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He felt sure he could have made a touchdown on the satellite without trouble, but his first thought had been for the safety of the others aboard the ship. Now it was out of his hands and he grudgingly admired the way Vidac was handling the giant rocket cruiser. "Twenty-five thousand feet to touchdown," reported Roger. So far, Vidac had kept the ship dropping at a steadily decreasing rate.
"We have a hard day ahead of us. Those applicants come at you like dinosaurs." "Right!" said Vidac. "I'll take over Captain Strong's quarters. See you in the morning." The three cadets went to their quarters without saying a word. When the hatch was closed, Roger turned and faced his unit mates. "Well, it sure looks like we made a mistake about that spaceman!" he said. "I think he's all right!"
"What I have to say is is about the lieutenant governor, sir," Tom managed finally. "Now listen, son," said Hardy, "I have a lot of confidence in you three boys. You've all done a fine job. But I screened Mr. Vidac myself, and I'm satisfied that he is just the man I need. After Captain Strong was recalled to the Academy, I had to have a man to take over for him. And I am satisfied that Mr.
"And four hundred ships crashed in landing? Hasn't anybody figured out why yet?" Strong asked. Roger shook his head. "The instruments just went out, sir," he said. "I never saw anything like it, and when the professor wanted to go down in a jet boat first to investigate, Vidac insisted on taking the Polaris down, anyway. He brought her in by the seat of his pants...."
"If you mean my son, Billy," said Logan, "he's asleep." "I'd better check," said Winters, starting forward. "Never mind him," said Vidac. "We haven't got all night and there's nothing a kid could do." He pulled out a paper from his pocket and unfolded it, keeping his eyes on Logan. "Mr. Logan, we're going to foreclose your mortgage." "Foreclose!" gasped Logan.
"Do you think it will be safe there?" asked Roger, as he watched Tom and Astro push the half-completed communications set under a workbench behind several large cartons. "As safe as any place," replied Tom. "If Vidac has any idea we're building it, we could hide it any place and he'd find it. So, as the saying goes, the least hidden is the best hidden. We'll have to take a chance."
"That's enough, Bush!" snapped Vidac, who had suddenly entered the room. "Leave your application on the desk and get out!" Bush turned and looked at Vidac, nodded, and glared at Tom before stalking from the room. Vidac smiled at Tom's questioning look and walked over. He sat on the edge of Tom's desk and picked up Bush's application. "Funny thing about Bush, Tom," Vidac mused.
Then starting from the beginning, when they were first relieved of their stations on the Polaris on the way out to the satellite, the three cadets related their experiences with Vidac, Hardy, and Professor Sykes. They ended with a detailed account of their being held for the disappearance of the professor.
"How'd you know we were confined to quarters, sir?" asked Tom. "It's a wonder Vidac allowed you to come see us!" yelled Roger. "Never mind the questions, sir," said Astro. "It's just plain good to see a different face besides these two space jokers. One more game of space chess with Manning and I think I'd "
Tom was thinking quickly. It was obvious that Vidac had gone straight to Governor Hardy and had prevailed on him to review his application. Tom could see how Vidac's background would impress the governor. He remembered that there wasn't any real evidence against Vidac.
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