?" asked Astro. - -Tom thought a moment. "O.K. You two stay here. I'll go aft and see what -they're doing." - -Tom walked quickly to the stern of the ship, entered the power-deck -hatch, and disappeared. Astro and Roger, each taking one side of the -ship, strained for a look from the viewports. In a few minutes Tom -returned. - -"Spot anything?" asked Roger. - -"I'm not so sure," answered Tom. "They weren't on the power deck and the -cargo hatch was locked. I looked out the stern viewport, but all I could -see was a thick black cloud." - -"Well, that's no help," said Roger. Suddenly the blond cadet snapped his -fingers. "Tom, I'll bet they're smugglers!" - -"What?" asked Tom. - -"That's it," said Roger. "I'll bet that's it. The concession is just a -phony to cover up their smuggling. It lets them take a load of stuff up -without a custom's search. Then, when they're far enough out--" - -"They dump it," supplied Astro. - -"Right!" agreed Tom finally. "What better place to hide something than -in space?" - -"For someone else to pick up later!" added Roger triumphantly. - -When Wallace and Simms returned, the three cadets were busy looking out -the viewports. And later, when the spaceship was letting down over the -exposition grounds, Tom commented on the ease with which the ship made -her approach for a touchdown. - -"Roger," asked Tom quietly, "notice how she's handling now?" - -"How do you mean?" asked Roger. - -"Going out," said Tom, "she wallowed like an old tub filled with junk. -Now, while she's no feather, there's a big difference in the way she's -maneuvering!" - -"Then they did dump something in space!" said Roger. - -"I'm sure of it!" said Tom. "And from now on, we're going to keep our -eyes open and find out what it is!" - - - - -CHAPTER 4 - - -Tom glanced at the astral chronometer over the control board of the -_Polaris_ and sighed with relief. It was nine P.M. He turned to the -intercom. - -"Attention, please! Attention, please! The exhibit is now closing for -the night. All visitors will kindly leave the ship immediately." He -repeated the announcement again and turned to smile at the last -lingering youngster ogling him before being yanked toward an exit by a -tired and impatient mother. - -The hatch to the radar bridge opened and Roger climbed down the ladder -to flop wearily in the pilot's seat in front of the control panel. - -"If one more scatterbrained female asks me how the astrogation prism -works," groaned the blond cadet, "I'll give it to her and let her figure -it out for herself!" - -Astro joined them long enough to announce that he had made sandwiches -and brewed hot chocolate. Tom and Roger followed him back to the galley. - -Sipping the hot liquid, the three cadets looked at each other without -speaking, each understanding what the other had been through. Even -Astro, who normally would rather talk about his atomic engine than eat, -confessed he was tired of explaining the functions of the reaction fuel -force feed and the main valve of the cooling pumps. - -"The worst of it is," sighed Astro, "they all pick on the same valve. -What's so fascinating about one valve?" - -Tom's job on the control deck was less tiring, since his was more of a -command post, which demanded decisions, as conditions arose, rather than -a fixed routine that could be explained. But even so, to be asked over -and over what the astral chronometer was, how he could read time on -Earth, Mars, Venus, Titan, Ganymede, and all the satellites at the same -time was wearing on the toughest of young spirits. - -Eager to forget the grueling day of questions and answers, the cadets -turned their thoughts to the mysterious midnight activity that had been -taking place around the spaceship concession during the last ten days. - -"I just can't figure out what those guys are up to," said Roger, blowing -on his hot chocolate. "We've watched those guys for over a week now and -no one has even come near them with anything that could be smuggled." - -"Could be a small package," suggested Astro, his mouth full of ham -sandwich. "Somebody could take a ride and slip it to them." - -"Hardly," said Tom. "Remember, that ship blasts off like she's loaded to -the nose with cargo. And then she comes back like a feather. You can -tell by the sound of her jets. So it wouldn't be anything small enough -for someone to carry." - -"Yeah, I guess you're right," agreed Astro. - -"Well," said Tom finally, "I'm stumped. I think the only thing left to -do is to decide if it's anything important enough to tell Captain Strong -about. Working on the _Polaris_ twelve hours a day and staying up all -night to watch those two jokers has me all in." - -Roger and Astro looked at each other and then silently nodded their -agreement. - -"O.K.," said Tom, "we'll go to the skipper's hotel in Venusport and tell -him the whole thing. Let's see what he makes of it." - - * * * * * - -At that moment Captain Strong was in the office of Exposition -Commissioner Mike Hawks trying to make sense out of a series of reports -that had landed on the commissioner's desk. Hawks watched him carefully -as he studied the papers. - -"You say this is the ninth report you've received since the fair opened, -Mike?" asked Strong finally. - -Hawks nodded. He hadn't known whether to laugh off or seriously consider -the nine space skippers' reports that the sky over the exposition site -was dirty. - -"Yes, Steve," he said. "That one came from the skipper of an express -freighter. He blasted off this morning and ran through this so-called -dirt. He thought it was just a freak of nature but reported it to be on -the safe side." - -"I don't suppose he took a sample of the stuff?" - -"No. But I'm taking care of that," replied Hawks. "There's a rocket -scout standing by right now. Want to come along?" - -"Let me finish these reports first." - -"Sure thing." - -As Strong carefully checked each report, Commissioner Hawks rose and -began to stride restlessly back and forth across the spacious office. He -stopped in front of the window and stared out over the exposition -grounds, watching the thousands of holiday visitors streaming in and out -of the buildings, all unaware of the strange mystery in the sky above -them. Hawks' attention was drawn to the giant solar beacon, a huge light -that flashed straight out into space, changing color every second and -sending out the message: "Quis separabit homo"--Who shall separate -mankind? - -This beacon that at the beginning of the exposition had reached into the -black void of space like a clean bright ray was now cloudy and -murky--the result of the puzzling "dirty sky." - -"All right, Mike," Strong announced suddenly. "Let's go." - -"Get anything more out of those reports?" asked Hawks, turning back to -his desk. - -"No," replied the Solar Guard officer. "They all tell the same story. -Right after blast-off, the ships ran into a dirty sky." - -"Sounds kind of crazy, doesn't it?" - -"Crazy enough to check." - -Hawks pressed a button on the desk intercom. - -"Yes, sir?" replied a metallic voice. - -"Have the rocket scout ready for flight in five minutes," Hawks ordered. -He snapped off the intercom without waiting for a reply and turned to -Strong. "Let's go, Steve." - -The two veteran spacemen left the office without further comment and -rode down in the vacuum elevator to the highway level. Soon they were -speeding out to the spaceport in Hawks' special jet car. - -At the blast-pitted field they were met by a young Solar Guard officer -and an elderly man carrying a leather case, who were introduced as -Lieutenant Claude and Professor Newton. - -While Claude prepared the rocket scout for blast-off, Strong, Hawks, and -Newton discussed the possibility of lava dust having risen to great -heights from another side of the planet. - -"While I'm reasonably sure," stated Newton, "that no volcano has erupted -recently here on Venus, I can't be sure until I've examined samples of -this so-called dirt." - -"I'll have Lieutenant Claude contact the University of Venus," said -Hawks. "Their seismographs would pick up surface activity." - -Claude stuck his head out of the hatch and reported the ship ready for -blast-off. Strong followed the professor and Hawks aboard and strapped -himself into an acceleration chair. In a moment they were blasting -through the misty atmosphere of Venus into the depths of space. - -Fifteen minutes later, Hawks and Strong were standing on the hull of the -ship in space suits, watching the professor take a sample of a dirty -black cloud, so thick it was impossible to see more than three feet. -Strong called to the professor through the spacephone. - -"What do you make of it, sir?" he asked. - -"I wouldn't want to give you a positive opinion without chemical tests," -answered the professor, his voice echoing in Strong's fish-bowl helmet. -"But I believe it's one of three things. One, the remains of a large -asteroid that has broken up. Two, volcanic ash, either from Venus or -from Jupiter. But if it came from Jupiter, I don't see how it could have -drifted this far without being detected on radar." - -Now, holding a flask full of the black cloud, the professor started back -to the air lock. - -"You said three possibilities, professor," said Strong. - -"The third," replied the professor, "could be--" - -The professor was interrupted by Lieutenant Claude calling over the -intercom. - -"Just received a report from the University of Venus, sir!" said the -young officer. "There's been no volcanic activity on Venus in the last -ten years serious enough to create such a cloud." - -Strong waited for the professor's reaction, but the elderly man was -already entering the air lock. Before Strong and Hawks could catch up to -him, the air-lock hatch slammed closed. - -"Hey," exclaimed Strong, "what does he think he's doing?" - -"Don't worry about it, Steve," replied Hawks. "He probably forgot we -were out here with him, he's so concerned about this dirt. We'll just -have to wait until he's out of the air lock." - -The Solar Guard officer nodded, then looked around him at the thick -black cloud that enveloped the ship. "Well," he said, "one of the -professor's theories has been knocked out." - -"Yes," replied Hawks. "Which means this stuff is either the remains of a -large asteroid or--" - -"The third possibility," finished Strong, "which the professor never -explained." - -Suddenly the air-lock hatch opened again and the two spacemen stepped -inside. Closing the hatch behind them, they waited until the pressure -was built up again to equal that of the ship, and then they removed -their helmets and space suits. - -[Illustration: _The hatch opened again and the two spacemen entered the -air lock_] - -Leaving the air lock and walking down the companionway, Hawks suddenly -caught Strong by the arm. - -"Have you considered the possibility of this cloud being radioactive, -Steve?" he asked. - -Strong nodded slowly. "That's all I've been thinking about since I first -heard about it, Mike. I think I'd better report this to Commander -Walters at Space Academy." - -"Wait, Steve," said Hawks. "If you do that, Walters might close the -exposition. Wait until you get a definite opinion from Professor -Newton." - -Strong considered a moment. "I guess a few more minutes won't make a lot -of difference," he said finally. He realized how important the -exposition was to his old friend. But at the same time, he knew what -would happen if a radioactive cloud suddenly settled on the city of -Venusport without warning. "Come on. Let's see what the professor has to -say about this stuff." - -They found the professor on the control deck bending over a microscope, -studying samples taken from the flask. He peered intently into the -eyepiece, wrote something on a pad, and then began searching through the -pages of a reference book on chemicals of the solar system. - -Lieutenant Claude stepped up to Hawks and saluted sharply. "Power deck -reports they've got a clogged line, sir. It's in the gas exhaust." - -Strong and Hawks looked at each other, and then Hawks turned to the -young officer. "Send a couple of men outside to clear it." - -"Aye, aye, sir," said Claude, and then hesitated. "Shall the men wear -lead suits against possible radioactivity, sir?" - -Before Hawks could answer, Newton turned to face the three men. The -professor was smiling. "No need to take that precaution, Lieutenant. I -never did tell you my third opinion, did I, Captain Strong?" - -"Why, no, you didn't, sir," said Strong. - -The professor held up a sheet of paper. "Here's your answer. Nothing but -plain old Venusport topsoil. Pure dirt!" - -"What?" exclaimed Hawks hastily, reaching for the paper. - -"Well, blast me for a Martian mouse," muttered Strong under his breath. -"But how?" - -Newton held up his hand. "Don't ask me how it got here. That isn't my -line of work. All I know is that, without a doubt, the black cloud is -nothing more than dirt. Plain ordinary dirt! And it comes from the area -in and around Venusport. As a matter of fact, certain particles I -analyzed lead me to believe it came from the exposition site!" - -Hawks looked at Newton dumbfounded. "By the craters of Luna, man, we're -a thousand miles over the exposition!" - -The professor was stubborn. "I can't tell you how it got here, -Commissioner Hawks. But I do know it's Venusian dirt. And that's final!" - -Hawks stared at the elderly man for a second, still bewildered. Then he -suddenly smiled and turned to Claude. "As soon as that exhaust is -cleared, blast off for Venusport, Lieutenant. I'm going to find out who -dirtied up the sky!" - - * * * * * - -Two hours later, when Captain Strong returned to his hotel in Venusport -with Mike Hawks, he was surprised to see the three cadets of the -_Polaris_ crew slumped, sleepy-eyed, on a couch in the lobby. - -"What are you doing here, boys?" he asked. - -The three cadets came to attention and were wide awake immediately. Tom -quickly related their suspicions of Wallace and Simms. - -"And we've watched them every night, sir," Tom concluded. "I don't know -what it is, but something certainly is going on in that shack they use -for an office." - -"Yes, sir," agreed Astro, "and no one is going to fool me about a rocket -ship. I know when they blast off loaded and return light." - -Strong turned to Hawks who said quietly, "Wallace and Simms are the only -ones in this whole area that blast off regularly without a customs -search." - -"You mean," stammered Strong, "Wallace and Simms are dumping"--he could -hardly say the word--"_dirt_ in space?" - -"They have a ship. The cadets say the ship blasts off loaded and returns -light. And we've got the sky full of dirt. Venusian dirt!" - -"But why?" - -"I suggest we go out to the exposition grounds right now and ask them!" -said Hawks coldly. "And believe me, they'd better have some -rocket-blasting good answers!" - - - - -CHAPTER 5 - - -The great educational exhibits had long been closed and only a few -sections of the amusement park of the big exposition remained open. The -giant solar beacon, its brilliant colors changing every second, -maintained a solemn solitary watch over the exhibition buildings, while -here and there groups of fair visitors wandered wearily back to their -hotels. - -There was a sudden flurry of activity at the space-ride concession. Gus -Wallace and Luther Simms tumbled out of the shack and raced into their -ship. Once inside the ancient craft, they secured the hatch and turned -toward each other smiling broadly. Wallace stuck out his hand. - -"Put 'er there, Simms. We did it!" - -The two men shook hands heartily. - -"By the craters of Luna," said Simms, "I thought we'd never make it! And -if we did, that it wouldn't be there!" - -"But it was, Simms! It was! And now we've got it!" - -"Yeah," agreed the other. "I never worked so hard in all my life. But -it's worth it. Are we going to set the Solar Guard back on its ear!" - -Wallace laughed. "Not only that, but think of what the boss will say -when we show up with it!" - -"You know, Wallace," said Simms, a sly look on his face, "we could take -it and use it ourselves--" - -"Don't even think a thing like that!" snapped Wallace. - -"Oh, of course not," said Simms hurriedly. "It doesn't pay to cross the -boss. There's enough here for all of us." - -"You know," mused Wallace, "there's only one thing I regret." - -"What's that?" asked his partner. - -"That I didn't get a chance to kick the space dust out of that punk, -Cadet Manning!" - -"Forget him," said Simms, waving his hand. "You'll meet him again -someday. Besides, why think about him, when you've got the whole -universe at your finger tips?" - -"You're right. But someday I'm going to catch him and tear him apart!" -snarled Wallace. "Come on. We've got to change over to atomic drive on -this baby. I don't want to hang around here any longer than I have to." - -"Yeah," said Simms. "Be pretty stupid if we're caught now!" - -The two men climbed down into the power deck and began the job of -refitting the freighter from chemical to atomic drive. Having already -outfitted the vessel with atomic engines, it was a simple matter to -change the exhaust, reset the feed lines, and emplace the protective -lead baffles. In an hour the two spacemen were ready to blast off. - -"There she is," said Simms, standing back to survey their work. "As fast -as anything in space, except the Solar Guard cruisers on hyperdrive." - -"O.K.," said Wallace. "Let's get out of here!" - -Minutes later, in a jet car speeding along the main highway toward the -exposition grounds, Captain Strong, Mike Hawks, and the three cadets of -the _Polaris_ saw a rocket ship blast off. They watched it disappear -into the dark space above. - -"That might be they," said Strong to Hawks. "I'd better alert the patrol -ship near the space station and tell them to pick them up." - -"That couldn't be Wallace and Simms, sir," said Astro. - -"How do you know, Astro?" asked Strong. - -"That was an atomic-powered ship. The wagon Wallace and Simms have is a -chemical job. I know the sound of her jets almost as well as I do the -_Polaris_." - -Hawks looked at Strong. - -"You can depend on Astro's opinion, Mike," said Strong. "He was born -with a rocket wrench in his hand and cut his teeth on a reactor valve." - -They soon reached the outskirts of the exposition grounds and were -forced to slow down as they wound their way through the darkened -streets. In the amusement section, the last of the whirlaway rides and -games of chance had closed down and only the occasional roar of a caged -animal in the interplanetary zoo disturbed the night. - -Hawks drove the low, sleek jet car around the fair, taking a short cut -through the outdoor mercuryball field and pulled up in front of the -_Polaris_. - -The five spacemen turned toward the concession site across the promenade -and stopped, aghast. - -"Gone!" exclaimed Strong. "Astro, you made a mistake! It was their ship -we saw blasting off. It's too late to warn the space-station patrol. -Wallace and Simms could be anywhere in space now!" - -"But, sir," protested Astro, "I'm certain that an atomic-powered ship -blasted off. And their old freighter was a chemical burner!" - -"Well," said Hawks resignedly, "they're not here." - -"Come on," said Strong, getting out of the jet car. "Let's take a look -around." - -Strong and Hawks hurried across the street to the empty lot and the -three cadets followed. - -"Take it easy, Astro," said Tom, when he saw the big Venusian gripping -his fists in frustration. "Anyone could make a mistake." - -"That's just it," said Astro. "I'm not mistaken! Those jokers must have -changed over from chemical fuel to reactant drive!" - -"But why?" asked Roger. "That would cost more than they could make in -ten years of hauling passengers on joy rides!" - -Astro whirled around and faced the two cadets. "I'm telling you the ship -that blasted off from here was an atomic drive. I don't know any more -than that, but I _do_ know that!" - -There was a sudden shout from Strong and the three boys hurried to the -shack. The Solar Guard captain and the exposition commissioner were -standing inside and playing the beam of an electric torch around the -walls. - -"Looks as though you were right about the atomic drive, Astro," said -Strong. He flashed the light into one corner where a tangled jumble of -lines lay on the floor. "That's feed-line gear for a chemical burner, -and over there"--he played the light on some empty cartons--"is what's -left of the crate's lead baffling it shipped in. They must have changed -over to atomic drive recently." - -Astro accepted the statement with a nod. It wasn't in the nature of the -big cadet to boast. Now that the secret of the ship had been resolved, -he turned, like the others, to the question of why? - -"I think the best thing we can do," said Strong, "is to spread out and -search the whole area. Might find something to indicate where they -went." Commissioner Hawks nodded his head in agreement. - -While Tom, Roger, and Astro searched outside, Strong and Hawks went -through the drawers of the dusty desk standing in one corner. - -"Nothing here but a record of the flights they made, bills for chemical -fuel delivered, and the like," said Hawks at last. "They were losing -money on the operation, too. Think they might have just gotten fed up -and pulled out?" - -Strong was rummaging around in one corner of the shack. "I'd go along -with that, but for one thing, Mike," he said. "Take a look at this." He -held up a small cloth bag. "There's dirt in the bottom of this bag. And -there are about fifty more bags in that corner." - -"Dirt!" exclaimed the commissioner. - -"Yep," said Strong grimly. "So we found out who was dumping the dirt. -But we still haven't found out why." - -"Or where it came from," said Hawks. - -Strong tossed the bag into the corner. "Well, I guess I'd better make a -report to Commander Walters." - -Hawks moved to the corner where the pile of chemical feed-line equipment -lay on the floor. "Want to take a look at this stuff? Might be something -important in it." - -Strong thought a moment. "We can have the cadets do that. I want to get -this report off to Walters right away, and issue an order to pick up -Wallace and Simms." - -"On what charges, Steve?" asked the commissioner. "I mean, what's wrong -with what they've done?" The commissioner's question was based on one of -the cardinal rules among all Solar Guard officers of authority. "Has the -man committed any crime?" - -Steve realized this and answered slowly. "They've changed over to -reactor drive without a license or permission. That's a violation of the -space code, section twenty-one, paragraph A. That is punishable by a -suspension of space papers, and if the intention proved to be willful -neglect of the code, a year on a penal asteroid. I think we can get them -on that." - -The captain stepped to the door and called the cadets. - -"Find anything?" he asked, when they entered the shack. - -"Nothing, sir," replied Tom. "Except more evidence that they changed -over to atomic drive." - -"That's enough" said Strong. "I'm going to send a report to Commander -Walters. Is the teleceiver on the _Polaris_ hooked up, Roger?" - -"Yes, sir," replied Roger. "But Astro will have to start up the -auxiliary generators to give you power." - -"Very well, then," said Strong. "Corbett, you give Astro a hand on the -power deck. And while we're gone, Manning, you go through that feed-line -junk there in the corner and see if there's anything important in it!" - -"Aye, aye, sir," replied Roger. - -Strong and Hawks, followed by Tom and Astro, left the shack and hurried -to the _Polaris_. - -On the power deck, Tom and Astro made the necessary connections on the -generator, and in a few minutes, as power surged through the ship, -Strong flipped on the teleceiver. - -"Attention! Attention! This is Captain Strong on the _Polaris_ calling -Commander Walters at Space Academy! Earth emergency circuit, priority -B--" - -In a few moments the Solar Guard officer's call had been picked up by a -monitor station on Earth and relayed directly to Space Academy. -Commander Walters was roused out of bed, and when he appeared on the -teleceiver screen, Strong saw he was still in sleeping dress. - -"Sorry to disturb you, sir," said Strong, "but something has come up -here at the exposition that needs your immediate attention." - -"That's quite all right, Steve," said the commander with a smile. "What -is it? Manning get into more trouble?" - -"No, sir," answered Strong grimly. "I wish it were as simple as that." -He quickly related the details of the strange dirt cloud and his -suspicions of Wallace and Simms. Walters' expression grew serious. - -"I'll get out an emergency bulletin on them at once, Steve. Meantime, -you have full authority to head an investigation. Use any service you -need. I'll confirm my verbal order with official orders at once. Get on -this thing, Steve. It sounds serious." - -"I will, sir, and thanks!" said Strong. - -"End transmission!" - -"End transmission," returned Strong, flipping off the teleceiver and -turning to the ship's intercom. "Attention, power deck! Corbett, you and -Astro go back to the shack and give Roger a hand. I'm going to work with -the commissioner here setting up search operations." - -"Aye, aye, sir," replied Tom from the power deck. - -The two cadets hurriedly closed the power units and left the ship. - -"Did you hear what Captain Strong said, Astro?" asked Tom. "Search -operations." - -"I wonder what's up," the big Venusian remarked. "They don't set up -search operations unless it's awfully serious!" - -"Come on," urged Tom. "Maybe Roger's found something." - -They entered the shack together and Tom called out, "Say, Roger, Captain -Strong just spoke to Commander Walters at the Academy and--" - -The curly-haired cadet stopped short. "Astro, look!" - -"By the rings of Saturn!" exclaimed the big cadet. - -The two cadets stood gaping at a huge hole in the middle of the room. -The wooden floor was splintered around the edges of the opening and -several pieces of the chemical feed-line equipment lay close to the -edge, with trailing lines leading down into the hole. They heard a low -moan and rushed up to the hole, flashing their lights down into it. - -"Great galaxy!" yelled Tom. "Astro, look! It's a shaft! It must be a -thousand feet deep!" - -"And look!" bellowed Astro. "There's Roger! See him? He's hanging there! -His foot's caught in that feed-line cable!" - -The big cadet leaned over the hole and shouted, "Roger! Roger! Are you -all right?" - -There was no answer from the shaft. Nothing but the echo of Astro's -voice. - - - - -CHAPTER 6 - - -"Easy, Astro," said Strong, standing behind the big cadet. "Pull that -line up slowly and gently." - -"Yes, sir," gasped Astro. He didn't have to be told to pull the rope -with caution. He knew only too well that the slightest jar or bump -against the side of the shaft might dislodge Roger's unconscious body -from the tangle of line, causing him to fall to the bottom of the shaft. -How far down the shaft went, none of the anxious spacemen around the -hole in the splintered floor knew. And they didn't want to use Roger's -body to find out! - -"I'll give you a hand, Astro," said Commissioner Hawks. He reached for -the line, but the big cadet warned him away. - -"That's all right, sir," he said. "He's almost up now." - -Astro pulled gently, hand over hand, until Roger's limp body was a mere -foot from the edge. - -"Grab him, quick!" he panted. - -Immediately Strong and Hawks were down on their knees at the edge of the -hole. Each taking an arm, they pulled Roger out and laid him gently on -the floor of the shack. They crouched over him and began a quick -examination. - -"How is he, sir?" asked Tom, hovering anxiously over the still form of -his friend. "Will he be all right?" - -Strong didn't answer for a moment, continuing his hurried, though -careful check. Then he sat back on his heels and sighed in relief. "A -few bruises but no broken bones, thank the universe. He's just suffering -from shock. A day or so in sick bay and he'll be good as new." - -"I'll take him over there right away, Steve," offered Hawks. - -"Thanks, Mike," replied Strong. Then as he and the commissioner lifted -the still form of the cadet and started to carry him out of the shack, -he turned to Astro. "Blast over to the _Polaris_ and call Solar Guard -headquarters in Venusport. Tell them to send an emergency crew down here -right away." - -"Aye, aye, sir," snapped the big Venusian and dashed out of the shack. - -Turning back to Hawks, Strong said, "Corbett and I will stay here and -try to find out where that shaft leads." - -"All right, Steve," nodded the commissioner. "Too bad we had to find out -where that dirt came from the hard way." - -Reaching the jet car, the two men placed Roger in the back seat, and -Hawks slid in under the wheel to start the powerful jets. Just then -Astro, racing back from the _Polaris_, pulled up breathlessly. - -"Solar Guard crew is on the way, sir," he reported. He glanced anxiously -into the back seat of the jet car. - -"All right, Astro," said Strong gently, "take care of Roger." Strong -gestured to the back seat and without a word Astro leaped in beside his -friend. Hawks stepped on the accelerator and the car shot away in a roar -of blasting jets. - -Tom and Captain Strong watched the car disappear and then turned back to -the shack. Each felt the same emotion, an unspoken determination to see -that Wallace and Simms paid dearly for causing the accident. - -Re-entering the shack, they began a careful examination of the shaft. -Strong played his emergency light down the sides, but the beam -penetrated only a short distance. - -"We'll leave a note for the emergency crew," said Strong. "Our belt -communicators might not work so far underground." - -"You're going down, sir?" asked Tom. - -Strong nodded. "If necessary. Tie that valve on the end of the rope -Astro used and lower it into the shaft. If we can touch bottom with it, -we'll climb down and see what Wallace and Simms were after." - -"Yes, sir," said Tom. He took the length of rope, tied the heavy metal -valve to the end, and began lowering it into the shaft. Strong continued -to play the light down the shaft until the valve disappeared into the -darkness. - -"Rope's getting short, sir," warned Tom. "Only have about two hundred -feet left." - -Strong glanced at the remaining coils of line on the floor. "I'll get -more from the _Polaris_, if we need it," he said. "How long was that -line to begin with?" - -"It's a regulation space line, sir," said Tom. "Astro took it out of the -emergency locker. It's about twelve hundred feet." - -By this time the line, hanging straight down the shaft, had become -increasingly heavy. Suddenly it grew slack. - -"I think I've hit bottom, sir," cried the cadet. "But I can't pull the -valve back up again to make sure." - -Strong grabbed the end of the line and helped the cadet pull it back up -a short distance. Then they dropped the line again and felt a distinct -slackening of weight. - -"That's bottom all right," said Strong. "Take this end of the line, run -it out of the window on your right, and back through the one on your -left. Then make it fast." - -"Yes, sir," said Tom. He jumped out of the window, trailing the rope -after him, and reappeared almost immediately through the other window to -tie a loop in the line. After checking the knot and testing the line by -throwing his full weight against it, Strong stripped off his jacket and -wrapped it about the line to prevent rope burns. Then, hooking the -emergency light on his belt, he stepped off into the shaft. Tom watched -his skipper lower himself until