CHAPTER 14
"Put your back against the door, Tom!" snapped Connel. "Quickly!"
Tom felt the powerful grip of the Solar Guard officer's fingers on hisarm as he was pulled backward. He closed his eyes, then opened them,hoping to pierce the darkness, but he saw nothing. Beside him, he couldsense the tenseness in Connel's body.
There was a rustle of movement to the right of them.
"Careful, Tom," cautioned Connel. "To your right!"
"I hear it, sir," said Tom, turning toward the noise and bracinghimself.
"My name is Connel," the burly spaceman suddenly spoke up in loud tones."I'm an official in the Solar Guard! Whoever you are, speak up! Identifyyourself."
There was a moment of silence and then a voice spoke harshly in thedarkness.
"How do we know you're a Solar Guard officer? How do we know you're nota spy?"
"Do you have any kind of light?" asked Connel.
"Yes, we have a light. But we are not going to give away our positions.We know how to move in here. You don't."
"Then how do you expect me to prove it?"
"The burden of proof lies with you."
"Have you ever heard of me?" asked Connel after a pause.
"We know there is an officer in the Solar Guard named Connel."
"I am that officer," asserted Connel. "I was sent into the jungle tofind this base, but one of our party was injured and we were captured bya patrol."
Tom and Connel heard voices whispering in the darkness and then a loudorder.
"Lie down on the floor, both of you!"
The two spacemen hesitated and then got down flat on their backs.
"Close your eyes and lie still. One of us here knows what Connel lookslike. I hope for your sake that you're telling the truth. If you'renot--" The voice stopped but the threat was plain.
"Do as they say, Tom," said Connel.
The cadet closed his eyes and he heard the shuffle of feet around them.Suddenly there was a flash of light on his face but he kept his eyestightly closed. The light moved away, but he could tell that it wasstill burning.
"It's Connel, I think," said a high-pitched voice directly over them.
"Are you sure?"
"Pretty sure. I met him once in Atom City at a scientific meeting. Hewas making a speech with a Professor Sykes."
"That's right," said Connel, hearing the remark. "I was there."
"Do you remember meeting a man from Venus wearing a long red robe?"asked the high-pitched voice.
Connel hesitated. "No," he said. "I only remember talking to three men.Two were from Venus and one was from Mars. But neither of the two fromVenus wore a red robe. They wore purple--"
"He's right," acknowledged the voice. "This is Connel."
"Open your eyes," said the first voice.
Connel and Tom opened their eyes and in the light of a small hand torchthey saw two gaunt faces before them. The tallest of the men stuck out abony hand. "My name is Carson." They recognized his voice as the onethat had spoken first. "And this is Bill Jensen," he added.
"This is Tom Corbett, Space Cadet," said Connel. He glanced around theroom, and in the weak reflected light of the torch, saw almost fifty mencrouched against the walls, each of them holding a crude weapon.
"You'll understand our caution, Major," said Carson. "Once before we hada plan to escape and a spy was sent in. As you see, we didn't escape."
"Neither did the spy," commented Jensen grimly.
"How long have you been here?" asked Connel.
"The oldest prisoner has been here for three years," replied Carson. Andas the other men began to gather around them, Connel and Tom saw thatthey were hardly more than walking skeletons. Their cheeks were hollow,eyes sunk in their sockets, and they wore little more than rags.
"And there's no way to escape?" asked Tom.
"Three guards with blasters are stationed on the other side of thatdoor," said Carson. "There is no other entrance or exit. We tried atunnel, but it caved in and after that they put in a wooden floor." Hestamped on it. "Teak. Hard as steel. We couldn't cut through."
"But why are you being held prisoners?" asked Connel.
"All of us joined the Nationalists believing it was just a sort ofgood-neighbor club, where we could get together and exchange ideas forour own improvement. And when we found out what Lactu and the DivisionChiefs were really up to, we tried to quit. As you see, we couldn't. Weknew too much."
"Blasted rebels!" muttered Connel. "The Solar Guard will cool them off!"
"I'm afraid it's too late," said Carson. "They're preparing to strikenow. I've been expecting it for some time. They have enough ships andarms to wipe out the entire Solar Guard garrison here on Venus in oneattack!" He shook his head. "After that, with Solar Guard ships andcomplete control of the planet--" He paused and sighed. "It will mean along, bloody space war."
Tom and Connel plied the prisoners with questions and soon began to geta complete picture of the scope of the Nationalist movement.
"Lactu and his commanders should be sent to a prison asteroid for life,"said Carson, "for what they have done to former Nationalists."
"Hundreds of unsuspecting Venusians have been brought here under theguise of helping to free Venus. But when they come and recognize whatLactu really intends to do, they want to quit. But it's too late, andthey're sent to the caves."
Tom looked at the gaunt man fearfully. There was something in his voicethat sent a chill down his spine.
