Tom Swift and the Electronic Hydrolung
South Atlantic task force. Other watchers waited breathlessly in t
Jupiter probe missile?" Bud
glance at the dials of the tracking equipment. "Eight thousand m
ntists, Navy officers, and newsmen were crow
e data from the planet Jupiter that no
was quiet but taut with the strain of waiting. The two Swifts resembled each other closely-e
t snare the missile, our whole project will
banked with radar and telemetering devices. Tension had been mounting throughout the morning aboard the ships and observation plane
n if the recovery operation's a flop, the shot wil
loratory flight around Jupiter was to take and record all kin
w c
, it would have cut down the amount of information-gathering equ
copilot, Bud Barclay-Tom had been given the job of directing the recovery phase of the United States government's Project Jupi
n, pal. With all our eggs in one basket, we sure can't
miled. "It's what we call in warfare a calculated risk, Bud," he sai
s remark. Tom Jr.'s pioneering rocket flights and inventio
" Bud agreed. "I'll back
ter save your orchids and keep your fingers crossed, fly boy
, were following the missile's progress as it drew closer to earth. A
retro-rockets, Tom?" Admir
" Tom replied, eying the sw
out in space, the retarding rockets in the missile's nose were triggered for a brief burst, slowi
it up!" shou
with the landing plan, and noted that the missile was slightly off the correct path. A new flow of information now began pulsing in as other ships' tracking radars recorded its course. The data was being f
e computer's dials, then busied himself
ing okay, skip
They'll fire at the proper intervals to slow down
gradually quieted as the clock ticked steadily
missile firing
s intercom. Tense silence fell as Tom's e
ast-off!" came th
led roar from topside as the slender recovery missile shot skyward. The ship rocked convulsive
hed from the compartment and up the nearest ladder for a
very missile intentl
on," said Mr.
d him a hasty smile. For the first time, the young inventor realiz
wait and hope,
screens. Two small blips were visible-one the Jupiter probe missile, the
compartment, several of the
nine o'clock!" Admiral Walt
moving steadily toward the meetin
cried out. "Some enemy's try
d gulped. "Who'd
. "But if those three missiles meet,
l readings!" Mr
ht,
In stunned silence, the Navy officers and scientists
those for?
that third blip is homing on target. This other control has just caused every instrument on this ship,
om went on, "there's only one hope of recovery-to plot the exact ge
!" Bud
d. The mystery blip had veered as the recovery missile speeded up. Within sec
sponding to control!" one of the
ashed a questioning look at To
raid so
as the radar dishes tracked it, moving in a
despair. But he set his jaw fi
soon as the tracking instruments lose contact, have the recording tapes pi
ded tersely. "Very
replied, "and lay out a computer
trument tapes-would be fed to an electronic brain. The brain would then calc
changed a brief worried glance with his f
ter probe missile? Or would