Part 35 (1/2)
”They're closing in!” Roger's voice crackled through the intercom from the radar bridge. ”Do we fight or do we let those s.p.a.ce crawlers take over?”
”Fight!” bellowed Astro from the power deck.
”No! Wait!” cried Tom. ”We haven't a chance! If we don't heave to, c.o.xine'll blast us into s.p.a.ce junk!”
Rocketing through the asteroid belt with the t.i.tan pay roll, the three s.p.a.ce cadets, under strict orders to maintain communications silence, were unaware that Bull c.o.xine had outsmarted Captain Strong. Sending in the rocket scout, he had sprung the Solar Guard trap and had cagily scanned the belt for another s.h.i.+p. Finding the _Polaris_ easily, the pirate captain was blasting in for the attack.
On the control deck of the Solar Guard cruiser, Tom Corbett desperately tried to think of a plan to outwit c.o.xine, while his unit-mates urged him to fight back.
”What's the matter, Junior?” Roger called over the intercom sarcastically. ”Scared to fight?”
”You know I'm not,” snapped Tom in reply.
”By the rings of Saturn,” growled Astro, ”I never thought you'd surrender to anybody, Tom!”
”Listen, both of you!” shouted Tom. ”It's no use! We've got to play this smart!”
”Well, start making with the brains,” sneered Roger. ”c.o.xine's in range now.”
”Attention--” A harsh unmistakable voice rumbled over the audioceiver.
”This is Bull c.o.xine! Heave to or you'll be blasted!”
”All right, Junior,” said Roger bitterly, ”company's coming. What now?”
”Cut all power, Astro--fast!” ordered Tom.
”What's the matter?” growled Astro. ”Afraid they'll shoot if you don't stop fast enough?”
”Keep your big trap shut and do as I tell you!” snapped Tom.
”Listen, Junior!” snarled Roger. ”As far as I'm concerned--”
Tom interrupted him. ”_You_ listen, you idiot! Don't you see what's happened? c.o.xine must have found out about the decoy s.h.i.+p, and when we showed up on his scanner, he figured right away that we might have the t.i.tan pay roll.”
”So what?” demanded Roger. ”That still doesn't let you off for not belting that crawler with our six-inchers!”
”Use your head!” snapped Tom. ”With the Solar Guard squadrons on the other side of the belt and with no gun crews on our s.h.i.+p, how far do you think we'd have gotten?”
”You didn't have to surrender, Tom,” said Astro. ”I could have outrun c.o.xine in nothing flat. Why, I haven't got half the speed out of this old girl I think she's got.”
”A great idea, bird brain! Run away from the very guy the Solar Guard's going crazy trying to find!”
The intercom was suddenly silent as Astro and Roger began to understand Tom's decision and waited for him to elaborate on his idea.
”Now, listen, Roger,” said Tom patiently, ”we've got about five minutes before those crawlers will be aboard. How long will it take you to make a signal beacon that'll send out a constant automatic SOS?”
”A what?” asked Roger.
”Beacon. One that will transmit on the Solar Guard special frequency and be small enough to hide here on the _Polaris_.”
”Why hide it on the _Polaris_?” asked Astro. ”Why not try to get it on their s.h.i.+p?” His tone was almost apologetic now that he realized Tom was not planning a cowardly surrender.