Jeff Marshall was just turning the jet car into the Plaza in front of
the Administration Building when Jane suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Jeff, look!" she cried. "Isn't that Captain Strong?"
The enlisted spaceman slowed the car and followed the direction of
Jane's pointing finger. He saw Strong step around the corner of the
Administration Building, stop, then scurry back around to the side. The
streets of the city were deserted. "He's running away from us," said
Jeff. "Probably thinks we're part of that searching party coming back."
He brought the car to a screaming halt in front of the building and
jumped out, calling, "Captain Strong!" His voice echoed through the
deserted streets. "This is Jeff Marshall!"
Peering around the corner of the Administration Building, Strong saw
Marshall clearly and then recognized the daughter of Hyram Logan. He
dashed out of his hiding place and greeted them with a yell.
"Jeff! Jeff! Over here!"
The three friends of the Space Cadets were soon telling each other the
latest developments. Strong listened to Jeff's story of the professor's
work journal and shook his head disgustedly. "I was in that lab for
nearly four hours this morning," he said. "If I had only known."
"Don't blame yourself, sir," said Jeff. "You didn't know it was there!"
"Let's find it now," said Jane desperately. "We're losing time. Those
men back in the hills may catch the boys."
"They haven't been caught yet," asserted Strong. "And if I know my
cadets, those men will have a hard time nailing them. Come on!" He
turned and raced into the Administration Building, heading for Professor
Sykes's laboratory.
In less than five minutes Jeff was searching through the pages of the
professor's work journal. "There's no telling when he made the
discovery," said Jeff, scanning the mass of complicated diagrams and
figures.
"It must have been soon after our arrival on Roald," said Jane. "That
was when we saw him searching the hills around our farm."
Jeff flipped the pages back to the front of the book and began to read
it from the beginning. "Here's something!" He quoted some figures from
the book and looked at Strong.
"That make any sense to you, sir?" he asked.
"It sure does!" said Strong. "That's a preliminary survey on uranium!
He's just getting the scent there. Keep reading."
Jeff turned a few more pages and suddenly stopped. "Here it is!" he
exclaimed. "And say--look at this!" He handed the journal over to Strong
who began to read quickly. "'... conclusive proof found today in hills
surrounding farming area of Hyram Logan. Potentially the biggest hot
metal strike I've ever seen. Am going to make a report to Vidac today.
This could mean the beginning of a new era in space travel. Enough fuel
to send fleets of ships on protracted voyages to any part of the
universe....'"
Strong stopped reading and looked at Jane and Jeff.
"This was dated the tenth." He turned the page and continued, "This is
the day after, the eleventh. Listen to this! '... Vidac is sending my
information to the Solar Council immediately. He was very impressed.'
And so forth and so forth."
Strong closed the journal and faced Jeff and Jane again, a triumphant
smile on his lips. "This is just what we needed. This journal is
admissible in Solar Courts as evidence the same way a ship's log is!
Come on. Now we've got to get Vidac before he gets the cadets!"
"Wait," said Jane in a fearful whisper. "Listen."
Strong and Jeff stood still. In the distance they heard the unmistakable
roar of jet cars converging on the Plaza. Strong turned to Jeff.
"They've either found the cadets or--"
"Or what?" asked Jeff.
"I--I won't say it," said Strong hesitantly, "but if anything has
happened to those boys, I'll personally dig Vidac's grave!"
Jane had moved to the window and was watching the wild activity in the
Plaza below. "They're spreading out!" she cried. "They must be searching
the city."
Strong rushed to the window and looked down. "That means they haven't
found the cadets!" he exclaimed.
"I've been thinking, sir," said Jeff. "Do you think we really have
enough proof of Vidac's guilt to make the colonists understand it was
Vidac and not the cadets who could have done something to the
professor?"
"We've got to try!" said Strong. "We've got to try!"
The two spacemen and Jane left the laboratory and raced down the
slidestairs and through the halls of the Administration Building to the
double doors that opened onto the Plaza. They stepped into view just as
the colonists were about to spread out and search the city. One of the
men was standing on the steps shouting orders. Jeff recognized him as
Joe, the man who had stopped him on the highway. There was a roar from
the crowd when they noticed Strong, Jeff, and Jane standing in the open
doorway.
