CHAPTER 9
"Attention! Attention! This is a general alert!" Tom Corbett's voice washollow as he spoke over a solar-wide audiocast. "Wanted! Space CadetRoger Manning. Five feet, eleven inches tall, one hundred sixty-fivepounds. Blue eyes. Blond hair. Last seen wearing dress blues. CadetManning broke confinement to quarters on Venus space station and isbelieved to be heading back to Earth. He is wanted in connection withthe crash of the space freighter _Annie Jones_ and the death of twospacemen. All information regarding the whereabouts of Manning should beforwarded to Captain Isaiah M. Patrick, Senior Security Officer, SolarGuard, Space Academy, Earth. This alert is to be transmitted to alllocal authorities."
Tom snapped the switch off and silently watched the glowing audio tubesdarken. He turned to one side and saw Astro. The big Venusian was seatedon a desk, slumped over, his head held in his massive hands.
"You know," said Astro slowly, "I could take that guy Manning and breakhim in two for running out!"
Tom didn't answer. When they had discovered that Roger was missing ithad been a terrific blow. Unaware that Roger, in his confused state ofmind, had been an easy victim to Loring and Mason's trickery and hadinnocently walked into their trap, the two cadets felt that his escapewas a breach of trust. Roger had given his spaceman's word that he wouldconfine himself to his quarters. Roger had broken that trust, and nowthe fact was being flashed around the entire solar system; Roger Manningwas an escaped criminal!
"There's nothing we can do now," said Tom. "The whole universe knows it.He's finished! Washed up! The only thing that could save him now wouldbe absolute clearance by the investigation. But since he's run out, Iguess it must be the other way around. He was afraid he was going to getcaught." Tom's voice was cold and bitter. "And we can't blame anyonebut--"
"_But Manning!_" barked a voice behind them. Astro jumped up and snappedto attention. Tom turned to see Major Connel stride into the room. Itwas at Connel's insistence that Tom had been ordered to broadcast thealert for Roger.
"That's the last time I ever want to hear any sympathy for a man whobroke his word!" snarled Connel.
"I have something I'd like to say to the major," said Astro in adeliberate voice, "as man to man!"
Even at attention, Tom jerked his head involuntarily to look at Astro.Connel's eyes narrowed. "Here it comes," he thought. "Well, I've handledrebellion of this sort before." He stepped close to Astro. So close infact that the black and gold of his uniform brushed the massive chest ofthe cadet from Venus.
"You have permission to speak, man to man!" snapped Connel.
Astro paused for a moment. Then he relaxed and brought his eyes down tothe level of the major.
"I am a human being, sir," said Astro in the deepest voice Tom had everheard. It was strong and full of emotion, yet controlled. "And as longas I am a human being, I shall consider Roger Manning one of the finestmen I'll ever know."
"Are you finished?" snapped Connel.
"No, sir, I'm not," said Astro. "I speak in defense of the man, the_spaceman_, not the uniform, or the trust he betrayed. And Irespectfully request of the major that if his feelings for Cadet Manningare so violent that he finds it difficult to control them, that he makea special effort to control them"--Astro paused and stuck out hischin--"in my presence!"
Connel stepped back. "And if I don't?" he shouted.
"Then I shall ask for a transfer from your command, sir, and if that isnot granted, then I shall resign from the Academy."
"And?" asked Connel.
"And, sir--" Astro stumbled.
"_And what_, Cadet Astro?" roared Connel.
"I have nothing more to say, sir," said Astro.
Tom, who had at first had to control an impulse to laugh at the strangeseriousness of Astro's manner and tone, now found it equally difficultto hold back the tears that were welling up in his eyes.
Connel was not going to let the incident stand there. He had secretlyhoped that such a situation would present itself, because he wanted tosee what material the _Polaris_ unit was made of. And he was secretlysatisfied. Any cadet who would offer to resign from the Academy indefense of his unit-mate was a true spaceman. Connel wasn't going toallow Astro or Tom to resign over some foolish trick of Roger's, but, atthe same time, he couldn't allow them to take too many liberties withdiscipline. Connel turned to Tom.
"I suppose you feel the same way, Corbett?" he asked.
"I do, sir," said Tom.
"Of course you know I could make your lives miserable now," hethreatened.
"We are aware of that, sir," said Tom quietly.
"Very well, Cadets Corbett and Astro. I shall comply with your request.Not because of your request but out of respect for your feelings asspacemen. I wouldn't have thought much of you if you hadn't come out indefense of Manning. And just for your own sake, Astro," said Connel,stepping back in front of the big cadet, "never ask to talk to a SolarGuard officer man to man again. As long as you're still a member of theCadet Corps such disrespect will not be tolerated. Another man, whomight not have understood your feelings, could have used your desire forfair play as a means of trapping you into one of the worst offenses inthe Spaceman's Code--striking a Solar Guard officer!"