nothing but the light, a wavering pin -point in the dark hole, could be seen. At last the light stopped moving -and Tom knew Strong had reached the bottom. - -"Hallooooooo!" The captain's voice echoed faintly up the dark shaft. -"The belt communicators don't work!" he yelled. "Come on down!" - -"Be right with you, sir!" yelled Tom. He scratched a message on the -wooden floor of the shack for the emergency crew. Then he stripped off -his jacket, wrapped it around the rope, secured the light to his belt, -and stepped off into the darkness. - -Slowly, his hands tight around the rope through his jacket, Tom slipped -down the deep shaft. He kept his eyes averted from the black hole -beneath him, looking instead at the sides of the shaft. Once, when he -thought he had gone about seven hundred feet, he saw that he was passing -through a stratum of thick clay and could see the preserved bones of -long-dead mammals, protruding from the side of the shaft. - -Finally Tom's feet touched solid ground and he released the rope. It was -cold in the bottom of the shaft and he hastily put his jacket back on. - -"Captain Strong?" he called. There was no answer. Tom flashed the light -around and saw a low, narrow tunnel leading off to his left. - -He walked slowly, and the newly dug sides of the tunnel seemed to close -in on him menacingly. It was quiet. Not the blank silence of space that -Tom was used to, but the deathlike stillness of a tomb. It sent chills -up and down his spine. Finally he stepped around a sharp bend and -stopped abruptly. - -"Captain Strong!" - -The Solar Guard officer was stooping over, his light resting on the -ground, reading something he held in his hand. He looked up at Tom and -jerked his thumb back over his shoulder. Tom flashed his light in that -direction. - -"By the rings of Saturn!" exclaimed Tom. There in front of him, ripped -open like a can of sardines, was the gleaming metal skin of the time -capsule! The dirt floor of the tunnel around Strong and beside the -capsule was littered with audio spools, sound disks, micropapers, and -stereo slides. - -Tom kneeled down beside his skipper and stammered, "What--what does it -mean, sir?" - -"It means," answered Strong slowly, "that we're dealing with two of the -cleverest men in the universe! If they've stolen what I think they have, -the entire Solar Guard, Solar Alliance, and just about everyone in the -universe is at their mercy!" - - * * * * * - -"How do you feel, Roger?" asked Astro. - -The blond-haired cadet sat up in bed, dangled his feet over the side, -and rubbed his neck. He groaned as he moved. "I don't think I'm going to -dance much this month, if that answers your question. I feel like every -bone in my body was broken!" - -"They very nearly were, Cadet Manning," said the medical officer, -standing near by. - -"What happened, Manning?" asked Commissioner Hawks. - -"I really don't know, sir," replied Roger. "I was moving the junk out of -the corner of the shack so I could examine it. I was piling it up in the -middle of the floor when--wham--something gave way and I took a header -into nowhere!" He looked at Astro. "Now suppose _you_ tell me what -happened!" - -Astro told Roger about finding him dangling at the end of the tangled -feed lines. Then he said, "Tom and Captain Strong are out there now, -waiting for one of the Solar Guard emergency crews." - -"Well, what are we hanging around here for?" asked Roger, and hopped off -the bed. He groaned, staggered, and then straightened up. "Nothing to -worry about," he said, as Astro rushed to his side. "I'm as good as -new!" - -"What do you say, Doctor?" asked Hawks. - -The doctor hesitated a moment and then smiled. "Well, Commissioner, -Cadet Manning has several strained muscles in his back, but the best -treatment for that is exercise." - -Hawks nodded and signed a release slip which the doctor gave him. Astro -helped Roger put on his space boots, and five minutes later they were -speeding back to the exposition grounds in the commissioner's jet car. -As they sped through the streets, the two cadets speculated on what they -would find at the bottom of the shaft. Arriving at the shack, they were -immediately challenged by an enlisted Solar Guardsman. - -"Halt!" said the guard gruffly. "Advance slowly for recognition!" - -With Commissioner Hawks leading the way, Roger and Astro walked up to -the guard. - -"Say," said Roger, nudging Astro, "look at what's going on around here!" - -"Yeah," agreed Astro, wide-eyed. "Something must be plenty hot to have -guards posted!" - -Hawks was immediately recognized by the guard, but he still stubbornly -demanded proof of their identity. Hawks, Roger, and Astro hauled out -their Solar Guard identification disks, small metal plates with their -images engraved in the shiny metal. On the other side was a detailed -description of the bearer. - -"Very well, sir," said the guard and let them pass. - -In the pale light of dawn, feverish activity could be seen taking place -around the shack. Two huge jet vans, filled with every possible piece of -emergency equipment, were parked near by. The _Polaris_ had been taken -over as a temporary headquarters and the area was crowded with -scarlet-clad enlisted men. Astro could hear the hum of generators on the -_Polaris_ and immediately felt concern for his power deck. - -Proceeding to the shack they were again challenged by a guard and again -had to produce their identification disks before entering. Once inside, -they were amazed at the transformation. An aluminum tripod, ten feet -tall, had been erected over the hole in the floor, and several steel -cables, connected to a motor-driven steel drum, were looped over the -apex of the tripod, one hanging straight down into the shaft. A thick -plastic hose hung over the edge of the shaft, jerking spasmodically as -air was pumped into the dark hole. - -"By the craters of Luna," cried Hawks, "what's going on here?" - -A young lieutenant stepped up to the commissioner and saluted sharply. -"Lieutenant Silvers, sir. Second-in-command to Captain Allison of the -emergency crew." - -Hawks returned the salute and Lieutenant Silvers continued. - -"Captain Strong, Cadet Corbett, and Captain Allison are at the bottom of -the shaft, sir. The cage will be up in a moment and you may go down if -you care to." - -"Thank you, Lieutenant," said Hawks. - -"Congratulations, Cadet Manning," said Silvers. "I understand you had a -close call in the shaft." - -"I did, sir," said Roger. "It was _very_ close." - -A light suddenly flashed on and the four spacemen turned to watch a -large wire cage rise out of the shaft. It was built in three sections, -each seven feet high. A ladder on one side of the cage gave easy access -to the higher and lower levels. Astro climbed to the top section while -Hawks took the lower. Roger stepped into the center section to avoid a -climb. An enlisted man secured the gates and turned on the motor. The -cage dropped through the shaft with sickening speed. - -A minute later it began to brake slowly, finally coming to a dead stop -at the bottom of the shaft. They were met by a Solar Guardsman who -directed them into the tunnel, now illuminated by a row of flowing, -self-powered emergency lights. Silently, but with rising excitement, the -two cadets followed Hawks through the brightly lighted shaft, a thousand -feet below the surface of the planet. - -Turning the last corner in the tunnel they came upon Strong, Tom, and -Captain Allison huddled near the torn side of the time capsule. They -could hear Strong talking to Tom. - -"There is a vault on every spaceship in the Solar Alliance, Tom," Strong -was explaining. "The vault is locked before blast-off and opened after -landing by a light-key operated only by a trusted spaceport security -officer. This key flashes a series of light vibrations, in sequence, -into the electromagnetic lock on the vault. It's really nothing more -than a highly developed flashlight except that it flashes multiple -combinations of lights, each containing certain electronic vibrations. -The electromagnetic lock can only be opened with the proper combinations -of colors and vibrations flashed by the light-key. Of course each ship -has a different code of colors and vibrations, but the code itself -wouldn't be hard to crack. The big thing would be to have an adjustable -light-key, so that if one combination of colors and light vibrations do -not work, you can try another. In that way you could open any energy -lock on any vault in the system." - -"And Wallace and Simms--" Tom hesitated. - -"Yes, Corbett," said Strong grimly. "Wallace and Simms stole an -information sound spool from the capsule. On that spool was a detailed -description of the energy lock and the adjustable light-key. There were -only seven keys in the system up to now. If we don't catch Wallace and -Simms, there'll be eight." - -"Great galaxy," Commissioner Hawks broke in. "This will ruin the -exposition! The Alliance will close it after--" - -Strong waved a calming hand at Hawks. "I've already spoken to Commander -Walters at Space Academy, Mike," he said. "He wants this to remain a -secret. No one knows about it besides us, and no one will. I'm taking -your oaths, your spaceman's word, that it will remain a secret. There's -no use in starting a panic. You'll keep the exposition going as if -nothing had happened." - -"But what can the Solar Guard do, sir?" asked Tom. - -"We'll start the greatest search the system has ever seen," replied -Strong calmly. "But the order for their arrest will be issued for some -other violation." The Solar Guard officer suddenly noticed Roger for the -first time. - -"Oh, Manning!" he said, smiling. "Good to see you. How do you feel?" - -"O.K., sir," replied Roger. "But I'd feel a lot better if those space -crawlers didn't have the combination to every safe and vault in the -universe!" - -Strong nodded. "This is one of the cleverest crimes in history. And in -searching for Wallace and Simms, we'll have to be twice as smart as they -are!" - -"Yes, sir," said Tom. "First we have to figure out what they will do, -and then figure out how we're going to beat them!" - -"That's right, Tom," nodded Strong. "And by the stars, if we don't beat -them, the only safe place left for the credits and securities of the -people in the system will be behind rows of paralo-ray guns!" - - - - -CHAPTER 7 - - -"Attention! Attention! This is Captain Maitland of the rocket cruiser -_Orion_ reporting to Captain Strong at Space Academy. Come in, Strong!" - -High in the Tower of Galileo overlooking Space Academy, the Solar Guard -officer, his face showing the strain of the last three-weeks' futile -search for Wallace and Simms, flipped on the teleceiver and replied, -"Strong here. Go ahead, Maitland." - -Tom, Astro, Roger, and Commander Walters stood behind Strong and waited -tensely for the last report to come in. Maintland's voice crackled -through millions of miles of space. - -"We've searched space quadrants A through D, sections twenty-one through -one hundred thirty-eight. Constant six-way radar sweep of the area. No -sign of Wallace and Simms." - -Strong sighed deeply and replied, "All right, Maitland. Thank you. You -may return to base. End transmission." - -"End transmission!" signaled Maitland, and the crackling static died out -in the quiet room. - -Walters stepped forward and placed his hand on Strong's shoulder. "Don't -let it get you down, Steve," he said. "I saw the zone search you set up -for those two. No one could have done more." - -"Maybe not, sir," said Strong, getting up, "but we didn't catch them." - -"Not yet," frowned the commander grimly, "but we will! Well, there's -nothing else to do here. That was the last patrol ship to report, so you -might as well close up shop." - -He turned to the cadets, who had been reassigned from the exposition as -aides to Captain Strong in his search for Wallace and Simms. "You three -come with us," said Walters. "I've got an idea and I want all of you to -hear it." - -Strong and the boys followed the commander out of the Academy -communications center down to his luxuriously furnished office. - -"Perhaps," said Walters, settling back in his chair and lighting an -enormous pipe filled with red Venusian tobacco, "perhaps we have been -hunting the fox with the wrong kind of dogs." - -"Assuming that Wallace and Simms are the foxes in this case and the -Solar Guard the hunting dogs, what would you suggest, sir?" asked -Strong. - -Walters puffed several times and eyed Strong. "I was going to suggest -that you and the cadets become merchant spacemen for a while and take a -look at some of the uglier places of the Solar Alliance. Go right into -the foxes' den dressed as foxes!" - -"Ummmmh," mused Strong. "It is an idea." - -"Give it a try, anyway," urged Walters. "Take that old freighter we -confiscated from the Titan smugglers, the _Dog Star_. Wander around for -a few weeks and see what you can pick up. We have the advantage, since -only a few of us know _why_ we're looking for Wallace and Simms. It -might make finding them a little easier." - -Strong looked at the cadets and then back at the commander. "It might -just work, at that, sir," he said at last. - -"Work your way around to Venusport," said Walters. "Let it be known that -you four are--well, willing to do just about anything for a credit." - -Strong and the cadets smiled. "All right, sir," said the young captain. -"We'll start right away." - -"No!" replied the commander firmly. "You'll start in the morning. Right -now, I'm ordering you to hit the sack and get some rest. You're not -going to catch those two with speed. You'll need brains and cleverness." - -"Very well, sir," said Strong as he stood up. "And I want to thank you -for giving us this assignment." - -"No question about it," answered the commander. "If you have a tough job -to do, you put your best team to work on it, and the job will get done!" - -It was difficult for the three cadets, who had been standing to one side -listening, to suppress a smile. They saluted and followed Strong from -the room. He left them at the slidestairs with orders to be ready to -blast off at 0800 hours. - -Tom was silent as he climbed into his bed in the _Polaris_ unit's -quarters on the forty-second floor. Roger and Astro fell asleep almost -as soon as their heads touched their air-foam pillows, but the -curly-haired cadet lay with arms under his head, staring up at the -ceiling. He felt uneasy about the task that faced them. He wasn't afraid -for himself, or Roger, or Astro. Something he couldn't put his finger on -bothered the young spaceman. - -He reviewed Wallace and Simms' entire operation. He remembered the two -men had struck him as not being too bright. Their success in stealing -the secret of the adjustable light-key, and their methods, plus their -complete disappearance, just didn't add up. He made up his mind to speak -to Captain Strong about it in the morning. As soon as the matter was -settled in his mind, he was asleep. - - * * * * * - -At exactly 0800 hours the three cadets and Captain Strong appeared at -the Academy spaceport dressed in the severe black tight-fitting trousers -and jacket of merchant spacemen. Quietly eluding all friends and -acquaintances, they entered the confiscated freighter that had been -prepared for space flight during the night and began acquainting -themselves with the ship's equipment. - -When Astro reported the power deck ready and Roger cleared their course, -Tom called the traffic-control tower for blast-off clearance. - -"Take it easy on the first hop," said Strong. "There's no hurry and I -want to be sure we get this crate off in one piece." Smiling confidently -at the control-deck cadet, he turned away to his quarters. He was aware -of the effect that being left alone had on the cadets. He had learned -early in his associations with Tom, Roger, and Astro that they bore -responsibility well, and a challenge to do a good job would assure him -the job would be done efficiently. - -"Stand by to raise ship!" Tom's voice crackled confidently over the -ship's intercom. - -Strong sat on an acceleration cushion and strapped himself in. He heard -Tom's voice counting off the seconds for blast-off. - -"... Five--four--three--two--one--_zero_." - -As the rockets burst into a loud roar, the freighter lurched from the -ground and thundered up into the atmosphere, pushing Strong deep into -his acceleration cushion. Minutes later, he felt the freedom of -free-fall space. In a strange ship, the _Polaris_ crew had begun a -strange mission. - -During the flight to Luna City, their first stop on the tour of the -hangouts of outlawed spacemen across the solar system, Strong briefed -his cadets on a plan of action. - -"I think it'll be better if we split up into two teams. You work with -me, Corbett, and Astro will team up with Manning. We'll operate like -simple tramp spacers. Our space papers have new last names, but the same -first names, so there won't be any slip-ups when we speak to each other. -From now on, if we happen to meet, you'll all call me Steve and I'll -call you by your first names. Is that clear?" - -The cadets nodded. - -"All right," continued Strong. "Now, when we arrive in a city, Tom and I -will go to one section, while you two go to another. Visit the -toughest-looking places you can find. Talk, talk to anyone that wants to -talk. Buy people drinks. Let it slip that you're not exactly on the -right side of the space code. Then, if you feel you have a sympathetic -listener, mention Wallace and Simms. Say you have heard of the trouble -they're in. Say you know them, that you're old friends, and hint that -you have something that they need very badly. Just keep talking and -pulling for information. Got that?" - -Again the three cadets nodded silently. - -"Wear your paralo-ray guns at all times and keep your belt communicators -hidden beneath your jackets," Strong warned. "If one team gets into a -tight spot, call the other right away. But don't call unless it's -absolutely necessary!" Strong paused and glanced at the tele-scanner. -"We're getting close to Luna City. We'll touch down at the municipal -spaceport and go through the regular routine of customs search just to -establish ourselves as tramp spacemen." - -"How long will we stay in each city, sir?" asked Tom. - -"Watch that 'sir,' Tom," snapped Strong. "Might as well begin to forget -it now." - -"O.K., Steve," replied Tom sheepishly. - -"To answer your question, we'll stay in each city only as long as there -might be something to be gained by staying. We'll live aboard the _Dog -Star_. But stay away from the ship as much as possible. If anyone -questions you, tell them you're looking for cargo. But in case they take -you up on it and offer you a cargo haul, you always want more money for -the job." - -Roger grinned. "That could be fun." - -"Be clever, but be tough. Some of the people you'll run into are the -most ruthless men in the universe. They are just the ones that might -know something about Wallace and Simms." - -Strong cautioned them against drinking rocket juice, suggesting they -drink Martian water instead. The briefing was interrupted by the -automatic warning beep from the tele-scanner informing them that they -had passed the outer beacon on the approach to the municipal spaceport -on the Moon. The four spacemen immediately began the routine task of -landing their ship safely on the satellite colony. - -An hour later, as gray-clad customs men finished searching the empty -ship, Roger waited for final clearance at the air lock of the freighter. -When the last of the men were leaving the ship, Roger stopped two of -them. - -"Say, ground hogs," drawled Roger, "where's the best place to get -something to eat?" - -The two men stopped and turned to face the cadet, their eyes cold and -unfriendly. "Why don't you space drift blast out of here?" asked one of -them. - -"Yeah," agreed the other, "your kind aren't welcome in Luna City." - -Roger shrugged his shoulders and turned away. The two customs officers -continued down the gangway. "Those young punks," muttered one, "they get -themselves a berth on a crummy freighter and think they're real hot -space aces when they're nothing but wet fire-crackers!" - -Strong had appeared at Roger's side and heard the last remark. - -"What was that about, Roger?" he asked, nodding toward the disappearing -customs men. - -Roger smiled. "Just seeing if I could get by." - -"They certainly gave us a good going over," said Strong grimly. "I think -our disguise is perfect. Those fellows don't miss much." - -"I heard them talking, Steve," said Roger. "They recognized the ship and -know its reputation for smuggling." - -"Yes," agreed Strong. "And your remark will make them sure to watch -every move we make. But that's just what we want. News of that sort has -a way of getting around. And anyone interested in a ship with a -reputation for smuggling is someone we're interested in." - -Astro walked up, and with a brief nod Roger followed the big cadet down -the gangway. As they walked across the concrete surface of the -spaceport, Tom appeared at Strong's elbow. - -"I'm ready to go, Steve," he said. "The ship's secure." - -"Very well, Tom," said Strong. "But from now on, keep your eyes and ears -open. It only takes one slip to make a dead spaceman!" - - - - -CHAPTER 8 - - -"See that fellow over there, Steve?" whispered Tom. "The one with the -scar on his face?" - -"Yeah," replied the disguised Solar Guard officer. "I've been watching -him too. And I think he's had his eye on us." - -Tom and Captain Strong were sitting in a small restaurant near the -spaceport, drinking Martian water and discussing the shadowy characters -that lounged around the stuffy little room. - -"I'll walk over to the bar," said Strong. "Maybe he doesn't want to talk -to two of us together. You go over and see if you can strike up a -conversation." - -"Good idea, sir--uh--Steve," said Tom. - -Strong got up and with an exaggerated swagger walked to the small bar. -From the mirror in back of the bar, he could see Tom rise and saunter -over to the man who sat on the opposite side of the room. - -For three days, Roger, Astro, Tom, and Strong had wandered through the -bars, restaurants, and cheap hotels of Spaceman's Row in Luna City -searching for information that would lead them to Wallace and Simms. -Each night they returned to the freighter to exchange, sift, and analyze -the bits of information gathered, but for three nights they had come up -with a total of nothing. Finally, Strong had decided that this would be -the last night they would spend in Luna City. It was after making this -decision that he and Tom spotted the scar-faced man sitting alone in one -corner. - -[Illustration: _The scar-faced man obviously wanted something from Tom_] - -Strong saw Tom stop at the table, say a few words, then sit down and -order drinks. Tom and the scar-faced man continued their conversation, -now leaning across the table talking in whispers, stopping only long -enough for the waiter to serve the drinks. Strong noticed that the -scar-faced man paid for them and smiled to himself. That was a step in -the right direction. He obviously wanted something from Tom. - -Suddenly the young cadet looked up and motioned for him to come over to -the table. Strong merely lounged against the bar and nodded carelessly. -Taking his time, he finished his glass of Martian water, then swaggered -across the crowded room to the table. - -Tom glanced up casually and then turned to his companion at the table. -"This is my skipper," he said. "Name's Steve. You gotta job to do, -Steve'll do it. Anything, anywhere, any time," he paused, and then added -with a smirk, "for a _price_!" - -The scar-faced man looked up at Steve. His eyes traced a pattern over -the tall man, noting the broad shoulders, the piercing eyes, and the -bulge of a paralo-ray gun in his jacket. He pushed a chair back with a -foot and managed a smile in spite of the scar that twisted his features -into an ugly mask. "Sit down, Steve. My name's Pete." - -Strong accepted the invitation silently. At close range, he saw the man -was more disfigured than he had noticed from the bar. The scar on his -face reached from his left ear across his cheek and down to his neck. -Pete saw him looking at the scar and smiled again. "Funny thing about -scars. I got one, but I don't have to look at it. I just stay away from -mirrors and I remember myself as I was before I got it. So look all you -want. You're the one that's got to suffer for it." - -Ignoring the man's bitter tone of voice, Strong growled, "I'm not -interested in what you look like. You got something to haul; we got a -ship to haul it. Name your cargo and destination, and we'll name a -price." - -"Ain't as simple as that," said Pete craftily. "I gotta know more about -you before we talk business." - -"What for instance?" asked Strong. - -"For instance, who do you know on Spaceman's Row that can give you a -reference?" - -Tom spoke up quickly without looking at Strong. "Suppose I told you I -helped pull a job a couple of weeks ago that was worth a hundred -thousand credits?" He settled back, casually glancing at Strong and -receiving an imperceptible nod in return. - -"A hundred thousand, eh?" said Pete with interest. "Not bad, not bad. -What kind of a job was it?" - -"Me and two other guys held up the Credit Exchange at the Solar -Exposition at Venusport." - -"Oh?" Pete was becoming extremely curious. "You in on the job too, -Steve?" - -Before Strong could answer, Tom spoke quickly. "No, I bought a half -interest in Steve's ship with my share of the take." Strong could hardly -keep from smiling, so easily was the young cadet's tale growing. - -"Then who _was_ in on this job with you?" persisted the scar-faced man. -"You look pretty young to pull a big job like that." - -Tom glanced around the room and then leaned over the table before -whispering, "Gus Wallace and Luther Simms." - -"What?" exclaimed Pete. "Gus Wallace? A guy about six feet tall and two -hundred pounds? Has a heavy rough voice?" - -"That's the one," said Tom. - -Pete's arm shot across the table like a snake and he grabbed Tom by the -jacket. "Where is he?" he asked through clenched teeth. - -No sooner had Pete touched Tom than Strong had his paralo-ray gun -leveled at the scar-faced man. "Take your hands off him," he said -coldly, "or I'll freeze you right where you are!" - -Pete relaxed his grip and settled back into his chair. He glared at Tom -and then at Strong. - -"All right," snapped Strong. "Now _you_ talk!" - -Pete didn't say anything. Strong inched closer to the scar-faced man -menacingly. "I said _talk_! Why do you want to know where Gus Wallace -is? Maybe you're Solar Guard, eh? Trying to play a little trick on us. -How do I know you haven't got a squad of MP's outside waiting to pick us -up?" - -Pete began to shift nervously. "You got me all wrong, Steve. I ain't -Solar Guard." - -"Why do you want to know where Gus Wallace is, then?" Strong persisted. - -Pete hesitated and had to be prodded with the paralo-ray gun again by -Strong. "Talk!" hissed Strong. - -"You see this scar?" asked Pete. "Well, two years ago, on Spaceman's Row -in Marsopolis, Gus slashed me in a fight. I swore I'd do the same for -him when I caught him, but he's been running from me ever since." - -"Marsopolis, eh?" asked Strong. "Two years ago?" - -"Yeah." - -"I think you're lying! You're Solar Guard." - -"Honest, Steve," whined Pete. "That's the only reason I want him. Ask -anybody. It happened in the Spacelanes Bar on New Denver Avenue. I bet -there are five guys here right now who heard about it!" - -Strong got up, pushing the gun back in his belt. - -"Come on, Tom. I don't like the way your friend Pete answers questions." - -"Wait a minute!" Pete rose from his chair, protesting. - -Strong whirled around and faced the scar-faced man. "If I were you, -Pete," he muttered, "I'd sit still and not ask any more questions. It -isn't healthy!" - -Without another word Strong walked out of the dingy restaurant. Tom -shrugged his shoulders in a helpless gesture and followed, leaving Pete -alone and worried. - -Outside in the street, his face bathed in the garish light of the vapor -street lights, Strong stopped to wipe his forehead. - -"Whew!" he gasped. "We certainly bulled our way through that one!" - -"I felt the same way," said Tom. "But at least we have something to go -on. You think he was suspicious?" - -"No, Tom. He was so scared when I accused him of being tied up with the -Solar Guard it threw him completely off stride." - -"Well? Where do we go from here?" asked Tom. - -"Back to the ship," replied Strong. "And as soon as Astro and Roger show -up, we blast off for Marsopolis. Our next target is a joint called the -Spacelanes!" - - * * * * * - -Against a backdrop of shimmering stars that studded the velvet black -emptiness of space, the freighter _Dog Star_ rocketed toward the red -planet of Mars carrying the four spacemen on the next step of their -search. Relaxing from the three arduous days on the Moon and able to be -themselves once more, Strong and the three cadets rested and discussed -every detail of their stay in Luna City. It was finally decided that -their only real chance of tracing Wallace and Simms lay in the -Spacelanes Bar. As they approached Mars, Strong outlined their next -move. - -"We'll do the same thing as we did in Luna City," he said. "Split up. -Only this time, we'll all go to the same place, the Spacelanes. Tom and -I will go in first and do most of the nosing around. Astro and Roger -will drift in later and hang around, just in case there's trouble." - -The three cadets nodded their understanding, and when Strong turned to -the teleceiver to make his report to Commander Walters at Space Academy, -they took their stations for touchdown at Marsopolis. - -His face impassive on the teleceiver screen, Commander Walters listened -to Strong's report, and when the Solar Guard officer finished, he -grunted his satisfaction. - -"Do you have any news on Wallace and Simms, sir?" asked Strong. - -"Yes, but my news isn't as good as yours," frowned Walters. "They've -already made use of their knowledge of the light-key. They held up a -Solar Guard transport en route to Titan and emptied her armory. They -took a couple of three-inch atomic blasters and a dozen paralo-ray guns -and rifles. Opened the energy lock with their adjustable light-key as -easily as if it had been a paper bag. It looks as though they're setting -themselves up for a long siege." - -"Do you have any idea where they might be hiding, sir?" - -"Somewhere in the asteroid belt, I believe," replied the commander. -"They headed for the belt after they held up the transport." - -"Well, we'll do what we can from our end, sir," said Strong. "Since Mars -is closer to the asteroid belt than any other planet, they might be -using Marsopolis as a hangout. Or someone might have seen them -recently." - -"Use whatever plan you think best, Steve. I'm counting on you." - -"Thank you, sir." - -"Spaceman's luck! End transmission." - -"End transmission," replied Strong and flipped off the screen. - -Fifteen minutes later, the _Dog Star_ settled on a blast-scorched ramp -at the Marsopolis spaceport, and after a hasty review of their plans, -the four spacemen left the ship. Strong had a brief argument with a -customs officer over a personal search for small arms. They were forced -to leave their paralo-ray guns on the ship. Disgruntled, as far as the -customs agents were concerned, Strong was actually pleased with the -success of their disguise as merchant spacemen. - -Tom and Strong found the Spacelanes Bar in the roughest and darkest -section of Marsopolis. It was large and