Strong held the black journal high over his head and called for order.
The colonists crowded around at the base of the steps not knowing what
to make of his sudden appearance.
"What are you doing here?" demanded the colonist deputy. "You're Captain
Strong of the Solar Guard, aren't you?"
"That's right," replied Strong. "And you're making a big mistake
accusing the cadets of the murder of Professor Sykes, when you're not
even sure the professor has been murdered! The man you want to question
about that is Lieutenant Governor Vidac!"
A startled murmur ran through the assembled men. Strong continued, "I
have absolute proof that Vidac received information about the biggest
uranium strike in the history of the universe from Professor Sykes and
plans to keep it for himself. His accusation of the cadets is a cover-up
to clear himself and to throw you off the track."
The word _uranium_ spread through the crowd like wildfire.
"You're pretty friendly with the cadets," sneered the deputy. "How do we
know you're telling us the truth, and not just trying to save them?"
"Yeah. Answer that one!" roared a voice from back of the crowd.
"Do any of you understand physics?" asked Strong.
"Physics?" asked the deputy. "What's that got to do with it?"
"Plenty! I have information here in this journal that will prove what I
just said! Read it for yourself. It's in the professor's own
handwriting."
"I can read it," said a small man in front of Strong. "Gimme that
thing!" Strong handed him the black book and told the man where to look.
The man considered it for five minutes, then turned to the crowd. "He's
right! We're sitting on the hottest uranium rock in this galaxy!"
"Where is it?" cried someone from the crowd. "Tell us where the uranium
is!"
The mob of men, forgetting all about the cadets, were now seized with
the greed for riches. Strong took the journal back and tucked it under
his arm.
"I'll tell you where it is," said Strong, "when we put Vidac where he
belongs! Behind bars!"
"What are we waiting for?" cried the colonists. "Let's get that
murdering space crawler!"
The deputy pushed his way through the crowd and raced for his car.
Others followed and once more the Plaza echoed to the roar of jets.
Strong turned to Jeff. "You'll find Winters up in Vidac's quarters. I
had to freeze him." He handed over the paralo-ray gun. "Get him and
follow us to the spaceport. Tell him we know everything, and if he
doesn't talk, he'll get life on a prison rock."
"Right," said Jeff. "I'll get a confession out of him if I have to wring
his neck--and I'll get it on a soundscriber!"
"Good. Come on, Jane," said Strong. "This is the finish of a would-be
tyrant!"
Jeff turned and dashed back into the building, while Strong and Jane
climbed into the jet car and roared off toward the spaceport.
"If we only had a paralo-ray gun," muttered Roger as he and Tom sped
after Vidac's powerful jet car.
"Yes," agreed Tom. "This could be a trap, but what can we do?"
Roger was silent. They had moved out of the cave as soon as Astro had
been taken down the hill and they knew exactly what Vidac had in mind.
But their need for information about Professor Sykes and their concern
for Astro forced them to follow the powerful jet car into what they were
certain was a trap.
"We'll ditch the jet car after we find out where they're going," said
Tom, "and figure out something afterward."
"You think they'll go to Sykes?" asked Roger.
[Illustration]
"It's a pretty safe bet, Roger. The professor's been well hidden, so why
not hide Astro in the same place, hoping in the meantime to get us
also."
"But I can't see walking into a trap, simply because we know it's
there!"
"Roger--look! Vidac's stopping the car! Astro's trying to get away!"
"Astro's fighting with Bush!" shouted Roger. "Come on! Can't you get any
more push out of this wagon?"
Tom jammed the accelerator down to the floorboard and the jet car fairly
leaped ahead. Fifty yards from Vidac's stalled car, Tom slammed on the
brake, bringing the little car to a screaming halt only two feet away.
Roger was halfway out before the car had stopped moving. Beside Vidac's
car, Bush was wrestling with Astro.
[Illustration]
"Tom! Roger! Get back! It's a trap!" yelled Astro.
