Part 34 (2/2)

”Why,” started Tom, ”there's nothing holding that tube a.s.sembly to the s.h.i.+p now. We cut all the cleats, remember? We can jettison the whole unit!”

”It seems to me,” drawled Roger lazily, ”that the two great heroes in their mad rush for the Solar Medal have forgotten an unwritten law of s.p.a.ce. There's no gravity out here--no natural force to pull or push the tube. The only way it could be moved is by the power of thrust, either forward or backward!”

”O.K. Then let's push it out, just that way,” said Astro.

”How?” asked Roger cynically.

”Simple, Roger,” said Tom, ”Newton's Laws of motion. Everything in motion tends to keep going at the same speed unless influenced by an outside force. So if we blasted our nose rockets and started going backward, everything on the s.h.i.+p would go backward too, then if we reversed--”

Astro cut in, ”Yeah--if we blasted the stern rockets, the s.h.i.+p would go forward, but the tube, being loose, would keep going the other way!”

”There's only one thing wrong,” said Roger. ”That ma.s.s is so hot now, if any booster energy hit it, it would be like a trigger on a bomb. It'd blow us from here to the next galaxy!”

”I'm willing to try it,” said Tom. ”How about you, Astro?”

”I've gone this far, and I'm not quitting now.”

They turned to face Roger.

”Well, how about it, Roger?” asked Tom. ”No one will think you're yellow if you take the jet boat and leave now.”

”Ah--talk again!” grumbled Roger. ”We always have to talk. Let's be original for a change and just do our jobs!”

”All right,” said Tom. ”Take an emergency light and signal Captain Strong. Tell him what we're going to do. Warn him to stay away--about two hundred miles off. He'll know if we're successful or not within a half hour!”

”Yeah,” said Roger, ”then we'll send him one big flash to mean we failed! _Bon voyage!_”

Fifteen minutes later, as the _Lady Venus_ drifted in her silent but deadly orbit, Tom, Roger and Astro still worked feverishly as the Geiger counter ticked off the increasing radioactivity of the wildcatting reaction ma.s.s in number-three rocket tube.

”Reading on the counter still's going up, Astro,” warned Roger.

”Fifteen-O-five.”

”Hurry it up, Astro,” urged Tom.

”Hand me that wrench, Tom,” ordered Astro. The big cadet, stripped to the waist, his thick arms and chest splattered with grease and sweat, fitted the wrench to the nut and applied pressure. Tom and Roger watched the muscles ripple along his back, as the big Venusian pitted all of his great strength against the metal.

”Give it all you've got,” said Tom. ”If we do manage to jettison that tube, we've got to keep this part of the power deck airtight!”

Astro pulled harder. The veins standing out on his neck. At last, easing off, he stood up and looked down at the nut.

”That's as tight as I can get it,” he said, breathing heavily.

”Or anyone else,” said Tom.

”All the valve connections broken?” asked Astro.

”Yep,” replied Roger. ”We're sealed tight.”

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