almost empty. But Tom noted that -it was just like many other such places he had been in in Luna City. The -walls were scarred and dirty, the floor littered, and the tables and -chairs looking as if they had been used in a hundred fights. Behind a -bar that ran the length of one wall, a heavy-set man with beady black -eyes watched their approach. - -"What's your pleasure, spacemen?" asked the bartender in a gruff voice. - -Strong hesitated a moment and decided to play all his cards at one turn. -"We'll have a thousand credits worth of information." - -The barman's eyes narrowed into black slits. "What kind of information -would bring that kind of a price?" he asked. - -"Information about a man," said Strong. - -"What man?" asked the barman. He dropped his hand out of sight behind -the bar. Tom's eye caught the move and he wished the customs men hadn't -taken away their paralo-ray guns. - -Just at that moment he heard Roger's unmistakable laugh and turned to -see the blond cadet, followed by Astro, enter, cross the room, and slap -the bar for service. - -"Let me take care of these two," muttered the bartender and walked down -to the end of the bar. Facing Roger and Astro, he snarled, "What'll it -be?" - -"Coupla bottles of Martian water," drawled Roger. - -"Get out of here," roared the bartender. "We don't sell kids' drinks in -here." - -"Two bottles of Martian water!" growled Astro and leaned over the bar -threateningly. Strong and Tom watched the performance with amused eyes. -Without a word, the barman opened the bottles of Martian water and gave -them to Roger and Astro. He turned back to Strong. - -"These young rocketheads think they're so blasted tough," he sneered, -"and then drink kids' soda pop." - -Strong looked at Roger and Astro. "That fellow on the right," indicating -Astro's size, "looks like he could be a little more than a child, if he -got mad." - -The barman snorted and leaned over the bar. "What about that thousand -credits?" he asked. - -"What about it?" countered Strong. - -"That's a lot of money just for information," said the barman. - -"It's my money," replied Strong coolly, "and my business!" - -"What kind of information you interested in," asked the bartender. - -"I told you, information about a man," said Strong. "Gus Wallace. Happen -to know him?" Strong pulled a roll of crisp credit notes out of his -jacket pocket. The barman looked at them greedily. - -"Maybe. What'cha want with him?" he asked. - -"He knifed a friend of ours in here two years ago." - -"Yeah?" drawled the barman. "Who?" - -"Pete," answered Strong, suddenly realizing he didn't know the -scar-faced man's last name. - -"Pete? Pete who?" asked the barman craftily. - -"What are you trying to do?" snapped Tom suddenly. "Play space lawyer? -You know Pete was knifed in here by Gus Wallace two years ago! Carved up -good!" He made a slashing gesture from his ear to his throat, indicating -the scar on Pete's face. - -"So you want Wallace, eh?" mused the bartender. - -"We want him a thousand credits' worth," said Strong. - -"You didn't tell me for what, yet." - -"None of your space-blasting business," roared Strong. "You want the -thousand or not?" - -The bartender couldn't keep his eyes off the crisp roll of credit notes -Strong rippled under his nose and hesitated. "Well, to tell you the -truth, I ain't seen him for a long time." - -"Then do you know anyone who has?" asked Strong. - -"Hard to tell," said the bartender huskily. "But I do know the guy who -would know if anyone does." - -"Who?" asked Tom. - -"On Venusport's Spaceman's Row. There's a joint called the Cafe Cosmos. -Go there and ask for a little guy named Shinny. Nicholas Shinny. If -anyone knows about Wallace, he'll know." - -Tom's heart almost stopped. Nicholas Shinny was a retired spaceman who -had taken part in his last adventure to Alpha Centauri, and was a good -friend of Strong's and the _Polaris_ unit. Shinny had always operated on -the edge of the space code. Nothing illegal, but as Shinny himself put -it, 'just bending the code a little, not breaking it.' - -Tom spoke up. "That's only worth a hundred credits," he said. - -"Whaddya mean!" snapped the barman. - -"How would Nick Shinny know Gus Wallace?" asked Strong. - -"They prospected the asteroids together years ago." - -Strong dropped a hundred-credit note on the bar and turned away without -another word. Tom followed, and as they passed Roger and Astro, a -knowing look passed between them, and Tom gestured for them to follow. - -Having heard the conversation, Astro and Roger walked over to the -bartender who was folding the credit note before putting it in his -pocket. - -"You sell your information pretty cheap, spaceman," snarled Roger. -"Suppose those two were Solar Guardsmen in disguise?" - -The bartender paused, then shook his head. "Couldn't be!" he said. - -"Why not?" asked Roger. - -"Because the Solar Guard has a guy salted away that knows exactly where -Wallace is." - - - - -CHAPTER 9 - - -"That's the story, sir," said Strong to Commander Walters, after the -Solar Guard captain had related the information he had wormed out of the -bartender at the Spacelanes Bar and the news Roger and Astro had -brought. - -"All right, Steve," nodded the commander. "I'll have the man picked up -right away and psychographed. Meantime, you go on to Venus and see -Nicholas Shinny." - -"Very well, sir," said Strong. "End transmission!" - -"End transmission," acknowledged Walters. Strong flipped the switch and -the teleceiver screen darkened. - -Fifteen minutes later, the _Dog Star_ blasted off from Mars, heading for -Venus. - -During the trip back to the young planet that was rapidly growing into a -major industrial center rivaling Earth, Strong received a report from -Space Academy that the bartender had been picked up. His name was Joseph -Price, and after questioning him under truth serum, Solar Guard security -officers found the man's mind to be so filled with criminal plots and -counter-plots, it would take several weeks for the psychograph analyst -to learn the name of the man he claimed would know the whereabouts of -Wallace. This was disappointing news for Strong, especially since the -report included news of a second, third, and fourth strike by Wallace -and Simms on spaceships near the asteroid belt. - -Reaching the starting place of their adventure, Venusport and the Solar -Exposition, Strong and the three cadets went immediately to a small -suburban section of the great city and the home of Nicholas Shinny. - -Shinny lived comfortably in a small house made of Titan crystal, -enjoying himself during the day catching Venusian fatfish and watching -the stereos at night. Once an enlisted spaceman, he had been retired -with full pension and was living in ease and comfort. When Strong and -the three cadets arrived at the elderly spaceman's house, they found him -busy teaching a young Venusian wolfhound puppy how to retrieve. - -"Well, blast my jets!" cried the old man. "If it ain't Tommy, Roger, and -the big fella, Astro! And Captain Strong!" - -"Hello, Nick!" said Strong with a smile. "You're a sight for space-blind -eyes!" - -"Heh-heh-heh," cackled Shinny, his merry eyes twinkling against his deep -space tan. "It's mighty good to see you boys. Come on in the house. I -got a mess of fatfish just pulled out of the stream and some of the most -delicious biscuits you ever had in your life!" - -"Well, thanks, Nick," hesitated the captain. "But we're in--" - -"Can't be in too much of a hurry to eat," snapped the old man with a -grin. "Anything you got to say is better said when you got a bellyful of -Molly's cookin'." - -"Molly!" cried Tom. "But, Mr. Shinny--" - -"When--" gulped Astro, "when did you--" - -"Hey! Hold on!" cried the old spaceman. "Just damp your tubes there, -youngsters! You're way off course. Molly ain't nothing but an electronic -cook I got installed in the kitchen. She cooks better'n any -space-brained woman and she never opens her mouth to give me any sass!" - -The four spacemen laughed at Shinny's obvious indignation. - -"Now come on!" he growled. "Let's eat. I'm hungry!" - -Refusing to allow them to get near Molly, Shinny began pushing food into -slots, compartments, turning on switches and punching buttons. In the -cozy living room, Strong relaxed while the three cadets played with the -Venusian wolfhound. Finally Shinny announced dinner and they fell to -with gusto. There wasn't much talk during the course of the meal. Strong -and the boys felt that Shinny would let them know when he was ready. - -Finally the meal was over. Shinny sprawled in his chair, lit his pipe, -then looked at his guests, his eyes twinkling. "All right, me friends, I -think you've held back long enough. Let's have it." - -Strong immediately told the old spaceman the entire story, from Wallace -and Simms' false concession at the exposition to the present. - -"You see, Nick," he concluded, "with an adjustable light-key enabling -them to open any lock in the solar system, nothing is safe. Personally, -I think it's only because they haven't a larger or faster ship and -aren't better armed that they haven't tried more daring piracy. They'll -reach that point soon, though. They've already robbed four ships for -arms alone." - -"I'll do anything I can to help you, Captain," said Shinny. "What is it -you want to know?" - -"We suspect that Wallace has a secret hide-out in the asteroid belt," -said Strong. "Since you once prospected the asteroids with him I thought -you might know where the hide-out is." - -Shinny grew reflective and knocked the ashes out of his pipe before he -answered. "That was a long time ago, Captain. More'n ten years. And Gus -Wallace was a real square spaceman then. He didn't turn bad until after -we split up and he met that other feller." - -"What other fellow?" asked Strong. - -Skinny paused. There was a hard glint in his eyes. "Bull Coxine!" He -spat the name out as though it had left a bad taste in his mouth. - -"Coxine!" exclaimed Strong. - -"You heard me," snorted Shinny. "Bull Coxine and Gus Wallace got -together after me and Wallace lost our stake hunting for uranium -pitchblende in the asteroids and split up. Next thing I heard, him and -Coxine was mixed up in that business up on Ganymede when the Credit -Exchange was held up." - -Strong's face had turned the color of chalk. "Coxine!" he repeated under -his breath. - -Noticing Strong's reaction to Shinny's statement, Tom asked, "Who is -Coxine, Captain Strong?" - -Strong was silent and Shinny turned to the cadets. - -"When your skipper here was a young feller just starting out in the -Solar Guard," the old man explained, "he was on a routine flight out to -Titan and there was a mutiny. Coxine was the ringleader. The captain -joined up with Coxine after they had put his skipper in the brig. When -he had Coxine's confidence, he regained control of the ship and sent -Coxine and the others to a prison asteroid. Coxine has hated the captain -ever since and swore to get him." - -"But how did he pull the holdup on Ganymede, then?" asked Roger. - -"Coxine escaped from the prison asteroid in a jet boat, disguised as a -guard," continued Shinny. "Only man ever to escape. He drifted around in -the belt for a while and was picked up by a freighter going to Ganymede. -The freighter had been out rocket-hopping among the asteroids, -collecting the prospectors' small supplies of uranium and taking the -stuff back to Ganymede for refining. Wallace happened to be dead-heading -on the freighter. When they got to Ganymede, and Coxine saw all the -money lying around at the Credit Exchange to pay off the prospectors, he -convinced Wallace to go in with him and they robbed the Exchange. Coxine -was caught red-handed, but Wallace got away. In fact, the Solar Guard -didn't know Wallace had anything to do with it. So Coxine was taken back -to the prison asteroid, and Wallace has been driftin' around the system -ever since." - -"But, Mr. Shinny," asked Astro, "if you knew Wallace was tied up with -the robbery of the Credit Exchange, why didn't you tell the Solar Guard -before now?" - -"Sonny," sighed Shinny, "most of what I know is space dust and space -gas. But even so, I don't think Commander Walters or Captain Strong, or -even you boys, would think much of me if I went around like an old space -crawler, blowin' my jets all over the place." - -Strong had listened to Shinny fill in the background of Bull Coxine with -a thoughtful look in his eyes. He remembered all too clearly the mutiny -on the ship out to Titan. Coxine had been an enlisted Solar Guard petty -officer aboard the ship. He had made great strides in two years and was -being considered as an officer candidate on the very day he tried to -take over the ship. When Strong regained control later, he talked to -Coxine, trying to find out why he had started the mutiny. But the man -had only cursed him, swearing vengeance. Strong hadn't seen him since. - -"So you think he would know where Wallace and Simms might be hiding -out?" Strong asked finally. - -"If anyone does," replied Shinny, "he does. And I'll tell you this, -Captain, if you go to talk to him and I figger you will, you'll find him -a lot tougher." - -"Will I?" - -"Well, take yourself, for instance. No reflection on you, of course, but -take yourself. You're smart, you're hard, and you got a good mind. -You're one of the best spacemen in the deep. Take all that and turn it -bad. Real bad. Sour it with too many years on a prison asteroid and -you've got a fire-eating rocket buster as tough and as rough as God and -society can make him!" - -The three cadets gulped and looked at Strong. They saw their skipper -clench his teeth and ball his fists into tight knots. - -"I know," said Strong in a hoarse whisper, "but if he knows where -Wallace and Simms are, he'll tell me. You can bet your last credit, -he'll tell me!" - -Shinny paused reflectively. "I won't bet," he said simply. - - * * * * * - -The air inside the space shack was stale because of a faulty filter in -the oxygen circulator that neither Wallace nor Simms bothered to clean. -The two men lazed around in stocking feet and undershirts, listening to -popular music coming over the audio receiver on a late pickup from one -of the small Jovian satellite colonies near by. - -"Pour me another cup of coffee, Simms," grunted Wallace. - -The smaller man poured a cup of steaming black liquid and silently -handed it over to his companion. They both listened as the music faded -to an end and the voice of the announcer crackled over the loud-speaker. - -"This audiocast has been beamed to space quadrants D through K, as a -courtesy to the army of uranium prospectors working the asteroid belt. -Hope you've enjoyed it, spacemen, and happy hunting!" - -Wallace reached over and snapped off the receiver. "Thanks, pal." He -laughed. "The hunting's been real good! We've got a full catch!" The -giant spaceman laughed again. - -"Yeah," agreed Simms. "I just went over the take. We've got enough money -in that locker"--he indicated a black box on the floor--"to sit back and -take it easy for the rest of our lives." - -"Yeah?" snarled Wallace. "You mean sitting in the sun on a crummy -lakeside, watching the birds and bees?" - -"Gus," asked Simms thoughtfully, "you got any idea how much fun we can -buy with the credits in that box?" - -"Yeah, I have!" sneered Wallace, "and I know what a thousand times that -much will buy too!" - -Suddenly Simms turned and looked his partner in the eye. "What do you -say we quit now, Gus? I mean it. We got plenty." - -"You sound like you been exposed to too many cosmic rays!" said Wallace, -tapping his head with one finger. "We've got the biggest secret in the -system, the adjustable light-key plus an airtight hide-out, and you want -to quit!" - -"It ain't that," whined Simms. "It's the other deal. I don't mind going -out and blasting a few freighters, but to try to--" - -"Lissen," interrupted Wallace, "I'd rather try it and take the licking -if we mess it up, than not try it and take that licking. I know which -side of the space lane I'd better be on when the time comes!" - -Simms hesitated and then sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right." - -"Come on. Let's listen to that story spool again." - -"Oh, no," moaned Simms. "I know that spool by heart! We've heard it at -least fifty times!" - -"One slip-up," said Wallace, sticking his finger in Simms' face, "just -one slip-up and we're finished! We've got to be sure!" - -With a reluctant shrug of his shoulders, Simms poured another cup of -coffee and sat on the side of his bunk while Wallace inserted the story -spool in the audio playback. - -They settled themselves and listened as a deep voice began to speak in a -loud whisper. - -"... The operation will take place on the night of October twenty-ninth -at exactly twenty-one hundred hours. You will make your approach from -section eleven, M quadrant--" - -Simms jumped up abruptly and switched off the playback. Turning to -Wallace, he pleaded, "I can't listen to it again! I know it by heart. -Instructions on how to get to the time capsule; instructions on what to -take, and how to build an adjustable light-key after we get the plans; -instructions on how to hijack the first ship and what to take. Orders, -information, instructions! I'm sick of listening. If you want to, go -ahead, but I'm going to work on the ship!" - -"O.K., O.K.," said Wallace, getting up. "Don't blow your jets. I hate -the thing as much as you do. Wait a minute and I'll go with you." - -The two men began climbing into space suits. In a few minutes they were -dressed in black plastic suits with small round clear plastic helmets. -They stepped into the air lock on one side of the room and closed a -heavy door. Wallace adjusted the valve in the chamber and watched the -needle drop until it showed zero. - -"O.K.," said Wallace over his helmet spacephones. "All the air's out. -Open the outer lock." - -Simms cranked the heavy handle, and the door in the opposite wall of the -chamber slowly swung open. They stepped out into the airless black void -of space and onto the surface of an asteroid, drifting in the thickest -part of the belt. Surrounding the asteroid were countless smaller -secondary satellites circling the mother body like a wide curving -blanket. The mother body was perfectly hidden from outside observation. -It made a perfect base of operations for the two space pirates. - -The freighter that they had used at the concession at the Solar -Exposition and later to make their escape was a far different ship from -the one now resting on the asteroid. Two powerful three-inch atomic -blasters could be seen sticking out of the forward part of the ship. And -near the stern, two gaping holes showed the emplacements for two -additional guns not yet installed. - -The two men walked over to the ship, and while Wallace entered the ship, -Simms picked up a cutting torch and ignited it, preparing to finish the -two holes in the stern. - -When Wallace reappeared, he was carrying a coil of wire with a double -plug to attach to the spacephones inside their helmets. He jammed the -plug into Simms' helmet and then into his own. Simms' eyes lit up with -surprise as he heard.... - -"...This is a general emergency announcement from Solar Guard -headquarters. Squadrons A and B of the Marsopolis garrison will proceed -to space quadrants W, sections forty-one to fifty. It is believed that -Gus Wallace and Luther Simms are in that vicinity. Approach with -caution, they are armed with atomic blasters and are believed to be -psychologically unable to surrender. It is believed they will resist -arrest...." - -The voice repeated the announcement and added a general call for the -men, if they were listening, to surrender. Wallace pulled out the two -plugs and grinned at Simms. - -"Picked it up on the teleceiver inside the ship. Thought you might like -to know how safe we are here." - -Simms grinned back, "And how far off the track they are. Where is that -space quadrant they think we're in?" - -"Out past Saturn," said Wallace with a grin. "With the Mars garrison -chasing us at one end of the system, we'll hit them on the other and be -gone before they know what happened!" - -Simms patted the barrel of the nearest atomic blaster. "And, spaceman, -we're going to hit them hard!" - - - - -CHAPTER 10 - - -"Stop your ship and be recognized!" - -The rasping voice on the audioceiver was sharp. A command to be obeyed. - -Tom turned away from the control board and looked at Strong who was -already reaching for the ship's intercom. - -"Full braking rocket thrust, Astro," he yelled into the microphone, "and -make it quick or we'll all be blasted into protons!" - -Tom and the captain gripped their chairs tightly as the ship bucked -against the deceleration force of the powerful braking rockets. -Gradually the freighter _Dog Star_ slowed and came to a dead stop in -space. - -"Hey!" yelled Astro over the intercom from the power deck. "What's going -on up there?" - -"We've just entered the outer circle of defense on the prison asteroid, -Astro," replied Strong. "We have to stop so they can sweep us with their -radar and identify the ship." - -"But I sent them a message in Solar Guard code that we were coming," -interjected Roger who was listening from the radar bridge. - -"They still have to make sure it's us," said Strong. - -"Identify yourselves!" commanded the voice over the audioceiver again. - -"This is space freighter _Dog Star_ under temporary command of Captain -Strong of the Solar Guard," answered Strong. - -"What's your business here?" demanded the voice again. - -"Interrogation of one of your prisoners. We have sent a coded message, -under code Z for Zebra to your prison commandant, Major Alan Savage. If -you'll check with him, you'll find everything in order," said Strong. - -"Very well," replied the voice crisply, and then added, "Remain where -you are. Do not move from your present position or attempt to send any -messages. If you fail to comply with these conditions you will be -blasted!" - -"Very well," said Strong, "conditions are understood." - -"Boy," chimed in Roger, as he climbed down the ladder from the radar -bridge, "they sure don't want any company here." - -"And for good reason," said Strong. "The most vicious criminals in the -whole universe are confined here. Every one of them is capable of -committing any crime in the solar code. And most of them have. The men -here are the worst. They have refused psychotherapeutic readjustment to -make them into new men." - -"But I thought they had to go through it, sir?" said Tom. - -"No," replied Strong. "Even criminals have certain rights in our -society. They can either remain criminals and stay here, or be -psychoadjusted and given new personalities. The ones that refuse are the -ones on this Rock." - -"You mean," gasped Roger, "that the men on this asteroid deliberately -chose to remain criminals?" - -"Yes, Manning," said Strong. "Rather than become healthy citizens of the -system, they prefer to stay here and waste their lives in isolation with -no hope of ever returning to society." - -"Can they change their minds after they get here?" asked Tom. - -"Any time. But when they get this far, they usually stay here. The men -on Prison Rock didn't surrender easily. They are the toughest, most -ruthless men in the universe." - -"Attention! Freighter _Dog Star_! Attention!" the audioceiver rasped -into life again. "You have been given temporary clearance. A space -launch will ferry you to the asteroid. You are warned that any weapons -discovered on your person, or acts that may be construed as providing -aid and comfort to the inmates of this prison, will be considered -treason against the Solar Alliance and you will be subject to immediate -disciplinary action." - -Tom and Roger glanced at each other, a worried look in their eyes. -Strong just smiled. "Don't worry, boys. That little speech is read to -every visitor to the asteroid." - -"Just the same, sir," said Roger huskily, "I would prefer to remain -aboard the _Dog Star_ and give you, Tom, and Astro the pleasure of the -visit." - -Strong laughed. "They won't let you, Roger. They'll send up a crew of -guards to search the ship. And the way these boys search makes a customs -inspection look like a casual glance." - -"Attention _Dog Star_!" A younger voice suddenly came in on the -audioceiver. "This is Lieutenant Williams aboard the space launch. We -are approaching your starboard catapult deck. Please open the air lock -and take us aboard." - -"They sure don't waste any time," commented Tom as he turned to the -audioceiver. "Freighter _Dog Star_, Cadet Tom Corbett to Lieutenant -Williams," he called, "the air lock is open and the catapult deck is -ready to receive you." At the same time, the young cadet turned the -valve that would open the outer air lock to the jet-boat deck. - -Five minutes later, the ship was swarming with tight-lipped enlisted -Solar Guardsmen, who spoke to Strong and the cadets with cool courtesy. -These were men who signed up for two years as guards on the Rock after -competing with thousands of other enlisted men. A guard on the Rock was -paid triple wages for the two-year isolation. But more than anything else -the right to wear the bright white patch with a paralo-ray gun in the -center denoting their service as guards on the Rock was prestige envied -even by commissioned officers of the Solar Guard. - -After what Tom thought to be the most thorough search he had ever seen -was over, Lieutenant Williams reported to the control deck where Strong -and the cadets had been politely but firmly detained. He informed them -that they were now ready to blast off to the Rock, adding that a more -detailed search of the area between the ship's outer and inner hulls -would be conducted after they had gone. - -"You mean," said Tom, amazed, "that you actually search the four inches -between the two hulls? What in the universe could we possibly hide in -there?" - -"I don't know, Corbett," replied Williams. "We've never found anything -there." He turned to Strong and smiled. "But there's always a first -time, isn't there, sir?" - -"Yes, of course," agreed Strong. "You do a thorough job, Williams. Very -good indeed!" - -"Thank you, sir," said Williams. "You know, we've heard about you and -the _Polaris_ unit here on the Rock." He turned to Tom, Roger, and -Astro. "We have a stereo of that mercuryball game you played at the -Academy when you were Earthworms." - -"What?" cried Tom. "You mean that game was recorded?" - -"It sure was," said Williams. "But we've seen it at least fifty times." - -"Well, blast my jets!" said Astro in amazement. - -The game was one that the cadets had played when they first entered the -Academy. It had done much to unify the boys into a fighting team. - -An enlisted sergeant suddenly appeared, snapping to attention in front -of Lieutenant Williams. "Ready to blast off, sir," he said. - -"Very well," said Williams, then turned to Strong and the cadets. -"Follow me, please." - -In a few moments the space launch was blasting away from the freighter -and heading for a tiny planetoid in the distance. As they drew near, -Strong and the cadets peered out of the ports to get a view of the -prison, but were disappointed when Williams ordered the ports covered. - -He smiled apologetically at Strong and explained, "All approaches are -secret, sir. We can't allow anyone to see where our defenses are -located." - -"You fellows certainly believe in keeping prisoners in and visitors -out!" commented Strong. - -"Anyone interested in coming to the Rock, sir," said Williams, "is under -natural suspicion." - -The three cadets gulped, duly impressed with the severity of the prison -routine. - -Soon they felt the unmistakable jar and bump of the small space vessel -touching the surface of the planetoid. The jets cut out suddenly and -Williams stood up. - -"Please follow me. Do not speak to anyone, and do not stop walking. Keep -your hands in front of you and maintain a distance of ten feet between -you and the man in front of you." - -He walked through the open hatch where a hard-faced enlisted guardsman -stood rigidly, holding a paralo-ray gun at the ready. - -With a quick nod to the cadets Strong followed Williams through the -hatch. At ten-foot intervals they followed him out of the hatch, with -Tom bringing up the rear and the enlisted guardsman behind him. - -As Tom stepped out onto the surface of the asteroid he wasn't quite sure -what he expected to see, but he certainly wasn't ready for the sight -that greeted his eyes. - -As far as he could see, there was grass, spotted with small one-story -buildings. To the left was a single towering structure built of Titan -crystal and on top of it was the largest atomic blaster he had ever -seen. He turned to ask the guardsman about the gun but was motioned -ahead with a curt, "No questions. Keep walking." - -Tom continued to walk. He noticed that they were heading for the tower. -As he drew nearer, he could see men walking around a narrow catwalk at -the top. They all carried paralo-ray rifles with miniature grids mounted -on the barrel. Inside the rifle was a tiny radar direction finder. It -was a simple but effective control against escaping prisoners. Each of -the inmates of the Rock wore small metal disks welded to a thin chain -around their waists. The disk was sensitive to radar impulses, and with -no more effort than snapping a thumb catch on the rifle, the guard could -locate and paralyze the nearest disk-wearing inmate. - -Tom was so full of questions it was necessary for the guard to warn him -again, only this time in sharper tones. - -Entering the tower, they were scrutinized and cleared by an electronic -beam that passed through their bodies and indicated any metal they might -carry. Once through this last barrier, they were escorted to a -slidestairs, where Williams left them. - -Throughout the entire procedure few words had passed between the cadets. -Now left alone on the stairs, they couldn't contain themselves and the -comments and questions tumbled out. - -"Did'ja see that blaster on top of this place?" Roger blurted out. - -"Those radar-controlled paralo-ray rifles are really something!" said -Astro. - -"The thing I want to know," said Tom, "is where are the prisoners? I -haven't seen one yet." - -"And you're not likely to, either, Cadet Corbett!" said a gruff voice -above them. They turned to see a heavy-set man wearing the uniform of a -major in the Solar Guard, standing on the floor above them. The -slidestairs carried them to his level and Captain Strong hopped off and -extended his hand in greeting. - -"Major Savage!" he explained. "Good to see you again!" - -"Same here," said Savage, returning Strong's firm handclasp. He turned -and faced the cadets. "So this is the _Polaris_ unit, eh?" He smiled. -"We've really enjoyed the stereo of that game of mercuryball you played -back at the Academy." - -"Thank you, sir," said Tom. "Lieutenant Williams has already told us how -much he liked it." - -"Come into my quarters and relax. I imagine you could do with some good -solid food after those synthetics on your trip." - -"We certainly could, sir," said Strong. - -They followed the big man through a sliding panel into a suite of -comfortably furnished rooms. Five minutes later, the cadets and the -officers were enjoying their first hot meal in a week. As they ate, -Major Savage brought up the purpose of their visit. "So you've come to -talk to Bull Coxine, eh?" - -"Yes," nodded Strong. "And I don't imagine he has developed any -affection for me." - -"No, I wouldn't say he has," replied Savage. "In fact, I don't think -Bull has any affection for anyone, not even himself. Why do you