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The Deimos tower operator's voice droned over the loud-speaker on the control deck of the Space Lance " ... minus five, four, three, two, one" then the breath-taking pause before the climactic "zero!" The ship shot spaceward, rockets roaring loudly in the thin atmosphere of the small satellite.
"This reactor really packs a load of power!" "How are we doing on fuel, Sid?" Kit called into the intercom. "We lost a lot trying to prime the pumps," replied the young crew chief. "We have to touch down on Deimos and refuel." "That's all right," replied Kit with a smile. "We're gaining on Sticoon fast. We should make Deimos about the same time. I wonder where Quent Miles is by now."
The diameters just mentioned are Professor Pickering's estimates, based on the amount of light the little satellites reflect, for they are much too small to present measurable disks. Deimos is 14,600 miles from the center of Mars and 12,500 miles from its surface. Phobos is 5,800 miles from the center of the planet and only 3,700 from the surface.
Roumann, who had taken charge of the steering wheel called the attention of the boys to a small, dark object off to the right. "What is it?" asked Jack. "It looks like a bright ball of fire." "One of the moons of Mars," was the answer. "That is Deimos, and we are now but ten thousand miles from the planet, for that is the moon distance from Mars." "How small it is!" commented Mark.
Standing on the surface of this planet, my attention was easily attracted by the two frisky moons called Deimos and Phobos, at the small distance of 14,600 and 12,500 miles respectively. These two moons are constantly flying around the planet, one in about thirty hours and the other in seven and one-half hours.
"Here is a transcript of the report from Deimos if you care to have it." "Thank you," said Walters, putting it into his pocket. "Well, Steve, I guess we'd better start to work here." He turned to the Titan senior officer who had been waiting respectfully. "Ready, Captain Howard?" "Yes, sir." "Lead on, then," said Walters.
Still, as long as we were yet at a considerable distance from Mars, we felt that we should be safe from observation, because so much time had elapsed while we were hidden behind Deimos that the Martians had undoubtedly concluded that we were no longer in existence. So we boldly quitted the little satellite with our entire squadron and once more rapidly approached the red planet of war.
"Deimos, the outer moon, was already shining, and its pale, sick light imparted a peculiar blueness impossible to describe upon all surfaces it touched. Here was the phenomenon we witnessed with increasing pleasure.
It will be a few minutes before I can give you any further information." "Very well, Deimos. I will hold this channel open." Walters and Howard entered the room. "Any word, Strong?" asked the commander. Strong shook his head. The loud-speaker over the control panel crackled into life again. "Ganymede station to Titan spaceport! Come in, Titan!"
Nothing but static and silence greeted him. "Space Knight, come in!" He waited again as the sleek white ship plummeted deeper into space toward the first refueling stop on Deimos, one of the small twin moons of Mars. Still there was no acknowledging reply from the black ship that had streaked ahead of them after the blast-off. "I'm going to try to contact Kit Barnard," said Tom.
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