Danger in Deep Space Part 1

Danger in Deep s.p.a.ce.

by Carey Rockwell.

CHAPTER 1

"Stand by to reduce thrust on main drive rockets!" The tall, broad-shouldered officer in the uniform of the Solar Guard snapped out the order as he watched the telescanner screen and saw the Western Hemisphere of Earth looming larger and larger.

"Aye, aye, Captain Strong," replied a handsome curly-haired s.p.a.ce Cadet.

He turned to the ship's intercom and spoke quickly into the microphone.

"Control deck to power deck. Check in!"

"Power deck, aye," a bull-throated voice bellowed over the loud-speaker.

"Stand by rockets, Astro! We're coming in for a landing."

"Standing by!"

The Solar Guard officer turned away from the telescanner and glanced quickly over the illuminated banks of indicators on the control panel.

"Is our orbit to s.p.a.ce Academy clear?" he asked the cadet. "Have we been a.s.signed a landing ramp?"

"I'll check topside, sir," answered the cadet, turning back to the intercom. "Control deck to radar deck. Check in!"

"Radar bridge, aye," drawled a lazy voice over the speaker.

"Are we cleared for landing, Roger?"

"Everything clear as gla.s.s ahead, Tom," was the calm reply.

"We're steady on orbit and we touch down on ramp seven. Then"--the voice began to quicken with excitement--"three weeks' liberty coming up!"

The rumbling voice of the power-deck cadet suddenly broke in over the intercom. "Lay off that s.p.a.ce gas, Manning. Just see that this s.p.a.ce wagon gets on the ground in one piece. Then you can dream about your leave!"

"Plug your jets, you big Venusian ape man," was the reply, "or I'll turn you inside out!"

"Yeah? You and what fleet of s.p.a.ceships?"

"Just me, buster, with my bare hands!"

The Solar Guard officer on the control deck smiled at the young cadet beside him as the good-natured argument crackled over the intercom speaker overhead. "Looks like those two will never stop battling, Corbett," he commented dryly.

"Guess they'll never learn, sir," sighed the cadet.

"That's all right. It's when they stop battling that I'll start getting worried," answered the officer. He turned back to the controls. "One hundred thousand feet from Earth's surface! Begin landing procedure!"

As Cadet Tom Corbett snapped orders into the intercom and his unit-mates responded by smooth co-ordinated action, the giant rocket cruiser _Polaris_ slowly arched through Earth's atmosphere, first nosing up to lose speed and then settling tailfirst toward its destination--the s.p.a.ceport at s.p.a.ce Academy, U.S.A.

Far below, on the grounds of the Academy, cadets wearing the green uniforms of first-year Earthworms and the blue of the upper-cla.s.smen stopped all activity as they heard the blasting of the braking rockets high in the heavens. They stared enviously into the sky, watching the smooth steel-hulled s.p.a.ceship drop toward the concrete ramp area of the s.p.a.ceport, three miles away.

[Ill.u.s.tration: s.p.a.cE ACADEMY U.S.A.]

In his office at the top of the gleaming Tower of Galileo, Commander Walters, commandant of s.p.a.ce Academy, paused for a moment from his duties and turned from his desk to watch the touchdown of the great s.p.a.ceship. And on the gra.s.sy quadrangle, Warrant Officer Mike McKenny, short and stubby in his scarlet uniform of the enlisted Solar Guard, stopped his frustrating task of drilling newly arrived cadets to watch the mighty ship come to Earth.

Young and old, the feeling of belonging to the great fleet that patrolled the s.p.a.ce lanes across the millions of miles of the solar system was something that never died in a true s.p.a.ceman. The green-clad cadets dreamed of the future when they would feel the bucking rockets in their backs. And the older men smiled faintly as memories of their own first s.p.a.ce flight came to mind.

Aboard the _Polaris_, the young cadet crew worked swiftly and smoothly to bring their ship to a safe landing. There was Tom Corbett, an average young man in this age of science, who had been selected as the control-deck and command cadet of the _Polaris_ unit after rigid examinations and tests. Topside, on the radar bridge, was Roger Manning, c.o.c.ky and brash, but a specialist in radar and communications. Below, on the power deck, was Astro, a colonial from Venus, who had been accused of cutting his teeth on an atomic rocket motor, so great was his skill with the mighty "thrust buckets," as he lovingly called the atomic rockets.

Now, returning from a routine training flight that had taken them to the moons of Jupiter, the three cadets, Corbett, Manning, and Astro, and their unit skipper, Captain Steve Strong, completed the delicate task of setting the great ship down on the Academy s.p.a.ceport.

"Closing in fast, sir," announced Tom, his attention focused on the meters and dials in front of him. "Five hundred feet to touchdown."

"Full braking thrust!" snapped Strong crisply.

Deep inside the _Polaris_, braking rockets roared with unceasing power, and the mighty s.p.a.ceship eased itself to the concrete surface of the Academy s.p.a.ceport.

"Touchdown!" yelled Tom. He quickly closed the master control lever, cutting all power, and sudden silence filled the ship. He stood up and faced Strong, saluting smartly.

"Rocket cruiser _Polaris_ completes mission"--he glanced at the astral chronometer on the panel board--"at fifteen thirty-three, sir."

"Very well, Corbett," replied Strong, returning the salute. "Check the _Polaris_ from radar mast to exhaust ports right away."

"Yes, sir," was Tom's automatic answer, and then he caught himself. "But I thought--"

Strong interrupted him with a wave of his hand. "I know, Corbett, you thought the _Polaris_ would be pulled in for a general overhaul and you three would get liberty."

"Yes, sir," replied Tom.

"I'm not sure you won't get it," said Strong, "but I received a message last night from Commander Walters. I think the _Polaris_ unit might have another a.s.signment coming up!"

"By the rings of Saturn," drawled Roger from the open hatch to the radar bridge, "you might know the old man would have another mission for us!

We haven't had a liberty since we were Earthworms!"

"I'm sorry, Manning," said Strong, "but you know if I had my way, you'd certainly get the liberty. If anyone deserves it, you three do."

By this time Astro had joined the group on the control deck.

"But, sir," ventured Tom, "we've all made plans, I mean--well, my folks are expecting me."

"_Us_, you mean," interrupted Roger. "Astro and I are your guests, remember?"

"Sure, I remember," said Tom, smiling. He turned back to Captain Strong.

"We'd appreciate it if you could do something for us, sir. I mean--well, have another unit a.s.signed."

Strong stepped forward and put his arms around the shoulders of Tom and Roger and faced Astro. "I'm afraid you three made a big mistake in becoming the best unit in the Academy. Now every time there's an important a.s.signment to be handed out the name of the _Polaris_ unit sticks out like a hot rocket!"

"Some consolation," said Roger dourly.