want to -see him, anyway?" - -Strong quickly summarized the theft of the adjustable light-key and the -unsuccessful search for Wallace and Simms, concluding finally with the -knowledge of Coxine's association with Wallace. - -"I'm hoping Coxine will give me a lead to Wallace's whereabouts," said -Strong. - -"Well, you can ask him," shrugged the major. "But personally, I don't -think you're going to get any further than saying hello. If he'll even -let you say that. He hates you, Strong. Hates you in a way I've never -seen a man hate before. When you talk to him, be careful." - -"I will," said Strong grimly. - -"Don't let him get near you. He's the strongest man I've ever seen. Came -blasted near choking a guard to death with one hand when he escaped. He -could break a man's neck with both hands." - -Strong smiled. "Evidently, Major, you haven't noticed the size of Cadet -Astro. I'll take him along with me for protection." He looked at Astro, -who flushed in quick embarrassment. - -"Very well, Strong," said Savage. "I'll have a jet car brought around. -You can go right down to his hut." - -"Er--may I ask a question, sir?" asked Tom. - -The major smiled. "Go right ahead, Corbett." - -"It's about this whole setup," explained Tom. "I was expecting fences -and prisoners and--well, most anything but green grass and small white -buildings!" - -"The little huts you saw," replied the major, "are as much of a prison -as we have. Each hut holds one prisoner. He has all the necessary -furniture, in addition to audioceivers and story spools which he can -change once a week. He also has basic garden equipment. All prisoners -grow everything they eat. Each man is dependent on himself and is -restricted to the hut and the area around it. If he comes within two -miles of the tower, the guards will pick him up on radar and order him -back. If he comes within one mile, they fire without further warning. -Only one man has ever escaped. Coxine. And that was because we had a -sick man on guard duty, or he never would have made it. He overpowered -the guard, took his uniform, and stowed away on a supply ship. We caught -him a year later." - -"Didn't your radar pick up the disk he was wearing, sir?" asked Roger. - -"That method of protection was only installed a few months ago," said -the major. - -"And the prisoners just sit there--in those little huts?" asked Astro. - -"Yes, Astro!" said the major with a tone of finality in his voice. "They -just sit. This is the end of the line." - -The three cadets looked at each other and secretly vowed never to take a -chance of doing anything that would send them to the Rock. - -Five minutes later, Strong was driving a jet car along a narrow paved -road toward one of the white huts. Astro sat beside him grimly silent, -his hands balled into tight hamlike fists. They rounded a curve and -Strong pulled up in front of the house. As they climbed out of the car, -they could see the trim neat lanes of the little garden with carefully -printed signs on each row indicating what was growing. They started for -the house and then stopped short. Bull Coxine stood in the doorway, -watching them. - -Dressed in the snow-white coverall of the prison garb, Coxine faced them -squarely, his thick trunklike legs spread wide apart. He was a giant of -a man with long heavily muscled arms that dangled from a huge pair of -shoulders. His jet-black hair was a tangled unkempt mass, and his face -was scarred and lined. Eyes blazing with unconcealed hatred he waited -for Captain Strong to make the first move. - -"Hello, Bull," said Strong quietly. "I'd like to talk to you." - -"Oh, you would, huh?" Coxine spat and his lips twisted in a mocking -grin. "What's the matter? Afraid to talk to me alone?" he indicated -Astro. "Did you have to bring one of your Space Cadets for protection?" - -"Listen, Bull," urged Strong, "I was your friend once. I turned you in -because you were a mutineer and I was an officer of the Solar Guard. I'd -do the same to this cadet if he tried what you did." - -"Yeah, I'll bet you would," snarled the criminal. "Just like a real -friend!" His voice deepened into a low roar. "Don't talk to me about the -old days! I'm on the Rock and you're just another Solar Guard space -crawler to me. Now get out of here and leave me alone." - -"I came to ask you to help me, Bull," Strong persisted. "I need -information." - -Coxine's eyes narrowed into slits. "What kind of information?" - -"You once tried to hold up a Credit Exchange on Ganymede with a man -called Gus Wallace. He had a hide-out in the asteroid belt. I'd like to -know where it is," said Strong. - -"Why?" - -"I can't answer that, Bull." - -"What do I get if I tell you?" - -"Nothing, except my thanks and the thanks of the Solar Guard." - -"And if I don't?" - -"I'll turn around and leave." - -"Then start turning, Strong," snarled the giant prisoner, "because I -ain't got nothing to tell you except how much I hate your guts!" - -Astro moved forward slightly, but Strong held him back. "O.K., Bull. If -that's the way you want it, I'll leave." - -"Why don't you let the young punk try something?" challenged Coxine. "I -ain't had any exercise in a long time." - -Strong looked at the huge man and said coldly, "I wouldn't want the -death of a piece of space scum to show on his record." - -Then, as if the space and sky overhead had suddenly been torn open, -there was a flash of light followed by the roar of a tremendous -explosion. The ground trembled. The air seemed to moan in agony. Strong -and Astro wheeled around and looked toward the tower that shimmered in -the light of the late afternoon sun. To their horror, they saw the -unmistakable mushrooming cloud of an atomic blast rising in the -synthetic atmosphere behind it. - -"By the craters of Luna--" gasped Strong. - -A second flash and explosion rocked the prison asteroid and suddenly the -tower disappeared. Almost immediately, a spaceship appeared over the -small planetoid and began systematically pounding the surface -installations with atomic blasters. - -"Captain Strong," cried Astro. "Tom and Roger--they were in the tower!" - -"Come on," yelled Strong, "we've got to get back!" - -"You ain't going nowhere, Strong," snarled Coxine behind him. "I've been -waiting a long time for this!" He suddenly struck the Solar Guard -officer with a heavy rock and Strong slumped to the ground unconscious. -Before Astro could move, Coxine smashed him to the ground with a blow on -the back of the neck. They both lay deathly still. - -Then, as the atomic bombardment of the penal asteroid continued, the -giant space criminal jumped into the jet car and sped away. - - - - -CHAPTER 11 - - -"Fire!" bawled Major Savage to his crew of gunners. - -At the other end of the field one of the remaining two undamaged rocket -destroyers blasted off to battle the invading spaceship. - -Tom and Roger had been on a tour of the great central tower with Major -Savage when the attack came and had been ordered to find safety in the -open fields. The major knew the tower would be one of the first targets. - -Sprawled on the ground behind a bunker, they saw the major, his space -jacket torn from his back, standing in the middle of the field, quietly -issuing orders to scarlet-clad spacemen, desperately trying to organize -the penal asteroid's defenses. - -The spaceship, which had somehow managed to penetrate the tight radar -warning screen around the prison, had struck with merciless precision. -Again and again, its atomic blasters had found the most important -installations and had wiped them out. The first target, after the tower -had been shattered, was the underground launching ramps for the -asteroid's small fleet of rocket destroyers. But even after a direct -hit, the guards were able to ready two ships to fight the attacking -spaceship. The first was already diving in, her small one-inch blasters -firing repeatedly. - -Suddenly, Lieutenant Williams, in command of the second ship, came -racing up to Major Savage, to report that his radarman had been hit and -the ship couldn't blast off. - -"Here's where I get into the act!" Roger jumped up immediately, and with -a brief "So long, spaceman" to Tom, raced off to join Lieutenant -Williams. - -"Spaceman's luck," yelled Tom as the officer and the cadet ran toward -the waiting ship. - -Looking skyward again, Tom saw the first destroyer diving toward the -attacking spaceship, trying to get in range with her lighter armament. -Suddenly there was a burst of brilliant light. The lighter ship had been -completely destroyed by a direct hit. - -Sick with horror, Tom looked away and watched the ship Roger had joined -blast off under full acceleration. It roared spaceward in a straight -line, disappearing at incredible speed. - -Meanwhile, the invader continued to blast relentlessly. -One--two--three--four--automatic reload--one--two--three--four, reload. -Over and over, firing at seemingly peaceful fields of grass, only to -strike an armory, space cradle, or supply depot buried underneath the -ground. Suddenly it changed its course and trained its guns skyward. Tom -looked up and saw a tiny flyspeck roaring straight down at the ship. It -was Lieutenant Williams' rocket destroyer, with Roger on the radar -bridge, in a suicidal attempt to destroy the invader. But the larger -ship was ready. The two forward blasters opened fire. A flaming ball of -light exploded near the stabilizer of the destroyer and it fell off -course to float helplessly in free-fall orbit around the asteroid. Still -lying on the ground, Tom sighed with relief. At least Roger was all -right. - -Then the young cadet saw the invading spaceship move away from the area -around the tower toward the horizon not too far away on the small -planetoid. He followed it with his eyes and saw it suddenly land near a -cluster of white prisoner huts. Tom gasped as the reason for the attack -became clear. - -"Major! Major! Major Savage!" he called as he raced across the field. -But the major was nowhere to be seen. A guard carrying a medical kit -hurried past him and Tom grabbed him by the arm. - -"Major Savage! Where is he?" - -The guard pointed to a near-by stretcher and Tom saw the unconscious -figure of the major sprawled on the plastic frame. - -"But--but the prisoners are getting away!" yelled Tom. - -"I can't do anything about it. I've got wounded men to care for!" The -man jerked away and disappeared in the smoky, choking dust. - -The curly-haired space cadet, his face blackened from the smoke, his -lungs crying for fresh air, started across the blast-pitted field, -looking for help. But there was none to be had. Suddenly he wheeled in -the direction of the spaceship and started to run toward it. - -As soon as the young cadet had left the smoking area around the wrecked -tower, he realized that it was the only section of the small satellite -that had suffered attack. Ahead, he could see the prisoners in their -white suits crowding around the stabilizer air lock of the invading -ship. - -Tom dropped to his stomach and watched the knot of men. Suddenly the -air-lock portal slid open. There was a loud cheer and the prisoners -began scrambling aboard. - -Tom knew he would have to move fast. Taking a dangerous chance, he rose -to a half-crouch and dashed to one of the small white huts only a -hundred feet away. With a final glance at the thinning crowd of escaping -men around the ship, he ran straight for an open window, diving headlong -through it. - -Inside, Tom waited breathlessly for a shout or warning that he had been -seen, but none came. He glanced through the window and saw that only -seven or eight men remained outside the port. He turned away quickly and -began searching the hut. - -He found what he was looking for rolled up on the bed where its owner -had used it as an extra pillow. He shook out the prison suit of white -coveralls, stripped off his own blue cadet's uniform, and hurriedly put -on the distinctive prison gear. It was a little large for him and he -rolled up the sleeves and trouser legs, hoping no one would notice in -the excitement. Then, with a deep breath, he stepped out of the hut into -full view of the prisoners still left at the air lock. - -"Hey, wait for me!" he yelled, running for the ship. - -The men paid no attention in their haste to get aboard the ship. When -Tom reached the air lock, there were only two left. He slapped the -nearest man on the back. - -"Pal, I've been waiting for this a long time!" - -"Yah," the man answered, "me too!" Then he looked at Tom closely. "Say, -I've never seen you around here before!" - -"I just got in on the supply ship last week. They kept me in the tower -for a while," Tom replied. - -"Oh, well," said the man, "they ain't keepin' anybody there anymore!" - -"Come on you guys," snarled a heavy-set man in the air lock above them. -"We ain't got all day!" - -Tom looked up, and without being told, he felt he was looking into the -face of Bull Coxine. And when the other prisoner spoke, he was certain. - -"Yeah, Bull," said the man. "Comin', comin'!" He reached up and Bull -grabbed his outstretched hand. When Bull pulled, the man literally -leaped through the air into the air lock. - -"All right, space crawler," roared Bull to Tom, "you're next!" The big -man stuck out his hand. Tom gulped. For one desperate second he thought -of turning and running away. - -"Well?" growled Bull. "You coming or ain't cha?" - -"You're blasted right I'm coming," said Tom. "This is one time the Solar -Guard is taking it on the chin. And, crawler, am I happy to see it!" - -He grabbed Bull's hand and was lifted as easily as if he had been a -feather. Coxine dropped him on the deck and turned away without a word -to disappear inside the ship. - -As he looked around, Tom suddenly felt a cold shiver run through his -body. He felt as if he had signed his own death warrant. There was no -mistake about it. The ship was the same one he had watched night after -night at the exposition on Venus. And the names of the two owners -exploded in his brain. "Wallace and Simms!" - -He turned to jump out of the air lock, but it slid closed in front of -him. He was trapped. - - * * * * * - -Sprawled on the ground in front of one of the white houses near the -tower perimeter, Captain Strong stirred, shook his head, and painfully -rose to a half-crouch. With eyes still dulled by shock, he looked around -to see Astro lying unconscious a few feet away. His brain still reeling -from the effects of Coxine's sneak attack, he staggered over to his -knees beside him. - -"Astro, Astro--" Strong called. "Astro, snap out of it!" - -The big Venusian moaned and opened his eyes. He sat bolt upright. -"Captain Strong! What happened?" - -"I'm not too sure, Astro," said Strong. "All I remember is Coxine -slugging me." - -As they struggled to their feet, they suddenly noticed the towering -columns of smoke rising into the air. - -"By the rings of Saturn!" gasped Strong. "Look, Astro!" - -"Blast my jets!" cried the big cadet. "What--what could have happened?" - -The two spacemen stood gaping at the shattered remains of the tower and -the smoldering area around it. In the distance, scarlet-clad guardsmen -moved dazedly around the wreckage and above them a rocket destroyer was -blasting on one jet, coming in for a touchdown. - -"Astro," said Strong grimly, "I don't know how it could have happened, -but the prison asteroid has been attacked. A rocket-blasting good job of -it! Come on! We've got to get over there!" - -"Yes, sir," said Astro. As they started running toward the field, he -searched the figures moving about in the distance for two familiar blue -uniforms. "I don't see Roger or Tom, sir," he said hesitantly. "Do you -think--?" - -"We'll just have to wait and see," interrupted Strong grimly. "Come on, -step it up!" - -As the two spacemen approached the smoking ruins of the underground -cradles, ammunition dumps, and repair shops, they passed groups of men -digging into the rubble. In sharp contrast to the careful scrutiny they -had received when they first arrived at the prison, no one noticed them -now. Strong stepped up to a man in a torn and dirty sergeant's uniform. - -"What happened?" he asked. - -The man turned and looked at Strong and Astro. Aside from the swollen -bump on the Solar Guard captain's head and the bruise on the cadet's -neck there were no signs of their having been in the attack. When the -guardsman finally replied, there was a sharp edge to his voice. "I -thought _everyone_ knew we were attacked, _sir_!" He turned back to a -detail of men who were watching. But Strong pulled the man up sharply. - -"Attention!" he barked. The sergeant and the crew came to stiff -attention. Strong stepped forward and looked the guardsman straight in -the eye. "Under any other circumstances, Sergeant," snapped Strong, "I'd -have your stripes and throw you in the brig for your insolence! Now I -want a clear account of what happened. And I want it blasted _quick_!" - -"Yes, sir!" stammered the guardsman, realizing he had gone too far. He -hurriedly gave a detailed description of the battle, ending with a -report that Major Savage had been injured and that Lieutenant Williams -was now in command of the prison. - -"Where will I find Lieutenant Williams?" asked Strong. - -"At the rocket destroyer, sir. It just landed." - -"Very well, Sergeant!" said Strong, adding in a gentler tone, "I realize -you've had a rough time of it, so we'll forget what just happened. Get -back to your work." - -As Astro followed the Solar Guard captain toward the rocket ship he saw -a familiar figure standing near the air lock. A boy with close-cropped -blond hair and wearing cadet blues. - -"Roger!" yelled Astro joyfully. "Captain Strong, look! It's Roger!" - -They quickened their pace and were soon beside the small space vessel -that had been blasted out of commission before it could fire a shot. -While Roger was telling them of having volunteered for radar operations -aboard the ship and of their being disabled by a near miss, Lieutenant -Williams suddenly appeared in the air lock and saluted smartly. - -"Major Savage has been injured, sir," said Williams. "Since you are the -highest ranking officer on the asteroid, are there any orders?" - -"I'm not acquainted with your men, or your prison, Williams," replied -Strong. "I'll accept the command as a formality but appoint you my chief -aid. Carry on and do anything necessary to get things cleared away." - -"Very well, sir," said Williams. - -"Have communications been destroyed?" - -"Yes, sir. Communications was located in the tower, but Cadet Manning -has converted the equipment on ship for long-range audio transmission." - -"Very good!" said Strong. "As soon as you get a chance, I want you to -make out a full report on the attack, including your personal opinion of -who attacked us and why." - -"I don't know who manned that ship, sir," said Williams, "but I can tell -the reason all right. Every prisoner on the asteroid has escaped!" - -"Yes," mused Strong. "I thought that would be the answer. But how did -that ship get through your defenses?" - -"Captain Strong," said Williams grimly, "I don't think there is any -question about it. Someone broke the asteroid code. The attacking ship -identified itself as the regular supply ship." - -"A Solar Guardsman?" asked Strong. - -"No, sir," said Williams. "I'd bet anything that none of our men would -do that!" - -"Then who?" asked Strong. - -"Only one man would be smart enough to get the code and break it, and -then sneak it off to the attacking ship! - -"Who?" asked Strong. - -"Bull Coxine!" answered the young officer through clenched teeth. - -They were interrupted by a guardsman. "Sir, we found this in prison hut -twenty-four." - -"What is it?" asked Strong. - -Astro's eyes suddenly widened and he stepped forward. "Why, -that's ... that's Tom's uniform!" he stammered. - -"Tom!" gasped Strong. "But where is he?" - -"We've searched the immediate area, sir," replied the guardsman. "Cadet -Corbett isn't here." - -"Are you sure?" demanded Strong. - -"Yes, sir," said the guardsman stoutly. - -Strong took the uniform and examined it carefully. Then he turned to -Roger and snapped, "Prepare the audioceiver for immediate transmission -to Space Academy, Manning. Astro! Get aboard our ship. Check her for -damage and let me know how soon we can blast off!" - -The two cadets saluted and raced for the small spaceship. - -Thoughtfully holding Tom's uniform in his hand, Strong turned back to -Williams. "I'm going to leave as soon as I can, Williams. I'll tell -Space Academy about the attack and see that a relief ship is sent out to -you right away. Meantime, I'm leaving you in command." He paused and -looked at Tom's uniform again. "If Cadet Corbett isn't on the asteroid, -he must be on the attacking ship with the prisoners. The only question -now is, do they know it?" - -"You mean he smuggled himself aboard?" asked Williams. - -"I'm almost sure of it!" said Strong. "And if he _is_, he's going to try -to get some sort of message out. I've got to be ready to pick it up." - -Strong paused and looked up at the sky overhead, still thick with smoke. -"And if he does ask for help, I'm going to answer him with the biggest -fleet of spaceships he'll ever see in his life!" - - - - -CHAPTER 12 - - -"Stand by, you space crawlers!" roared Bull Coxine into the microphone, -but the loud laughter and singing of the noisily celebrating prisoners -continued unabated over the intercom's loud-speakers. "Avast there!" he -bellowed again. "Stow that noise! Attention! And I want _attention_!" - -Standing on the control deck of his ship, Coxine waited as the men -gradually quieted down. No longer wearing the white prison coverall, he -was dressed in a black merchant spaceman's uniform, the snug-fitting -jacket and trousers stretching tightly across his huge shoulders. He -wore a black spaceman's cap, and two paralo-ray pistol belts were -crisscrossed over his hips. - -"Now listen to me!" he roared again. "Let's get one thing straight! I'm -the skipper of this ship and the first man that thinks he's smarter than -me, let him speak up!" - -There was a long pause and the big man added with an ominous whisper, -"But I warn you, if one of you opens your mouth, you'll take a swim in -space!" - -There was an angry murmur among the prisoners that Coxine heard over the -intercom. "Don't think I can't take care of you, the lot of you, one by -one or all at once. I cut my milk teeth on mutiny. I know how to start -one and I know how to finish one! I needed a crew and that's the only -reason you're here! Any spaceman that doesn't like the way I run things -aboard this ship, better keep it to himself, or start swimming back to -the prison asteroid!" He paused. "Well? Are you all with me?" - -There was a chorus of cheers on the intercom and Coxine nodded grimly. - -"All right," he continued, "now that we understand each other, I'll get -on with the business. Second-in-command to me will be Gus Wallace. -_Lieutenant_ Wallace!" - -A roar of approval came over the loud-speaker. - -"Third-in-command--Luther Simms! _Lieutenant_ Simms!" - -There was another roar of approval as the prisoners recognized the names -of the men who had liberated them from the asteroid. - -"Now, we'll handle this ship as if it were any other freighter. The -following men will be in charge of departments!" - -As Coxine read off the list of jobs and the men to handle them, there -were yells of approval and disapproval for favorites and old enemies. -When the list of names had been read, he turned away from the intercom -and faced his lieutenants, Wallace and Simms. - -"Well, skipper," boasted Wallace, "it looks like we're in business -again!" - -"Yeah," chimed in Simms. "In three hours we'll be on our own asteroid -and we can start planning our first strike!" - -Coxine's eyes narrowed into slits. "Get this, both of you!" he snapped. -"What I said to those crawlers down below goes for you too. I'm the boss -of this outfit and you don't even guess about what we're going to do, -until I say so!" - -"But, Bull--!" whined Wallace. - -"Shut up!" roared Coxine. "And when you talk to me, you call me -captain!" - -Wallace and Simms looked at each other. "O.K., Captain," muttered Simms. - -"Yes, _sir_!" corrected Coxine. - -"Yes, sir," said Simms quickly. - -"That's better," growled the giant spaceman. "Don't get the idea that -just because you were able to follow orders that it makes you smart. -Because it doesn't! It took me two and a half years to get the -information collected onto these story spools and smuggle them out to -you. Everything, from where to buy this spaceship to getting the -light-key out of the time capsule, was my idea! My brains!" - -"Sure, Captain," said Wallace, "but we took the chances!" - -"Yeah," sneered Coxine. "You took chances! The only chance you took was -in not paying attention to what I told you to do. I gave it all to you. -Where to hold up the first freighter passenger, what to take, how to -mount the atomic blasters, what code to use in getting through the -prison defenses. The whole works! And I did it while sitting on the -toughest Rock in the system. I smuggled it out right under the noses of -those Solar Guard space crawlers. So forget about being smart, or you'll -wind up with that scum below decks!" - -"Yes, sir!" said Wallace. - -"Now get me a course to the asteroid and make it quick. And have some -decent grub sent up to my quarters right away!" - -The big man turned lightly on the balls of his feet and disappeared -through the hatch. After a moment, Wallace turned to Simms. - -"That big space-crawling bum!" snorted Wallace. "I oughta blast him!" - -"Go ahead!" sneered Simms. "You were the one who wanted to get him off -the Rock, not me!" - -"Aw shut up!" snarled Wallace. He turned to the intercom and began -barking orders to his new crew. - - * * * * * - -Tom Corbett sat in one corner of a cargo compartment that had been -converted into sleeping quarters, watching the celebrating prisoners. -Someone had broken into the galley stores and mixed a concoction of -fruit, alcohol, and reactor priming fluid to make a foul-tasting rocket -juice. The men sat about in various stages of undress as they changed -from the white prison coveralls to the black uniforms of the merchant -spaceman, and drank heavily from a huge pot of the liquid. - -One of the men, short and stumpy, but with shoulders like an ape, was -standing on a table boasting about his strength. He was stripped to the -waist and Tom could see the powerful arms and chest beneath the black -hair that covered his body. As he continued to brag, the prisoners -laughed and jeered, calling him Monkey. The man's face reddened and he -offered to fight anyone in the room. A short, thin man with a hawk nose -sitting next to Tom yelled, "Monkey," and then darted behind a bunk. The -man turned and looked angrily at Tom. - -"You there!" the man on the table called, looking at Tom. "You call me -Monkey?" - -Tom shook his head. Since the blast-off he had stayed away from the men -as much as he could, certain that sooner or later someone would -challenge him and discover he wasn't a prisoner. He hoped to remain -aboard the ship long enough to plant a signal for the Solar Guard to -follow. Tom felt almost certain they would be heading for Wallace and -Simms' hide-out. And so far, the men had been so excited over their new -freedom they hadn't bothered him. He had managed to sit quietly in the -corner of the storage compartment and watch them. - -"I'm talking to _you_!" shouted the hairy man, looking straight at Tom. -"You called me Monkey and then lied about it! Maybe you're scared, eh?" - -He slipped off the table and advanced toward Tom. The young cadet tried -to figure a way out of the threatening fight. He wasn't afraid of the -man, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself. And one of the -surest ways of letting Wallace and Simms know he was aboard ship was to -get into a fight. He couldn't risk discovery. He had to signal the Solar -Guard before he was caught. But how to get around the hairy, drunken -criminal now standing over him? - -Tom looked up and saw that the man would not be put off. He would have -to fight. He took notice of the powerful arms and shoulders, and decided -his best bet would be to stay away, but glancing around quickly he saw -there wasn't any room to retreat. The other prisoners were crowding -around, eager to watch the fight. Suddenly his opponent let out an -animal-like roar and jumped to pin him down on the deck. - -The young cadet timed his move perfectly. As the man's body came down on -him, he threw up both legs and caught him in the pit of his stomach. Tom -could feel his feet sink deep into the man's mid-section as he kicked -out hard and sent him sprawling against the bulkhead. With a bellow of -rage, the hairy man picked himself up and charged back at Tom, who was -now on his feet, braced to meet him. - -[Illustration: _The young cadet timed his move perfectly_] - -As the prisoners began to roar, Tom side-stepped and back-pedaled -frantically, trying to get out of the impossible situation. If he won, -there would be questions for him to answer. Questions that would be -difficult and might betray his identity. But if he allowed Monkey to -win, he might die right there on the deck. The man was blind with rage -and would stop at nothing. - -The man rushed in again and, unable to back away, Tom felt the hairy -arms close around him in the most powerful grip he had ever felt in his -life. Slowly, evenly, Monkey applied pressure. Tom thought his ribs -would crack. His head began to swim. The faces around him that laughed -and jeered suddenly began to spin around him dizzily. - -Then, with the desperation of a man facing death, Tom began to push -outward, his arms under Monkey's chin. The man tried to apply more -pressure but the cadet fought him, forcing his head back farther and -farther. The prisoners were silent, watching the deadly battle. Then, -gradually, Tom felt the hairy man's grip relaxing. With the last ounce -of his strength he burst out of the encircling arms and staggered back. -The ape man looked at him stupidly and then down at his arms as if they -had betrayed him. With a roar, he came rushing in again. Tom set -himself, left foot forward, shoulders hunched, and when Monkey came -within arm's length, he swung with all the strength he had left in his -body. His fist landed on the point of Monkey's chin. There was a -distinct sound of crushing bone and Monkey sank to the deck, out cold. -Gasping for breath, Tom stood over the sprawled man and just looked at -him. The crowd around him was staring at the fallen man in disbelief. -Through the roaring in his head, Tom could hear their voices, "He broke -out of Monkey's grip!" "He broke the guy's jaw with one punch!" - -Tom turned blindly to the corner where he had been sitting and slumped -to the deck. Someone shoved a cup in his hands and he gulped its -contents blindly, hardly tasting the foul rocket juice or feeling it -burning his throat. - -The cadet was sure now that he would be caught. Monkey had been a -popular member of the crew and some of his friends were certain to even -the score. But to Tom's surprise, there were no questions and a few of -the men came over to pat him drunkenly on the back. A couple of them -dragged the unconscious man out of the compartment and up to sick bay. -The others soon forgot the fight and continued their merrymaking. - -Tom sat alone and silent in the corner, his strength returning slowly. -He had faced his first obstacle and had won. But he knew that what lay -ahead of him made the fight insignificant by comparison. He decided his -next move would be to acquaint