Danger in Deep Space

by Carey Rockwell

  CHAPTER 4

  "Stand by to reduce speed three-quarters!" roared Major Connel.

  "Aye, aye, sir," replied Tom, and began the necessary adjustments on thecontrol panel. He spoke into the intercom. "Control deck to power deck.Stand by to reduce thrust on main drive rockets by three-quarters. We'recoming onto the space station, Astro."

  "Power deck, aye," acknowledged Astro.

  Drifting in a steady orbit around its mother planet, the Venus spacestation loomed ahead of the _Polaris_ like a huge metal ball set againsta backdrop of cold, black space. It was studded with gaping holes, airlocks which served as landing ports for spaceships. Inside the stationwas a compact city. Living quarters, communications rooms, repair shops,weather observations, meteor information, everything to serve the greatfleet of Solar Guard and merchant spaceships plying the space lanesbetween Earth, Mars, Venus, and Titan.

  "I'm getting the identification request from the station, sir. Shall Ianswer her?" asked Roger over the intercom.

  "Of course, you space-brained idiot, and make it fast!" exploded Connel."What do you want to do? Get us blasted out of space?"

  "Yes, sir!" replied Roger. "Right away, sir!"

  Tom kept his eyes on the teleceiver screen above his head. The image ofthe space station loomed large and clear.

  "Approaching a little too fast, I think, sir," volunteered Tom. "Shall Imake the adjustment?"

  "What's the range?" asked Connel.

  Tom named a figure.

  "Ummmmh," mused Connel. He glanced quickly over the dials and thennodded in assent. Tom turned once more to the intercom. "Control deck topower deck," he called. "Stand by for maneuvering, Astro, and reduceyour main drive thrust to minimum space speed."

  "Space station traffic control to rocket cruiser _Polaris_. Come in,_Polaris_. This is traffic control on space station to _Polaris_," theaudio teleceiver crackled.

  "Rocket cruiser _Polaris_ to space station and traffic control. Requesttouchdown permission and landing-port number," replied Tom.

  "Permission to touch down granted, _Polaris_. You are to line up onapproach to landing-port seven--repeat--seven. Am now sending outguiding radar beam. Can you read beam?"

  Tom turned to the intercom. "Have you got the station's guiding beam,Roger?"

  "All lined up, Tom," replied Roger from the radar bridge. "Get thatVenusian on the power deck to give me a three-second shot on thestarboard rocket, if he can find the right handles!"

  "I heard that, Manning!" roared Astro's voice on the intercom. "Anothercrack like that and I'll make you get out and push this baby around!"

  "_You execute that order and do it blasted quick!_" Major Connel's voiceexploded over the intercom. "And watch that loose talk on the ship'sintercom. From now on, all directions and orders will be given andreceived in a crisp, clear manner without unnecessary familiarity!"

  Connel didn't expect them to acknowledge his order. The cadets had heardhim and that was enough. He knew it was enough. In the short time it hadtaken them to traverse the immense gulf of space between the Academy andthe station Connel had handed out demerits by fives and tens! Each ofthe cadets was now tagged with enough black marks to spend two months inthe galley working them off!

  Now, working together like the smooth team of junior spacemen they were,Tom, Roger, and Astro maneuvered the great rocket ship toward the gapinghole of the air lock in the side of the white ball-like satellite.

  "Drop your bow one half degree, _Polaris_, you're up too high," warnedthe station control.

  "A short burst on the upper trim rocket, Astro," called Tom.

  The great ship bucked slightly under the force of sudden thrust, andthen its nose dropped the required half degree.

  "Cut all thrust and brake your speed to dead ship, _Polaris_," orderedtraffic control.

  Again Tom relayed the order to Astro, and a moment later the great shiphung silently in the airless void of space, a scant half mile from thestation.

  _The junior spaceman maneuvered the great rocket shiptoward the air lock_]

  Through the teleceiver Tom could see the jet boats darting out from thestation carrying the magnetic cables. In a moment the lines wereattached to the steel skin of the ship, and gradually the linestightened, pulling the mighty spaceship into the waiting port. Onceinside, the outer air lock was closed and the _Polaris_ was slung in thepowerful magnetic cradles that held her in a rigid position. Elsewhereon the satellite, quick calculations were made for the additionalweight, and the station was counterbalanced to assure an even orbitaround Venus.

  Tom flicked the many switches off on the great board, glanced at thetime of arrival on the solar clock, and reported to Major Connel.

  "Touchdown at one-nine-four-nine, sir."

  "Very well, Corbett," answered Connel. Then he added grudgingly, "Thatwas as fine a job of control-deck operations as I've seen. Keep up thegood work, spaceman."

  Tom gulped. The unexpected compliment caught him off guard. And he waseven more pleased that for the first time Connel had referred to him asspaceman!

  "I'll be needed at the space station commander's quarters for a while,Corbett," said Connel. "Meanwhile, you and Manning and Astro acquaintyourselves with the station. Report to me back aboard the ship inexactly two hours. Dismissed."

  Tom saluted, and Connel disappeared toward the exit port.

  "Well, _spaceman_," Roger drawled casually from behind, "it looks likeyou've got yourself in solid with the old man!"

  Tom smiled. "With a guy like that, Roger, you're never in solid. Maybe Idid get a pat on the back, but you didn't hear him cancel any of thosedemerits he gave me for not signing the logbook after that last watch,did you?"

  "Let's get some chow," growled Astro, who came hustling through thehatch. "I'm half starved. By the craters of Luna, how many times can youchange course in five minutes?"

  Astro referred to the countless times Tom had had to call forfraction-degree course changes in their approach to the gaping entranceport.

