CHAPTER 7
"What!"
Quent Miles looked at Strong and then back at Roger. "You mean thisjerk's going to ride with me?"
Roger Manning squared his shoulders and stuck out his chin. "Let's makethe most of this, Miles," he said. "I don't like it any more than youdo. I wouldn't like to be watched, either, if I had just crawled outfrom under a rock."
Strong suppressed a grin and then turned back to Quent. "That's the wayit is, Miles. Commander Walters' orders. There's nothing that can bedone now. Cadets Manning, Corbett, and Astro have been given theseassignments because they have worked so closely on the race project,and, I might add, you couldn't ask for a better astrogator should youget into trouble."
"The day I'll ask for help from a kid still wet behind the ears is theday I'll stop flying," snarled Miles.
Strong shrugged. "You either consent to the regulations, or disqualifyyourself from the race."
The spaceman's face turned a dusky red under his swarthy complexion."All right, all right! If that's the way it is, that's the way we'llplay it. But I'm warning you, Manning, stay away from me."
Strong glanced at his wrist chronograph. "You have five minutes beforethe blast-off, stand by." He shook hands with Roger. "Good luck, Roger,and be careful. And remember, Captain Miles has already proved himself acrackerjack spaceman. Don't interfere with him."
"Yes, sir," said Roger.
"Good luck, Miles," said Strong and offered his hand. Quent ignored it.
"Thanks for nothing," he sneered. "I know how much you want me to have."
"The best man wins," snapped Strong. He turned on his heels and left theblack ship.
Quent Miles and Roger faced each other. "All right, Manning," said Milesafter he had closed the air lock, "take your station. And remember I'mskipper of this ship."
"So what?" said Roger. "I'm still the monitor--!" He turned andswaggered away.
Miles watched him go, a crooked smile twisting his lips. "Make the mostof it, Manning," he muttered under his breath.
* * * * *
"You will make two stops for refueling on your trip," Captain Strongcalled over the loud-speakers, as well as into the intercom connectingthe three ships. "First fuel stop will be on Deimos of Mars and thesecond will be at Ganymede. You are to chart a direct course to each ofthem. Should an emergency arise, you will call for assistance on thespecial teleceiver and audioceiver circuits open to you, numbersseventeen and eighty-three. You are to circle each fueling stop threetimes before making a touchdown, and make a final circle around Titanwhen you arrive.
"Stand by to raise ship! And spaceman's luck!"
Strong turned and flipped on the intercom to the control tower. "Allready up there?" he called.
"All set, sir," replied the enlisted spaceman.
"All right, give them their orbits and blast-off time."
There was a slight pause, and then the gruff voice of the tower operatorwas heard over the loud-speakers and in the ships. "All ships will blastoff on orbit forty-one ... raise ship at 18:51:35 ... stand by!"
There was a tense moment of silence while the seconds on the red hand ofthe astral chronometer slipped around the dial. Out on the field, thethree ships were pointed toward the darkening afternoon skies. The firstship, nearest the tower, was Wild Bill Sticoon's ship, the _SpaceLance_, painted a gleaming white. Strong could see Tom sitting besidethe viewport, and across the distance that separated them, the SolarGuard officer could see the curly-haired cadet wave. He returned thegreeting.
Next was the black ship with the red markings that had aroused so muchcomment. Strong searched the viewports for a sight of Roger but couldnot see him. Finally he looked over at Kit Barnard's red-painted _GoodCompany_. He knew Astro would be on the power deck, preferring to nursethe reactor than watch the blast-off.
And then Strong was conscious of the tower operator counting off theseconds. He would pick it up at ten minus. He gripped the intercom mikeas Mike's voice droned in his ears.
" ... fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten...."
"Stand by to raise ships!" bawled Strong. He watched the sweep hand onthe chronometer. "Blast off, minus five, four, three, two, one--_zero!_"
There was really very little to see. The three ships left Earth in agiant upheaval of thunderous noise and blazing red exhaust flames. Theroar of the crowds was lost in the explosions of the rockets. And thegreatest race in space was underway.
Strong raced up to the control tower and stood in front of the radarscanner to watch the course of the three vessels now blasting throughthe atmosphere. They were three white blips on the green surface of theglass scope, in perfect line, traveling at incredible speeds.
Strong turned to the enlisted spaceman. "Contact the ships and see ifeverything's all right," he ordered.
"Very well, sir," replied the spaceman, turning to the audioceivermicrophone.
"Spaceport control to rocket ships _Space Lance_, _Space Knight_, and_Good Company_. Come in, please."
There was a crackling of static over the loud-speaker and then the calmvoice of Tom filled the control tower. "This is Corbett on the _SpaceLance_. Go ahead."
Strong took the microphone. "This is Captain Strong," he called. "Howwas your blast-off, Tom?"
"Smooth as silk, sir," replied the young cadet. "Wild Bill sends hisgreetings and says he'll take a three-inch steak instead of flowers whenhe wins."
"Tell him it's a deal." Strong laughed. "End transmission."
"See you on Titan, sir," said Tom. "End transmission."
Strong then spoke to Kit Barnard on the _Good Company_, but did not geta chance to speak to Astro. "He's down on the power deck, Steve,"reported Kit. "He's watching that reactor as if it were a treasurechest."
"To him it _is_," said Strong. "Good luck, Kit."
"Incidentally," said Kit before signing off, "I heard that crack WildBill made about a steak. Better put _my_ name on it!"
