Sabotage in Space

pass

mitory bulletin board and with his arms around A

bellow

then, with the realization that he was still a Space Cadet for at least another term

ends they passed. Occasionally they fell silent when they saw a boy carrying h

h other on the back, congratulating each other on passing. Neither of the units had made top honors as a result of their fight and the trial, and having to spend so much time on guard duty, but they had passed and that was the most import

ys at midnight, so we might as well hit the sack right

What heaven! I feel as if I'v

nd walked off. Tom settled back in his chair and sighed. "Sure wish I was i

nly seven more days to go, and then we

that power deck," said Astr

built, they saw Captain Strong returning from the restricted area on the ot

u to know Commander Walters and Major Connel think a lot more of you

r," said Astro

said Tom. "We've got to get out

that mix-up with Dave Barret, Firehouse Tim has h

aid Tom. "The fourth side of the hangar faces the

ng, "he had a right to be there. And

of us. And we decided that regardless of what Major Connel or Firehous

ous. "This is one of the most important projects I've ever been connected with and-" He st

s a projectile that will hom

but there are other factors involved, factors so important tha

onder they have this p

e opportunity of guarding this revoluti

"And please, Roger, no blunders tonight, eh? Let's not tak

an hick about that, not me," declared R

red to a recent letter he had seen in which one of the blond-haired cadet's many space dolls refer

throwback to a Venusian ape!" he roared. "

at?" He grabbed Roger by the arm and held him straight o

the loving, tender care of Firehouse Tim," he said, ho

u overgrown idio

ith laughter. Finally Roger was lowered to the ground, and, though he rubbed his shoulder and grumbled, he was really pleased that Astro

to the slidewalk and were back on

away from the hangar building itself, and fifty yards away from the second fence. The entire area was also guarded by radar. Should any unauthorized person or object be found in that area, an automatic alarm sounded and in fifteen seconds a hundred fully a

e. They were armed with powerful heat blasters. These rifles were different from the paralo-ray guns they had used previously. A beam

et that human life, if it interfered with the project, would be disintegrated. Only once before, on a

he hangar was a small box with a hole in the top. Each worker, guard, and person that entered the hangar had to insert a key into the hole and it made contact with a highly sensitive electronic device inside. The keys were issued only by Maj

ectacular change was in the heat blasters each guard carried. This, more than anything else, impressed on everyone connected with

with workers, who, intent on their assigned jobs, might be careless and leave themselves open to instant action on the part of the guards. Connel reasoned that Tom, Roger, and Astro, aside from their occasional antics in the Academy, would be more responsible than rough enlisted spacemen. The orders were specific: shoot to kill, but

he three entrances and exits, saw Dave Barret walk to a nearby public telec

Astro did not think much of it, until he a

smitter and his voice was low, but Astro could still hear him. "Yeah, I know how important it is to you, but I can b

out of the booth to face the muzzle of Astro's bl

shut. There was a difference between bei

rm sounded throughout the hangar and troopers stormed in brandishing their guns. Firehouse Tim and Connel arrived seconds la

s of Saturn!" roared

tepping forward quickly. Astro lowere

is?" demanded Connel, his

e. "Major," he said calmly, "this man just made a

about it?" c

etting at something, and that he was unable to do so, because he might be burned

ing to look at Barret. "What i

t. "Sure, I made a transspace call to Venusport

call about?" d

n the hangar were now gathering around the

hy

shouted Connel

ret. "The timer is too slow for our needs. I wanted to adjust it myself, but the projectil

k about finding an ope

ell as he bustled up to the group. "Why aren't th

onnel barked, and turned back

it without taking apart the whole projectile," said Barret, ad

back to work, all of you." The men moved away and Firehouse Tim led the guards back

help me, if you had burned this man, I, personally, would've buried you on

ked Barre

roared, "especially a transspace call that's monitored by the idiots

t think you should speak to Dave that way. Afte

this cadet had gone ahead and

ed my work here," replied Hemmingwell angrily. "I can't see why t

lay pigeon for a bunch of brats." He turned to Astro. "You'll

t, Barret," growled

r post, Astro. And you get back to work, Barret, and r

e little professor talking rapidly to the

h man perform the ritual of getting out to the letter. Still later, after they had been relieved by the Capella unit and had told them of the incident between Astro and Barret, they headed back to the Academy dormitory more