"They are driven like cattle into the canyon walls," continued Carson."There they are forced to dig the huge underground vaults for storagedumps. They are beaten and whipped and starved."
"Why aren't you in the caves then?" asked Connel.
"Some of us were," replied Carson. "But each of us here owns land and itis necessary to keep us alive to send back directives to our bankers andforemen to give aid in one form or another to Sharkey and the DivisionChiefs."
"I see," said Connel. "If you were to die, then your property would beout of their reach."
"Exactly," said Carson.
"Is Sharkey the real leader of the movement?"
"I don't believe so. But then, no one knows. That's the idea of thefrosted helmets. If you don't know who a man is, you can liquidate himwithout conscience. He may be your closest friend, but you would neverknow it."
"The blasted space crawlers!" growled Connel. "Well, they'll pay!"
"You have a plan?" asked Carson eagerly.
"No," said Connel slowly, "but at least we all have more of a chancenow."
"How?" asked Carson.
"The Solar Guard sent us here to find this base. If we don't return, orsend some sort of message back within a reasonable time, this junglewill be swarming with guardsmen!"
Carson looked a little disappointed. "We shall see," he said.
* * * * *
There were three things on Astro's mind as twilight darkened into nightover the canyon. One, he had to find out why Roger wasn't with Tom andConnel when they were taken into the building; two, he had to figure outa way to contact Tom and Connel; and finally, he had to escape himself,or help Tom and Connel escape.
The big cadet finished the last job in the machine shop. It had takenvery little time, but the big cadet had lingered over it, trying to findanswers to his three problems. Around him, the workers were leavingtheir benches and lathes, to be replaced by still others. A twelve-hourshift was being used by the Nationalists in their frantic preparationsfor an attack on the Venusport garrison of the Solar Guard. Astrofinally dropped the last wrench into the tool kit and straightened up.He stretched leisurely and glanced over at his guard. The man was stillrubbing his stomach where Astro had hit him, and he watched the bigcadet with a murderous gleam in his eye.
"All finished," said Astro. "Where and when do I eat?"
"If I had my way, you wouldn't," sneered the guard.
"Either I knock off and eat," said Astro confidently, "or I call theforeman a
nd you talk to Lactu."
"Feeling pretty big, aren't you?" growled the guard. "I haven'tforgotten that punch in the stomach."
"Why, I hardly touched you," said Astro in mock surprise.
The guard glared at him, muttered an oath, and turned away. Astro couldsee that he was boiling, almost out of his mind with helpless,frustrated anger, and suddenly the young cadet realized how he would beable to move about the base freely. Grinning, he walked arrogantly infront of the guard and out of the shop into the dark Venusian night. Itwas very warm and many of the workers had stripped down to theirtrousers. He passed the open doorway of a large tool shop and glancedinside. It was empty. The men had apparently gone to eat. He suddenlystopped, turned to the guard, and growled, "If you want to settle ourdifferences now, we can step inside."
The guard hesitated and glared at Astro. "When I settle with you, bigboy, you'll know about it."
"What's the matter with right now?" asked Astro. "Yellow?" He turned andwalked into the tool shop without looking back. The guard rushed afterhim. But the big cadet had carefully gauged the distance between them,and when he heard the rushing steps of the guard immediately behind him,he suddenly spun around, swinging a roundhouse right, catching the guardin the pit of the stomach again. The man stopped dead in his tracks. Hiseyes bulged and glazed, and he dropped to the floor like a stone. Astropulled the man to the corner of the empty shop, removed the plastichelmet, and then tied and gagged him. He pulled the helmet over his ownhead, nearly tearing one ear off, grabbed the gun and stepped backoutside. He stood in front of the door and glanced up and down the areabetween the buildings. Fifty feet away a group of men were working overa tube casing, but they didn't even look up.
Staying in the shadows, he walked down the lane, moving carefully. Theplastic helmet would keep him from being recognized right away, but tocomplete his plan, he needed one of the green uniforms of the guards.
Deciding it would be too risky to walk around the base, he crouchedbehind a huge crate of machinery at the head of the lane. Sentries wereconstantly patrolling the area and he was certain that one would pass bysoon. He only hoped the man would be big enough. Fifteen minutes laterthe cadet heard footsteps in a slow measured tread. He peered around theedge of the crate and silently breathed a thankful prayer. It was agreen-clad guard, and luckily, almost as big as he was.
Crouching in the shadow of the crate, Astro tensed for the attack. Ithad to be quick and it had to be silent. He couldn't club the guardbecause of his helmet. He would have to get him around the throat tochoke off any outcry.
The slow steps came nearer and the big cadet raised himself on the ballsof his feet, ready to spring. When the guard's shadow fell across him,Astro leaped forward like a striking tiger.
