CHAPTER 11
"Cadet _Higgins_!" Major Connel's voice roared over the ship's intercomas the giant rocket cruiser _Polaris_ blasted smoothly through space.
"Yes, sir," squeaked Alfie in reply.
"Cadet Higgins," said Connel, "I thought I had requested a sight on thesun star Regulus at fifteen hundred hours!"
"You did, sir," replied Alfie.
"_Then why, by the craters of Luna, don't I have that position?_"
"I was--busy, sir," came the meek reply.
"Cadet Higgins," sighed Connel patiently, "would you be so kind as tocome down to the control deck?"
In the short space of time since their departure from the space stationMajor Connel had learned that to scold Cadet Higgins was not the way togain his attention. In fact, Major Connel had not been able to find away of getting the little cadet's attention in any manner, at any time,on anything.
"I can't right now, sir," replied Alfie.
"What do you _mean_, you can't?" exploded Connel.
"I mean, sir," explained Alfie, "that I've just sighted Tara and I haveto get a position check on her before we go any farther, to ensure thatwe traverse the same trajectory on our return trip and thus avoid theproblem of finding a new and safe route back."
"Cadet Alfie Higgins"--Connel's voice climbed to a frenzied shriek--"ifyou are not on this control deck in ten seconds, I'll personally seethat you are fed to a dinosaur when we touch down on Tara and you'llnever return. _Now get down here!_"
Tom and Astro, who could hear the conversation over the intercom, werefinding it very difficult to keep from laughing out loud at theinnocence of Alfie and the outraged wrath of Major Connel.
Tom, particularly, had discovered that Alfie's innocent refusal to bebullied by Connel had made the time pass more quickly on the long haulthrough deep space. More than once he had seen Major Connel rage againstthe underweight cadet and become even more frustrated at his childlikeresistance. It had helped Tom forget the empty feeling he experiencedevery time he called the radar deck and heard Alfie's mild voice insteadof Roger's usual mocking answer. Astro, too, had managed to forget theloneliness he felt aboard the great cruiser by watching the antics ofAlfie and Major Connel. More than once he had instigated situationswhere Alfie would get caught red-handed in a harmless error, and then helay flat on the power deck, laughing until his sides ached, as helistened to Alfie and Major Connel over the intercom.
It had helped. Both Tom and Astro admitted it had helped, but it stilldidn't take away the dull ache each felt when an occasional remark,situation, or thought would bring Roger to mind.
Tom flipped the teleceiver on and waited for the blank screen to showhim Tara. Connel stood to one side, also watching for the image of theplanet to take form on the gray-black screen. A hatch clanked behindthem, and Alfie stepped into the control deck to snap to his version ofattention.
"Cadet Higgins reporting, sir," he said quietly.
Connel stepped in front of him, placed his hands on his hips, and bentslightly, pushing his face almost into Alfie's.
"Cadet Higgins, I want you to know I have taken all the blastedspace-brained antics I'm going to take from you," said Connel quietly.
"Yes, sir," replied Alfie blandly.
"And," said Connel, shaking a finger in Alfie's face, "_and_ if there isone more--just _one_ more brazen, flagrant disregard of my _specific_orders, then, Cadet Higgins, I promise you the most miserable trip backto Earth you will ever know in your entire career! I promise you I'llmake you sweat! I'll--I'll--" Connel stopped short and shuddered.Alfie's owl-eyed look of innocence seemed to unnerve him. He tried toresume his tirade, but the words failed him. He finally turned away,growling, "Higgins, get up on that radar deck and do as you're told,_when_ you're told to do it and _not_ when you want to do it! Is thatclear?"
"Yes, sir," said Alfie meekly. He saluted and returned to the radardeck.
"Corbett!" snapped Connel. "If I should appear to be losing control ofmyself when addressing Cadet Higgins, you have my official permission torestrain me. Use force if necessary!"
Tom bit his lip to keep from laughing and managed to mumble "Yes, sir."He turned quickly to the control board and began focusing on the planetlying dead ahead of the decelerating spaceship. They had been slowingdown for several days, since their speed with the added hyperdrive hadbeen increased greatly. The young cadet adjusted the last dial and theblue-green planet sprang into clear sharp focus on the screen.
"Why," gasped Tom. "Sir, look! It's just like Earth!"
"In more ways than one, Corbett," replied Connel. "What's our range?"
"I'd say we're close enough to reduce thrust to a quarter regular spacespeed, sir."
"Very well," said Connel. "Now look to the right on the screen. See thatsmall dark patch over there in the middle of the planet?"
"Yes, sir," replied Tom.
"That's where we want to touch down," said Connel. "You stay here on thecontrol deck and maneuver the ship closer in while I go to the radardeck and contact Space Academy on the transmitter. I've got to reportthat we expect to land soon."