"Yes, sir," mumbled Astro. "Thank you, sir."
"Report aboard the _Polaris_"--Connel glanced at his watch--"in fifteenminutes. I'm going to put you through your paces on hyperdrive and theoperation of the transmitter."
"Then we're still going to make the trip to Tara, sir?" asked Tom.
"We certainly are, Corbett," replied Connel. "In two hours another cadetis arriving from the Academy to replace Roger. His name's Alfie Higgins.Perhaps you know him."
Tom smiled. "Yes, sir, we know him," he replied. "Cadet Higgins is afriend of mine. He carries the nickname of 'The Brain.' Has the highestI.Q. in the Academy."
"Good. I'm glad you know him, because this is going to be a rough trip.We got off to a bad start, but it's all over now. So forget it. Andbefore I go, I want you to know this. In my personal opinion, Manninghad nothing to do with the crash. I think the whole trouble was causedon the ship. I have nothing to back up my opinion, except my feelings.But feelings can go a long way in making a man innocent until provedguilty. Unit dis-missed!"
Alfie Higgins listened attentively to the story of the crash and Roger'sdisappearance as Tom, and then Astro, described the situation in detail.
"It is a pity, of course, but Manning was always the impulsive type. Notvery definite in his attitude and emotionally unstable," commented Alfiewhen the story was finished.
"Lay off that talk, you overstuffed brain!" growled Astro. "In thisoutfit, Roger is just away on vacation!"
"Yes--yes, of course!" said Alfie quickly. It wasn't wise to get off onthe wrong foot in a new unit, especially when one was trying to fill theshoes of a cadet, who, Alfie had to admit, had everything. AlfieHiggins' mother didn't raise any stupid children, he said to himself. Hewas too happy being a member of the _Polaris_ unit, the hottest crew atthe Academy, to allow anything to interfere with his success.
"I've heard a great deal about hyperdrive," he said quickly, changingthe subject. "I would appreciate it if you could describe the basis ofthis new feature in space travel so that I may have at least a surfacefamiliarity with its operation and application."
Astro gulped and looked at Tom. "Might as well get used to that kind ofchatter, Astro," said Tom, smiling. "Alfie can't talk any other way."
"Is there something wrong with the way I speak?" asked Alfie, wrinklingup his nose a little to see through the thick lenses of his glasses.
"You wanta know about hyperdrive?" growled Astro.
"To be sure, if you'd be so kind," said Alfie.
"Well, if you'll close your trap long enough, I'll tell you about it!"
Alfie sat back and waited, hands clasped around one knee.
"In the first place," began Astro, "hyperdrive was developed by JoanDale back at the Academy. And it's so blasted simple, I get mad atmyself for not thi
nking of it first!"
"Uhhh," snorted Alfie. "I respect your great talent on the power deck,Astro, but I would hardly compare myself with Dale!"
"Shut up!" barked Astro. "You'll see how simple it is! Hyperdrive isbased on the idea that the thrust of the rockets acts in the exact sameway on _all_ the atoms inside the spaceship. So you can have as muchthrust as you want and no one will feel a thing. Even if the ship wereto accelerate a million times faster than the gravity of the Earth youwouldn't feel a thing, because all the atoms inside would be pushedalong at the same time!" Astro sat back triumphantly.
"Ummmmh," commented Alfie. "That sounds all right as a principle, butwill it work out in space?"
"Listen, you--you--" snorted Astro.
"Sure it will, Alfie," said Tom. "It's been tested before."
"Still room for improvement, though," commented Alfie.
"I'll improve your head," barked Astro, "if you don't close that bigmouth! How do you like that, Tom? We get rid of one space-gassing Romeoand now we get one even worse!"
Astro's reference to Roger made Tom draw a quick breath. In the shortwhile since Alfie's arrival and the week since Roger's disappearancethere hadn't been time to forget their old unit-mate and get accustomedto a new personality. Astro sensed Tom's feelings and irritably bangedone hamlike fist into the other. Alfie was O.K., thought the bigVenusian, but by the craters of Luna, he wasn't Roger.
"Attention--attention!" The intercom crackled into life. "_Polaris_unit--by order of Major Connel--stand by to blast off immediately. Thisis first warning! Pack your gear and stand by to blast off immediately."
Tom, Astro, and Alfie got up, and with the image of Roger fresh in theirminds, made their way to the landing-port deck where the great gleamingspaceship was slung on magnetic cradles. They were met at the hatch byMajor Connel.
"All right," he said, "we leave all thoughts of Manning right here onthe station. I know it's tough, but we've got a still tougher job to do.This is to be a scientific expedition and we'll need every ounce ofenergy and intelligence we have--_collectively_--to make a success ofthis mission. Cadet Corbett!"
"Yes, sir," replied Tom.
"Stand by to blast off in five minutes!"