Astro's warning came too late. While Tom and Roger sprang to help their
unit mate, Vidac slipped up on the other side and fired quickly and
accurately with a paralo-ray gun. Tom and Roger were frozen just as they
were about to pull Bush from Astro's back.
Vidac swung the ray gun around toward Astro. "See that, big boy?" He
laughed. "Well, you're going to get the same thing if you make one funny
move. Now pile those two stiffs into the back of my car! Get moving!"
Seething with frustration and rage, Astro turned to Roger and Tom,
standing like solid slabs of stone. He picked up Roger and carried him
gently to the car, placing him in the back. Then he turned and walked
toward Tom. He made a slight movement toward Vidac and Bush, but they
leveled their guns quickly.
"None of that," warned Vidac. Astro's shoulders drooped. He was almost
in tears as he walked toward Tom. The curly-haired cadet stood
immovable, staring at his friend. The Venusian leaned over and picked up
Tom gently.
"Take it easy, Astro," whispered Tom, not moving his lips. "I'm not
frozen. He missed me!"
Astro nearly jumped at the sound of Tom's voice. He recovered quickly,
fighting back a grin of triumph. He threw a quick glance at Vidac and
Bush, then carefully picked Tom up and carried him to the car. As he was
about to turn around again, he felt the sudden jolt of the paralo ray,
and in the split-second before the ray took effect, Astro nearly
laughed.
* * * * *
Under the effects of a paralo-ray charge the body is paralyzed and there
is no feeling. Tom, however, lying beside Roger but beneath Astro in
the back seat of the car, began to suffer painful muscular cramps. He
gritted his teeth, trying to lie rigidly still, but his arms and legs
began to jerk spasmodically and he had to move.
Slowly he eased one arm from beneath Astro's heavy body and shifted his
legs into a more comfortable position. Though the Venusian's weight
still pressed him down in the seat, the muscular cramps were relieved.
He began to pay attention to what Vidac and Bush were saying in the
front seat of the car.
"We'll blast off as soon as we reach the spaceport," said Vidac, "and get
up to the asteroid."
"Why so fast?" asked Bush.
"I want to get rid of those nosy space rats as quickly as possible. Then
I'll go after Strong."
Bush shook his head. "That won't be easy. Strong's not a Space Cadet.
He's Solar Guard. And good Solar Guard at that!"
Tom smiled in wholehearted agreement with the lieutenant governor's
henchman.
Vidac sneered. "Don't make me laugh! Didn't you see the way I convinced
those dumb colonists that the cadets were responsible for the
professor's murder? If they'd stopped to think about it, they would have
realized I was putting one over on them. All you have to do is keep
talking, fast and loud. Keep them off balance, and don't let them
think."
"There's the spaceport road," said Bush. "And there's the _Polaris_. I
hope we don't have any trouble with the grease monkeys when they see us
hauling the cadets out."
"If they start anything," said Vidac with a sneer, "you know what to
do."
"Sure," said Bush, patting his paralo-ray gun.
The car roared through the gates of the spaceport and sped across the
hard surface of the field. A moment later it came to a shuddering stop
at the base of the giant rocket cruiser.
"All right," said Vidac. "Get them aboard the ship. Hardy will blow a
gasket if we don't get this over with in a hurry."
Hardy! The name hit Tom like a trip hammer. So Hardy was mixed up in it!
Hardy, the respected Governor of Roald, the man responsible for the
welfare of the colony and the lives of the colonists, was really a
swindler and a thief. Now if Jeff only had Professor Sykes's journal
they could tie everything together, providing he could stop Vidac from
sending them off to a prison rock! Tom's thoughts were suddenly
interrupted by the movement of Astro's heavy body on top of him. The
young cadet broke out into a cold sweat. When he had been supposedly hit
by the paralo ray his arms had been outstretched! He had been so busy
thinking about Hardy's connection with Vidac that he had forgotten to
resume his original position.
Astro was hauled out of the car and Bush reached in the car to get Tom.
The boy braced himself and waited as the spaceman grabbed him by the
feet. He was pulled roughly out of the door and stood on his feet. Out
of the corner of his eye he could see that Astro had been stood up
beside the car like a tree. Vidac turned away from the giant cadet and
started to give Bush a hand. Suddenly he stopped and pulled out his
paralo-ray gun.