  Tom laughed. "With Connel on the bridge, you're lucky I didn't give youtwice as many," he replied. "Can you imagine what would have happened ifwe had missed and hit the station?"

  "Brrrrrr!" shuddered Roger. "I hate to think about it. Come on. Let'srustle up some grub for the Venusian. I could use some myself."

  The three boys quickly changed to their dress blue cadet uniforms andleft the ship. A moment later they were being whisked up an electricelevator to the main--or "street"--level. The door opened, and theystepped out into a large circular area about the size of a city block inthe rear of the station. The area had been broken into smaller sections.One side of the "street" was devoted to shops, a small stereo housewhich was playing the latest Liddy Tamal hit, "Children of Space" (asensational drama about the lives of men in the future), restaurants,and even a curio shop. The Venus space station handled ninety per centof the traffic into and out of Venusport. It was a refueling stop forthe jet liners and space freighters bound for the outer planets, and forthose returning to Earth. Some ships went directly to Venusport forheavy overhaul or supplies, but the station was established primarilyfor quick turn arounds. Several ex-enlisted spacemen who had beeninjured or retired were given special permission to open shops for theconvenience of the passengers and crews of the ships and the staff ofthe station. In twenty years the station had become a place where summertourists from Earth and winter tourists from Titan made a point ofstopping. The first of its kind in the universe, it was as near aperfect place to live as could be built by man.

  Tom, Roger, and Astro strolled down the short street, pushing through acrowd of tourists admiring the shops. Finally they found a restaurantthat specialized in Venusian dishes.

  "Now you two spindly Earthmen are going to have the best meal of yourlives! Broiled dinosaur on real Venusian black bread!"

  "D-dinosaur!" stuttered Tom in amazement. "Why--why--that's aprehistoric monster!"

  "Yeah, Astro," agreed Roger. "What are you trying to hand us?"

>   Astro laughed. "You'll see, fellows," he replied. "I used to go huntingfor them when I was a kid. Brought the best price of any wild game.Fifty credits for babies under three hundred pounds. Over that, youcan't eat 'em. Too tough!"

  Tom and Roger looked at each other, eyes bulging.

  "Ah, come on, Tom," drawled Roger. "He's just trying to pull our leg."

  Without a word, Astro grabbed them by the arms and rushed them into therestaurant. They were no sooner seated when a recorded voice announcedthe menu over a small loud-speaker on the table. Astro promptly ordereddinosaur, and to his unit-mates' amazement, the voice politely inquired:

  "Would the spacemen prefer to have it broiled a la Venusian black bread,baked, or raw?"

  A sharp look from Roger and Tom, and Astro ordered it broiled.

  One hour and fifteen minutes later the three members of the _Polaris_unit staggered out of the restaurant.

  "By the rings of Saturn," declared Tom, "that wasn't only the most Iever ate--it was the best!"

  Roger nodded in silent agreement, leaning against the plastic window infront of the restaurant.

  "You see," Astro beamed, "maybe you guys will listen to me from now on!"

  "Boy, I can't wait to see Mom's face when I tell her that her chickenand dumplings have taken second place to broiled monster!"

  "By the jumping blazes of the stars!" yelled Roger suddenly. "Look atthe time! We're ten minutes late!"

  "Ohhhhh," moaned Tom. "I knew it was too good to be true!"

  "Step on it!" said Astro. "Maybe he won't notice."

  "Some chance," groaned Roger, running after Tom and Astro. "That oldrocket head wouldn't miss anything!"

  The three boys raced back to the electric elevator and were silentlywhisked to the air-lock level. They hurried aboard the _Polaris_ andinto the control room. Major Connel was seated in a chair near the chartscreen, studying some papers. The cadets drew themselves to attention.

  "Unit reporting for duty, sir," Tom quavered.

  Connel spun around in the swivel chair, glanced at the clock, put thepapers to one side, and slowly advanced toward the cadets.

  "Thirteen and a half minutes late!" he said, dropping his voice to abiting growl. "I'll give you five seconds to think up a good excuse.Every man is entitled to an excuse. Some have good ones, some havetruthful ones, and some have excuses that sound as though they made themup in five seconds!"

  He eyed the cadets speculatively. "Well?" he demanded.

  "I'm afraid we were carried away by our enthusiasm for a meal Astrointroduced us to, sir," said Tom honestly.

  "All right," snapped Connel, "then here's something else to carry youall away!" He paused and rocked on the balls of his feet. "I had plannedto give you three liberty of the station while here, whenever youweren't working on the new transmitter. But since you have shownyourselves to be carried away so easily, I don't think I can depend onyour completing your regular duties. Therefore, I suggest that each ofyou report to the officer in charge of your respective departments andlearn the operation and function of the station while we're here. Thiswork will be _in addition_ to your assigned duties on the newtransmitter operation!"

  The three cadets gulped but were silent.

  "Not only that," Connel's voice had risen to an angry bark, "but youwill be logged a demerit apiece for each minute you reported late.Thirteen and a half minutes, thirteen and a half demerits!"

  The gold and black of the Solar Guard uniform never looked more ominousas the three cadets watched the stern spaceman turn and stomp out theexit port.

  Alone, their liberty taken away from them before they even knew they hadit, the boys sat around on the control deck of the silent ship andlistened to the distant throb of a pump, rising and falling, pumpingfree air throughout the station.

  "Well," sighed Tom, "I always did want to know how a space stationworked. Now I guess I'll learn firsthand."

  "Me, too," said Astro. He propped his big feet up on a delicateinstrument panel of the control board.

  "Me, too!" sneered Roger, his voice filled with a bitterness thatsurprised Tom and Astro. "But I didn't think I would find out like this!How in the universe has that--that tyrant managed to stay alive thislong!"