"Very well, sir," said Tom. He turned and flipped the intercom switch."Control deck to power deck," he said. "Check in, Astro."
"Power deck here," replied Astro. "What's up, Tom?"
"We just got our first good look at Tara. She's dead ahead. MajorConnel's going to contact Space Academy, and I'm going to maneuver intoour preliminary glide. Stand by for course changes."
"Make it an easy touchdown. I wanta get home, you know," replied Astrogood-naturedly.
"O.K.," said Tom. "Better bring her down to one-quarter space speed."
"Hyper or regular?" asked Astro.
"Regular!" yelled Tom. "You give me a quarter on hyper and we'll goright through that planet!"
"One-quarter regular space speed," replied Astro.
Tom adjusted his controls for the speed reduction, while keeping hiseyes on the teleceiver screen. He watched the planet grow larger beforehis eyes, and the terrain become more distinct. He could see two largeoceans, the green-blue of the water reflecting the sunlight of AlphaCentauri brilliantly. Nearer and nearer the _Polaris_ plummeted, and Tomcould begin to distinguish the rough outline of mountain ranges alongthe horizon line. He switched to a larger view of the planet on themagnascope that revealed a splendor rivaling the beauty of his owncherished Earth.
"We'll be entering the atmosphere in a minute, Alfie," yelled Tom intothe intercom. "Stand by to give range for touchdown."
"Radar deck, aye," reported Alfie. "Range at present five hundredmiles."
"Power deck, check in!" yelled Tom.
"Power deck, aye," returned Astro.
"All set below?" asked Tom.
"All set," said Astro.
"Reduce thrust to minimum!" shouted Tom.
Deep inside the powerful ship, the roar of the mighty atomic rocketmotors began to fade to a deep growling purr.
"Control deck to radar deck. Major Connel, sir?"
"What is it, Corbett?" asked Connel.
"We're ready for a touchdown. Do you want to take over the bridge?"
"Can't you do it, Corbett?" asked Connel.
"Yes, sir!" replied Tom.
"Then carry on," replied Connel. "I'm having some trouble trying to getthrough to the Academy on the transmitter. Can't understand it." Therewas a pause. "I have them now, Corbett! You carry on!" he shouted.
"Aye, aye, sir," said Tom. He turned his attention to the control panel,checking the many dials and gauges with one sweeping glance, and thenconcentrated on bringing the ship to a safe landing on the foreignplanet. His fingers tingled as he reached for the switches that wouldbring the ship down on the first intergalactic world he had evervisited. In a flash, the curly-haired cadet remembered childhood dreamsof doing just what he was doing at this moment, preparing to touch downon a new world, millions of miles away from his home near New Chicago.
"Range one hundred miles," reported Alfie over the intercom.
"Power deck, reduce thrust to absolute minimum!" ordered Tom. "I want aslittle sustaining power as you can give me without cutting outaltogether, Astro."
"Can do!" said Astro. The ship slowed even more, then suddenly picked upspeed again as the gravity of Tara began to tug at the space traveler.
"Stand by to fire braking rockets!" yelled Tom. He was all nerves now,sensitive to the throbbing of the great ship's motors, eyes fastened tothe dials and meters on the control panel. There was no time to watchthe scanner view of the onrushing planet now. He had to touch downblindly, using only his instruments. "Radar bridge, report!" snappedTom.
"Range one thousand feet," reported Alfie, his calm voice in strikingcontrast to the nervous excitement in Tom's. "Seven hundred fifty--sixhundred--five fifty--"
"Fire braking rockets!" rasped Tom into the intercom.
The great ship bucked under the sudden thrust of the huge brakingrockets. The _Polaris_ held steady for a moment, then gradually, as thepull of Tara began again, she settled back toward the dark-greenjungles beneath her.
"Two hundred and fifty feet," reported Alfie. "One hundred andseventy-five--one fifty--" he droned.
"Ease her up, Astro," shouted Tom. "Easy! Ease her up, you Venusianclunk, we're dropping too fast!"
Once again, from the heart of the _Polaris_, there came a roaring blastof the powerful motors. The ship steadied once more and then slippedback into her fall toward the new planet under more sure control.
"Fifty feet," reported Alfie. "Forty--thirty--twenty--"
There was a brief pause, as if everything had stopped and they were heldstill by a giant hand, and then, suddenly, a rocking motion, a slightbump and rumble. Tom knew they were down.
"_Touchdown!_" he yelled at the top of his voice. "Touchdown! We madeit--we made it!"
From the power deck, quiet except for the whining of the oxygen feedpump, Astro's bellow could be heard vibrating through the passageways.
"_Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooooooowwwwwww!_"
Tom began shutting off the many circuits and switches and made a quicklast-minute check of the now dead ship. Satisfied, he glanced at thegreat solar clock, noted the time in the log, and stepped to the ladderleading to the radar bridge.
