The Space Pioneers

ygen into his space suit. Tom nodded and turned to Astro, seated behind them, his hand

ide his space helmet. Astro pressed the lever opening the sliding panel in the si

ship, Roger pointed out the vessel they were going to and Tom settled down to full throttle in the direction of Roald colony vessel Number Twelve. The huge converted luxury liner ca

t was obviously a nuisance assignment since any extraordinary conditions could have been reported by

s in the clear airless void of space around them. Andromeda Galaxy whirled above them like a Fourth-of-July p

h those babies?" mused

right now with this exp

long way off, but when you stack it up against the d

to go to Regulu

robably wind up with a space crawler lik

ed and then sent his tiny spacecraft into a shallow dive, applying his braking jets expertly to bring it to a dead stop inside the jet-boat deck of the conver

en and Tad Winters, the civilian captain of the liner, appeared. There

me snooping around while w

smaller spaceman. "If we had anything to say about it,

Roger who stood to one side

nters. We're here to check the departme

he matter? Can't he do it himself, inst

busy," said Roger sarcasti

at?" aske

st of his space rats i

tep toward Roger. "I don't have to take that from you.

to prevent the impending fight. He stared at Winters and smiled. "

snorted Winters. He turned back toward the hatch,

ach other and followed him i

. As the three cadets walked through the ship on their way to the control deck, they passed the auditorium where stereos were shown in the evenings and indoctrination lectures were given during the day. They passed a number of compartments that served as a school for the children of the colonists. There were workshops where t

as possible. There were no governors or supervisors to control the colonists. It had been decided to allow the colonists to choose their own leaders aboard the

cellence of the equipment and the care given it. And because they saw nothing to substantiate their suspicions of

, agreed with the cadet, and made the rocketman rearrange the baffling. Then, on the control deck, the pilot had been careless in maintaining his position with the other ships in the fleet. Tom

ts started back for the jet-boat deck. As they retraced their steps, they

n," greeted Tom

an replied. "Didn't know yo

're just making an inspection for the lieutenant g

e. "Just fine, Corbett. This shi

. Then the boy grinned and stuck a finger gently into Roger's stomach. "Sh

illy!" barke

Astro grinned. After a few more words, the th

e a fine radarman so

gure that, Ast

ye looking for his pretty sister? Why, in ten ye

ng through space on the rest of their tour, Tom tu

ard Number Twelve that looke

oger shook

. "Maybe we've got Vid

rupted Roger. "But there's one

that?" a

eplied. "You sent it to him ten days ago

tro. "Space Academy might no

to a Solar Guard officer is sent through regardless of where

om finally. "I should have ha

o slowly, "maybe Vidac

hen replied, "There's

" ask

ommunications logbook

ad. "Vidac's got his own men plante

care of the power deck and, believe me, it makes me burn. Why, he h

ried Roger suddenl

d Tom. "What

deck and take a look at t

's right,"

ck to the Polaris. If Vidac's on the level, he'll have sent y

onestly, fellas, I don't know w

Vidac and then hurried to the observatory to find Jeff Marshall. Luckily the sergeant was alone and they w

ooking for in the logbook

of meteor dust the other

Jeff, "but what'

l the pilot you lost your own copy of the report and want to get

then nodded his head. "

f went up to the control deck. He walked in with a smile, cha

" he said casually. "The professor lost his notes o

ecked carefully, continuing through the entries for the succeeding days, ending with the last entry made just an hour before. There was no mention of Tom's repo

ing here, Marsha

d remained silent. Vidac walked across th

ll?" he barke

t the meteor dust we passed thr

professor. "Did yo

ely shook

and needed the information i

Sykes. "The notes are still in my work

t to say to that?

ff, "that was my reason

tion, Marshall. You know that. I won't say you're lying about reasons for looking at it, but that does not

n the log, and the unreasonable annoyance Vidac expressed over his having looked into the logbook,

sergeant was escorted to the Polaris'

o Vidac's quarters and requested permission to speak with him. After

now?" dema

o ask a question

snorted Vida

geant Marshall,

abou

at article of the space code was Serg

our coming here to see me. I don't know what you have in mind, Corbett, but I'm going to lay it on the line. This is the last time you will

ll the lieutenant governor please put in writ

u to your quarters for ten days for that impertinent request! And if I so mu