himself with the ship and, if possible, -get a paralo-ray gun. - -As the men continued their drunken singing and yelling he mumbled an -excuse about soaking his fist in cold water and managed to escape from -the crowded compartment. - -Outside in the passageway, the cadet began to figure out the plan of the -ship, first locating the power deck by its roaring purr. He climbed a -ladder to the next deck, walked slowly down the passageway toward what -he thought to be the control room, and leaned against the hatch. He -heard the soft tinkle of a radar signal and his heart skipped a beat. He -had stumbled onto the astrogation and radar bridge. Wondering if he -should burst into the room and attempt to overpower the men on duty, or -wait for a better chance later, he was suddenly startled by a sharp -voice in back of him. - -"You--spaceman!" Tom turned to stare right into the face of Bull Coxine! - -The big man looked at Tom with piercing eyes. - -"What's your name?" demanded Coxine. - -"Uh--uh--they call me the Space Kid!" he finally managed. - -"Space Kid, eh?" mused Coxine. "I don't remember seeing you on the -Rock." - -"They held me in the tower for a month trying to make me take the -psychograph rehabilitation. I got out when the blasting started." - -"What were you on the Rock for?" asked Coxine. "You're pretty young to -be sent to the Rock." - -Tom thought desperately of a crime he could have committed that would -send him to the prison asteroid. Suddenly he got an idea. He looked at -Coxine and spoke in as harsh a voice as he could. - -"Listen," he snarled, "I just broke Monkey's jaw for treating me like a -kid. I hope you don't crowd me into fighting you by asking so many -questions. Y'see I won't answer them and then you'll have to freeze me." -Tom paused and tried to gauge Coxine's reaction. But he couldn't see a -thing in the cold staring eyes. "And," Tom continued, "if you freeze me, -you'll lose a better man than most of the scum in your crew!" - -Coxine stepped forward and towered over the curly-haired cadet. When he -spoke, his deep voice echoed in the deserted passageway. - -"What was your rating as spaceman before you hit the Rock?" asked the -big man. - -Tom's heart raced. If he could get to the control deck or the radar -bridge, he could send his signal easily. But he realized quickly that in -either of these places he would be spotted almost immediately by Wallace -or Simms. He had to stay away from them and wait for a later chance. -Tom's mind raced. - -"I was a gunner on a deep spacer," he drawled confidently. "I can take -the space tan off a crawler's nose at a hundred thousand yards with -anything from a two-inch to a six-inch blaster." - -Coxine's eyes sharpened. "Where did you learn to use a six-incher? -They're only on heavy cruisers of the Solar Guard!" - -Tom could have bitten his tongue off. He had slipped. He thought -quickly. "I was an enlisted spaceman in the Solar Guard." - -"Why'd you get sent to the Rock?" - -"My officer was a smart-alec lieutenant just out of Space Academy. We -got in a fight--" Tom didn't finish the sentence. - -"And you were kicked out, eh?" - -"No, sir," said Tom. "I hit him so hard--he never woke up again. I had -to blast out of there, but they caught me." - -"All right," said Coxine. "Report to the gunnery chief. Tell him I said -you're second-in-command." The big man turned and walked away from the -cadet without another word. - -Tom watched him disappear and smiled. He had faced two impossible -situations, the fight with Monkey and now this meeting, and he had come -out on top in each. Perhaps he had a chance, after all. - - - - -CHAPTER 13 - - -"Any report from the search squadrons yet, Steve?" asked Commander -Walters. - -"No, sir," replied Captain Strong. "We're concentrating on the asteroid -belt, but so far we've drawn a blank." - -"Well, keep trying and let me know the minute something turns up," said -Walters. - -"Yes, sir," said Strong, saluting his commanding officer as the elder -spaceman left the room. He turned back to a large desk in the center of -the room where Roger Manning was busy noting figures on a large chart, -showing the areas already covered and listing the squadrons engaged in -the search. - -As Strong leaned over his shoulder, Roger placed a finger on the chart. -"Squadron Ten has just completed a search of all asteroids in their -assigned area," he said, then added laconically, "Nothing." - -Strong studied the chart a moment. "Well, we'll have to keep it up," he -said. "It's the only way we'll find them. A systematic search of the -belt from end one to the other." He paused and then muttered, "Only one -thing I'm worried about." - -"What's that, sir?" asked Roger. - -"That when we do find them, it'll be too late to help Tom." - -"You really think he's aboard Coxine's ship, Captain Strong?" - -"Couldn't be anywhere else," answered Strong. "And he'll be trying to -signal us, you can bet on that. Keep me posted on all radar contacts -made by the search squadrons. I want a continuous six-way radar sweep by -every ship." - -"Yes, sir," said Roger. - -"One more thing," said Strong, "tell Astro to get the _Polaris_ ready to -blast off. And you make sure your radar bridge is in A-one condition." - -"Are we blasting off, sir?" asked Roger. - -"Every ship we can get into space will give us a better chance of -finding Coxine and his crew. Now that we've got the search fully under -way there's no need to hang around here any longer." - -"Glad to hear it, sir," replied Roger. "I was getting a little itchy to -hunt for those crawlers myself. And Astro can hardly keep still." - -Strong smiled. "Don't worry, we'll find Tom," he said. "Wherever he is, -you can bet he's taking care of himself and doing a good job for the -Solar Guard." - -Roger's eyes twinkled. "Oh, I wasn't so worried about Tom as I was -Astro, sir. He'll be pretty mad if there isn't anything left of Coxine -to pay him back for slugging him." - -Strong rubbed his head and said grimly, "Astro's not the only one!" - -The blond-haired cadet left the room, and Strong wearily turned back to -study the chart of the search in the asteroid belt. - -Immediately upon arrival at Space Academy, two days before, Strong had -been placed in charge of the search by Commander Walters. The attack on -the prison asteroid and the escape of the prisoners had created the -biggest sensation in his life. From one end of the Solar Alliance to the -other, the visunews and the stereos were full of the attack and escape -details, with Strong's name appearing often in the headlines and news -flashes. To search the asteroid belt had been his suggestion, and while -he could offer no proof, he believed the attacking ship had been -commanded by Wallace and Simms. Speaking only to Commander Walters, -Strong had received permission to combine the search for Wallace and -Simms, with the new hunt for Coxine. Strong was convinced that Coxine -was behind the activity of Wallace and Simms, from the beginning at the -Solar Exposition to the present. - -Strong looked at his watch. It was past midnight. He flipped a switch -and paged Lieutenant Moore on the central communicators. In a few -moments the young officer appeared and saluted smartly. - -"Take over here, Moore," said Strong. "I'm going to sack in for a little -rest and then take the _Polaris_ out. I'll be in constant contact with -you and will direct search operations from the _Polaris_. You stand by -here and relay all reports. We'll use code 'VISTA' for all contacts." - -"Yes, sir," said Moore. "Shall I work up charts like that one?" He -pointed to the chart left by Roger. - -"Statistics here at the academy will handle that," replied Strong. "Just -shoot the information down to them as you receive it. And you'd better -get someone else up here to help you. You'll be here a long time." - -Moore saluted and Strong walked wearily from the room. There wasn't any -need for cleverness now, thought the Solar Guard captain. When we catch -Coxine, he'll fight. And when he fights, that will be the end of him! - -He went to his quarters and in thirty seconds was asleep. - - * * * * * - -"Radar bridge to control deck!" A voice crackled over the intercom -aboard the newly named pirate ship, _Avenger_. "Hullo, control deck! -Come in!" - -"Yeah?" roared Bull Coxine. "Whaddya want?" - -"Picked up a blip on the radar, Captain," replied the radar officer. -"Looks to me like the jet liner from Mars to Venus." - -"Relay the pickup to the control-deck scanner and let me take a look at -it," ordered Coxine. - -In a moment the big pirate was studying the scanner carefully. Wallace -and Simms stood to one side. Coxine turned and looked at them with a -hard glint in his eyes. "That's the jet liner, all right!" He rubbed the -palms of his huge hands together and smiled thinly. "It looks like we're -in business!" - -Wallace stepped forward. "You mean, you're going to--?" - -"I'll tell you what I mean," snapped Coxine, "when I want you to know -it!" - -He turned to the intercom and began to bawl orders into the microphone. - -"All hands! Stand by your stations for attack!" - -There was an answering roar of approval from the crew. - -"We're making our first strike, you space crawlers! A jet liner from -Mars to Venus. There'll be lots of fancy things aboard her. Things the -Solar Guard wouldn't give you on the Rock!" - -There was another roar over the loud-speaker. - -"But the first man that takes anything but what I tell him will find -himself on the wrong end of two big fists!" - -"We're closing in, Captain," interrupted the voice from the radar -bridge. "The angle of approach is in our favor. I don't think they've -seen us yet!" - -"Keep watching her, Joe," replied Coxine, and turned to his two henchmen -on the control deck. "You, Wallace! Take number-one jet boat. Russell, -Stephens, Attardi, and Harris. Each man will take a paralo-ray pistol -and rifle. Report to your boat when I give the order." - -There was a pause as the men named scurried to their stations. Coxine -continued, "The following men will come with me in boat number two. -Shelly, Martin, and the Space Kid. The rest of you man the forward and -aft blasters. But no one fires until Lieutenant Simms gives the order!" - -He turned to Simms and stared at the man coldly. "I'll be in contact -with you all the time. You'll fire when I say to fire, and not before. -Is that clear?" - -Simms nodded. - -"Range-fifty thousand yards to liner, Captain!" reported the radar -bridge. "I think she's sighted us!" - -"Forward turret!" roared Coxine. "Put a blast across her bow just to -show how friendly we are!" - -"Aye, aye, sir," acknowledged a voice from the gun turret. - -In the turret Tom listened to the orders to attack the helpless -spaceship with mounting anxiety. If he could only plant the signal on -the _Avenger_ before going to the liner, he might be able to remain -aboard the passenger ship and escape. He was interrupted in his thoughts -by a rough voice in back of him. - -"Hey, Kid! Space Kid!" yelled Gaillard, the commander of the gun turret. -"Come on! You heard the orders, didn't you? Get me the range." - -"Right away," answered Tom. He stepped to the range finder, quickly -figured the speed of the jet liner, their own speed and the angle of -approach. Racking them up on the electronic tracker, he turned back to -Gaillard, "Let her go!" - -"Fire!" - -There was a thunderous noise and the _Avenger_ rocked gently in recoil -from the heavy blast. Tom quickly sighted on the range finder and saw a -ball of light flash brilliantly in front of the passenger ship. He -breathed a sigh of relief. He had to keep up his avowed reputation of -being a crack marksman and at the same time could not damage the unarmed -passenger ship. The shot had been perfect. - -"Good shooting, Kid," roared Coxine from the control deck. - -"Thanks, skipper," said Tom, aware that he had not called Coxine -captain, but knowing that his earlier speech to the giant pirate had -earned him a certain amount of respect. - -Coxine quickly made contact with the captain of the liner on the -teleceiver and the outraged captain's face sharpened into focus on the -screen aboard the _Avenger_. - -"By the craters of Luna," exploded the skipper of the passenger ship, -"what's the meaning of this? There are women and children aboard this -vessel." - -Coxine smiled thinly. "My name's Bull Coxine, master of the vessel -_Avenger_. One funny move out of you and I'll blast your ship into -protons! Stand by for a boarding party!" - -"Captain! Captain!" the radar operator's voice screamed over the -control-deck loud-speaker, "they're trying to send out a signal to the -Solar Guard!" - -"They are, huh?" roared Coxine. "Forward turret, check in!" - -"Turret, aye!" reported Tom. He had been left alone while Gaillard -issued small arms to the boarding parties. - -"Listen, Kid!" roared Coxine. "You said you're a good shot. Right now is -the time to prove it. Blast away her audio antenna!" - -Tom gulped. At a range of fifty thousand yards, the antenna, a thick -piece of steel cable, might as well have been a needle to hit. - -"Right, skipper," he finally replied. "I'll show you some of the -fanciest shooting you'll ever see in your life!" - -He turned back to the range finder, his mind racing like a calculating -machine. He figured the angles of the two ships, considering that the -jet liner was a dead ship in space and the _Avenger_ still under way, -but slowing down at a specific rate of deceleration. He rechecked his -figure a third and fourth time, correcting his calculations each time -with the forward movement of the _Avenger_. If he misjudged a fraction -of a degree, he might kill or injure hundreds of people aboard the -passenger vessel. - -"Well?" roared Coxine. "Are you going to fire or not?" - -"Coming right up, skipper!" shouted Tom. "Watch this!" - -Steeling himself, lest he should hit the ill-fated ship, he fired. For a -brief moment he felt sick and then heard the roar of the pirate captain -from the control deck. - -"By the rings of Saturn," roared Coxine, "that was the best shot I've -ever seen! Well done, Kid! All right, boarding crews! Man your boats and -stand by to blast off!" - -While Coxine vocally lashed the members of the murderous crew into -action, Tom tried to figure out some way to get to the radar deck -unseen. Being assigned to the jet boat with Coxine, instead of Wallace, -had been a lucky break and Tom wished for a little more of the same. -Lining up with his boarding crew, he received his paralo-ray pistol and -rifle from Gaillard, deftly stealing a second pistol while the gunnery -officer's back was turned. - -After hurriedly hiding the stolen gun, he slipped stealthily topside to -the radar bridge. Reaching the hatch, he was about to open it, when he -heard footsteps. He turned and saw a man walking toward him. It was -Simms! - -"Where in the blasted universe is the jet-boat deck?" snarled Tom. He -dropped his rifle on the deck and bent over to pick it up, hiding his -face. - -"You're on the wrong deck," said Simms. "Two decks below. Get moving!" - -The pirate lieutenant hardly gave the cadet a glance as he brushed past -and entered the radar bridge. Tom caught a fleeting glimpse of the -interior. His heart jumped. The bridge was exactly like the one on the -_Polaris_! Though annoyed that his chance had slipped past, Tom was -thankful to learn that the communications equipment was thoroughly -familiar. - -"Space Kid! Report to the jet-boat deck on the double!" Coxine's voice -rumbled through the empty passageway. Tom dashed down the nearest ladder -and hurried to the jet-boat deck where the pirate captain waited -impatiently. - -"I was checking the range and setting up to blast the liner in case they -try anything funny," explained Tom. "I don't trust anyone on that range -finder but me!" - -Coxine chuckled. "Good work, Kid. I like a man that thinks ahead. Maybe -I made the wrong man gunnery chief." He climbed into the jet boat. "All -right, take the controls, Kid. Shelly and Martin, get in the stern." The -men climbed in and Tom slid under the controls and waited for the order -to blast off. - -Wallace and his crew were on the opposite side of the ship, so Tom had -no fear of being recognized until they were all on the passenger ship. -At his side, Coxine spoke to Wallace in the other jet boat over the -audioceiver. - -"We'll split up. I'll handle the control deck and you go aft to the -supply lockers. Dump everything out in space and we can pick it up -later. Search the passengers, but no rough stuff. The first man that -puts his hands on anyone will never know what hit him!" - -Tom listened to the pirate captain's orders and was forced to give the -man credit for his tight control over his murderous crew. However -rebellious he might be against the Solar Guard, and whatever it was that -made the man become the system's most notorious criminal, his orders -spoke for themselves. - -"All right, Kid," roared Coxine, "blast off!" - -Tom pressed the control pedal at his foot and the small ship shot out -into the black void of space. Ahead of them, thousands of yards away, he -could see the gleaming passenger ship. - -In a few moments the two jet boats were braking their jets and drifting -to a stop inside the catapult deck of the luxurious liner. - -Almost before Tom had stopped the small craft, Coxine was out of the -boat waving his paralo-ray pistols at a cluster of frightened merchant -spacemen. - -"Back inside!" he snarled. "Kid! Shelly! Cover me! We're going to the -control deck. Martin, you stay here with the jet boat." - -Coxine marched straight through the ship, head up, eyes straight ahead, -while behind him, Tom and Shelly swept the luxurious lounges with their -ray rifles, ready to fire on any who dared resist. They marched past the -frightened passengers, climbed a flight of carpeted stairs to the next -deck, and entered the control room. - -The liner's captain, a tall, thin man with graying hair, stood waiting -beside the control panel, his eyes flashing angrily. A half-dozen junior -officers stood stiffly in back of him. - -Coxine stepped up to the elderly officer and laughed good-naturedly. "No -one will be hurt, skipper. I just want a few things for my men"--he -paused and glanced at the ship's vault--"and whatever you have in -there!" - -"I'll live to see the day when you're caught and sent to the prison -asteroid for this," snorted the captain. - -"Don't make me laugh, skipper," said Coxine lightly. "The Solar Guard -will have to build a new one for me. Don't think there's much left of -the old one!" - -"Then it was you! You're responsible for the attack on the asteroid!" - -Coxine just smiled and turned to Tom and Shelly. "Watch these crawlers -closely, now. I'm going to open the vault." - -Tom stared at the ship's officers, hoping to catch the eye of one of -them, but they were all watching Coxine. - -The pirate captain pulled a thin rod about two feet long, with a switch -on one end, from his jacket. He walked to the solid titanium door of the -vault and inserted the rod into a small hole, pressing the switch at the -end of the rod carefully several times. He stepped back and inserted it -in another hole in the face of the door and repeated the procedure. -Putting the key back in his jacket he grabbed the handle of the massive -door. It swung open at his touch. The captain of the liner and officers -gasped in amazement. - -Working quickly, Coxine crammed the thick bundles of credit notes and -passenger's valuables into a bag. At last he straightened up, and facing -the unbelieving officer again, he tossed them a mocking salute. He -nodded to Tom and Shelly and walked out of the control room without -another word. - -Shelly and Tom quickly followed the giant spaceman back to the jet-boat -deck, where Wallace was just returning from his own operations. Wallace -made a circle out of his fingers to Coxine and the giant pirate nodded. - -"Let's get out of here!" he ordered. - -"Aren't you afraid they'll try to stop you, skipper?" asked Tom. - -Coxine laughed. "Just let them try. I never met a man yet that had the -nerve to pull the trigger of a paralo-ray gun while my back was turned." - -Tom gulped and wondered if he would have the nerve to fire on the -spaceman. He thought about it a moment and decided that he would take -any chance that came along, if he could outwit the criminal. When the -time came, he would risk his life to stop Coxine! - - - - -CHAPTER 14 - - -"All right, line up, you space crawlers!" bawled Coxine. "When I call -your name step up to get your share of the haul!" - -The pirate captain was seated at the head of a long mess table, an open -ledger in front of him. There were stacks of crisp new credit notes at -his elbow. He took out his paralo-ray pistols and placed them within -easy reach. On either side of him, Wallace and Simms sat, staring at the -money with greedy eyes. - -Coxine looked at the first name on the ledger. - -"Joe Brooks!" he called. "One thousand credits for spotting the liner!" - -Brooks grinned and amid cheers walked to the table. Coxine handed him a -small stack of notes carelessly and turned back to the ledger. - -"Gil Attardi!" he roared. "One thousand credits for working on the -boarding crew." - -Attardi, a sly, scar-faced man, stepped forward to accept his share. He -carried a long, thin knife with an edge so deadly keen that he could and -often did shave with it. - -Coxine continued his roll call. "Sam Bates! Five hundred credits. -Straight share." - -Bates stepped forward and glared at Coxine. - -"How come I only get five hundred and the others get a thousand?" he -snarled. "It ain't my fault I'm stuck on the power deck while you grab -all the glory jobs!" - -The laughing, excited crowd of men grew silent as the rebellious -spaceman faced Coxine. - -"You get five hundred credits," snarled Coxine. "Take it or leave it!" - -"I want the same as Brooks and Attardi," demanded Bates. - -Quicker than the eye could follow, Coxine rose and smashed the man in -the face with a giant fist. Bates dropped to the deck like a stone. -Coxine glared at the rest of the crew. - -"The next crawler that thinks he's not getting his fair share," he -snarled, "will get a trip in space for his share!" He glanced down at -the unconscious man and jerked his thumb toward the hatch. "Get him out -of here!" - -Two men dragged the unconscious man away and threw a bucket of cold -water on him. He woke up, snatched at his share of the credits, and -disappeared from the room. - -The pirate captain continued reading the list of names, arbitrarily, -handing out various amounts of the stolen money as he saw fit. - -Standing in the rear of the messroom, hidden by the other members of the -crew, Tom realized that to step in plain sight of Wallace and Simms for -his share would mean instant betrayal. He had to make his move now, and -with most of the crew mustered together in the messroom, it was his one -chance for success. - -Gripping the stolen paralo-ray gun in his jacket pocket, he slipped out -of the messroom unnoticed and headed for the radar bridge. - -As he raced up the companionway he could hear the laughter of the men -below decks as one by one they received their shares. His name would be -called soon. Heart pounding, he stopped outside the radar hatch, pulled -the paralo-ray gun from his jacket, and taking a deep breath opened the -hatch. - -Joe Brooks was seated in front of the scanner counting his share -greedily and glancing occasionally at the finger of light that swept -across the green globe. When Tom opened the hatch, he looked up and -smiled. - -"Hiya, Kid," he said. "Coxine's all right. I got a thousand just for -picking up that ship on the radar. How much did you collect?" - -"This," said Tom. He shoved the paralo-ray gun into Brooks' stomach. The -man gulped and finally found his voice. - -"Say, what is this? A gag? Where did you get that paralo-ray?" Then -suddenly he shoved the bundle of notes in his pocket. "Oh, no, you -don't! You're not going to steal my share!" - -"I don't want your money!" said Tom coldly. "Get into that locker and -keep your mouth shut, or I'll blast you!" - -"Locker? Say, what's the matter with you? You gone space happy?" - -"Get in there," growled Tom. At the look on the cadet's face, Brooks -rose quickly and stepped into the locker. Tom slammed the door and -locked it. Then, locking the passageway hatch, he turned to the radar -scanner. Working quickly with deft hands, he opened the casing around -the delicate instrument and began disconnecting the major terminals. -Studying the complicated tangle of connections, he wished that he had as -much knowledge of radar as Roger. - -He finally found the wires he wanted and separated them from the other -connections. He began replacing them, altering the terminals. After -checking his work, to make sure it would not short-circuit, he grabbed -the intercom and began taking it apart. Sweat beaded his forehead. Time -was short. Soon Coxine would miss him and come looking for him. He had -to complete his job before that happened. - -After moments that seemed like hours he was ready. Using one of the -intercom relays he began tapping out a message in Morse code on an -exposed wire from the scanner. He looked at the radar scanner and -watched it flash white static lines each time he touched the wires. -Carefully he tapped out a message. - -" ... emergency ... attention ... Corbett ... Space Cadet ... aboard ... -Coxine ... pirate ... ship ... space quadrant ... B ... section ... -twenty ... three ..." - -Over and over he repeated the desperate message, hoping against hope -that someone would be scanning space and the interference would show up -on their radar. - -" ... emergency ... attention ... Corbett ... Space Cadet--" - - * * * * * - -"Captain Strong!" Roger's voice came shrieking over the ship's intercom. -"Captain! Quick! I'm picking up a message from Tom!" - -"What?" cried the Solar Guard officer. "Nail it! I'm coming up!" - -Scrambling up the ladder to the radar bridge from the control deck, -Captain Strong rushed over to the scanner and watched eagerly as -blinking flashes washed out the background of the screen. - -Slowly, at times unevenly, the message flashed and the two spacemen read -it with gladdening hearts. Strong made a careful note of the position -while Roger continued to read the flashes. Turning to the astrogation -panel, the Solar Guard captain quickly plotted a course that would bring -them to Tom's position. - -Endlessly, during the past few days, Strong, Roger, and Astro had swept -space in a wide arc around the asteroid belt, hoping to pick up just -such a signal. Now, with the position of the _Avenger_ in his hands, -Strong grabbed for the intercom. - -"Attention, power deck!" yelled Strong. "We've just picked up a message -from Tom. He's given us his position, so stand by for a course change." - -"Yeee-eooow!" roared Astro. "I knew he'd do it." - -"He's not in the clear yet. We've only got his position. We don't know -how we're going to get him away from Coxine yet." - -"Ready to change course, sir," said Astro. - -"Three degrees on the down-plane of the ecliptic, and fifty-four degrees -to starboard. Full space speed, Astro! Pile it on!" - -"Aye, aye, sir!" replied Astro. "I'll make this wagon's tail so hot -it'll blast at double speed!" - -"You'd better, you Venusian ape!" cried Roger. "It's the least you can -do for Tom!" - -"Stow it, Manning," growled Astro good-naturedly, "or I'll stick some of -your hot air in the jets for extra power!" - -"Cut the chatter, both of you!" snapped Strong. "Astro, execute course -change!" - -Astro's reply was a blast on the steering rockets. On the control deck, -Strong watched the needle of the astral compass swing around and stop -dead on the course he had ordered. - -"All set, Astro!" shouted Strong. "Right on course. Now pile on the -neutrons!" - -"Aye, aye, sir." - -On the power deck, the big cadet turned to his control panel, took a -deep breath, and opened the reactant feeders wide. The ship leaped -through the airless void under the sudden burst of power and Astro -watched the acceleration indicator climb to the danger line. He gulped -as the needle passed the danger point and was about to cut down speed -when the needle stopped. Astro breathed easily and settled back -satisfied. If it was up to him, they would reach Tom in record time. - -Up on the radar deck, Roger continued to read the flashing signals on -the radar scanner. Over and over, he read the same message. - -"I guess that's all he can say, sir," said Roger, turning to Strong. - -"Yes, I guess so, Roger," agreed Strong. "He's probably sending it out -blind, on an open circuit, hoping that anyone near enough would pick it -up. Wonder how he did it?" - -Roger thought a moment. "I'm not sure, sir, but I think he's crossed the -impulse on the scanner from positive to negative." - -"How do you mean?" asked Strong. The young captain was well acquainted -with the principle of radar but, admittedly, could not match Roger's -natural ability. - -"By making the impulse negative, sir," said Roger, "he could create -interference on the scanner. Instead of bouncing against something and -returning an image to a scanner, the impulse hits itself and creates -static which shows up in the form of those white flashes." - -"Well, in any case," said Strong with a sober nod toward the scanner, -"he's done something the whole Solar Guard couldn't do. He's quite a -boy!" - -Roger smiled. "I'll say he is, skipper!" - -Strong turned away and climbed down to the control deck. He sat in front -of the great control panel and watched the countless dials and needles. -But his mind wasn't on the delicate handling of the great ship. He was -thinking about Tom, alone aboard a ship with a crew of desperate -criminals. - -Tom had taken his life in his hands to send out the message, that much -Strong was sure of! And the young skipper noted with pride that there -was no appeal for help in the desperate call. - -He shook his head wearily and flipped the teleceiver switch to report to -Commander Walters. - - * * * * * - -"Emergency ... attention...." Tom continued to tap out the message -slowly and carefully. Behind him, he could hear Brooks hammering against -the locker door. Tom felt like opening the door and freezing the pirate -with his paralo-ray gun to keep him quiet, but he didn't dare to stop -sending. - -Finally Tom decided it was time to go. "If anyone's going to pick up the -message," he thought, "they've picked it up by now. I may still have -time to get away in a jet boat." - -He tied the wires together, causing a continuous interference to be sent -out, and secured the radar casing. "If I'm lucky enough to get away in a -jet boat," thought Tom, "at least they won't be able to pick me up on -that!" - -Without a glance at the locker where Brooks continued to pound and yell, -Tom turned to the hatch leading to the passageway. He gripped the -paralo-ray gun and opened the hatch. Peering into the passageway and -finding it deserted, he slipped out and closed the hatch behind him. -From below, he could hear the roar of the crew as the last of them -received his share of the stolen credits. - -Tom raced down the companionway toward the jet-boat deck. He made the -first deck safely and was about to climb down to the next when he was -spotted by Attardi, the scar-faced spaceman, who stood at the bottom of -the ladder. - -"Hey, Kid!" Attardi shouted. "The skipper's been looking for ya. You got -the biggest cut. Three thousand credits for that fancy shooting you -did!" - -Tom noticed the gleam of the knife at the man's side. The young cadet -could imagine the criminal