Part 38 (1/2)

”We're going in according to plan! Train all your guns on the Solar Guard defense installations and stand by!”

”Ready any time you say the word,” replied Wallace.

Jumping back to the intercom, c.o.xine gave orders to the power deck for full thrust, then ordered the radar bridge to relay the scanner image of Ganymede to the control deck.

As the rocket s.h.i.+p surged ahead under the added thrust, Tom strained against his ropes to watch the scanner and saw the clear image of the colony. He could make out the outline of the uranium plant, the atmosphere booster stations and small buildings cl.u.s.tered around the s.p.a.ceport. As they drew closer to the tiny colony, c.o.xine grabbed the intercom and the teleceiver microphones and barked crisp orders to both the Avengers and the _Polaris_' power decks. ”Full braking rockets!”

roared c.o.xine.

Tom braced himself against the sudden reverse pressure of the powerful nose rockets, and then, in a moment, felt the _Avenger_ come to a dead stop. Watching the scanner again, he saw that they were directly over the Solar Guard garrison. c.o.xine switched the teleceiver to the colony frequency and spoke sharply and confidently.

”Attention! All citizens of Ganymede colony! This is Bull c.o.xine. Your entire settlement is under my guns. Any attempt to raise s.h.i.+p and oppose me will be met with instant destruction! Every citizen is hereby ordered to a.s.semble at the munic.i.p.al s.p.a.ceport within five minutes. All Solar Guard officers and men will do the same. You have five minutes to comply, or I will open fire!”

The giant s.p.a.ceman flipped off the teleceiver before anyone on Ganymede could answer. Pressing with all his might, Tom managed to see more of the scanner which suddenly showed the people of Ganymede scurrying out to the s.p.a.ceport in panic. c.o.xine watched the activity on the scanner for a second and then grunted his satisfaction.

Suddenly the hatch was thrown open and Astro and Roger were pushed into the room by two crewmen.

c.o.xine turned to them, smiling thinly. ”You owe your lives to your buddy here. One more minute and you would've been walking with the angels.

Now,” he added to the crewmen, ”tie them up so they can see the scanner.

I want them to see how easy it is to knock off a Solar Guard garrison!”

”Why you--” Astro lunged toward the pirate but was stopped in his tracks by a blast from a paralo-ray gun behind him. The big cadet stood rigid, motionless, every nerve and muscle in his body paralyzed. c.o.xine sneered and turned back to the intercom while his men tied up the two cadets.

Tom and Roger looked at each other and, without speaking, knew what the other was thinking. Their only hope was the beacon signal aboard the _Polaris_.

After the men had tied Astro, they released him from the effects of the ray charge and threw him down beside Roger.

”How do you feel?” asked Tom.

”Like I've been run through a set of gears,” mumbled Astro. ”How about yourself?”

”O.K.,” replied Tom. ”Was it”--he paused--”was it tough in the air lock?”

Roger smiled. ”Not as tough as it must have been on you up here. We realized what was going on as soon as we found out we were losing air.”

The blond-haired cadet shook his head and Tom noticed that both Roger and Astro were weak from their ordeal in the chamber.

At the control panel, c.o.xine was bawling orders to his crew. ”Jet boats one, two, three, four, and five! Stand by to blast off!”

The three cadets looked at each other helplessly.

”Russell, check in,” continued the burly s.p.a.ceman.

”Russell here!” replied a voice on the intercom.

”You're in charge of the party. I want you to do one thing, and one thing only! Take the largest s.h.i.+ps on the s.p.a.ceport and blast off. Don't touch anything else! Just the s.h.i.+ps. Those you can't get off the ground, leave. We'll blast them later!”

”Aye, aye, sir.”