"Cadet _Higgins_!" Major Connel's voice roared over the ship's intercom
as 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 the
sun 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 to
come down to the control deck?"
In the short space of time since their departure from the space station
Major Connel had learned that to scold Cadet Higgins was not the way to
gain his attention. In fact, Major Connel had not been able to find a
way 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 have
to get a position check on her before we go any farther, to ensure that
we traverse the same trajectory on our return trip and thus avoid the
problem of finding a new and safe route back."
"Cadet Alfie Higgins"--Connel's voice climbed to a frenzied shriek--"if
you are not on this control deck in ten seconds, I'll personally see
that you are fed to a dinosaur when we touch down on Tara and you'll
never return. _Now get down here!_"
Tom and Astro, who could hear the conversation over the intercom, were
finding it very difficult to keep from laughing out loud at the
innocence of Alfie and the outraged wrath of Major Connel.
Tom, particularly, had discovered that Alfie's innocent refusal to be
bullied by Connel had made the time pass more quickly on the long haul
through deep space. More than once he had seen Major Connel rage against
the underweight cadet and become even more frustrated at his childlike
resistance. It had helped Tom forget the empty feeling he experienced
every time he called the radar deck and heard Alfie's mild voice instead
of Roger's usual mocking answer. Astro, too, had managed to forget the
loneliness he felt aboard the great cruiser by watching the antics of
Alfie and Major Connel. More than once he had instigated situations
where Alfie would get caught red-handed in a harmless error, and then he
lay flat on the power deck, laughing until his sides ached, as he
listened to Alfie and Major Connel over the intercom.
It had helped. Both Tom and Astro admitted it had helped, but it still
didn'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 show
him Tara. Connel stood to one side, also watching for the image of the
planet to take form on the gray-black screen. A hatch clanked behind
them, and Alfie stepped into the control deck to snap to his version of
attention.
"Cadet Higgins reporting, sir," he said quietly.
Connel stepped in front of him, placed his hands on his hips, and bent
slightly, pushing his face almost into Alfie's.
"Cadet Higgins, I want you to know I have taken all the blasted
space-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 is
one more--just _one_ more brazen, flagrant disregard of my _specific_
orders, then, Cadet Higgins, I promise you the most miserable trip back
to Earth you will ever know in your entire career! I promise you I'll
make you sweat! I'll--I'll--" Connel stopped short and shuddered.
Alfie's owl-eyed look of innocence seemed to unnerve him. He tried to
resume 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 that
clear?"
"Yes, sir," said Alfie meekly. He saluted and returned to the radar
deck.
"Corbett!" snapped Connel. "If I should appear to be losing control of
myself when addressing Cadet Higgins, you have my official permission to
restrain 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 planet
lying dead ahead of the decelerating spaceship. They had been slowing
down for several days, since their speed with the added hyperdrive had
been increased greatly. The young cadet adjusted the last dial and the
blue-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 space
speed, sir."
"Very well," said Connel. "Now look to the right on the screen. See that
small 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 the
control deck and maneuver the ship closer in while I go to the radar
deck and contact Space Academy on the transmitter. I've got to report
that 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. Major
Connel's going to contact Space Academy, and I'm going to maneuver into
our preliminary glide. Stand by for course changes."
"Make it an easy touchdown. I wanta get home, you know," replied Astro
good-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 go
right through that planet!"
"One-quarter regular space speed," replied Astro.
Tom adjusted his controls for the speed reduction, while keeping his
eyes on the teleceiver screen. He watched the planet grow larger before
his eyes, and the terrain become more distinct. He could see two large
oceans, the green-blue of the water reflecting the sunlight of Alpha
Centauri brilliantly. Nearer and nearer the _Polaris_ plummeted, and Tom
could begin to distinguish the rough outline of mountain ranges along
the horizon line. He switched to a larger view of the planet on the
magnascope that revealed a splendor rivaling the beauty of his own
cherished Earth.
"We'll be entering the atmosphere in a minute, Alfie," yelled Tom into
the intercom. "Stand by to give range for touchdown."
"Radar deck, aye," reported Alfie. "Range at present five hundred
miles."
"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 rocket
motors 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 get
through to the Academy on the transmitter. Can't understand it." There
was 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 then
concentrated on bringing the ship to a safe landing on the foreign
planet. His fingers tingled as he reached for the switches that would
bring the ship down on the first intergalactic world he had ever
visited. In a flash, the curly-haired cadet remembered childhood dreams
of doing just what he was doing at this moment, preparing to touch down
on 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 as
little sustaining power as you can give me without cutting out
altogether, Astro."
"Can do!" said Astro. The ship slowed even more, then suddenly picked up
speed 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 to
the dials and meters on the control panel. There was no time to watch
the scanner view of the onrushing planet now. He had to touch down
blindly, using only his instruments. "Radar bridge, report!" snapped
Tom.