sinking the knife in his back without -hesitation, if he suspected anything. - -"Well," demanded Attardi, "are you going to collect or not? The skipper -sent me to look for you." - -Tom smiled, and while still smiling, whipped the paralo-ray gun into -sight and fired. His aim was true. Attardi froze, every nerve in his -body paralyzed. He could still breathe and his heart continued to beat, -but otherwise, he was a living statue, unable to even blink his eyes. - -Tom jumped past the spaceman and dashed for the jet-boat deck. He had to -hurry now. Attardi would be discovered any moment and be neutralized. -When neutralized, the victim returned to normal, with only violent -muscle soreness remaining. - -Tom reached the jet-boat deck, opened the hatch, and raced for the -nearest small craft. Suddenly from behind he could hear the buzz of a -paralo-ray on neutralizing charge. Attardi had been discovered. - -Tom jumped into the nearest jet boat, closed the hatch, and pressed the -button releasing the sliding side of the ship's hull. Slowly, the great -wall of metal slid back exposing the cold black velvet of deep space. As -soon as the opening was wide enough, Tom pressed the acceleration lever -and the small ship shot out, its jets roaring. - -Tom quickly glanced around to locate his position by the stars and saw -that he was close to the asteroid belt. He opened up to full -acceleration, and since there was nothing else to do but wait for time -to pass and hope for escape, he began to examine the contents of the -small ship. He opened the emergency food locker and was relieved to see -it fully stocked with synthetics and water. Every second carried him -farther away from the _Avenger_, and when he looked back, Tom saw no -evidence of pursuit. The cadet smiled. They would depend on the radar to -find him, instead of sending out the other jet boats. Tom almost laughed -out loud. With the radar jammed, he was safe. He would make it. Once -inside the asteroids, they would never find him. - -Glancing around the few indicators on the control board of the small -vessel, Tom's smile changed to a grimace of sudden terror. The jet boat -had not been refueled after their raid on the jet liner. There was less -than three days' oxygen remaining in the tanks. In three days the jet -boat would become an airless shell. A vacuum no different than the cold -silent void of space! - - - - -CHAPTER 15 - - -"What's our position, Roger?" Captain Strong called into the intercom. - -"Space quadrant B, section twenty-three, sir," replied Roger from the -radar bridge. "But I can't see a thing on the radar. That static flash -Tom sent out is scrambling everything." - -"But you're sure this is our position?" - -"Yes, sir. I checked it three times." - -"All right, then," said Strong grimly. "There's only one thing to do. -We're too near the asteroid belt to use the _Polaris_ without radar, so -we'll search in jet boats. Astro! We're parking right here! Give me full -braking rockets and secure the power deck. Then prepare the jet boats -for flight." - -"Aye, aye, sir," came the reply from the Venusian. - -The ship bucked under the tremendous power of the braking rockets and -came to a dead stop in space. Strong dashed up the ladder to the radar -bridge where Roger was still hunched before the radar scanner. - -"Any chance of switching the scanner to another frequency and offsetting -the effects of the static, Roger?" asked the Solar Guard captain. - -Roger shook his head. "I don't think so, sir. The interference would -have to be eliminated at its source." - -"Well," sighed Strong, "to go looking for Tom without the help of radar -would be like looking for an air bubble in the ammonia clouds of -Jupiter. And we don't even know if he's still aboard the _Avenger_ or -not!" - -"You know, sir," said Roger speculatively, "I've been thinking. I might -be able to get a fix on this interference." - -"A fix? How?" - -"By blanking out the radar range, so that it would only work at one -point of the compass at one time, then testing each heading separately -until the flash appears. When it does, we'd at least know in which -direction to blast off and trail Coxine. - -"If you can do that, Roger," exclaimed Strong, "it would take us right -into Coxine's lap! Do you think you can work it?" - -"I can try, sir." - -"All right, then," decided Strong. "Astro and I will take the jet boats -and go looking around. Meantime, you stay aboard and try to pin point -the heading on that flash." - -"Very well, sir," replied Roger, and turned to the radar to begin the -complicated task of rewiring the instrument. - -Strong went directly to the jet-boat deck where Astro was busily -preparing the jet boats for flight. He looked up when Strong entered the -hatch. - -"All ready, sir," he said. - -"Very well," said Strong. "I'll take number one, you take number two. -We're in section twenty-three of quadrant B. You take section twenty-two -and I'll take twenty-four." - -"Yes, sir," replied Astro. "Do you think there's any chance of finding -Tom?" - -"I don't even know if he's out here, Astro. But we can't be sure he -isn't. So we'll search and hope for the best." - -"Very well, sir." - -"Keep your jet-boat audioceiver open all the time and maintain contact -with me." - -"Why not contact Roger here on the _Polaris_, sir?" asked Astro. - -"He's busy trying to find out where the flashing static on the radar is -coming from," explained Strong. "We'll make wide circles, starting -outside and working in. Blast in a continuous circle inward, like a -spiral. If there's anything around here, we'll find it that way." - -"Yes, sir," said Astro. "I sure hope Tom is O.K." - -"Best answer I can give you. Astro, is to blast off and find out." - -The two spacemen climbed into the small craft, and while Strong opened -the outer lock, exposing them to the emptiness of space, Astro started -the jets in his boat. With a wave of his hand to Strong, he roared away -from the sleek rocket cruiser. Strong followed right on his tail. They -circled the _Polaris_ twice, establishing their positions, and then -roared away from each other to begin their search. - -Astro turned his midget space vessel toward the asteroid belt, ahead and -below him. Choosing a large asteroid that he estimated to be on the -outer edge of section twenty-two, he roared full power toward it. The -tiny space bodies that made up the dangerous path around the sun, -between Mars and Jupiter, loomed ahead ominously. Moving toward them -under full rocket thrust, the Venusian cadet remembered fleetingly -stories of survivors of space wrecks, reaching the airless little -planetoids, only to die when help failed to arrive. He shuddered at the -thought of Tom, a helpless castaway on one of the asteroids, waiting to -be saved. Astro clenched his teeth and concentrated on the search, -determined to investigate every stone large enough to support an -Earthman. - -Miles away, no longer visible to Astro and out of sight of the giant -rocket cruiser, Captain Strong felt the same helplessness as he -approached the asteroid belt from a different angle. He realized any -number of things could have happened on the pirate-ship. Tom could have -been captured, or if not yet discovered, unable to escape from the ship. -Strong's throat choked up with fierce pride over the gallant effort Tom -had made to warn the Solar Guard of the _Avenger's_ position. - -As he neared the outer edges of the belt, he concentrated on guiding his -small ship in and around the drifting asteroids, his eyes constantly -sweeping the area around him for some sign of a drifting space-suited -figure. What Strong really hoped for was the sight of a jet boat, since -in a jet boat, Tom would have a better chance of survival. - -The young captain reached the outer edge of his search perimeter, turned -the small ship into a long-sweeping curve, and flipped on the -audioceiver. - -"Attention! Attention! Jet boat one to jet boat two! Come in, Astro!" - -Across the wide abyss of space that separated the two men, Astro heard -his skipper's voice crackle in his headphones. - -"Astro here, sir," he replied. - -"I'm beginning my sweep, Astro. Any luck?" - -"Not a thing, sir." - -"All right. Let's go, and keep a sharp eye out." - -"Aye, aye, sir," replied Astro. He could not keep the worry out of his -voice, and Strong, many miles away, nodded in silent agreement with -Astro's feelings. - - * * * * * - -The _Avenger_ had long since disappeared and Tom was left alone in space -in the tiny jet boat. To conserve his oxygen supply, the curly-haired -cadet had set the controls of his boat on a steady orbit around one of -the larger asteroids and lay down quietly on the deck. One of the first -lessons he had learned at Space Academy was, during an emergency in -space when oxygen was low, to lie down and breath as slowly as possible. -And, if possible, to go to sleep. Sleep, under such conditions, served -two purposes. While relaxed in sleep, the body used less oxygen and -should help fail to arrive, the victim would slip into a suffocating -unconsciousness, not knowing if and when death took the place of life. - -Tom lay on the deck of the small vessel and stared at the distant stars -through the clear crystal roof of his jet boat. He breathed as lightly -as he could, taking short, slight breaths, holding them as long as he -could and then exhaling only when his lungs felt as if they would burst. -He could see Regulus overhead, and Sirius, the two great stars shining -brilliantly in the absolute blackness of space. He raised himself slowly -on one elbow and looked at the oxygen indicator. He saw that the needle -had dropped past the empty mark. He knew it wouldn't be long now. And he -knew what he had to do. He took a last long look at the two giant stars, -and then closed his eyes. - -Tom no longer tried to control his breathing, but took deep satisfying -lungfuls of oxygen and in a few moments slipped into a sound sleep. - -The jet boat roared on, carrying its sleeping occupant in an endless -spiral around the nameless asteroid. - -Not too many miles away, alone on the radar bridge of the giant rocket -cruiser, Roger Manning, sweat popping out on his forehead, was trying -the radar scanner on the three-hundred-and-tenth point on the compass. -He connected the wires, glanced at the scanner, and shook his head -disgustedly. The scanner screen was still dark. Having adjusted the -delicate mechanism to eliminate the white flashes of static, he couldn't -find them again. He sat back in his chair for a moment, mopping his brow -and watching the white hairline in its continuous swing around the face -of the scope. As the line swept to the top of the screen, he saw the -blip outline of a jet boat and recognized it as one belonging to the -_Polaris_. Then, slowly, the line swept down and Roger suddenly saw the -blip outline of a second craft. With the experienced eye of a radar -veteran, Roger was able not only to distinguish the jet boats from the -asteroids, but from each other. He gripped the edge of the instrument -and shouted at the top of his voice. The second boat was a different -model! - -He reached for the audioceiver and switched it on. - -"Attention! Attention! Captain Strong! Astro! Come in! This is Manning -aboard the _Polaris_! Come in!" - -Strong and Astro replied almost together. - -"Strong here!" - -"Astro here!" - -"I've spotted a jet boat!" Roger shouted. "You think it might be--" - -"Where?" bawled Astro before Roger could finish. "Where is it, you -rockethead?" - -"As close as I can figure it, he's circling an asteroid, a big one, at -the intersection of sections twenty-one and twenty-two!" - -"Twenty-one and twenty-two! Got it!" yelled Astro. - -"I'll meet you there, Astro!" said Strong. - -Astro and Strong turned their small ships in the direction of the -intersecting space sections. Astro was the first to spot the asteroid, -but for a moment he couldn't see the jet boat on the opposite side of -the small celestial body. Meanwhile, Strong, coming from the other -direction, saw the boat and relayed the position to Astro. In a few -moments the two space craft had regulated their speeds to that of Tom's -ship and were hastily donning space suits. A quick look inside had shown -them Tom's sleeping body. As Astro started to open the crystal hatch of -his ship to cross over to the other, Strong yelled over the audioceiver. - -"Astro, wait!" - -Astro looked across at the captain's ship questioningly. - -"Tom isn't in a space suit. If we open the hatch it would kill him. -We've got to tow him back to the _Polaris_ and get his boat inside the -air lock before we can open the hatch!" - -Without a word, Astro nodded, ducked inside his ship, and climbed out -again with a length of rope. Working quickly, he tied one end securely -to the bow of Tom's jet boat and made the other end fast to the stern of -his. Then returning to his cockpit, he sent the jet boat hurtling back -toward the _Polaris_. - -But he was still faced with the problem of getting Tom's jet boat inside -the air lock. It was still under acceleration and there was no way to -get inside to stop its jet motors. Astro called to Strong and explained -the situation to him. - -"Looks like the only thing we can do, sir, is keep going until it runs -out of fuel." - -"That might take too long, Astro," replied Strong. "No telling how much -oxygen Tom has left." - -"There's nothing else we can do, sir," replied Astro. "We can't brake -her to land inside the _Polaris_ and we can't open the hatch to turn off -the motor. We'll have to take a chance on Tom lasting until it runs out -of fuel!" - -Inside the roaring craft, Tom suddenly opened his eyes. He began to -cough. There was a roaring in his ears. The stars overhead swam dizzily. -And then, as though through a billowing mist, he saw the jet boat ahead -of him and the rope tied to his ship. He realized he had been rescued. -He tried to signal them. He had to let them know he needed oxygen. He -tried to reach the communicator near the control panel but could not -lift his arm. He fell back to the deck gasping for air; his lungs -screaming for oxygen. Something, thought Tom through the haze that -fogged his brain, something to signal them. Then, with the last of his -strength, he raised up on one elbow and reached for the acceleration -lever. His fingers trembled a few inches away from their goal. His face -began to turn violent red. He strained a little more. The lever was an -inch away. Finally, with the very last ounce of his strength, he touched -the lever and pulled it back by the weight of his falling body. - -Even before the black cloud swept over him, Tom could hear the jets -become silent. He had signaled them. He had stopped the jet boat. They -would know, now, how to save him. - - - - -CHAPTER 16 - - -"... and you never picked up that static flash again, eh?" mused Strong, -looking at Roger. "Well, the only reason I can think of is that someone -aboard the _Avenger_ must have discovered what was happening." - -"That's the way I figure it, sir," replied Roger. - -The Solar Guard captain studied the scanner that was now working in -perfect order. "It's a tough break that we couldn't get that fix on -Coxine's position. I was counting on it. But at least we found Tom. -That's plenty to be thankful for." - -"How is he, sir?" asked Roger. - -"He'll be all right," replied the Solar Guard captain, his face showing -the strain of the past weeks. "We gave him pure oxygen and he came to -long enough to tell us what happened aboard the _Avenger_. Get me -teleceiver contact with Space Academy as soon as possible. I've got to -send a report to Commander Walters." - -"Right, sir." - -"You've done a good job, Manning. Your work here on the radar bridge did -as much toward saving Tom's life as anything." - -"Thank you, sir. After what Tom did on the _Avenger_, though, I don't -feel like I've done very much. It took real courage to go aboard that -ship with Coxine." - -Strong smiled wearily. "Well, the boy is safe now and we have a good -idea what part of the belt Coxine is operating in. With a little luck -and a thorough fleet patrol, we might be able to get him before he can -do any more harm." - -Strong went below to the cadet's quarters where Astro was sitting -quietly, watching Tom. The cadet was sound asleep. When Strong entered, -Astro held a finger to his lips and met the captain at the door. - -"How is he?" whispered Strong. - -"He's been sleeping since he spoke to you, sir," said Astro. "He's -pretty weak, but I don't think there's anything seriously wrong with -him. After a good rest, he'll be as good as new." - -"Thank the universe for that," breathed Strong. He glanced at the -sleeping cadet and then turned back to Astro. "Better take your station. -He'll be all right now. I want to get back to the Academy as soon as I -can." - -"Yes, sir." - -"Attention, Captain Strong," Roger's voice crackled over the intercom -loud-speaker. "I've made contact with Commander Walters at Space -Academy, sir. He's standing by for your report." - -Strong returned to the control deck where he saw the sharp image of the -Space Academy commander waiting on the teleceiver screen. - -He told the grim-faced senior officer of discovering the static Morse -code flashes sent out by Tom from the Avenger and the race to save Tom's -life. When he finished, the commander's face seemed to relax. - -"When Corbett wakes up, give him my personal congratulations, Steve. -That goes for Astro, Roger, and yourself, as well." - -"Thank you, sir," said Strong. "Since Coxine seems to be operating -exclusively out of the asteroid belt, I think it would be a good idea to -concentrate the entire fleet of patrol ships in that area." - -"Good idea! I'll set it up. But get back here as soon as possible, -Steve. Coxine and that crew on the _Avenger_ aren't sitting still." - -"What do you mean, sir?" - -"In the last three days we've had reports from seven ships. Jet liners, -passenger freighters, and supply ships. All were attacked by the -_Avenger_ and stripped of everything those criminals could load on their -murderous backs. Blasters, paralo-ray guns, whole and synthetic -foodstuffs, clothes, money, jewels, equipment. Everything under the -stars that they could use. Any ship that even comes close to the -asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, unless escorted, is a dead space -bird. And if we did provide an escort, we wouldn't have enough ships -left to carry on the search." - -Strong listened to the news with rising anger. - -"I'll blast back to the Academy as soon as I can, sir," said Strong. - -"Fine!" said the commander. "End transmission!" - -"End transmission!" - -Strong turned off the teleceiver and called Roger onto the radar bridge. - -"Have you got a course back to the Academy, Roger?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"All right, give it to Astro and let's get moving. Every minute wasted -now is the difference between a ship looted and the future safety of the -space lanes. I have a feeling that Coxine is not just playing for the -hauls he makes on those helpless jet liners." - -"I don't get you, sir." - -"Look at it this way, Roger," replied Strong with a grim smile. "A man -smart enough to do what he did while he was confined to a prison -asteroid might have bigger ideas now that he's free. Ideas about himself -and the whole Solar Alliance!" - -During the weeks following, the activity of Bull Coxine and his pirate -crew justified Captain Strong's fears. Repeatedly, ships were attacked -on the fringe of the asteroid belt and stripped of armor, food supplies, -and valuables. With the secret of the light-key, the vaults of the ships -were opened as easily as though there had been no lock at all. The -totals had reached staggering amounts and the daring of the _Avenger_ -was more pronounced, as Coxine struck repeatedly, farther and farther -away from the protection of the asteroid belt. It seemed as though he -were taunting the Solar Guard with his exploits. - -All defense measures seemed to be futile. When the space freighters and -jet liners were armed and tried to resist attack, Coxine blasted them -into helpless space junk at a frightful cost of life. When the ships -were escorted by powerful rocket cruisers, the pirate refused to attack, -but the search squadrons were correspondingly depleted. The combinations -of the energy locks were changed every day, but with the adjustable -light-key, Coxine met every change easily. The entire Solar Alliance was -in an uproar, and the citizens of the planets were clamoring for action. - -[Illustration: _All Solar Guard defense measures seemed to be futile_] - -Finally, the commanding officers of the Solar Guard noticed a change in -Coxine's operations. Instead of merely attacking spaceships and -hijacking their cargoes, he now took over the vessel completely, sending -the passengers and crews drifting helplessly in space in jet boats. -Three large, fast space freighters of the same class as the _Avenger_ -were now in the pirates' hands. - -Then, one morning, in his headquarters at Space Academy, Captain Strong -received an electrifying report. Coxine had attacked a freighter -escorted by a Solar Guard rocket scout. Outgunned, the scout had been -destroyed, but it had inflicted damage on the _Avenger_. The last report -from a dying communications officer on the scout was that the pirate -ship was drifting helplessly in space! - -Strong, his face showing hope for the first time in weeks, burned the -teleceivers, flashing orders to the various elements of the search fleet -to converge on the disabled _Avenger_. - -"Attention! All ships in quadrants C through M and Q through B-l! -Proceed full thrust to quadrant A-2, section fifty-nine. On approaching -target you will signal standard surrender message, and if not obeyed, -you will open fire!" - -Behind him, the three cadets of the _Polaris_ unit listened to the -decisive words of their commander and then let out an earsplitting yell. - -"No time for celebrating," barked Strong. "We haven't caught him yet. -He's the slickest thing to hit this system since the reptiles climbed -out of the Venusian mud! It's going to be a case of our getting him -before he can disappear into the asteroid belt, so let's hit the high, -wide, and deep!" - -Five minutes later, Strong and the boys were aboard their ship. - -"Ready to blast off, sir," reported Tom. The curly-haired cadet's face -was still pale and drawn, showing the effects of his ordeal in space. - -"Get me direct teleceiver contact with Captain Randolph on the rocket -cruiser _Sirius_," ordered Strong. - -"Yes, sir," replied Tom. He turned to flip on the teleceiver, and a -moment later the captain's face appeared on the screen. - -"Randolph here. What's up, Steve?" - -"I've got Squadron Nineteen of the Martian reserve fleet heading for the -last reported position of the _Avenger_ now, Randy. I'll take the point -position of your squadron and direct operations. I'll relay course to -you as soon as we're in space." - -"O.K., Steve," replied Randolph. "I'm ready to raise ship." - -"I'll go up first. Form up around me at about five thousand miles. End -transmission!" - -"End transmission!" - -"All right, Tom," ordered Strong, "let's get out of here!" - -The young cadet strapped himself into his acceleration chair, then -picked up the control panel intercom and began calling out orders -crisply. - -"Stand by to raise ship! All stations check in!" - -"Power deck standing by!" replied Astro from below. - -"Radar bridge standing by!" acknowledged Roger over the intercom. - -"Energize the cooling pumps!" - -The whine of the mighty pumps began to fill the ship almost as quickly -as Astro acknowledged the order. - -"Feed reactant!" snapped Strong, strapping himself in beside Tom. - -A low-muted hiss joined the sound of the whining pumps as Tom opened the -valves. "Reactant feeding at D-9 rate, sir," he reported. - -"Roger," called Strong into the intercom, "do we have a clear -trajectory?" - -"Clear as space, skipper!" was Roger's breezy answer. - -"All right, Tom," said Strong, "cut in take-off gyros." - -The cadet closed the master switch on the control panel and the noise -from the power deck below began to build to an unbearable crescendo! - -Watching the sweeping second hand of the chronometer, Tom called out, -"Blast off minus five--four--three--two--one--_zero_!" - -With a mighty roar, all main rockets of the spaceship exploded into -life. Shuddering under the sudden surge of power, the ship rose from the -ground, accelerated at the rate of seven miles per second, and arrowed -into the sky, space-borne! - -On the Academy spaceport, ships of Squadron L began to blast off one by -one behind the _Polaris_ at ten-second intervals. Three rocket cruisers, -six destroyers, and twelve rocket scouts. The explosive blast of one -hardly rolling away across the surrounding hills before another -deafening blast lifted the next space vessel away from Earth. - -Aboard the _Polaris_, Roger was busy over the chart table plotting the -course when Strong appeared at his side. - -"Have that course for you in a minute, sir," said Roger. He turned to -the astrogation prism and made careful observations of Regulus, the -fixed star always used in astrogation. He jotted several numbers down on -a piece of paper, rechecked them against a table of relative values and -handed the papers to Strong. - -The captain immediately opened the teleceiver and relayed the -information to other ships of the squadron. After the _Polaris_ had made -the course change, the ships followed, taking positions all around the -lead vessel. - -Like fingers of a giant hand, the Solar Guard squadrons converged on the -reported position of the disabled _Avenger_. From every ship, radar -scanners probed the space ahead with invisible electronic fingers for -contact with the target. On the _Polaris_, Strong, his nimble brain -figuring Coxine's possibilities of escape, hunched over the chart table -and worked at plotting alternate courses on which he could send pursuit -squadrons on a moment's notice. One thing worried Strong, and that was -if Coxine should repair his ship and make the security of the asteroid -belt before they could reach him, it would be almost impossible to track -him through that tortuous maze of space junk. - -Squadron Ten was the first to sight the enemy spaceship, though it was -too far away to attack. The commander reported his finding to Strong -immediately. - -"We still have quite a way to go before we reach him, Strong. But if our -luck holds out, we might be able to pin him down in a wide circle." - -Strong studied the chart and marked the position of the _Avenger_ just -reported. He compared the position to that of the other fleet ships and -decided that they were still too far away to tighten a ring of armor -around the pirate. Strong was well aware that if the Solar Guard could -spot Coxine, he in turn could spot them. Luck, mused Strong to himself, -was what they needed now. A little luck to keep the pirate from -repairing his ship and disappearing into the asteroid belt. He grabbed -the intercom and bawled orders. - -"Power deck, emergency space speed. Control deck, relay that order to -every ship converging on the _Avenger's_ position!" - -"What's up, sir?" asked Tom from below. - -"One of the ships has spotted Coxine. He's apparently still out of -commission, but we're too far away to hail him." - -Strong began to pace the deck of the radar bridge, and with each turn, -he glanced at the radar scanner where Roger was waiting anxiously for -the telltale blip of the _Avenger_ to appear. - -Suddenly the blond-haired cadet stiffened. He peered at the scanner -screen, then cried, "There he is, sir!" His finger pointed to a white -outline on the scanner. - -Strong took a quick look at the pirate's position and compared it to the -positions of the converging fleet. He turned to the teleceiver and -signaled for the immediate attention of all ships. - -"This is Strong aboard the flagship _Polaris_! All ships will proceed -according to attack plan seventeen--code nine. Use full power! Emergency -thrust!" - -As the minutes passed and the Solar Guard fleet plunged forward, the -ships forged a solid wall of guns around the drifting pirate vessel. -From above, below, and almost every compass point on the plan of the -ecliptic, they closed in, deadly blasters aimed, gunners ready to fire. - -"We've got him, sir!" breathed Roger. "He can't escape now! Not in a -million light years!" - -Captain Strong didn't reply. Eyes were glued to the scanner, watching -the target and the Solar Guard squadrons, searching for every possible -loophole in the trap. Suddenly he spoke into the teleceiver. - -"Attention all ships! Maintain present range, reduce speed, and take -englobement formation!" - -In reply, the elements of the fleet smoothly reformed until they formed -a giant wheel in space with the pirate ship as the hub. Around and -around they flew, all inboard guns trained on the enemy. - -As the command ship, the _Polaris_ flew high over the formation. Strong -checked the formation carefully on the scanner and nodded his -satisfaction. - -"I think we've done it now, Manning," he sighed. "Coxine doesn't have a -chance of breaking through." - -Roger looked unhappy. "Ah, it was too easy, sir," he grumbled. "I was -counting on having some fun." - -"After all these weeks of heartache, I'll skip the fun if you don't -mind," said Strong wryly and turned to the intercom. "Tom, check in!" - -"Aye, aye, sir!" - -"Head for the _Avenger_. Close in!" - -"You mean we're going to lead the attack, sir?" Tom shouted in a sudden -burst of enthusiasm. - -"From the looks of things, I don't believe an attack will be necessary," -replied Strong. "We're going alongside to accept Coxine's surrender. -Start blasting!" - -"Aye, aye, _sir_!" - -As Tom's voice was heard over the intercom speaker, issuing orders to -Astro for change of course, Strong turned back to Roger. - -"Open up the audioceiver to all-wave transmission!" - -"You going to talk to Coxine, sir?" - -"Yes. And I hope he'll listen. If he doesn't, I'll do my talking with -six-inch blasters!" - -Roger quickly adjusted the settings on the audioceiver and then turned -to his skipper. - -"She's all yours, sir. Give it to him good!" - -Strong smiled thinly and picked up the microphone. - -"Attention, Bull Coxine! Attention, Bull Coxine!" Strong's voice was -cold and hard. "This is Captain Strong of the Solar Guard! You're -surrounded. You haven't a chance of escape. I demand your unconditional -surrender! Acknowledge immediately!" - -Strong flipped the key to open the receiver and waited for the reply. -Roger moved closer, his eyes glued to the image of the pirate ship -looming larger and larger on the scanner. - -Fifteen seconds passed. Thirty. There was no sound over the receiver. -Sweat began to bead Strong's forehead and he opened the transmitter key -again. - -"Listen, Coxine! I know you can hear me! I'll only talk to you once -more! Surrender or you'll be blasted into protons! I'll give you exactly -thirty seconds to make up your mind!" - -Again Strong opened the receiver key and waited, but as the seconds -ticked by, there was no answer. - -"Sir, do you think he's sucking us into a trap?" Roger whispered. - -"Maybe," replied Strong grimly. "But he knows what would happen to him -if he opened fire." - -"Captain Strong! Captain Strong!" Tom's voice suddenly blared over the -ship's intercom. - -"Don't bother me now, Corbett," replied Strong irritably. - -"But, sir," Tom persisted, "that isn't the _Avenger_!" - -"What!" Strong was thunderstruck. - -"No, sir," continued the young cadet. "I'm