Sabotage in Space

ke weeks to

ceship staring sadly at the mess of wires and tubes, controls

happen?" de

ingwell and I were down at the far end of the hangar. The men had

er yet!" He stopped himself and turned to a Space Marine

" replied

e on the double and take d

nel silently began inspecting the wreckage. It was

the destruction of the first unit could have been called an accident, here was tangible evidence of a deliberate attempt to stop the whole

phone in his hand and spoke into it as

his is Major Lou Connel, interrogator!" He paused and nodded to Barret who stepped forward. "My first witness will be Dave Bar

xplosion had occurred. Professor Hemmingwell had immediately run out of the hangar to inform Commander Walters, leaving Barret al

rned to the professor. "Your st

see why there weren't any guards at their posts this afternoon. We were without any men at th

rded?" snapped Connel, looking

eir posts without leave, sir," re

s face drained of all color. Connel looked at him,

. "I-I did,"

nly stole a rocket scout,

d in utter disbelief. Commander

, his voice hard and tight. "But I didn't think

making the rounds when I discovered that they were gone. I put two other men on guard right away, but t

is the end! Those two cadets are goin

rotested Stron

ys have gone off their rockers. They're too cocky. This is the last straw." He turned away from the young Solar Guar

nd without pause. When he was finished, Connel turned to the guards that had

en the explosion took place. And it seemed that the only time when a saboteur could have

age is this: if the saboteur fails, he might return. If our enemy does not know the extent of the damage, then

g I'd like to add," said

hat?" ask

blasted off in the scout. They had a lot to say about your taking Corbett

he young engineer. "What

r deal with Tom being taken off guard duty, since he was a

But how could that-" He suddenly clos

what, Steve?"

already reprimanded me too often as i

getting a little touchy!" he barked. "Watch yourself, Ste

id cadets, you're just wasting my time. There's plenty of work to do and precious little

," said D

nnel, Walters, and Strong climbed out of the ship and left the hangar. On the sli

w, Lou?"

spend the rest of the night listening to this audiotape

suppose you'll want to talk to Man

nt to talk to them so badly, I would crawl on

h unseeing eyes and hearing with deaf ears the noise of the cadets getting ready for bed. He could not believe that Roger or Astro had abandoned their posts, or that Tom would run off to disappear o

adets. Tony Richards and the Capella unit walked by, and retur

of an officer in the Solar Guard walked toward

imed. "What are

She had some papers in her

rious face of the brilliant young physicist, Dr. Joan Dale, who, in spite of being a woman, had been pl

ychograph tests taken of all the workers at th

interrupted quickly, remembering Connel's

clue in a worker's mental make-up that would lead him to a criminal a

Tom, disappearing on Mars, Roger and Astro walking off guard duty and stealing a scout,

jor Connel and Commander Walters have said, I'll bet my las

icist and smiled. "Thanks, Joan," he

lied. "When we asked him if he was working w

ned it quickly. The paper was ordinary graph paper with a series of small, wavy lines on it in red ink. Near the bo

when he was asked if he

t mean it

about his personal life. Does he shave in the morning? Does he brush his teeth at night, and so forth.

thoughtfully, "he mi

ho it is,"

on to Connel right away!" said

just going to take one to t

u go on and tell the commander what you

es

ong pleaded. "Both Connel and Commander Walters ar

stopped, her eyes widening with fright.

followed by four guards carrying a stretcher covered by a blanket. Str

laimed Steve

time in the history of the Academy that there has been what looks like"-he paused and turn

said Str

t?" deman

a great deal if and when he re