"Boss, what're you doing?" cried Bush, jumping away from Tom and leaving
the cadet rocking on his feet, trying to pretend he was still paralyzed.
He toppled forward, and before he realized what he had done, threw out
his hands to break his fall.
Vidac laughed. "I have to hand it to you, Corbett. That was the best bit
of acting I've ever seen in my life."
Tom picked himself up from the ground and glared at Vidac. Bush stood to
one side, too startled to realize what had happened.
"You mean, he--he--" Bush stammered, his eyes wide with alarm.
"That's right," said Vidac. "The wonder boy of the space lanes acted as
if he was frozen. What were you going to do, Corbett? Take over, maybe?"
"You'll never get away with it, Vidac," said Tom through clenched teeth.
"You're through and you know it!"
"Not yet, my friend," said Vidac. "You've had your fun. Now get your
friend out of the car and carry him aboard the _Polaris_. We're all
going for a little ride!"
Tom turned reluctantly and began pulling Roger out of the back of the
car. He realized that he could take no more chances with the paralo ray.
As long as he was awake, there was a chance for him to do something. He
lifted Roger gently to his shoulder, turned, and staggered toward the
cruiser. Just as he was about to step inside the hatch, he heard the
faint roar of jets in the distance. He stumbled and fell purposely to
stall for time. He and Roger sprawled full length on the deck. As Tom
sat up and rubbed his knee, Bush rushed over, leaving Vidac to struggle
with the immense bulk of Astro.
"Get up!" snarled Bush. He poked the gun within an inch of Tom's face.
The cadet knew that if Bush fired at such a close range, his brains
would be burned to a crisp. He fell away from the gun.
"I wrenched my knee," he whined. "I can't get up!"
"If you don't get up by the time I count three," growled Bush, "I'll
blast you! One, two--"
The roar of the jets was closer now and Tom's heart began to race.
Feigning pain in his leg, he started to pull himself to his feet. He
glanced toward the spaceport entrance and saw a stream of jet cars
pouring into the field, heading for the _Polaris_. Suddenly Tom leaped
for Bush from the crouching position. He lashed out with his right fist,
while grabbing for the ray gun with his left.
Bush was not to be tricked so easily. He fired just as the cadet jumped.
But in trying to evade Tom's crashing right hand, he missed his shot and
was grazed by Tom's fist. He fell back out of the spaceship, his gun
falling inside the air-lock portal.
Tom lay on the deck, wincing in pain. The wild shot had caught him in
the right leg and he was unable to move it. He crawled across the deck,
reaching for the gun as Bush came charging up the ramp.
Meanwhile, Vidac, seeing the commotion in the hatch of the spaceship,
pulled his gun and leveled it at Tom. But Bush charged through the hatch
just as Vidac fired and he caught the full blast of Vidac's shot. He
landed on the deck beside Tom, stiff as a board.
Tom reached for the gun, preparing to fight it out with Vidac. But the
odds were against him. His leg was completely paralyzed and Vidac was
climbing into the ship. He knew he couldn't reach the gun in time.
Suddenly Vidac became aware of the jet cars streaming into the
spaceport. He stopped and turned to look at them. Then, sensing
something was wrong, he turned back to dash into the _Polaris_. The
second his back was turned was sufficient time for Tom to grab the gun
and fire. Vidac was stopped cold, his bright eyes burning with hate,
unable to move.
"You can drop that now," said a voice in back of Tom.
The curly-haired cadet whirled around to face Governor Hardy, holding a
paralo-ray rifle up to his shoulder, aimed and ready to fire.
"You're a good spaceman, Corbett," said Hardy in a cold, harsh voice,
"but this is the last time you'll ever get into my hair!"
Tom's leg prevented him from moving and he had turned in an awkward
sitting position to face Hardy. All he could do was bring his gun up
quickly and fire over his left shoulder. Hardy fired at the same
instant. At such close range neither could miss.
When Captain Strong and the colonists dashed into the ship they found
two perfect statues.
[Illustration]