looking at her right now on -my control-deck scanner. It's the same model ship as the _Avenger_, but -it isn't Coxine's!" - -"Are you sure?" - -"Positive, sir. I was on her long enough to know." - -"Blast it! Then what--?" - -Roger suddenly interrupted Strong. "Sir, look at her over the -magnascope! She's been abandoned!" - -The Solar Guard captain quickly turned to the magnascope screen. There -he saw a close-up view of the target. It was a helpless derelict. All -emergency ports were open and the jet-boat locks were empty. - -Strong's face grew pale and he slumped back in his chair. - -"What--what do you suppose happened, sir?" asked Roger hesitantly. - -"It's easy enough to figure," Strong replied, his voice dull and -lifeless. "Coxine is using more than one ship now. And when this one was -damaged, he simply transferred to another one. He's outfoxed us again!" - -Slowly, with wooden legs, he walked over to the teleceiver. - -"Attention all ships! Resume former search stations. All we've caught -here is a red herring!" - -And as the powerful engines of the _Polaris_ picked up speed, Strong -imagined he could hear Gargantuan laughter echoing in space around him. - - - - -CHAPTER 17 - - -"Spaceman's luck, sir," said Tom, shaking Captain Strong's hand. - -Silently the other two cadets in turn gripped their skipper's hand -tightly. - -"Thanks, boys," said Strong. "If we're going to get that space crawler, -we have to trap him. And the best bait I know is a twenty-million-credit -pay roll." - -"But won't you take at least one man with you, sir?" pleaded Tom. -"Sitting up there in space in a decoy ship waiting for Coxine is -like--" Tom paused. "Well, you won't have much of a chance, sir, if -Coxine opens fire before asking questions." - -"That's the risk I've got to take, Tom," said Strong. "It took a lot of -talking to get Commander Walters' permission to try this. But we've got -to force Coxine to come out far enough from the asteroid belt to catch -him before he can run back in and lose himself again." The young captain -smiled wanly and added, "Don't think that your job is unimportant!" - -Tom, Roger, and Astro nodded. On their return from the unsuccessful -attempt to capture Coxine, they had been suddenly faced with the routine -duty of transporting a twenty-million-credit pay roll from Atom City to -the satellite of Titan for the crystal miners. - -Thinking one sure way to catch any rat was to use a lure, Tom suggested -that the Titan armored freighter be used as a decoy to capture the -pirate, and the cadets could carry the pay roll in the _Polaris_. - -Commander Walters had considered the plan, and then realizing that -Coxine might fire on the freighter before seizing it, disapproved of -placing a full crew aboard the lightly armed ship. Instead, he would -send only one man. Strong had volunteered for the assignment and had -persuaded the commander to allow him to man the decoy ship. - -Now, the two ships, the _Polaris_ and the armed freighter stood side by -side at the Academy spaceport, and the three cadets and their commanding -officer waited for the signal to blast off. - -"You have your course for your trip out to Titan, Tom?" asked Strong. - -"Yes, sir," replied Tom. "We're to blast off later to-night and take a -course through the asteroid belt, traveling on the plane of the -ecliptic. As soon as we get through, we are to proceed under full -emergency thrust to our destination." - -Strong nodded his head, satisfied. - -"Do you think Coxine will come out after you, sir?" asked Roger. - -"We've tried to make sure that he will, Roger," replied Strong. "It's -pretty common knowledge that the Titan pay-roll ship leaves every month, -and that it travels a different route each time. Sometimes it goes -through the asteroid belt on the plane of the ecliptic and sometimes it -goes over. We believe Coxine knows this, and with the thinly guised -messages we've sent to Titan, we're hoping he'll try for it." - -"But how will you get him, sir?" asked Astro, puzzled. "I mean, with no -armor on the freighter to speak of, and no crew aboard, how can you nail -him before he gets you?" - -"Hyperdrive," replied the captain laconically. - -"Hyperdrive?" echoed Tom quizzically. - -"I'm going to take the decoy ship through the asteroid belt too, but -through a different area, closer to the part we think Coxine is -operating in. Seven full squadrons have blasted off ahead of me and -taken up positions in that area. When and if Coxine attacks, I'll alert -the waiting ships, who'll come in on hyperdrive. By the time Coxine -spots them on his radar, they'll be on top of him." - -"Then," ventured Tom, "you're staking your life on the ships arriving -before Coxine can attack." - -"That's right, Tom," said Strong. "If our plan works, we catch Coxine. -If it doesn't, at least we know that the Titan pay roll is safe. That's -why your job is as important as mine." - -They were interrupted by the ground-crew chief who reported the decoy -ship ready to blast off. - -Strong nodded and the three cadets gripped their captain's hand again. -Turning, he climbed into the freighter and five minutes later the Solar -Guard officer blasted off from the Academy spaceport while Tom, Roger, -and Astro watched from the traffic-control tower. - -"Come on," said Tom. "It'll be two hours before we can blast off. We -might as well get some sleep. We'll need it." - -Reluctantly, Roger and Astro followed their unit-mate from the traffic -tower, their eyes full of concern for their skipper. Each was grimly -aware that they might never see their skipper alive again. - - * * * * * - -"Now shut your traps!" roared Bull Coxine. "The next crawler that opens -his mouth gets taken apart!" He stood on top of a table and faced his -crew of pirates who were sitting about swilling large cups of rocket -juice. - -The room in which the giant pirate spaceman had gathered his men was one -of many in a building constructed since their arrival from the prison -asteroid. Hidden from even the closest inspection by the smaller bodies -circling around the main asteroid, Coxine had expanded the small hut -used by Wallace and Simms into a huge rambling building containing -armories, machine shops, and storage rooms packed with everything he and -his murderous crew might need. - -Now with a string of successful raids behind them and their personal -pocketbooks bulging with stolen credits and valuables, the crew of -pirates waited attentively while their cruel but brilliant leader -outlined the most daring plan of all. - -"Now listen," roared Coxine. "There's a few things I want to say before -we start on the plans of the next strike!" - -The big spaceman paused and glared at the men in front of him. "Ever -since that space-crawling cadet pulled a fast one on me there's been -talk about voting for another leader!" He spat the word as if it had -left a foul taste in his mouth. "Well, get this. There'll be no voting! -I'm the boss of this outfit! Any man who thinks he can take over my -job," Coxine's voice dropped to a deadly whisper, "_just let him try!_" - -Stony silence greeted the huge spaceman, a silence inspired by fear. - -"Now!" roared Coxine, his coarse features changing from a scowl to a -broad grin. "The strike!" - -This was greeted with a roar of approval. The men demanded action after -a week of idleness on the asteroid. - -"Wallace!" yelled Coxine. - -"Yes, sir," answered the spaceman, stepping up to the table and facing -Coxine. - -"We'll take up a position in the asteroid belt, here!" He placed a -finger on a map of the belt. "Simms!" roared the giant spaceman. - -"Yes, sir!" the wizened space pirate stepped forward. - -"You remember that rocket scout we blasted? The one that got our other -ship?" - -"I sure do, sir." - -"It's drifting around in orbit near asteroid seventeen. Take a crew of -men and a few jet boats and go get her. Bring her back here and fix her -up. Strip every pound of excess weight off her. I want a ship that'll -fly faster than anything in the system and I want it in twenty-four -hours." - -"Yes, sir," gulped Simms. "But then what'll I do with her?" - -"After you've done what I've already told you to do," snapped Coxine, -"I'll tell you more!" - -Simms' face turned red, and he nodded curtly. - -"Now as for the rest of you crawlers," said Coxine, facing the room full -of men. "Repair crews have been assigned for work on the rocket scout -and the rest of you will work on the _Avenger_ and prepare her for a -long flight. I want the three-inch blasters, every paralo-ray gun and -rifle, the fuel tanks, food supplies, oxygen circulators, in fact -everything checked, rechecked, and _double-checked_!" - -Joe Brooks, who had become a favorite of Coxine's, rose and faced the -pirate captain. "Where are we going to strike next, skipper?" - -Coxine looked at the man with a half-smile playing on his lips. "This -operation will have two parts, Joe. The first--well--" his smiled -broadened--"the Titan pay-roll ship just blasted off from Space Academy. -For the last ten years, the Titan pay-roll ship has been blasting off -from Atom City. Now why do you think it would suddenly leave from Space -Academy, the home of the Solar Guard?" - -The crowd of men murmured their bewilderment. - -"I'll tell you why!" bawled Coxine. "Either they have that ship so -packed with blasters it would take a fleet to stop it, or it's a trap!" - -"But if you think it's a trap," exclaimed Wallace, "you're not going to -hit it, are you?" - -"I said it _might_ be a trap!" snapped Coxine. "But it might not and -with twenty million credits to be had for the taking, I'm not going to -let her breeze through. I'm going to make sure it's a trap before I try -something else!" - -"But how?" persisted Wallace. - -Coxine looked at his lieutenant coldly. He had indulged the man too -long. "I'll tell you when I get good and ready! Now all of you, get out -of here and make sure everything, and I _mean everything_, is ready to -raise ship at a moment's notice!" - -The men got up and shuffled from the room. Coxine turned to his two -lieutenants. "All right, Wallace, see that those crawlers do what I told -them to do. And you, Simms, get after that rocket scout." - -The two spacemen saluted their captain and turned away. Coxine watched -them leave the room, already planning his next move, a move calculated -to be so surprising that the Solar Guard would be absolutely helpless. - -Bull Coxine smiled and turned to study the charts of the asteroid belt. - - * * * * * - -Alone aboard the armored decoy ship, Captain Strong blasted steadily on -his course through the asteroid belt. The young Solar Guard officer was -aware that at any moment after reaching the celestial jungle of small -planetoids he could be fired on without warning. And though the Solar -Guard patrol ships, well hidden in the belt, would blast Coxine out of -existence, it would still be too late for him. - -Grim-faced, his hands gripping the controls, he rocketed through space, -determined to put an end, once and for all, to the marauding pirate and -old enemy, Bull Coxine. - - * * * * * - -When night fell over the Academy spaceport, Tom, Roger, and Astro -climbed silently into the giant rocket cruiser _Polaris_ and raised ship -for Titan. Their departure from Earth was routine, with no one but -Commander Walters and Captain Strong knowing that stowed in the storage -compartment of the spaceship was twenty million credits, the pay roll -for the miners of Titan. - -Once in space, the rocket ship was put on course and held there by -automatic pilot. The three cadets gathered in the messroom and sipped -hot tea, staring moodily into their cups. Unable to break audio silence, -lest they should betray their position, their first chance of hearing -any news lay far ahead of them at Titan. They could only hope that the -decoy trap would succeed and that their skipper and friend would return -safely. The only comment was Astro's grim prediction. - -"If anything happens to Captain Strong," he paused and finished his -sentence in a tense whisper, "I'll search the universe until I find -Coxine. And when I do, I'll break him in two!" - - - - -CHAPTER 18 - - -"Have you got everything straight?" asked Coxine. Simms nodded his head. - -"All right, blast off," ordered the pirate. "We'll follow you and keep -you spotted on radar. If it's a trap, head for asteroid fourteen, bail -out in a jet boat, and let the scout keep going. We'll pick you up -later." - -Simms nodded again and turned to his old partner, Wallace. "So long, -Gus." He smiled. "This is one time the Solar Guard gets it right where -it hurts!" - -"Yeah," agreed Wallace. "See you later. Take it easy on that asteroid -and don't get in trouble with the girls!" - -The two men laughed and Simms turned to climb into the waiting rocket -scout. The sleek ship had been stripped down until it was hardly more -than a power deck and control panel. She was now capable of more than -twice her original speed. As the little spaceman disappeared into the -air lock, Coxine turned to Wallace. - -"We'll give him an hour's head start and then blast off after him. And -remember, the first man that breaks audio silence will get blasted!" - -All eyes were on the tiny rocket scout as its jets, roaring into life, -lifted free of the pirate planetoid. When the speedy little ship had -disappeared into space, Coxine turned to his crew and ordered an -immediate alert. While the criminals readied the armed privateer for -blast-off, Coxine and Wallace climbed directly to the radar bridge. - -Joe Brooks was hunched in front of the scanner, staring intently. He -looked up when the two pirate officers entered. - -"Just following Lieutenant Simms on the radar, skipper," said Brooks. -"He's blasting through the asteroid belt faster than I thought he -could." - -"Lemme see!" growled Coxine. The giant pirate stared at the scanner and -his mouth twisted into a grin. He turned away and barked several orders. -"Wallace, stand by to blast off in two minutes! Brooks, get me a bearing -on that ship." - -"You mean Simms?" asked the radarman. - -"No! I mean that ship, right there," snapped Coxine. He pointed to a -white blip on the scanner. "And after you get the bearing I want a -course that'll intersect it in"--Coxine paused and glanced at the astral -chronometer--"ten minutes!" - -Quickly calculating the bearing and working up the course as ordered, -Brooks handed Coxine a slip of paper. The pirate glanced at it briefly. - -"What would you say Simms' speed would be if he kept his ship on full -thrust, Brooks?" asked Coxine. - -Brooks thought a moment. "I'd say it would be about half of what he's -making now!" - -"Exactly!" roared Coxine. "That's why the ship on your scanner isn't -Simms' at all, but another ship!" - -The radarman studied the scanner, where, with each sweep of the thin -white line, the blip of the ship appeared. "You mean it might be the -Titan pay roll?" he breathed hopefully. - -"Yeah," breathed Coxine. "I mean it might be the Titan pay roll, and -then again it might not!" Coxine turned away, leaving the radarman -utterly confused. - -Within the two-minute deadline that Coxine had ordered, the members of -his crew were locking the last air lock and securing ship for blast-off. -Coxine sat in front of the control panel, ready to give the final order -that would send the vessel hurtling into space. In a little while, the -evil mind, the twisted brain of Bull Coxine would be pitted against the -might of the Solar Guard. - - * * * * * - -Captain Strong sat on the control deck of the decoy ship, watching the -radar scanner and waiting for the appearance of Bull Coxine and his -crew. Again and again, the young Solar Guard officer, too restless to -remain in one spot, got up and paced the deck. - -He flipped on a chart screen and studied the positions of the -surrounding asteroids, which he knew hid the Solar Guard fleet, ready to -pounce on any attacking ship. Schooled for years in facing the tedium of -space travel and patrolling the space lanes, Strong nevertheless was -anxious for something to happen, as minute after minute slipped past and -no attack came. - -Once he thought he saw something move on the scanner and gripped the -sides of the instrument tightly as a blip appeared, disappeared, and -then reappeared. Finally Strong was able to distinguish what it was and -he turned away in disgust. It had been a maverick asteroid, one which, -because of its positive gravity, never became a captive of other bodies -in space. It wandered aimlessly through the belt, a danger spacemen -feared more than any other, since it could not be depended upon to -remain in one position. - -Unable to break audio silence and communicate with the hidden Solar -Guard fleet around him, lest he give away their positions, Strong found -the loneliness driving him into a case of jitters and nerves. - -Suddenly he jumped up and stared unbelievingly at the scanner. There in -front of him was a blip, traveling at amazing speed, straight for his -ship. From its size and shape, Strong could tell it was a rocket scout. -He watched it for a moment dumfounded at the speed of the small ship. -When he was certain that it was heading for him, he grabbed the -audioceiver microphone and began calling hurriedly. - -"Attention all ships! This is Captain Strong. Spaceship approaching me, -starboard quarter, one-one-five degrees. Estimated speed--" Strong -paused and watched the moving blip. "Speed unknown. All ships close in -immediately!" - -On the scanner, Strong could see the flashes of blips as the squadrons -roared out of concealment and closed in on the approaching rocket scout. -Over the audioceiver he could hear the squadron commanders snapping -orders to their ships as the small ship still headed, unheedingly, for -his decoy vessel. - -Suddenly the attacking ship slowed and Strong could see the blip turn in -a wide-sweeping curve. But it was too late. The Solar Guard ships had it -surrounded from every possible angle. The little scout made a desperate -dash straight for Strong's ship. In a flash, he saw the plan of the -ship's pilot. He was heading for Strong, hoping to use him as a shield -from the mighty six-inch blasters trained on him. - -Strong grabbed for the control and fired full thrust on his starboard -jets, sending the decoy vessel into a screaming dive. The attacking ship -tried to follow, but seeing it couldn't make it, turned and tried to -escape from the surrounding ships. Instinctively Strong shouted a -warning to the pilot to surrender, but even as he spoke, he saw the -firing flashes sparkle on the hulls of a dozen fleet vessels as they -sent their deadly atomic missiles converging like lightning arrows on -the speedy rocket scout. - -There was a burst of pure white fire on the scanner and then the young -captain gulped as the attacking ship was blasted into a hulk of twisted -metal. - -Strong grabbed the audioceiver microphone and shouted orders to the -fleet squadron leaders. - -" ... Squadron L! Put out immediate rescue jet boats and begin salvage -operations. All remaining ships will return to Solar Guard base, Space -Academy. End transmission!" - -Strong hurried to the air lock, hastily put on a space suit, and in a -few moments was blasting in a jet boat toward the remains of the -attacking scout. - -Immediately the communications of the departing fleet were filled with -talk of their victory over the pirate band. Strong alone felt uneasy -about their success. For Coxine to attack in a light rocket scout, which -Strong felt sure had been stripped down to gain more speed, did not -follow the pattern which the hardened pirate had established in previous -raids. - -When he arrived at the wreckage of the rocket scout, Strong found that -his fears were justified. - -A crew chief from one of the rescue squads approached Strong; his body -weightless in space, the man grappled for a handhold on a jutting piece -of the twisted wreck, and then spoke to Strong over the helmet -spacephones. - -"We found only one person aboard, sir," he reported. "And the ship -appears to have been stripped of everything but engines and control -panel." - -Behind the protective glass of his helmet, Strong grimaced. He turned to -Captain Randolph. "We've been tricked again, Randy," said Strong -bitterly. "We used a decoy and so did Coxine!" - - * * * * * - -"They're closing in!" Roger's voice crackled through the intercom from -the radar bridge. "Do we fight or do we let those space crawlers take -over?" - -"Fight!" bellowed Astro from the power deck. - -"No! Wait!" cried Tom. "We haven't a chance! If we don't heave to, -Coxine'll blast us into space junk!" - -Rocketing through the asteroid belt with the Titan pay roll, the three -space cadets, under strict orders to maintain communications silence, -were unaware that Bull Coxine had outsmarted Captain Strong. Sending in -the rocket scout, he had sprung the Solar Guard trap and had cagily -scanned the belt for another ship. Finding the _Polaris_ easily, the -pirate captain was blasting in for the attack. - -On the control deck of the Solar Guard cruiser, Tom Corbett desperately -tried to think of a plan to outwit Coxine, while his unit-mates urged -him to fight back. - -"What's the matter, Junior?" Roger called over the intercom -sarcastically. "Scared to fight?" - -"You know I'm not," snapped Tom in reply. - -"By the rings of Saturn," growled Astro, "I never thought you'd -surrender to anybody, Tom!" - -"Listen, both of you!" shouted Tom. "It's no use! We've got to play this -smart!" - -"Well, start making with the brains," sneered Roger. "Coxine's in range -now." - -"Attention--" A harsh unmistakable voice rumbled over the audioceiver. -"This is Bull Coxine! Heave to or you'll be blasted!" - -"All right, Junior," said Roger bitterly, "company's coming. What now?" - -"Cut all power, Astro--fast!" ordered Tom. - -"What's the matter?" growled Astro. "Afraid they'll shoot if you don't -stop fast enough?" - -"Keep your big trap shut and do as I tell you!" snapped Tom. - -"Listen, Junior!" snarled Roger. "As far as I'm concerned--" - -Tom interrupted him. "_You_ listen, you idiot! Don't you see what's -happened? Coxine must have found out about the decoy ship, and when we -showed up on his scanner, he figured right away that we might have the -Titan pay roll." - -"So what?" demanded Roger. "That still doesn't let you off for not -belting that crawler with our six-inchers!" - -"Use your head!" snapped Tom. "With the Solar Guard squadrons on the -other side of the belt and with no gun crews on our ship, how far do you -think we'd have gotten?" - -"You didn't have to surrender, Tom," said Astro. "I could have outrun -Coxine in nothing flat. Why, I haven't got half the speed out of this -old girl I think she's got." - -"A great idea, bird brain! Run away from the very guy the Solar Guard's -going crazy trying to find!" - -The intercom was suddenly silent as Astro and Roger began to understand -Tom's decision and waited for him to elaborate on his idea. - -"Now, listen, Roger," said Tom patiently, "we've got about five minutes -before those crawlers will be aboard. How long will it take you to make -a signal beacon that'll send out a constant automatic SOS?" - -"A what?" asked Roger. - -"Beacon. One that will transmit on the Solar Guard special frequency and -be small enough to hide here on the _Polaris_." - -"Why hide it on the _Polaris_?" asked Astro. "Why not try to get it on -their ship?" His tone was almost apologetic now that he realized Tom was -not planning a cowardly surrender. - -"It's a cinch they'll take the _Polaris_ over," explained Tom. "She's -fast and she's got six-inch blasters." - -"I get it!" yelped Astro. "We plant the beacon on the _Polaris_, and -when they take her over, the signal will be going out all the time." -Astro paused. "But wait a minute. They'll be sure to search the ship -first!" - -"First things first, Astro," answered Tom. "Roger, can you make the -beacon?" - -"Yeah," said Roger, "but it'll take me at least a half hour!" - -"You've got to finish it faster than that!" Tom insisted. - -"I can't, Tom. I just can't." - -"All right, then we'll have to stall as best we can. Get to work. -Meantime, Astro and I will find a place to hide it. How big do you think -it'll be?" - -There was a momentary pause and then Roger replied, "No smaller than six -inches. About like a shoe box." - -"Could you make it three inches thick, and longer, instead of -box-shaped?" - -Roger hesitated again. "Yeah, I guess so. Why?" - -"Because I just thought of a good place to hide it. They'd have to tear -the ship apart to find it, _if_ they even hear the signal!" - -"Attention! Attention! This is Coxine--" The pirate's voice bawled over -the audioceiver again. "You are under my guns. Stand by to receive a -boarding party. If you make any attempt to escape, you will be blasted!" - -Tom grabbed the microphone to the audioceiver and replied, "Orders -understood, but you'll have to wait until we can build up air pressure -in the air lock." - -"Very well," said Coxine. "We'll give you fifteen minutes." - -Tom thought desperately. "You'll have to wait at least a half hour. We -broke a valve and have to replace it!" - -Coxine's voice became suspicious. "Hey, what're you trying to pull?" - -"Honest, Mister Coxine," whined Tom, "we're not doing anything." - -"Fifteen minutes," roared Coxine, "or I blast a hole in your ship!" - -"Yes, sir!" answered Tom, fully aware that the pirate captain would -carry out his threat. - -Dropping the audioceiver microphone, the young cadet hurried to the -power deck, where Astro waited impatiently. - -"Grab a couple of cutting torches, Astro," he said, "and get me a -lead-lined suit. I'm going into the reactant chamber." - -"What?" demanded Astro. - -"You heard me! I'm going to hide that beacon where they'll never find -it." - -"In the reactant chamber?" asked Astro. "Impossible!" - -"Remember when we first arrived at the prison asteroid? How thoroughly -we were searched?" - -Astro nodded. - -"Remember, they even searched the space between the inner and outer -hulls? There's three inches of clearance in there. If I cut into that -space through the reactant chamber and put the beacon inside, the noise -of the jets will keep Coxine from hearing it, and the radioactivity in -the chamber will keep them from picking it up on their detectors!" - -Astro's face spread into a wide grin, and without another word, he began -preparing the cutting torches. Ten minutes later Tom emerged from the -chamber and nodded triumphantly. "All set, Astro! Now all we need is the -beacon." - -Suddenly the _Polaris_ was rocked by a heavy explosion. - -"They're firing!" yelled Astro. - -"Roger! Have you finished the beacon?" demanded Tom over the intercom. - -"I need another five minutes!" answered Roger. "I have to set the signal -to send out the SOS." - -"Will it send out _anything_?" asked Tom. - -The _Polaris_ rocked again from a second explosion. - -"I don't know, Tom," yelled Roger. "I haven't even tested it!" - -A third explosion jarred the rocket cruiser and the curly-haired cadet -knew that the air lock must have been demolished by now. - -"Bring down what you've got, Roger!" he yelled. "We'll just have to take -a chance that it'll work. And grab yourself a space suit on the way -down. When they blast through the inner portal of the lock, we'll need -'em!" - -"Right!" replied Roger. "Be down there in a second." - -Astro and Tom hurriedly donned space suits and waited for Roger to bring -the beacon. In a moment the blond-haired cadet appeared with the -hurriedly contrived beacon. Tom quickly placed it between the two hulls -and sealed the hole in the inner hull. - -A fourth explosion rocked the ship and the three cadets knew that by now -the air lock had been blasted away. They put on their space helmets and -climbed the ladder to the upper deck. - -Coxine met them near the air lock, two paralo-ray guns clutched in his -gloved hands. Behind him, his crew swarmed in and fanned out all over -the ship. - -But the space pirate stood on the control deck, glaring at Tom. "Whaddya -know! The Space Kid himself!" - -"That's right, Coxine," said Tom quietly, "only the real name is -Corbett." - -Suddenly there was a triumphant shout from one of the pirates. "Skipper! -The credits! All twenty million! We found 'em!" - -Over their spacephones the three cadets could hear the pirates yelling -and cheering. Coxine bellowed for silence and the cheering quickly -subsided. - -Paying no further attention to the three cadets, the pirate captain -ordered his men to repair the hole in the air lock and prepare for -immediate acceleration. There was a triumphant gleam in his eyes as he -announced their destination. - -"With the Solar Guard on the other side of the belt, we're going to hit -the richest prize in the universe! The colony on Ganymede!" - -He then turned and smiled at his three prisoners, adding menacingly, -"And we've got three passes to get us through the defenses!" - - - - -CHAPTER 19 - - -Ganymede, the largest moon of Jupiter, was an important way station of -the Solar Alliance for all spaceships traveling between the outer -planets of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto and the inner planets of -Mars, Earth, Venus, and Mercury. The colony on Ganymede was more of a -supply depot than a permanent settlement, with one large uranium -refinery to convert the pitchblende brought in by the prospectors of the -asteroids. Refueling ships, replenishing supplies, and having a small -tourist trade, it was a quiet colony, one of many spread throughout the -system. - -With the Solar Guard search squadrons hopelessly out of range on the -other side of the asteroid belt, the cadets' only hope of saving the -tiny colony lay in the beacon hidden inside the hull of the _Polaris_. - -Leaving Wallace and half of his crew aboard the _Polaris_, Bull Coxine -had transferred the three cadets to the Avenger and thrown them into the -brig. As the ship accelerated toward the colony, Tom stared out of the -small, barred viewport while Roger and Astro sprawled glumly on the hard -bunks. - -Roger finally broke the heavy silence. "What do you suppose Coxine meant -when he said he had three passes into Ganymede?" - -"Give you one guess, pal," snorted Astro. - -"He obviously expects us to give him the recognition signal," said Tom. - -Roger sighed. "That's what I figured. But I was hoping I was wrong." - -"At least we're all immune to truth drugs," said Astro hopefully. "He -won't get the recognition code out of us that way." - -"That dirty space crawler wouldn't even bother with drugs," muttered -Roger. "They aren't enough fun. He likes to get what he wants the hard -way." - -"Yes," agreed Tom. "We're in for a rough time, guys." - -They all looked at each other, fully aware of what lay in score for -them. Finally Astro growled, "I don't care what he does to me. I won't -tell him a thing!" - -"Same here!" exclaimed Roger. - -Tom merely nodded, his face a grim, expressionless mask. - -Suddenly three men led by Brooks, the radar operator, appeared in the -passageway outside the brig. Brooks stepped forward, opened the door, -and gestured with the paralo-ray gun in his hand. - -"All right, you punks! Outside!" - -Astro started to lunge for the pirate, but Tom grabbed him by the arm. -"Take it easy, Astro. That won't get us any place." - -"You can say that again," sneered Brooks. "One crazy move like that, -kid, and I'll freeze you solid as a cake of ice! Now come on! Move!" - -Tom, followed by Astro and Roger, walked slowly out of the brig, and -guarded closely by the three pirate crewmen they were taken to the main -air lock. - -"All right," said Brooks. "The