Sabotage in Space

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ingwell, and Dave Barret stared unbelievingly at the tangle of

ur hours and have him brought under guard to the laboratory for psych

firing device carefully. After a long period of silence, while Strong, Walters, and Connel w

ed. "I believe that whoever did this either didn

Professor?" asked Stron

t of the whole unit. Anyone who really knew what he was doing and wanted to delay the project could have d

, Professor?"

know?" as

gwell. "This is something I developed that

ut it," said Steve Strong slowly, "then a saboteur would have tho

here is still the possibility that it

unit had been hurled from the upper deck of the spaceship, down to the

right to work on thi

think this incident is serious enough for me to delay leaving, and if Professor Hemmingwell and his men can get this uni

hink best. I'll have a ship made ready for you at

t along as second pilot," he said. "I'm getting too old to make a solo hop

ndard operational procedures for the space projectiles." He turned to Strong. "He's so sure

amazed. Every day he learned more and

Corbett the order to be ready at 0600

Lou," repl

ay, Walters called aft

g away the wreckage, Strong and Walters climbed out of

ge, sir?" asked Strong, as

been damaged, I would say it might have been an accident. But the things that were d

. "So the man who did it thoug

ers. "Assuming tha

you su

has been carefully screened by our Security Section. Backgroun

but not with the convictio

ding on schedule. Troy lacked a formal education, but nevertheless he could read and interpret the complicated plans which the professor and his assistants drew up, and transfo

nd one to the other. He needed both men, both being excellent in their respective fields, and found it more and more difficult to maintain any kind of peaceful relationship between them. Barret, as Hemmingwell's chief assistant and supervisor of the project, w

hed, had been detained by the technicians longer than usual, but was now back at his bench, working on the unit. This incident gave Barret the opportunity he was looking

ean, Dave?" as

ed Barret. "And as good as Troy's work has

ssor. "I've known him a long time.

mingwell's face. "But at the same time," he said slowly, "if you have

eagerly. "That's just

shoulders, was working on a complicated array of wires and vacuum tubes. H

to go. But I had a little trouble fitting t

yself. Isn't it a little odd that a coil I desi

oy easily. "It didn't fit where the blu

Hemmingwell, sensing trou

xploded, "I insist th

awler, you're the one who should be fired. I saw you

information about-" He stopped suddenly and eyed Troy. "Wait a m

d. "I came down to che

the psychograph tests this

shouted Troy. "I was do

essor, here is your sabotage agen

ed Troy, seemingly confused. "I

e, Professor!"

id the professor, looking troubled and suspiciou

asking me

questions?" de

llowed to

other night?" pursued Barret

lies. I knew that we were runn

hings?" demande

plied. "I knew we would need them for the new

lled to Roger and Astro, who were standing guard at the doo

anded Astro. "Wha

y at Troy. They did not know him personally but had seen him around th

, Astro turned to Hemmingwell. "How about it,

eadily. "Pat, you knew about

d you and Commander Walters discussing it. From what you said a

lized that Troy was admitting to knowledge he shouldn't have had. Roger raised the

ed Troy, "you're not

with it now. You should have told me that you knew about the new unit. And the fact that

ro, "do you move or do I move yo

ed between them to the hangar door. Barret and Professor Hemmingw

my brig, Firehouse Tim Rush sat at his desk in the sm

Dave Barret and Professor Hu

napped Firehouse

at Astro-"we brought the suspect to the

ush. "Only my friends can call me that. An

call you Fireman, can't I? After all

s!" roared Firehouse T

ed at an automatic soda dispenser. As they drank slowly, they looked around the hangar. The project was back in full operation

, "I want to commend you two boys on your good work a while ago. I think that traitor would hav

mbled curt thanks

r two little run-ins you were carrying out your duties, and I apologize for behaving the way I did. How about it? Can we shake an

the Polaris unit. Especially you, Manning. I understand that you know

d shyly. "I

e big Venusian turned to Barret. "He is not only the finest astrogator in the whole high, wide, and deep," he said sincer

"Well, Manning, you must have some ide

d I see a lot of things here t

ieve you two of guard duty. After all, if Corbett can get out of it, I d

t jumped straig

rific, Mr. Barret!

tro. We're friend

en, we'd do anything to be taken off thi

t I can do." He turned and walked off,

r luck. They returned to their posts and

lled private audioceiver. He asked for a private number in a small city on Mars, and then admonished the operator, "This is a security call, mi

lied the operat

t click and Barret

el

I have a plan to get rid of two of these nosy cadets." Barret listened a minute and then continued. "Connel and the other cadet, Corbett, have gone t

He waved at Roger and Astro on the other sid

he slaughter," h