"Range one thousand feet," reported Alfie, his calm voice in striking
contrast to the nervous excitement in Tom's. "Seven hundred fifty--six
hundred--five fifty--"
"Fire braking rockets!" rasped Tom into the intercom.
The great ship bucked under the sudden thrust of the huge braking
rockets. The _Polaris_ held steady for a moment, then gradually, as the
pull of Tara began again, she settled back toward the dark-green
jungles beneath her.
"Two hundred and fifty feet," reported Alfie. "One hundred and
seventy-five--one fifty--" he droned.
"Ease her up, Astro," shouted Tom. "Easy! Ease her up, you Venusian
clunk, we're dropping too fast!"
Once again, from the heart of the _Polaris_, there came a roaring blast
of the powerful motors. The ship steadied once more and then slipped
back 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 held
still by a giant hand, and then, suddenly, a rocking motion, a slight
bump and rumble. Tom knew they were down.
"_Touchdown!_" he yelled at the top of his voice. "Touchdown! We made
it--we made it!"
From the power deck, quiet except for the whining of the oxygen feed
pump, Astro's bellow could be heard vibrating through the passageways.
"_Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooooooowwwwwww!_"
Tom began shutting off the many circuits and switches and made a quick
last-minute check of the now dead ship. Satisfied, he glanced at the
great solar clock, noted the time in the log, and stepped to the ladder
leading to the radar bridge.
"Cadet Corbett reporting, sir," said Tom, saluting smartly. "I wish to
report, sir, that the _Polaris_ made touchdown on the planet Tara at
exactly seventeen fifty-nine, solar time!"
Connel, his great bulk bent over the tiny transmitter, was twirling the
dials, his head encased in a vacuum earphone helmet to ensure perfect
silence. He had acquired the knowledge of lip reading out of necessity
on the power decks of the old chemical burners thirty years before, and
while 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 of
his 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 an
expedition for a quick look outside. Arm yourselves with paralo-ray guns
and rifles. Take a jet boat and under no circumstances are you to land.
Dismissed! Oh, yes, one more thing. Take Alfie Higgins along with you
and keep _your eye on him_. Report back in one hour!"
Tom felt a tingle of excitement run up his backbone as he heard the
tough 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 and
rifles. He made sure each of them was fully loaded and then handed them
to 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. Tom
returned to the radar bridge and stood before Connel.
"Would you see if there is any news of Roger, sir, when you make contact
with the Academy?"
Connel read the cadet's lips and nodded his head. Tom turned and went
directly to the jet-boat deck. Astro and Alfie waited for him inside.
"Brought along three space suits, Tom," said Astro. "You can never tell
what 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 hull
slid back. Tom pressed another button, gripped the wheel of the small
space craft, and stepped on the acceleration pedal. The little red ship
shot out of the open hatch and zoomed over the giant trees.
Traveling at a slow speed, Tom made a wide arc over the forest, checking
his position against that of the _Polaris_ before losing sight of it. He
pulled the tiny ship up to one thousand feet, leveled off, set the
automatic pilot, and took his first close look at Tara, four and a half
light years from Earth.
From above, Tara seemed to be a quagmire of reptiles, dinosaurs, and
dense vegetation reaching as high as the gleaming towers of Venusport
and Atom City. Huge trees that spread their branches over an area of a
thousand feet soared skyward, limbs and trunks wrapped in jungle
creepers. Now and then Alfie would grasp Tom or Astro by the arm and
point a wavering finger at a moving animal below, then gasp and fall
back white-faced into his seat. While Tom was inclined to share Alfie's
reactions, Astro took it in stride, having been exposed to the dangers
of wild jungles on his own Venus.
The tiny jet boat raced out across the blue-green sea that swept up in
giant swells along the snow-white sandy beaches. It was a temptation to
set the small craft down and enjoy the pleasure of a swim after the many
days of cramped, tortured living on the _Polaris_. But Tom remembered
Connel's orders and also had a lot of respect for some of the things he
had seen swimming in the water.
"Better get back," said Tom. He flipped the audiophone switch in the jet
boat and spoke into a small mike.
"Jet boat one to _Polaris_. Jet boat one to _Polaris_. Cadet Corbett to
Major Connel."
There was a crackle of static and then Connel's voice, vibrant and
clear, 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 seeing
the wildness of the jungle below him.
"Wrong?" blared Connel. "News from Earth--from the Academy! Roger's been
cleared of all charges."
"Cleared?" stammered Tom.
"Absolutely! When I sealed the radar bridge after the crash, a security
officer examined the settings on the scanners and transmitting
equipment. They showed that Roger _had_ been on duty at the time--that
he 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 from
the wreckage. And it wasn't broken off as a result of the crash. Now
Loring and Mason are wanted for further questioning."
Tom looked at his unit-mate, Astro. The big Venusian had his head turned
to 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 to
turn around."