"Cadet Corbett reporting, sir," said Tom, saluting smartly. "I wish toreport, sir, that the _Polaris_ made touchdown on the planet Tara atexactly seventeen fifty-nine, solar time!"
Connel, his great bulk bent over the tiny transmitter, was twirling thedials, his head encased in a vacuum earphone helmet to ensure perfectsilence. He had acquired the knowledge of lip reading out of necessityon the power decks of the old chemical burners thirty years before, andwhile he couldn't hear what Tom had said, he knew what the report was.
"Very well, Corbett," he shouted, not being able to judge the volume ofhis voice. "Good job! Can't seem to pick them up at the Academy again.Had them once, then lost them. Am placing you in command of anexpedition for a quick look outside. Arm yourselves with paralo-ray gunsand rifles. Take a jet boat and under no circumstances are you to land.Dismissed! Oh, yes, one more thing. Take Alfie Higgins along with youand keep _your eye on him_. Report back in one hour!"
Tom felt a tingle of excitement run up his backbone as he heard thetough skipper give him permission to explore the planet.
He saluted and turned away, Alfie trailing him down the ladder.
"Hey, Astrooooo!" yelled Tom. "Get number-one jet boat out of the hatch.We're going for a look-see at this place!"
Tom went to the gun locker and took out three paralo-ray guns andrifles. He made sure each of them was fully loaded and then handed themto Alfie.
"Put these on the jet boat, Alfie. I'll be along in a minute."
Alfie took the guns and walked toward the jet-boat catapult deck. Tomreturned to the radar bridge and stood before Connel.
"Would you see if there is any news of Roger, sir, when you make contactwith the Academy?"
Connel read the cadet's lips and nodded his head. Tom turned and wentdirectly to the jet-boat deck. Astro and Alfie waited for him inside.
"Brought along three space suits, Tom," said Astro. "You can never tellwhat we might run into."
"Good idea," said Tom.
The three cadets climbed into the jet boat, Tom taking the pilot's seat.He pushed a release button, and a portion of the _Polaris'_ steel hullslid back. Tom pressed another button, gripped the wheel of the smallspace craft, and stepped on the acceleration pedal. The little red shipshot out of the open hatch and zoomed over the giant trees.
Traveling at a slow speed, Tom made a wide arc over the forest, checkinghis position against that of the _Polaris_ before losing sight of it. Hepulled the tiny ship up to one thousand feet, leveled off, set theautomatic pilot, and took his first close look at Tara, four and a halflight years from Earth.
From above, Tara seemed to be a quagmire of reptiles, dinosaurs, anddense vegetation reaching as high as the gleaming towers of Venusportand Atom City. Huge trees that spread their branches over an area of athousand feet soared skyward, limbs and trunks wrapped in junglecreepers. Now and then Alfie would grasp Tom or Astro by the arm andpoint a wavering finger at a moving animal below, then gasp and fallback white-faced into his seat. While Tom was inclined to share Alfie'sreactions, Astro took it in stride, having been exposed to the dangersof wild jungles on his own Venus.
The tiny jet boat raced out across the blue-green sea that swept up ingiant swells along the snow-white sandy beaches. It was a temptation toset the small craft down and enjoy the pleasure of a swim after the manydays of cramped, tortured living on the _Polaris_. But Tom rememberedConnel's orders and also had a lot of respect for some of the things hehad seen swimming in the water.
"Better get back," said Tom. He flipped the audiophone switch in the jetboat and spoke into a small mike.
"Jet boat one to _Polaris_. Jet boat one to _Polaris_. Cadet Corbett toMajor Connel."
There was a crackle of static and then Connel's voice, vibrant andclear, filled the small cabin.
"Corbett!" he roared. "By the craters of Luna, I couldn't contact you.Return to the _Polaris_ on the double!"
"Is there something wrong, sir?" asked Tom, apprehensive after seeingthe wildness of the jungle below him.
"Wrong?" blared Connel. "News from Earth--from the Academy! Roger's beencleared of all charges."
"Cleared?" stammered Tom.
"Absolutely! When I sealed the radar bridge after the crash, a securityofficer examined the settings on the scanners and transmittingequipment. They showed that Roger _had_ been on duty at the time--thathe had been tracking the ship as he claimed."
"Then what was the reason for the crash?"
"Security isn't sure yet. An acceleration control lever is missing fromthe wreckage. And it wasn't broken off as a result of the crash. NowLoring and Mason are wanted for further questioning."
Tom looked at his unit-mate, Astro. The big Venusian had his head turnedto one side; he seemed to be staring out over the vast writhing jungle.
"Astro, did you hear?" asked Tom softly.
"Yeah," mumbled Astro in a small, choked voice. "Just don't ask me toturn around."
Danger in Deep Space Page 11
