The Space Pioneers

sian farmer, "but I guess you can see the cadets. Perhaps

own, Governor," he said, "and I kn

em in their quarters. The first ladd

later stepped through the hatch leading into the cadet's room. After seven

r who was asleep in his bunk and then banging o

me rushing out of the shower wrapped in

ere confined to quar

allowed you to come s

n good to see a different face besides these two space joker

o stem their eager babbling questions. After Tom had dressed has

id Logan, "until I came over to the Polaris

eason why you wanted to

has been pestering me to get some of your Academy books and audioscr

enusian farmer was piled high with manuals, audioscri

aid Logan. "That's r

, sir?" a

on for coming to see you.

at, sir?"

his voice low and hesitant, "but do you remember

and Logan continue

ything was as nice as it could b

pened, sir?

c himself. He made a routine check of all the departments, stopped and talked to some of th

" aske

r fellow, Ed Bush, began treati

ers!" c

the stereos, and made us eat our meals together in the main assembly room, with the

ored by the information

ver to tell you boys about it, since you were the only ones I k

ers and Bush done?"

fact that we're having to pay f

olar Council decided to let the colony work on a barter basis-share and share al

g to pay for the things we get by signing over a perc

o men openly violating the laws of the expedition, treating the So

lly he turned and faced Logan. "Have you sa

n get a reply. Vidac must have heard about it and told Winters and Bush to take it easy, because the next day we w

e you to pay?" asked Rog

ext man. But you don't argue against a paralo-ray gun, es

looking into a logbook; we're relieved of our jobs here on the Polaris; my monthly report to Captain Strong isn't sent to Space Academy, and now th

owled Astro, "but what ar

or Captain Strong someway, somehow. We'v

the communications controlled by Vidac's men, we don't ha

ly, "we'll have to build o

w?" ask

of spit and bailing wire," said Astro.

the brig when we do. He'll be working with Professor Sykes, alon

ing we can do. I just hope that Mr. Logan

Vidac I wanted this information about Space

mused Tom. "He

can we do?"

. "Not a space-blasting thin

Roger. "That's the only thing that will transmit a v

duty again. They had surreptitiously begun collecting parts for the communicator and were sort

kly?" ask

to reach it. And then another six hours for the Academy's answer to get back to us. At the end of twelve hours we might not b

ble to talk directly to the Academy, so

r fifteen minutes of free time, when the pr

sked Jeff. He had been the main source of supply for the equipment used in the communicato

distinctly loading all of them in the lock

ip," said Tom. "The chances of getting

ou think you remember enough about that t

w are you going to get the inside tube vacuumized, then the seco

take the parts of the tube with us and assemble it out th

of the day. Come on, Roger, start drawing that tube! Astro can make it on th

ilament inside the inner third tube for sending and receiving. We can mak

," sai

et you a set of earphones, if we have to

the second-in-command was faci

idac. Sykes was standing before him

and some odd minutes we will be passing through a very thi

present course

ound it. I wouldn't give you a plugged cre

snapped Vidac. "All right, you've giv

nt. Alone, Vidac paced the floor. After a moment of deep thought h

he bellowed. "Report to the

t rigid, stone-faced attention. Vidac turned on the chart

ont of their path. "To go around it, over it, or under it would mean altering the course of the whole fleet and losing about six days' transit time." He turned back to the cadets who had been watching closely. "I want you thre

id Tom. "Anyth

is not a joy ride. I expect you to find a way through that clu

rty-one hours, s

ime if you travel a

, the odds are better than a thousand to one that we'll be ripped o

Roald in the brig and I'll send a report back to the Academy on your

ght-lipped. "You make yo