The guard didn't have a chance. Astro's arm coiled around his throat andthe cry of alarm that welled up within him died down in a choking gasp.Within seconds he was unconscious and the big cadet had dragged himbehind the crate. He stripped him of his uniform, bound and gagged himwith his own rags, and crammed him into the crate. Then, protected bythe helmet and green uniform and carrying the blaster, the cadet steppedout confidently and strode down the lane.
He went directly to the building he had seen Tom and Connel enter, andwalked boldly up to the guard lounging in front of the door.
"You're relieved," said Astro in the Venusian dialect. "They want you upin the caves." The cadet had no idea where the caves were, but he knewthat they couldn't be near by and it would be some time before an alarmcould be sounded.
"The caves?" asked the guard. "Who said so?"
"The chief. He wants you to identify somebody."
"Me? Identify someone? I don't understand." The guard was puzzled. "Whatsection of the caves?"
"The new section," said Astro quickly, figuring there must be a new andan old section because he had heard a guard refer to the old one.
"Up by the jungle tunnels?"
Astro nodded.
"Must be more of those Solar Guardsmen," said the guard, relaxing. "Wehave two of them in here, another in the hospital, and one of themworking in the machine shop."
Hospital! Astro gulped. That would be Roger. But he dared not ask toomany questions. "What's going to happen to them?" he asked casually.
"I don't know," said the guard, "but I wish we'd hurry up and attackVenusport. I'm getting tired of living out here in the jungle."
"Me too," said Astro. "Well, you'd better get going."
The guard nodded and started to walk away. Suddenly Astro stiffened. Twoother guards were rounding the corner of the building. He called to thedeparting guard quickly. "Who's on duty with you tonight?"
"Maron and Teril," replied the guard, and then strode off into thedarkness.
"So long," said Astro, turning to face the two men walking toward him.He would have to get rid of them.
"Hello, Maron, Teril," he called casually. "Everything quiet?"
"Yes," replied the shorter of the two, as they stopped in front ofAstro, "no trouble tonight."
"Well, there's trouble now!" growled Astro. He brought up the blasterand cocked it. "Make one wrong move, and you're dead little space birds!Get over there and open that door!"
Stunned, both men turned to the door without a protest and Astro tooktheir guns. "Open up!" he growled.
The men slid the heavy bar back and pushed the door open.
"Get inside!" ordered Astro. The two men stumbled inside. Astro steppedto the door. "Tom! Major!"
There was a cry of joy from the blackness within and Astro recognizedTom.
"Astro!" roared Connel, rushing up. "What in the stars--?"
"Can't talk now," said Astro. "Here. Take these blasters and then tiethese two up. Close the door, but leave it open a crack. We can talkwhile I stay outside and keep watch. If there isn't a guard out here, itmight mean trouble."
"Right," said Connel. He took the blasters, tossing one over to Tom."Blast it, I never felt anything so good in my life!" He closed thedoor, leaving it open an inch.
"Why is Roger in the hospital?" asked Astro quickly.
Connel told him of the fight with the tyrannosaurus and Roger's injury,ending with their capture by the patrol.
"You know what's going on here, Major?" asked Astro.
"I sure do," said Connel. "And the sooner we blast them, the happierI'll be."
"One of us will have to escape and get back to the _Polaris_ to contactCommander Walters," said Astro. "But they've got radar here as good asours. That has to be put out of commission or they can blast anyattacking fleet."
"You're right," said Connel grimly, and turned back into the room."Tom!" he called.
"Yes, sir," replied Tom, coming up to the door.
"Since Astro and I speak Venusian--" said Connel, and then added whenTom gasped, "Yes, I speak it fluently, but I kept it a secret. Thatmeans you're the one to go. Astro and I will have more of a chance here.You escape and return to the _Polaris_. Contact Commander Walters. Tellhim everything that's happened. We'll give you thirty-six hours to makeit. At exactly noon, day after tomorrow, we'll knock out their radar."
"But how, sir?" asked Tom.
"Never mind. We'll figure out something. Just get back to the _Polaris_and tell the Solar Guard to attack at noon, day after tomorrow. If youdon't and the fleet attacks earlier, or later, they'll be wiped out."
"What about you, sir?" asked Tom.
"If you get back in time, we'll be all right. If not, then this isgood-by. We'll hold out as long as we can, but that can't be forever.We're fighting smart, determined men, Tom. And it's a fight to thefinish. Now hurry up and get into one of those uniforms."
While Tom turned back inside to put on the uniform, Connel returned toAstro outside the door. "Think we can do it, Astro?"
"I don't see why not, sir," replied the big cadet.
A moment later Tom returned, dressed in one of the guard's green uniformand wearing a helmet. Carson was with him, similarly clad. "Astro bettershow me the way out of
the base," said Tom. "Carson will stand guarduntil he gets back."
"Good idea," said Connel. Tom and Carson slipped out the door.
"All set, Astro?" asked Tom.
"Yeah, there's only one thing wrong," replied the big cadet.
"What's the matter?" asked Connel.
"I don't know the way out of the base."