Strong then contacted Quent Miles' vessel. "Is Manning there, Miles?"
"Yeah, he's here. Dead asleep!" growled Miles. "I thought you said hewas going to be a help."
Strong's face grew red. "Well, wake him up," he snapped.
"You come wake him up," said Miles, and then the speaker went dead.
"Control tower to _Space Knight_!" Strong called angrily. "Come in,Miles. Control tower to _Space Knight_!"
"Yeah. What do you want?" growled Miles over the vast distance of spacethat already separated the two men and that each second took themthousands of miles farther apart.
"I want to speak to Manning," demanded Strong. "And if you cut me offlike that again, Miles, I'll have you before a Solar Guard court forviolation of the space code, race or no race."
"I told you once," said Miles. "Manning is asleep. He sacked in rightafter we left the Academy. Now leave me alone, will you! I've got a raceto win!"
"Very well, Miles," said Strong. "But for your sake, I hope CadetManning _is_ asleep."
"End transmission," growled Miles, and again the speaker went dead.
"Trouble, Steve?"
Strong turned to see Commander Walters enter the control room.
"No, sir," said Strong. "I tried to contact Roger, but Quent Miles toldme he's asleep."
"Asleep!" cried Walters. "But I thought you weren't going to put Manningwith Miles."
"Astro wanted to go with Kit, sir. And Tom was anxious to go with WildBill Sticoon. Roger didn't seem to mind."
"Did Miles object?"
"Yes, sir. But I think he would object to anyone going with him."
"And he told you Roger is asleep?"
Strong nodded. Walters pushed past him to the intercom and took themicrophone. "This is Commander Walters calling rocket ship _SpaceKnight_. Come in, _Space Knight_."
There was a flutter of static and then Quent Miles' voice again. Therewas a little more respect in his tone but his story was the same. Rogerwas sleeping.
Walters slammed the microp
hone down. "By the craters of Luna, this isthe last time I'll take this nonsense from Manning!" He jerked aroundand stood facing the viewport. "I'm sorry, Steve, but there have beenmore reports from Titan. The situation is serious. I've had to startevacuation. And then to get this smart-alecky behavior out of Manning.Well, you know what I mean."
Strong nodded, now more concerned about the emergency on Mars. "Shall Iblast off right away, sir?" he asked.
Walters nodded grimly. "Yes. And I'm going with you. I'll leave MajorConnel in charge while I'm gone. I would prefer to have him go, but he'sbeen working with Dr. Dale on some new idea about reinforcing the forcefield and I can't pull him off it. You and I will have to do what wecan."
Strong turned to the tower operator and ordered the rocket cruiser_Polaris_ readied for immediate space flight, concluding, " ... and havea full complement of Space Marines aboard. And I want Warrant OfficerMike McKenny as squad leader."
"Have you forgotten, sir?" interjected the enlisted spaceman who wastaking Strong's orders. "Warrant Officer McKenny cannot takeacceleration."
"All right, get--" Strong hesitated. "Get me Jeff Marshall, ProfessorSykes' assistant."
Walters nodded. "Good idea. Jeff can take care of any lab tests we mayhave to make and also knows how to handle men. As a matter of fact,"Walters continued, "if Jeff does well on this assignment I might put himup for a commission in the Solar Guard. He did well on that last tripinto deep space during that trouble on Roald."
"Yes, sir," said Strong. "And I'll gladly endorse it."
"Is that all, sir?" asked the enlisted man.
"That's it, spaceman!" said Strong. When the man didn't move rightaway, Walters and Strong looked at him. "Well, what is it?"
"Excuse me, sir," said the guardsman, a bright-faced youngster who hadfailed to pass the rigid requirements for cadet training and so hadentered the enlisted Solar Guard. "I heard what Captain Miles said aboutCadet Manning being asleep and--" He hesitated.
"Well, what about it?" prompted Walters.
"Well, sir, I don't know if it means anything or not," replied the boynervously. "But just before the ship blasted off, I saw Cadet Manningstanding inside the air lock. He looked as if he wanted to get out. Butyou were counting the blast-off time, sir. And he disappeared a fewseconds before you hit zero."
Strong looked at Walters. "Are you sure?" he asked the boy.
"I'm positive, sir. I know Cadet Manning well, and he looked as thoughhe was scared."
Strong clenched his fists. "Asleep, huh?" he growled. "Get me the _SpaceKnight_!"
The boy returned to the audioceiver and began calling Miles, but therewas no reply. After a few minutes Walters interrupted, "We can't wasteany more time here, Steve. We've got to blast off!"
"Get hold of Corbett on the _Space Lance_," said Strong to the spaceman."Tell him I said to get in touch with Manning on the _Space Knight_. Askhim to find out what's going on."
"Yes, sir."
"And then tell him to contact me on the _Polaris_. We're blasting offimmediately."
"Very well, sir."
Walters turned to Captain Strong. "What do you think it means, Steve?"he asked.
"I can't figure it, sir. Knowing Manning as I do, it could be a crazystunt or it could be serious."
"It had better be serious," said Walters grimly, "for Manning's sake.One more slip, and I'm bouncing him right out of the Academy!"
The two officers left the control tower, leaving young Oliver Muffinalone, droning his monotonous call to Tom Corbett, somewhere betweenEarth and Mars--a call that was to be the young cadet's first warning oftreachery in deep space!