Chapter 12

“Aw, shut your big Venusian mouth!”

As Roger’s voice roared over the intercom loud-speaker of the speedy rocket scout, down on the power deck Astro’s face turned red.

“Manning,” he growled into the intercom microphone, “if I didn’t need you to get me back to Mother Earth, I’d come up there and take you apart!”

For four days the two cadets had been aboard the rocket scout, circling in an orbit between Mars and Earth, conducting equipment tests for Dave Barret. They had become bored with the routine work and spent most of their time needling each other, but as Roger said, at least they were in space.

“O.K., let’s knock off the space gas!” called Roger over the intercom. “It’s time to run another test. Want to come up topside and take a hand?”

“Be right there, Roger!” said Astro. He set the power-deck controls on automatic, and then, with a quick look around to make sure everything was shipshape, he climbed the ladder to the control deck.

Roger was standing at the chart table, audiophones on his ears, listening for the automatic astral chronometer time-check broadcast on a suprahigh-frequency audio channel from the giant electronic clock in the Tower of Galileo. All spaceship chronometers were checked against this huge clock regularly, in order to maintain constant uniform time so necessary for the delicate art of astrogation between celestial bodies.

Astro started to speak to the blond-haired cadet, but Roger waved him off, listening for the signal. Suddenly he looked up at their own chronometer above the control board and took off the audiophones, smiling his satisfaction.

“Right on the split second, Astro,” he said.

“O.K.,” replied the big Venusian. “Then let’s run that test and get it over with.”

“Right,” said Roger, turning back to the control panel. “Do you want to go outside this time?”

“I might as well,” replied Astro. “Give me a change of scenery.”

The big Venusian turned to a locker, pulled out a bulky space suit, and climbed into it quickly. Adjusting the space helmet, he nodded at Roger and stepped into the air-lock chamber, pulling the hatch closed behind him. While waiting for the oxygen in the small chamber to be pumped back into the ship and the pressure to be equalized with the vacuum of space outside, he checked his helmet intercom to insure a clear line of communication with Roger.

The red hand closed on the zero of the gauge over the door and Astro moved to the outer hatch. He unlocked it, swung the door open, and slowly climbed out into the fantastic beauty of endless space. No sooner was he outside than the synthetic gravity generators lost their pull on his body and he started into space. Tightly grasping two metal handles in the hull, the big cadet performed a quick somersault and planted his feet firmly on the hull. His magnetic-soled space boots held him fast and he called Roger over his helmet intercom.

“I’m outside, Roger,” he reported. “On my way down to the exhaust.”

“Right,” came Roger’s voice over the intercom. “Let me know when you’re ready.”

Without replying, Astro made his way slowly and carefully down the length of the rocket scout toward the main drive rocket assembly. Stopping at the trailing edge of the hull, where it enclosed the four rockets, the big Venusian squatted on his heels, making certain the soles of his space boots stayed in contact with the metal of the hull. He peered over the edge and braced himself in a position where he could observe the individual rocket exhausts.

“O.K., Roger!” he called into his intercom. “Open up number one.”

“Number one, aye,” replied Roger. “And watch yourself, you big baboon. Don’t burn your nose!”

“Go ahead, go ahead!” growled Astro in reply.

A long tongue of flame shot out of the exhaust of the number one tube and, after drawing back momentarily, Astro watched the tube keenly.

“You know,” he commented idly as he kept his eyes fixed on the tube, “I still can’t figure out what’s so different about these tubes. They’re exactly the same as any others I’ve ever seen.”

“That’s how much you know, Astro,” snorted Roger. “Dave Barret said they were using a new duralumin alloy in the tubes.”

“Still doesn’t look any different to me,” persisted Astro. “And for us to spend four whole days out here testing them”--he paused and shook his head--”seems like an awful waste of time,” he concluded.

“What do you care? We’re out in space, aren’t we? Or would you rather be back on guard duty?”

“No, of course not,” replied Astro. “But even space gets dull after a while with nothing to do. Barret sure gave us an old crate. Not even a long-range receiver aboard.”

“What do you want to listen to?” snorted Roger. “Flight orders and all the rest of that rocket wash?”

“Be a relief to listen to somebody else beside you for a change,” snapped Astro. “Anyhow, suppose something important happened. Suppose our orders were changed. How would we know about it?”

“What difference does it make?” replied Roger. “We’ve got our orders--straight from Barret. As long as we follow them, we won’t get into trouble.”

“For a change,” murmured Astro.

“Now cut the griping and finish up out there!”

“O.K.,” sighed Astro. “That’s enough on number one. Give me number two.”

The ship bucked slightly as one rocket tube was cut out and another flared at full power, but Astro clung to the hull tightly, continuing his observations. With troubled eyes he watched all four rocket tubes in operation, unable to understand the difference between these tubes and the standard makes. Finally he shrugged his shoulders, and rising to his feet, called Roger again.

“That’s enough, pal,” he said. “I’m coming in.”

“O.K.,” replied Roger from the control deck. “And don’t fall all over your big feet.”

In five minutes the Venusian cadet was inside the air lock again, and as the pressure was boosted to equalize with the interior of the ship, he removed his space suit and helmet. He opened the inner hatch and stepped into the control deck to see Roger staring at the teleceiver in openmouthed astonishment. A harsh voice was coming over the loud-speaker.

“ ... Order you to cut all power and stand by for a boarding party, or I’ll open fire immediately!”

With an exclamation of startled surprise, Astro rushed to the teleceiver screen and saw a man in the uniform of the Solar Guard, his face grim and purposeful. Just as Astro was about to speak, the officer spoke again.

“Did you hear me? This is Captain Newton aboard the cruiser Regulus! I order you to cut all power and stand by or I’ll open fire! Acknowledge!”

“Roger,” gasped Astro, “what’s this all about?”

“I--I don’t know,” stammered the blond-haired cadet. He grabbed the teleceiver microphone and called into it rapidly.

“Rocket scout 4J9 to Regulus. This is Space Cadet Roger Manning. There must be some mistake, sir. Cadet Astro and I are out here on special assignment for the Space Projectile project.”

“I know who you are!” shouted Newton. “If you don’t stand by, I’ll open fire! This is your last warning!”

Astro grabbed the mike from Roger’s hand.

“All right!” he bellowed. “We don’t know what it’s all about, but for the love of Saturn’s rings, don’t start shooting.”

Captain Newton nodded grimly. “Very well,” he said. “Bring your ship to a dead stop in space and open your starboard air lock. I will send a jet boat over to you.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” said Astro.

When the Solar Guard captain signed off and his image faded from the teleceiver screen, Astro and Roger numbly complied with Newton’s abrupt orders, bringing the ship to a dead stop in space and opening the starboard air lock. Then the two cadets sat in the main deck of the small scout and waited, their faces showing their concern. Neither felt like talking. They were so confused that they didn’t know what to say. Finally Roger got up and in a daze walked to the chart table to note the time of the tests in the log. Then he automatically logged the time of Newton’s order.