big ox and blondie, get in there!" - -One of the crewmen opened the air-lock portal while the other two jabbed -Astro and Roger with ray guns. The two cadets stumbled into the chamber -and the door was slammed behind them. - -"Lock it!" snarled Brooks. - -When the men had secured the portal, Brooks turned and pushed Tom -roughly along the passageway. A moment later they reached the control -deck where Bull Coxine was hunched over his charts. - -"Here he is, Captain," said Brooks. "The other two are sealed up in the -air lock like sardines!" - -Coxine nodded and faced Tom, a thin smile on his face. "I told you I -would get the recognition signal, Corbett," he said. "And I will!" -Coxine walked over to a large valve on the after bulkhead and tapped the -needle indicator right beside it. Satisfied, he turned back to the -cadet. - -"In two hours," began Coxine, "we'll be within range of the Ganymede -garrison and its radar. It takes exactly eight turns on this valve to -bleed the air out of the air lock where your two buddies are. So, every -fifteen minutes I'm going to ask you for the recognition signal, and -every time you say no, I'll turn the valve once. By the time we get -close enough to Ganymede to be picked up on their radar, you'll either -have given me the signal or your buddies will be dead!" - -Tom stood listening to Coxine, his blood boiling at the giant spaceman's -cruelty. Suddenly he tore across the control deck and made a dive for -Coxine's neck. But the big man met him coming on and with a powerful -slap of his hand sent the boy sprawling back across the deck. - -"You're a good man, Corbett," said Coxine, standing over the fallen -cadet, "but you're a _little_ man, and a good big man can lick a good -little man any time!" - -Brooks and the crewmen laughed loudly as Tom dragged himself to his -feet. - -"Well, do I get the signal?" demanded Coxine. "Or do your buddies get a -little less air?" - -Standing unsteadily on his feet, with four paralo-ray guns trained on -his body, Tom thought quickly of Roger and Astro, alone in the darkness -of the air lock, soon to be clawing their throats for air; of the -merciless attack on the prison asteroid; of the helpless ships Coxine -had looted. All these things and more flashed through the curly-haired -cadet's mind as he weighed his life and the lives of his unit-mates -against an attack that would devastate the small satellite of Jupiter. -Tom could see through the pirate's demand for the recognition signal. -Once inside the Ganymede radar screen, he could attack the Solar Guard -garrison and wipe it out before it could raise a ship in defense. - -"Well?" demanded Coxine, placing his huge hand on the valve. - -Tom knew that if he could stall long enough, the signal aboard the -_Polaris_ might be picked up by the Solar Guard. Roger and Astro were in -good physical condition. They could conserve their energy as soon as -they discovered the trap. He had to stall and hope the signal would be -picked up in time. - -"The only thing I'll ever give you, Coxine," said Tom through clenched -teeth, "is a blast of a paralo-ray!" - -Coxine snarled in anger and turned the valve, shouting, "One more thing, -_Mister Hero_! The minute the air lock is empty, _you_ take a swim in -space too!" - -Tom was prepared for that. He knew the pirate would not take defeat at -the hands of a Space Cadet easily. Tom was resigned to his fate. He was -ready to accept anything if it would serve the purpose of ridding the -solar system of Bull Coxine. - -"Tie him to that chair," snarled the giant pirate captain. "And make -sure he's secure, or you'll go swimming in space with him!" - -Tom was shoved roughly into the copilot's chair in front of the control -board and tied down with a thick rope. He winced as the heavy line dug -into his arms. After inspecting the job, Coxine dismissed Brooks and the -men with a curt nod and returned to his charts. - -Tom sat in front of the control panel, his eyes sweeping the gauges and -dials and at last fixing on the master acceleration lever. Two feet away -was the lever that controlled all the power on the ship. If he could -only reach it, he could stop the _Avenger_ dead, and possibly even put -the ship completely out of commission. But try as he might, he could not -get his hands free. - -Coxine looked up at the astral chronometer and walked over to the valve. -"Well, Corbett," demanded the burly spaceman, "what's the recognition -signal?" - -Tom only shook his head. - -"Must be pretty bad, sitting down there in the dark, hearing the oxygen -feed in slower and slower. You sure you won't change your mind?" - -Tom looked squarely at Coxine, hatred in his eyes, and he watched the -pirate captain shrug his shoulders, turn the valve again, and return to -his charts. - -The young cadet watched the astral chronometer, seeing the red hand -sweep the seconds away, and the black minute hand inch around the dial. -Over and over, the curly-haired Space Cadet refused Coxine's demand for -the recognition signal and then watched helplessly as the pirate gave -the air-lock valve another twist. - -Nearly two hours had passed and Tom knew that they would soon be in -radar range of the Ganymede garrison. The pressure in the air lock must -now be within ten units of zero. Suddenly, overhead, the audioceiver -loud-speaker crackled into life. - -"Attention! This is Ganymede traffic control. Identify yourself -immediately with authorized code!" - -Coxine glared at Tom and put his hand on the air-lock valve. "Last time, -Corbett. Either you give me the Solar Guard recognition signal, or your -buddies are finished!" - -Tom gulped. He had no assurance that Coxine would release Roger and -Astro, even if he did give him the signal. But he knew there was no -choice. He looked up at Coxine. - -"Do I have your word as an _Earthman_ that nothing will happen to them?" -he asked quietly. - -Coxine laughed. "Sure. I'll give you my word. I'll even bring them up -here so they can see the show and then let you go afterward. But by the -time I'm finished with the Ganymede colony the Solar Guard will have -your hides for handing out their secrets." - -Tom knew what the pirate said was true. He was taking a gamble now. A -gamble that by this time his signal on the _Polaris_ had been picked up -and a fleet of ships would be on their trail. - -"Attention! Attention! Identify yourselves immediately!" The voice from -the Ganymede traffic-control tower came over the audioceiver again. -Coxine's face twisted into a half-smile. - -"Well, Corbett, do I get the signal or don't I?" - -"Tell them you're a Solar Guard armed freighter." Tom's voice was low. -"You're assigned to operation 'Vista.'" - -"Vista?" said Coxine excitedly. "Is that the code word? Vista?" - -"Yes," said Tom. "Now open the valve!" - -Coxine gave the valve a number of turns in the opposite direction and -jumped to the teleceiver. He flipped the key open and called Wallace -aboard the _Polaris_. "When they ask you for identification, tell them -you're working on operation Vista. That's the key word. Vista!" - -"Right!" answered Wallace. - -Coxine then turned to the audioceiver and spoke in confident, assured -tones. "Attention, Ganymede traffic control! This is armed freighter -_Samson_, assigned on project Vista. Request clearance for approach and -touchdown on Ganymede spaceport!" - -"You are properly identified, _Samson_," replied Ganymede. "Proceed on -your present course. End transmission." - -"End transmission!" roared Coxine triumphantly. - -The giant pirate turned back to Tom, bellowing, "Thanks, Corbett. You've -just given me the key to everything I ever wanted." - -"What do you mean?" asked Tom, suddenly frightened by the strange wild -gleam in Coxine's eyes. - -"By the time I've finished with Ganymede, I'll have every ship on their -spaceport. A fleet big enough to hit any part of the Solar Alliance I -want! Solar Guard or no Solar Guard!" - -"No! You can't!" gasped Tom. - -"Can't I?" snarled Coxine. "I'll show the Solar Guard something they -never saw before. Their own ships blasting them right out of space!" - -Coxine turned to the intercom, ordered Astro and Roger brought up to the -control deck, and then contacted Wallace aboard the _Polaris_. - -"Yeah?" answered the spaceman from the control deck of the rocket -cruiser. - -"We're going in according to plan! Train all your guns on the Solar -Guard defense installations and stand by!" - -"Ready any time you say the word," replied Wallace. - -Jumping back to the intercom, Coxine gave orders to the power deck for -full thrust, then ordered the radar bridge to relay the scanner image of -Ganymede to the control deck. - -As the rocket ship surged ahead under the added thrust, Tom strained -against his ropes to watch the scanner and saw the clear image of the -colony. He could make out the outline of the uranium plant, the -atmosphere booster stations and small buildings clustered around the -spaceport. As they drew closer to the tiny colony, Coxine grabbed the -intercom and the teleceiver microphones and barked crisp orders to both -the Avengers and the _Polaris_' power decks. "Full braking rockets!" -roared Coxine. - -Tom braced himself against the sudden reverse pressure of the powerful -nose rockets, and then, in a moment, felt the _Avenger_ come to a dead -stop. Watching the scanner again, he saw that they were directly over -the Solar Guard garrison. Coxine switched the teleceiver to the colony -frequency and spoke sharply and confidently. - -"Attention! All citizens of Ganymede colony! This is Bull Coxine. Your -entire settlement is under my guns. Any attempt to raise ship and oppose -me will be met with instant destruction! Every citizen is hereby ordered -to assemble at the municipal spaceport within five minutes. All Solar -Guard officers and men will do the same. You have five minutes to -comply, or I will open fire!" - -The giant spaceman flipped off the teleceiver before anyone on Ganymede -could answer. Pressing with all his might, Tom managed to see more of -the scanner which suddenly showed the people of Ganymede scurrying out -to the spaceport in panic. Coxine watched the activity on the scanner -for a second and then grunted his satisfaction. - -Suddenly the hatch was thrown open and Astro and Roger were pushed into -the room by two crewmen. - -Coxine turned to them, smiling thinly. "You owe your lives to your buddy -here. One more minute and you would've been walking with the angels. -Now," he added to the crewmen, "tie them up so they can see the scanner. -I want them to see how easy it is to knock off a Solar Guard garrison!" - -"Why you--" Astro lunged toward the pirate but was stopped in his tracks -by a blast from a paralo-ray gun behind him. The big cadet stood rigid, -motionless, every nerve and muscle in his body paralyzed. Coxine sneered -and turned back to the intercom while his men tied up the two cadets. - -Tom and Roger looked at each other and, without speaking, knew what the -other was thinking. Their only hope was the beacon signal aboard the -_Polaris_. - -After the men had tied Astro, they released him from the effects of the -ray charge and threw him down beside Roger. - -"How do you feel?" asked Tom. - -"Like I've been run through a set of gears," mumbled Astro. "How about -yourself?" - -"O.K.," replied Tom. "Was it"--he paused--"was it tough in the air -lock?" - -Roger smiled. "Not as tough as it must have been on you up here. We -realized what was going on as soon as we found out we were losing air." - -The blond-haired cadet shook his head and Tom noticed that both Roger -and Astro were weak from their ordeal in the chamber. - -At the control panel, Coxine was bawling orders to his crew. "Jet boats -one, two, three, four, and five! Stand by to blast off!" - -The three cadets looked at each other helplessly. - -"Russell, check in," continued the burly spaceman. - -"Russell here!" replied a voice on the intercom. - -"You're in charge of the party. I want you to do one thing, and one -thing only! Take the largest ships on the spaceport and blast off. Don't -touch anything else! Just the ships. Those you can't get off the ground, -leave. We'll blast them later!" - -"Aye, aye, sir." - -Coxine strode over to the teleceiver. Immediately the image of a man in -the uniform of a Solar Guard major appeared on the screen. His voice -echoed in the control room. - -"Hello, Coxine! This is Major Sommers! Come in, Coxine!" - -"Yeah--" replied Coxine. "Whaddya want?" The pirate captain stepped -arrogantly in front of the teleceiver's transmitting lens, and from the -look on the officer's face, Tom knew he had seen Coxine on his own -screen. - -"We've followed orders," said the major. "Our only request is that you -do not harm any of the citizens--" - -Coxine cut him off. "Stow that space gas! I'll do what I please! I'm -sending down a crew of men. They have certain orders. Any interference -from you and I'll open fire with everything I've got--right in the -middle of the spaceport." - -Tom gasped. The spaceport was now crowded with the citizens of the tiny -colony. - -The major nodded gravely. "I understand," he said. "You may rest assured -no one will interfere with your men!" - -"Huh!" sneered Coxine. "You don't sound so high and mighty now that -you're staring into the barrels of a dozen atomic blasters!" He snapped -off the teleceiver and roared with laughter. - -Tom felt a shiver run down his spine. He could imagine the frustration -of the Ganymede garrison, a crack crew of fighting men, forced to -surrender without firing a shot. And he had been the cause by giving -Coxine the code recognition signal! - -Coxine snapped an order into the intercom and a moment later Tom saw the -jet boats on the scanner, rocketing down to the surface of the small -satellite. - -As, one by one, the small ships landed on the spaceport, the three -cadets could see the crowds of colonists fan out, allowing the jet boats -to come in without interference. - -Coxine strode up and down the control deck restlessly, but keeping his -eyes on the activity below. Suddenly he rushed to the scanner, stared -hard, and then let out a roar of triumph. - -The three cadets saw the reason immediately. On the scanner were the -unmistakable outlines of two Solar Guard heavy cruisers, four -destroyers, and six scouts, hurtling spaceward at tremendous speed. -Coxine spun around, balled his fists into tight knots, and shook them at -the three cadets. - -"I've won! I've won!" He roared with insane laughter and there was a -crazed gleam in his eyes. "I've got the ships, the guns, the men, and -the secret of the adjustable light-key. By the time I'm finished with -the Solar Guard there won't be anything left of those crawlers but what -you can hear on a story spool, and the Solar Alliance will be run by one -man!" He paused, his face grew hard and he tapped his chest menacingly. -"Me!" - - - - -CHAPTER 20 - - -"I don't care if the blasted ship blows up!" roared Captain Strong to -the power-deck officer of the Solar Guard rocket cruiser _Arcturus_. "I -want every ounce of thrust you can get out of this space heap!" - -The young Solar Guard captain turned back to the loud-speaker of the -audioceiver, turned the volume dial a fraction, and listened. The steady -pronounced ping of Roger's signal beacon filled his ears. - -When Strong discovered that Coxine had outwitted him, he had gone aboard -the rocket cruiser _Arcturus_ of Squadron Ten and had continued on -search patrol. He dared not break audio silence to warn the cadets -aboard the _Polaris_, lest he give away the position of the ship. Later, -when the radar officer of the _Arcturus_ reported a steady signal over -the audioceiver, Strong at first dismissed it as some form of -interference from space. But when Titan failed to report the arrival of -the _Polaris_ on time, Strong investigated the strange sound. Taking a -bearing on the signal, he discovered it came from a position dangerously -close to the small Jovian colony of Ganymede. After repeated attempts to -raise the _Polaris_ failed, and no distress signals had been received, -Strong feared that Bull Coxine had won again. In a desperate effort to -catch the criminal, he took repeated bearings on the signal and ordered -full emergency space speed toward the small satellite of Jupiter. - -Contacting Commander Walters at Space Academy, Strong related his -suspicions and received permission to carry out a plan of action. - -"I want you to engage the enemy at all costs!" ordered Walters. "Blast -his space-crawling hide into protons! That's an order!" - -"Yes, sir!" replied Strong with grim determination. "There's nothing I'd -like better." - -Six hours later Strong received confirmation of his worst fears. He was -handed a message that read: - - EMERGENCY: - - GANYMEDE GARRISON ATTACKED ZERO THREE HUNDRED HOURS BY TWO SHIPS. - ONE VESSEL IDENTIFIED AS ROCKET CRUISER POLARIS. SEND AID - IMMEDIATELY. ENTIRE COLONY AT MERCY OF COXINE. SIGNED, SOMMERS, - MAJOR, SOLAR GUARD. - -Strong realized at once that the cadets had been forced to give the -recognition code to the pirate. There wasn't any other way for the -pirate to penetrate the defenses of Ganymede. And, thought Strong -bitterly, to blast Coxine was to blast the cadets as well. The -commander's words echoed again in his ears, "... blast him, Steve! -That's an order!" - -Strong turned to his second-in-command. "Man all guns! Stand by to -attack under plan S! We'll engage the enemy as soon as he's sighted!" - -The young officer saluted and turned away quickly. But not before he saw -the mist in Steve Strong's eyes. - - * * * * * - -Tom, Roger, and Astro watched the incredible scene taking place in front -of them with unbelieving eyes. Seven men were standing at rigid -attention on the control deck of the _Avenger_. Wallace, Russell, -Attardi, Harris, Shelly, Martin, and Brooks. In front of them, standing -equally rigid, Bull Coxine was addressing them in a low restrained -voice. - -"Raise your right hands and repeat after me." - -The men raised their hands. - -"I hereby pledge my life to Bull Coxine!" - -"... I hereby pledge my life to Bull Coxine...." repeated the men in -unison. - -"To uphold his decisions, obey his orders, and fulfill his purpose of -destroying the Solar Alliance and establishing a new governmental -order!" - -The seven men repeated the words slowly and hesitantly. - -"All right," said Coxine. "From this day on, you are my chief -lieutenants. You will command the ships of my fleet, and when we destroy -the power of the Solar Guard and take over the Alliance, you will help -me rule our new order." - -The seven men looked at each other, raised a mild cheer, and waited as -Coxine shook hands with each of them. - -"All right," said Coxine abruptly as he reached the end of the line. -"Get to your ships and prepare for full acceleration. We go into action -immediately!" - -The men filed from the room silently, each with a worried look on his -face. Coxine failed to notice their lack of enthusiasm and turned to the -three cadets. - -"Some day, boys," he said, "you'll go down in history as being the first -witnesses to the establishment of the new order." - -Astro glared up at the giant spaceman. "We'll be the witnesses to the -biggest bust in the universe when the Solar Guard catches up with you!" - -"Yeah," drawled Roger in his most casual manner. "You're the one that'll -go down in history, Coxine, as the biggest space-gassing idiot that ever -blasted off!" - -Tom suddenly guffawed. Though close to death, he couldn't help laughing -at Roger's remark. The big spaceman flushed angrily and with the flat of -his hand slapped the cadet across the face. Then, he turned to the -teleceiver and opened the circuit to all the ships that were standing by -in space around the _Avenger_, the ships of the Ganymede garrison. - -"Stand by for acceleration," he called. "We're going to show the Solar -Alliance who's boss, beginning right now! I'll give you the target in a -few minutes but head in the direction of Earth!" - -He faced the three cadets and sneered. "By the time I'm finished with -Luna City, the only thing active will be radioactive!" - -Suddenly Gus Wallace could be heard screaming over the teleceiver, his -face a mask of fear and panic. - -"Bull! Bull!" he shouted. "The Solar Guard! We just spotted them! -Squadrons! Heading straight for us! We've got to get out of here!" - -"What?" roared Coxine, turning to his radar scanner. The blips on the -screen verified the alarm. He shouted into the teleceiver, "Man your -guns! We'll wipe them out right now!" - -"But, Bull--" whined Wallace. "They'll blast us out of space!" - -Coxine roared into the mike. "The first one of you yellow crawlers that -tries to run for it will be blasted by me! Man your guns, I said! This -is our big chance! Wipe out the Solar Guard now and the Solar Alliance -is ours for the asking! Fight, men! Fight!" - -Tom, Roger, and Astro looked at each other, mouths open, not knowing -whether they should laugh or not at the dramatic speech of the huge -spaceman. But whatever the private feelings of the criminals, Coxine had -roused them to fever pitch and the boys could hear them racing through -the _Avenger_, preparing to fight the squadrons of Solar Guard ships -bearing down on them. - -Coxine strapped himself in the pilot's chair and began barking orders to -his battle stations, whipping his men into action relentlessly. - -And then suddenly Captain Strong's voice, vibrant and firm, came over -the audioceiver, demanding the surrender of the pirate captain and his -fleet. - -"Never!" roared Coxine. "You'll get my surrender from the barrels of -every blaster I have under my command!" - -"Then," replied Strong, "I have no alternative but to attack!" - -With a coldness that reached across the void of space and gripped their -hearts with icy fingers, the three cadets heard their skipper give his -squadrons the deadly order! - -"Fire!" - -Coxine snapped his order at almost the same instant and the three cadets -felt the _Avenger_ shudder as her turrets began blazing away, returning -round for round of the deadly atomic missiles. - -Racing from scanner to the control panel and back again, Coxine watched -the battle rage around him. With speeds nearing that of light, exhaust -trails cut scarlet paths through the black space, as the two opposing -fleets attacked, counterattacked, and then regrouped to attack again. -The rhythm of the blasters on the _Avenger_ had taken on a familiar -pattern of five-second intervals between bursts. Gradually, one by one, -the pirate ships were hit, demolished or badly damaged, but still they -fought on. Coxine, his eyes wild with desperation, now kept lining up -ships in his radar sights and firing, with no way of knowing which was -friend and which was foe. - -Tom, Roger, and Astro watched the dogfight on the scanner in horrified -fascination. Never before had they seen such maneuvering, as the giant -ships avoided collision sometimes by inches. Once, Tom tore his eyes -away from the scanner when he saw a rocket destroyer plow through the -escaping swarm of jet boats after one of the pirate ships had been hit. - -Fire and change course, fire and change course, again and again, Coxine -performed the miracle of escaping the deadly atomic blasters aboard the -Solar Guard ships. - -Suddenly the three cadets saw the outline of a rocket cruiser bearing -down on them. The white blip on the scanner came closer and closer to -the heart of the scanner. Just in time Coxine saw it and shouted for a -course change. But even as the _Avenger_ swung up and away from the -attacking ship, the cadets saw the flash of flame from the cruiser's -turrets and a moment later felt the bone-rattling shudder of a near -miss. - -The control deck suddenly filled with smoke. A flash fire broke out in -the control panel and the circuits sparked and flared. Tom was thrown -across the room and Roger landed on top of him. - -"Up ninety degrees! Full starboard thrust!" roared Coxine into the -intercom. "Hurry, you space crawlers! We've got to get out of here!" - -Tom quickly realized that in the smoke and confusion Coxine couldn't -possibly direct the ship back into the fight. There was only one -explanation. He was deserting his fleet and trying to escape. - -And then, over the noise and confusion, Tom could hear the sound of -struggling bodies and Coxine muttering an oath between his teeth. - -"I'll break you in two, you blasted space rat!" - -There were more sounds of struggle, and Tom and Roger heard Astro's -voice replying grimly: - -"Do it and then talk about it, big shot!" - -Slowly the smoke cleared from the control deck and Tom and Roger -strained their eyes to see through the thick cloud. There, in front of -them, stood Astro, torn strands of rope dangling from his arms, in -mortal combat with Coxine. The two giants were holding each other's -wrists, their feet spread wide, legs braced, grimacing faces an inch -apart, struggling to throw each other off balance. - -[Illustration: _Astro and Coxine were locked in mortal combat_] - -Tom and Roger watched the two huge spacemen brace against each other, -muscles straining and faces turning a slow red as they tried to force -the other's hands back. Suddenly, with the speed of a cat, Coxine stuck -out his leg and kicked Astro's foot from the deck, tripping him. Astro -tumbled to the deck. In a flash, the pirate was on top of him, gripping -him by the throat. The Venusian grabbed at the hands that were slowly -choking the life out of him and pulled at the fingers, his face turning -slowly from the angry flush of a moment before to the dark-gray hue of -impending death! - -Still bound and tied by the heavy rope, the two cadets on the deck were -helpless, as Astro's strength slipped from his body. - -Tom turned to Roger desperately. "We've got to do something!" - -"What? I can't get loose!" The blond-haired cadet struggled against the -ropes until the blood ran down his wrists, but it was a hopeless effort. - -"Yell!" said Tom desperately. "Yell! Make a noise! Holler like you've -never hollered before!" - -"Yell?" asked Roger stupidly. - -"We've got to distract him!" - -Tom began to bellow, and immediately was echoed by Roger. They shouted -and screamed. They kicked their feet on the deck and tore against their -bonds. - -Astro's hands no longer fought the powerful fingers taking his life. -There was no strength in the cadet's hands now, but in the split second -that Coxine turned to look at Tom and Roger, he gave a mighty heave with -the last of his great strength and tore free of the pirate's grasp. - -The Venusian jumped up and ran to the farthest corner of the control -deck, gasping for breath. Coxine rushed after him, but Astro eluded him -and stumbled to the opposite end of the control room, still trying to -suck the life-giving breath into his screaming lungs. Slowly his -strength returned. - -Coxine made another headlong rush for the cadet, but this time Astro did -not attempt to get away. He stood squarely to meet the charge and his -right fist caught the pirate flush on the chin. Coxine staggered back, -eyes wide with surprise. In an instant Astro was on him, pounding his -mighty fists into the pirate's stomach and any place he could find an -opening. Roaring like a wild animal, the cadet no longer fought for the -honor of the Solar Guard or his friends. He didn't look upon the -criminal in front of him as Coxine the pirate, but as a man who had -nearly taken his life, and he fought with the ferocity of a man who -wanted to live. - -Again and again, Tom and Roger saw their unit-mate pound straight, -powerful, jolting lefts and rights into the pirate's mid-section until -they thought he would put his fist completely through the man's body. - -Just as Coxine looked as if he would fall, he suddenly charged in again. -But his powerful strength restored, Astro stepped back and waited for an -opening. Coxine threw a whistling right for Astro's head. The Venusian -ducked, shifting his weight slightly, and drove his right squarely into -the pirate's face. His eyes suddenly glassy and vacant, Bull Coxine sank -to the deck, out cold. - -Breathing heavily, the cadet turned, wiped his face, and smiled -crookedly at Tom and Roger. - -"If I ever have to fight another man like that again," gasped Astro as -he loosened the ropes around his unit-mates, "I want to have both fists -dipped in lead before I begin!" - -He held up his hands. There was not a bit of flesh remaining on his -knuckles. - -As soon as Tom was free he grabbed the pirate's paralo-ray gun. "We'd -better tie this crawler up!" he shouted. - -"We'll do that," said Roger. "You try to figure out how we're going to -get off this ship!" - -Suddenly, behind them, the hatch burst open and Captain Strong rushed -into the room, followed by a dozen armed guardsmen. - -"Captain Strong!" yelled the three cadets together. - -The young captain's face lighted up with a smile. He rushed over to Tom -and grabbed him by the hand, then turned to where Roger and Astro were -tying up Coxine. - -Strong pointed his gun at the fallen pirate. "What happened to him?" - -Roger smiled and nodded toward Astro. "Coxine told Astro he reminded him -of an ox he saw at a zoo once on Venus. Astro got mad--" Roger shrugged -his shoulders. "Poor Coxine, he didn't have a chance!" - -Astro blushed and looked up at Strong. "Never mind us, sir," said the -big cadet. "How did you get here!" - -Strong told them of having picked up the beacon signal. "That was quick -thinking, boys," he said. "It was the end of Coxine. If we hadn't -stopped him now--" Strong shook his head. - -"But how did you get aboard the _Avenger_, sir?" asked Tom. - -"This was the only ship that wasn't a Solar Guard fleet vessel, so it -was easy to spot. We captured the _Polaris_ right off the bat, and after -we searched it, figured you three were either dead, or aboard this one. -I gave the order not to fire on you, since we wiped out Coxine's fleet -before he could do any real damage. When we saw you accelerating, after -that last near miss--which incidentally was intended to miss you--we -came alongside, forced the air lock open, and took over." - -"But didn't the crew offer any resistance?" asked Roger. - -"No, and from the story they tell me about Coxine wanting to establish a -new order, or something like that, they were glad to surrender. They -think he's crazy." - -When the enlisted men carried Coxine, still unconscious, off the control -deck, the three members of the _Polaris_ unit and their skipper watched -him leave silently. All of them realized how close the Solar Alliance -had come to destruction at the hands of the insane pirate. Finally -Strong turned to his crew of cadets. - -"Well, boys," he said wearily, "we've recovered the adjustable light-key -and captured Coxine. I guess that finishes the space pirates!" - -"Yes, sir," said Tom quietly. "And this sure teaches me a lesson." - -"What's that?" said Strong. - -"Never to think that being a Space Cadet is a matter of learning -something from a story spool. Being a Space Cadet is like being--" He -stopped. "Like nothing in the universe!" - - - - - * * * * * - - - - -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 - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of On the Trail of the Space Pirates, by -Carey Rockwell - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON THE TRAIL OF THE SPACE PIRATES *** - -***** This file should be named 21092.txt or 21092.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/0/9/21092/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions 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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