Danger in Deep Space

icer in the uniform of the Solar Guard snapped out the order as he watched the te

urly-haired Space Cadet. He turned to the ship's

to power dec

l-throated voice bellowe

Astro! We're coming

ndin

er the illuminated banks of indicators on the control panel. "Is our orbit to S

e cadet, turning back to the intercom.

" drawled a lazy vo

red for land

s glass ahead, Tom,

mp seven. Then"-the voice began to quicken wit

ntercom. "Lay off that space gas, Manning. Just see that this space wag

sian ape man," was the reply,

d what fleet

ster, with m

him as the good-natured argument crackled over the intercom speaker overhead.

ver learn, sir,"

g worried," answered the officer. He turned back to the controls. "One

ted action, the giant rocket cruiser Polaris slowly arched through Earth's atmosphere, first nosing up

r-classmen stopped all activity as they heard the blasting of the braking rockets high in the heavens. They stared enviously

urned from his desk to watch the touchdown of the great spaceship. And on the grassy quadrangle, Warrant Officer Mike McKenny, short and stubby in h

solar system was something that never died in a true spaceman. The green-clad cadets dreamed of the future when they would fee

ol-deck and command cadet of the Polaris unit after rigid examinations and tests. Topside, on the radar bridge, was Roger Manning, cocky and brash, but a specialist in radar and communications. Below, on the po

, the three cadets, Corbett, Manning, and Astro, and their unit skipper, Captain Steve St

tention focused on the meters and dials in fr

hrust!" snapped

unceasing power, and the mighty spaceship eased its

trol lever, cutting all power, and sudden silence filled

he glanced at the astral chronometer on the

urning the salute. "Check the Polaris fro

tic answer, and then he caug

, Corbett, you thought the Polaris would be pulled in f

r," repl

ived a message last night from Commander Walters. I think

e radar bridge, "you might know the old man would have another mi

now if I had my way, you'd certainly get the

ad joined the group

've all made plans, I mean-we

ed Roger. "Astro and I ar

Captain Strong. "We'd appreciate it if you could do somet

afraid you three made a big mistake in becoming the best unit in the Academy. Now every time there's

ation," said

hen report to me in my quarters in the morning. Y

and saluted as their superior officer strode toward the ha

handled yourselves these past few months. You boys are real spacemen

his unit-mates, "is known as the

re your radar bridge is O.K. If we do have to blast out of her

paceboy, and let little Roger take care

the only reason they allowed this space

Tom, playing al

t fuel we could just stick Manning in the rocket tubes and

throwback! One more

s enough! Come on. We've got just enough time to run up to

eating those concentrates so long my sto

ed in plastic containers to save weight and space. The concentrates never made a sat

dless belt of plastic, powered by giant subsurface rollers, being carried from the spac

he nest of fledgling spacemen, boys from Earth and the colonies of Venus and Mars learned the complex science that would enable them to r

Academy, to learn their trade and later enter the mighty Solar Guard, or join the rapidly expanding mer

gs that surrounded the grassy quadrangle of the Academy, Tom

, "every time I go near this p

athed Astro

at moved in a slow arc, getting into position for the coming night's observations. Tom foll

o the deep with a rocket ship as we

can penetrate other star systems in

own galaxy, and that's twenty-three and a half

onths ago the Solar Alliance sent out a scient

ome hop," com

oving at right angles to their own. The cadet that he singled out on the slidewalk was so thin and sma

u know!" cried As

on. "If you were as smart as he is,

lfie, I'd be scared. And besides, what do I n

rs of the Polaris unit skipped lightly over and jostled

ack. Alfie turned, his glasses knocked askew by To

tenances again, Cadets Corbett, Manning, and

ce into a grimace. "

see you," Rog

eamed Astro, "I'm happy

Academy, Alfie?" asked Tom. "What's this?

I happen to have a copy of your

tro looked at each

rged Roger. "Give us the ins

ll of which makes you an outstanding cadet. But even you know that I occupy a position of trust as cadet courier for Commander Walters and the administrative staff. I am not at liberty to mention anythin

you were the one who brought it up in the first p

Astro

talk if he wanted to! We'll just have to wait until Captain

n for the evening meal. From all corners of the quadrangle, the slidewalks carried Earthworms in their green uniforms, upper-class cadets in deep blue, enlisted

ous cadet units, forming up in front of the slidestairs leading down to the mess halls, Alfie turned to take a slidestairs going up. Sudde

ed Roger, as Tom stood sta

of the great experiments in space history. Somethin

" said Astro. "What d

uinea pigs to see how they react to Jovian gravity. That's never been

, you bloodthirsty ad

ed easily, and his eyes were wide and his voice

due to embark on a