Part 11 (1/2)
”Find anything?” he asked, when they entered the shack.
”Nothing, sir,” replied Tom. ”Except more evidence that they changed over to atomic drive.”
”That's enough” said Strong. ”I'm going to send a report to Commander Walters. Is the teleceiver on the _Polaris_ hooked up, Roger?”
”Yes, sir,” replied Roger. ”But Astro will have to start up the auxiliary generators to give you power.”
”Very well, then,” said Strong. ”Corbett, you give Astro a hand on the power deck. And while we're gone, Manning, you go through that feed-line junk there in the corner and see if there's anything important in it!”
”Aye, aye, sir,” replied Roger.
Strong and Hawks, followed by Tom and Astro, left the shack and hurried to the _Polaris_.
On the power deck, Tom and Astro made the necessary connections on the generator, and in a few minutes, as power surged through the s.h.i.+p, Strong flipped on the teleceiver.
”Attention! Attention! This is Captain Strong on the _Polaris_ calling Commander Walters at s.p.a.ce Academy! Earth emergency circuit, priority B--”
In a few moments the Solar Guard officer's call had been picked up by a monitor station on Earth and relayed directly to s.p.a.ce Academy.
Commander Walters was roused out of bed, and when he appeared on the teleceiver screen, Strong saw he was still in sleeping dress.
”Sorry to disturb you, sir,” said Strong, ”but something has come up here at the exposition that needs your immediate attention.”
”That's quite all right, Steve,” said the commander with a smile. ”What is it? Manning get into more trouble?”
”No, sir,” answered Strong grimly. ”I wish it were as simple as that.”
He quickly related the details of the strange dirt cloud and his suspicions of Wallace and Simms. Walters' expression grew serious.
”I'll get out an emergency bulletin on them at once, Steve. Meantime, you have full authority to head an investigation. Use any service you need. I'll confirm my verbal order with official orders at once. Get on this thing, Steve. It sounds serious.”
”I will, sir, and thanks!” said Strong.
”End transmission!”
”End transmission,” returned Strong, flipping off the teleceiver and turning to the s.h.i.+p's intercom. ”Attention, power deck! Corbett, you and Astro go back to the shack and give Roger a hand. I'm going to work with the commissioner here setting up search operations.”
”Aye, aye, sir,” replied Tom from the power deck.
The two cadets hurriedly closed the power units and left the s.h.i.+p.
”Did you hear what Captain Strong said, Astro?” asked Tom. ”Search operations.”
”I wonder what's up,” the big Venusian remarked. ”They don't set up search operations unless it's awfully serious!”
”Come on,” urged Tom. ”Maybe Roger's found something.”
They entered the shack together and Tom called out, ”Say, Roger, Captain Strong just spoke to Commander Walters at the Academy and--”
The curly-haired cadet stopped short. ”Astro, look!”