Danger in Deep Space

down the corridor away from Captain Strong's office. "They don't hand out se

Blast-off' Connel to e

ean 'educate'?

d dinner. And then has an extra one for dessert. He isn't just tough-his hide's made of armor plate. But I've got a hunch tha

ven!" exclaimed Tom.

rridors, a roar, deafening and powerful, filled their ears.

taaaaaaaannnnnn

adets waited for whatever calamity had befallen them. From behind came quick, heavy footsteps. They drew closer until th

e balls of his small feet like a boxer, hands hanging loosely at his sides. A bulldog chin jutted out of his rough-hewn face as if it were going to snap off the head of the nearest cadet. He towere

ris unit, eh?" he bellowed

e himself so hard that he became impatient with others who were not able to match his drive. It was not because of ego but rather to get the job at hand finished. More than once he had dressed down a captain of the Solar Guard in the same tone he used on a green Earthworm. It was legend around the Academy that once, believing he was right

being tardy, he stood in front of the c

anning, isn't

r!" repl

l-used to be a Sol

sir. He was k

e ten thousand years. But if you don't try to be a better man than he

r, sir!" g

turned

own atomic-rocket geniu

oked Astro. "I

ntering the Academy, eh?" asked Connel. There was less than a

"I was an enlisted man bef

power deck that will give me what I want, when I want it, or y

ing she's got, whe

wer deck clean enough to

ng more and more confused. "You li

to eat off the deck plates, but I want the

's voice was hard

e space maneuvers recently, singlehanded, e

lied Tom. He was as nervous as Roger and Astro, but he

et, eh? Well, you work with me. On the control deck there's only room for one brain, one decisi

fectly, sir," sai

the Martian desert. He was impressed with everything he had learned about them, but he knew that he had a reputation for being tough and that this reputation usually brought out the best in cadets. Early in his long and brilliant career he had learned that

did not show on his scowling face. "Yes," he thought, "they'll m

dropped his voice and pushed out his jaw a little farther. "This will be the toughest journey you'll ever make. You'll either come back spacemen, or you'll come back n

red up the slidestairs without ano

d Astro softly, with a wink at Tom. "Mak

!" snarled Roger after

s get the Polaris ready. A

trol tower of the Academy spaceport and watched the three c

us out of space for twelve months I wanta po

asked. "That Connel wouldn't have us aboard the Polaris, even if

pace-just waiting for me and you to come and take it. And no bi

ason, "but what are you

ng to do!" said Loring. "We

ns of Jupiter, what ar

ree ride

d you ain't got much more. There ain't nobody

field toward the Polaris. "You just buy us a coupla seats on the next rocket to Venusport and stop asking

uickly and walked to the nearest slid

, Tom confronted h

jor Connel just gave us, let's see if we c

Tom," Astro said

ed Roger. "No matter what we do for old 'Bla

"if we all do our jobs, there can't

r him to give us any de

," sai

"You saw the way he chewed us up,

oger," replied Tom. "But common sense will tell you

shot?" growled Astro. "A

, "I'll work the pants off you any day in t

e half of that energy f

Manning hot air to shine

e," said Tom. He turned to the instrum

e many controls and levers. Suddenly there was the sound of a hatch slamming below and th

and Major Connel stepped inside. With one sweeping glance

aaand to!"

ith his unit-mates as Connel began a quick but thorough check

. "Been doing a li

special, sir,

t's going to be spec

cknowledged R

over to the astrogation board and snapped a switch. Immediately a solar chart

we built one. We'll blast off from here and go directly to the space station where the Polaris will be fitted with hyperdrive for deep-space operations. While at the station you will acquaint yourselves with the o

Centauri. Tara is a planet in a stage of development similar to that of Earth several million years ago. Its climate is tropical, and lush vegetation-jungles really-covers the land surface. Two great oceans separate the land masses. One is called Alpha, t

performance, but excellence! I will not tolerate anything less, and if I'm forced to resort to extreme disciplinary action to get what I demand, then

hurried to their stations and beg

last off, Major Connel," re

rbett, proceed

f!" He then opened the circuit to the teleceiver scr

rol. Request permission to

r orbit has been cleared 089-repea

ff minus one fifty

me clear,

e intercom. "Control deck to radar bridge.

ard and up, Tom

wer deck. Energize

operation," answ

the acceleration chair, and began checking the dials and gauges. Satisfied everything was in order, he fastened his eyes to the sweeping red second hand on the solar clo

The red hand moved steadily, surely, to the zero at the

s five-four-thr

ew the

hen faster and faster, pushing the four spacemen deep

vity-free. Once again, Earthmen had