Chapter 17

The subdued whine of the hyperdrive filled the power deck and made Roger wince as he stepped through the hatch and waved at Astro. He climbed down the ladder and stopped beside the big Venusian who stood stripped to the waist, watching the pressure gauges on the power-deck control board.

“Hiya, Roger,” said Astro with a big grin.

“Hello, Astro,” replied Roger and sat down on a stool near by.

“Excuse me a minute, hot-shot,” said Astro. “Gotta check the baffling around reaction tube three.” The big cadet hurriedly donned a lead-lined protective suit and entered the reaction chamber. After a moment he reappeared and took off the suit. He poured a glass of water, handed it to Roger, and poured another for himself.

“Gets pretty hot down here,” he said. “I don’t like to use the air conditioner when I’m on hyperdrive. Sucks my power output and reduces pressure on the oxygen pumps.”

Roger nodded absently at the needlessly detailed explanation. Astro looked at him sharply. “Say, what’s eating you?”

“Honestly, Astro,” said Roger, “I’ve never felt more miserable in my life.”

“Don’t let it get you down, Roger,” said Astro. “The major said it was a mistake anyone could make.”

“Yeah,” flared Roger, “but have you seen the way he just--talks?”

“Talks?” asked Astro blankly.

“Yeah, talks,” said Roger. “No yelling, or blasting off, or handing out demerits like they were candy. Nothing! Why he hasn’t even chewed Alfie out since we left Junior. He just sits in his quarters.”

Astro understood now and nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, you’re right. I’d rather have him fusing his tubes than the way he is now.”

“Tom must feel pretty rotten, too,” said Roger. “I haven’t seen much of him either.”

“Or Alfie,” put in Astro. “Neither of them have done anything but work. I don’t think either of them has slept since we left Tara.”

“It’s all my fault!” said Roger. “I’m nothing but a loudmouthed bag of space gas--with an asteroid for a head!” He got up and lurched toward the ladder.

“Hey, where you going?” yelled Astro.

“Almost forgot,” yelled Roger from the top of the ladder. “I’ve got to feed our prisoners a meal. And the way I feel, I’d like to shove it down their throats!”

Roger went directly to the galley off the control deck and prepared a hasty meal for Loring and Mason. He piled it on a tray and went below to the brig.

“All right, Loring,” he growled, “come and get it!”

“Well, well, well,” sneered Loring. “Where’s the big Manning spirit? You boys are kinda down since you blew that little operation, huh?”

“Listen, you space crawler,” said Manning coldly, “one more word out of you and I’ll bring you out in the passageway and pound that head of yours into space junk!”

“I wish you’d try that, you little squirt!” snarled Loring. “I’d break you in two!”

“O.K., pal,” said Roger, “I’m going to give you that chance!” He opened the door to the cell and Loring stepped out. Holding the paralo-ray gun on him, Roger relocked the door. Left inside, Mason stuck his face close to the grille.

“Give it to him, Loring,” he hissed. “Take him apart!”

Roger threw the paralo-ray gun in the corner of the passageway and faced the heavier spaceman. He held his arms loosely at his side, and he balanced on the balls of his feet. A slight smile played at the corners of his mouth.

“Start breaking, Loring,” he said quietly.

“Why, you--” snarled Loring and rushed in. He swung wildly for Roger’s head, but the cadet slipped inside the punch and drove a hard right to Loring’s mid-section. The prisoner doubled over, staggered back, and slowly straightened up. Roger’s lips were drawn tightly in a grimace of cold anger. His eyes were shining hard and bright. He stepped in quickly and chopped two straight lefts to Loring’s jaw, then doubled the spaceman up again with a hard right to the heart. Loring gasped and tried to clinch. But Roger threw a straight jolting right to his jaw. The prisoner slumped to the floor, out cold. The fight was finished.

Roger went over, picked up the paralo-ray gun, and opened the cell door again.

“All right, Mason,” he said coldly, “drag him inside. And if you want to try me for size, just say so.”

Mason didn’t answer. He merely hurried out, and grabbing Loring by the feet, dragged him inside. Roger slammed the door and locked it.

Rubbing his knuckles and feeling better than he had felt for days, he started back to the radar bridge. As he neared Major Connel’s quarters, he heard Connel’s voice. He stopped and listened outside the door.

“It’s a beautiful job of calculation, Tom,” Connel was saying. “I don’t see how you and Higgins could have done it in so short a time. And without an electronic computer to aid you. Beautiful job--really excellent--but I’m afraid it’s too risky.”

“I’ve already talked to Astro and Mr. Shinny, sir,” said Tom, “and they’ve volunteered. I haven’t spoken to Roger yet, but I’m sure he’d be willing to try.”

Roger stepped through the door.

“Whatever it is,” said Roger, “I’m ready.”

“Eavesdropping on your commanding officer,” said Connel, eying the blond-headed cadet speculatively, “is a very serious offense.”

“I just happened to hear my name mentioned, sir,” replied Roger with a smile.

Connel turned back to Tom. “Go over that again, Tom.”

“Well, sir,” said Tom, “Junior’s falling into the sun at a speed of twenty-two miles a second right now. But we could still land a jet boat on Junior, set up more nuclear explosions to blast him out of the sun’s grip, and send him on his way to our solar system. We wouldn’t get as much speed as before, but we’d still save the copper.”

By this time, Astro and Shinny had joined the group and were standing outside the door in the passageway, listening silently.

Connel tugged at his chin. “Let’s see,” he said, “if we could get back to Tara in three days...” He looked up at Astro. “Do you think you could get us back in three days, Astro?”

“Major Connel, for another crack at Junior,” roared the big Venusian, “I’d get you back in a day and a half!”

“All right,” said Connel. “That’s one problem. But there are others.”

“What, sir?” asked Tom.

“We have to prepare reactant fuses and we have to build new reactor units. If we could do that--”

“If Astro can get us back,” said Shinny, “and Roger and this smart young feller here, Alfie, can make up some fuses, I’ll build them there units. After all, Astro showed me how once. I guess I can follow his orders!”