Chapter 8

“This is highly irregular, Logan,” said Vidac to the Venusian farmer, “but I guess you can see the cadets. Perhaps a little advice from you will help them mend their ways.”

Logan nodded. “I have a boy of my own, Governor,” he said, “and I know how rambunctious they can get.”

Vidac smiled thinly. “You’ll find them in their quarters. The first ladder to your right and down two decks.”

“Thank you, sir,” replied Logan. He left Vidac’s quarters and two minutes later stepped through the hatch leading into the cadet’s room. After seven days of confinement, the three boys greeted Logan with a yell of pure joy.

“We have guests!” bellowed Astro, grabbing Roger who was asleep in his bunk and then banging on the shower door where Tom was taking a shower.

Roger tumbled out of the bunk and Tom came rushing out of the shower wrapped in a towel. They all began talking at once.

“How’d you know we were confined to quarters, sir?” asked Tom.

“It’s a wonder Vidac allowed you to come see us!” yelled Roger.

“Never mind the questions, sir,” said Astro. “It’s just plain good to see a different face besides these two space jokers. One more game of space chess with Manning and I think I’d--”

Logan laughed at the cadets’ enthusiasm, holding up both hands to stem their eager babbling questions. After Tom had dressed hastily and Roger had cleared off a bunk, they began to talk calmly.

“I didn’t know you boys were in trouble,” said Logan, “until I came over to the Polaris to see you. Then Vidac told me all about it.”

“Was there any special reason why you wanted to see us, sir?” asked Tom.

“Well, as a matter of fact, there was a little reason. Billy, my son, has been pestering me to get some of your Academy books and audioscripts so he can study to become a Space Cadet when he gets old enough.”

The three cadets grinned at each other and soon the Venusian farmer was piled high with manuals, audioscripts, tapes, and general information about the Academy.

“Thank you, boys,” said Logan. “That’s real nice of you, but--”

“But what, sir?” asked Tom.

“That was the little reason for coming to see you. I have a big reason too.”

“What’s that, sir?” asked Roger.

“I don’t know how to say it exactly,” began Logan, his voice low and hesitant, “but do you remember when you three came over to inspect Number Twelve?”

The boys all nodded and Logan continued in a hushed voice.

“Well, I told you then that everything was as nice as it could be. At that time it was. But now--”

“What’s happened, sir?” asked Tom.

“What hasn’t happened you mean!” snorted Logan. “The very next day we had a visit from Vidac himself. He made a routine check of all the departments, stopped and talked to some of the colonists, and he seemed, in general, like a nice fellow. Then all of a sudden it started.”

“What?” asked Astro.

“Our skipper Winters and another fellow, Ed Bush, began treating us like--well, like prisoners!”

“Prisoners!” cried Tom.

“Yes!” said Logan. “They began to tell us when we couldn’t go to the workshop and to the stereos, and made us eat our meals together in the main assembly room, with the wives taking turns doing all the cooking. And the schooling has been cut altogether.”

“Why, why--” Tom was floored by the information. “But how can that be?”

“I don’t know,” said Logan, “but that’s the way it is. I came over to tell you boys about it, since you were the only ones I knew. You struck me as being honest and I felt I could trust you.”

“What else have Winters and Bush done?” asked Astro tensely.

“I guess the worst of all is the fact that we’re having to pay for everything we eat,” said Logan.

“Pay!” exclaimed Roger. “But, but--how can you? You don’t have any credits. The Solar Council decided to let the colony work on a barter basis--share and share alike--until it could take its place in the over-all economy of the Solar Alliance.”

“I know, I know,” said Logan resignedly. “We’re having to pay for the things we get by signing over a percentage of our future profit over the next seven years.”

The three cadets looked at each other in disbelief. The idea of two men openly violating the laws of the expedition, treating the Solar Alliance citizens as if they were prisoners, was overwhelming.

Tom got up and began to pace the deck. Finally he turned and faced Logan. “Have you said anything to Vidac about this?” he asked.

“Ummmpf!” snorted Logan. “Every one of us signed a petition and had it sent to the governor himself. We didn’t even get a reply. Vidac must have heard about it and told Winters and Bush to take it easy, because the next day we were allowed to eat again without having to sign over part of our profit to them. But everything else is the same.”

“But how could they force you to pay?” asked Roger. “Couldn’t you refuse?”

“Sonny,” declared Logan emphatically, “I’m brave as the next man. But you don’t argue against a paralo-ray gun, especially when there are women and children to worry about.”

Tom whirled around and faced Roger and Astro. “I guess we don’t need any more proof now,” he said coldly. “Jeff Marshall is thrown into the brig for 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 this. One of two things is happening. Either Governor Hardy is in on this with Vidac, or Vidac is taking over without Hardy knowing anything about it.”

“All right--all right,” growled Astro, “but what are we going to do about it?”

“We’ve got to get word to Space Academy or Captain Strong someway, somehow. We’ve got to let them know what’s going on.”

“There’s only one way to do that,” said Roger. “But with the communications controlled by Vidac’s men, we don’t have the chance of a snowball on the sunny side of Mercury!”

“Then,” announced Tom firmly, “we’ll have to build our own communications unit.”

“But how?” asked Logan.

“Roger here can make a communicator out of spit and bailing wire,” said Astro. “All he needs is the essential parts.”