Chapter 16

“I’ll leave you here,” said Vidac to Captain Strong as the two spacemen stood in front of the Administration Building. “Take the slidestairs up to the seventh floor. First corridor to the left. There will be a guard outside their door. Give him this note and there won’t be any trouble.”

Strong looked at the lieutenant governor coolly. “There better not be,” he said.

“That’s a strange attitude to take, Captain,” said Vidac.

“Vidac,” said Strong coldly, “I want you to know right now that I don’t like this setup. There are many things cadets might be, but they are not kidnappers or murderers!”

“I intend to prove otherwise!” asserted Vidac.

“I figured you would,” said Strong, “but you still have to produce Professor Sykes’s body.”

“Don’t worry, Captain.” Vidac smiled. “My men are searching for it now. We’ll find it.”

“When you do, Vidac,” said Strong grimly, “and he happens to be alive, make sure he stays that way, eh?” The Solar Guard captain wheeled and entered the Administration Building before Vidac could answer.

Inside, he found the slidestairs and rode up to the seventh level. Taking the first corridor to the left, he rounded a corner to find Ed Bush standing in front of the door to the cadets’ quarters. As he approached, Bush took out his paralo-ray gun and held it on Strong.

“That’s far enough, mister,” said Bush.

“Do you realize what you’re doing?” demanded Strong.

“Never mind what I’m doing,” snapped Bush. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“You’d better get spacewise, mister! It’s against the law to hold a weapon on an officer of the Solar Guard! I’m Captain Strong and I want to see the cadets!”

“No one gets inside without a pass from Governor Vidac,” Bush answered surlily.

Strong pulled out the note and handed it over brusquely. Bush glanced at it and handed it back.

“O.K.,” he said. “You got ten minutes.” He unlocked the door and stepped aside.

Strong was furious at this treatment. But he held his temper in check, realizing he had to talk to the cadets first and find out what had happened. He would deal with Bush later. He stepped past Bush and opened the door.

“Polaris unit--stand to!” he yelled.

Seated around the table, the three cadets stared at their captain in disbelief, then instinctively rose and snapped to attention. Their backs were straight and their eyes forward, but it was impossible for them to keep smiles off their faces. Suppressing his own elation, Strong managed to stride in front of them in mock inspection, but then could no longer hold back an answering smile.

“Unit--stand easy!”

Like three happy puppies the cadets swarmed over their skipper, pounding him on the back, grabbing his hands, and mauling him until he had to cry out for peace.

“Take it easy,” he cried. “Relax, will you! You’ll tear me apart!”

“You’re the happiest sight I’ve seen in weeks, sir!” shouted Tom.

“Yeah,” drawled Roger, grinning from ear to ear. “I couldn’t be happier if you had brought along a ship full of space dolls!”

“When did you get here, sir?” asked Astro. “Why didn’t you let us know?”

The questions tumbled out of the boys’ mouths thick and fast, and Strong let them chatter until their initial burst of elation had worn itself out. Then, after quickly bringing them up to date on all news of the Academy, and news of Earth, he pulled up a chair and faced them solemnly. The three cadets braced themselves to tell him about their experiences since leaving Atom City.

“There’s a lot to tell, sir,” began Tom. “But we’re only going to give you the facts as we know them, sir. And then let you decide.”

Then starting from the beginning, when they were first relieved of their stations on the Polaris on the way out to the satellite, the three cadets related their experiences with Vidac, Hardy, and Professor Sykes. They ended with a detailed account of their being held for the disappearance of the professor.

“And you say that the colonists were forced to pay for their food on the trip out?” asked Strong incredulously.

“Yes, sir,” said Tom. “And later, after the ships crashed, there was a shortage of farm tools and equipment, which meant that the colonists would have to farm with chemicals. Vidac made them sign over part of their future profits and mortgage their land holdings to get the chemicals.”

“And four hundred ships crashed in landing? Hasn’t anybody figured out why yet?” Strong asked.

Roger shook his head. “The instruments just went out, sir,” he said. “I never saw anything like it, and when the professor wanted to go down in a jet boat first to investigate, Vidac insisted on taking the Polaris down, anyway. He brought her in by the seat of his pants...”

“Only because Tom took over when he got cold feet,” chimed in Astro.

“Yeah,” agreed Roger. “But the others couldn’t do it. They just splashed in.”

“And there hasn’t been any explanation of why the instruments went out?”

“I haven’t heard any, sir,” said Astro. “Professor Sykes started out right after we landed to investigate the satellite, but I never heard anything more about it. When I asked him one day if he had found anything, he told me to mind my own business.”

“And now you’re accused of abducting and murdering the professor,” mused Strong.

“That’s it, sir,” said Tom. “As I said, we didn’t want to give you anything but the facts as we know them. There are a lot of incidents that would show Vidac is trying to pull something funny, but nothing that could be proved.”

Strong nodded. “Well, it certainly looks as though Vidac is--”

Strong was suddenly interrupted by Bush who stepped into the room arrogantly, paralo-ray gun in hand.

“Time’s up!” he yelled, waving the gun at Strong.

“I’ve warned you about holding a weapon on a Solar Guard officer,” snapped Strong, rising to face the man. “Either put that thing away or use it.”

[Illustration: “Hasn’t anybody figured out why four hundred ships crashed in landing?” Strong asked.]

Bush glanced at the smiling cadets and turned back to Strong.

“Your time is up,” he growled. “Get out!”

“I said,” replied Strong coldly, “either use that thing or put it away!”

Bush glared at Strong, but the gun in his hand began to waver. “I said your time’s up!” he repeated, but there was considerably less conviction in his voice.

Suddenly Strong stepped forward and grabbed the man’s wrist, forcing the gun down. As Bush started to struggle, Strong tightened his grip, and the victim’s face grew white with pain. Slowly Bush’s fingers opened and the paralo-ray weapon dropped to the floor.

“Now pick it up and get out of here!” barked Strong, releasing Bush’s arm. “I’m going to stay with the cadets as long as I want. And if you ever pull a gun on me again, I’ll make you eat it!”

He turned his back to Bush and faced the cadets again. Bush dove for the gun, raised it threateningly, then suddenly walked out of the room, slamming the door as hard as he could. The cadets sighed in relief and Strong smiled.

“Let’s see what Vidac makes of that,” he said. “Now, let’s get down to business. There’s only one thing I can do right now.”

“Yes, sir?” asked Tom, waiting attentively.

“I’m going to talk with a few of the colonists and see what else I can pick up. Meantime, you just take it easy. And if that space jerk outside gives you any trouble”--Strong paused and smiled--”show him a few of your wrestling tricks, Astro.”

The big Venusian nodded enthusiastically. “My pleasure, Captain.”

Strong stood up and shook hands with each of them. “From what you’ve told me,” he said, “I think I should see Hyram Logan first.”