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Tom's voice crackled over the power-deck loud-speaker and Astro snapped to quick attention. "Power deck, aye!" replied the giant Venusian into the intercom microphone. "What's up?" "Stand by for course change," said Tom. "Roger's picked up a meteor on the radar scanner and " "Here's the course change," Roger's voice broke in over the intercom.
"When we hit three miles," said Strong to Tom, "have Astro stand by the forward braking jets." "Aye, sir," said Tom. "Three-and-a-half miles," said Roger a few moments later. "Closing in fast. Lady Venus looks like a dead ship." "That could only mean one thing," said Strong bitterly. "There has been a power-deck failure of some sort." "Three miles to objective, sir," reported Roger.
Jenledge was proud of his power deck, proud of the whole establishment, for that matter. He had conceived it, had drawn the plans, and had constructed this space station. Throughout the solar system it was considered his baby. And when he had asked for permission to remain on as senior power-deck chief, the Solar Alliance had jumped at the chance to keep such a good man on the job.
"Lay off, Richards," said Tom. "We haven't time for gags now. Astro's going to take his power-deck manual in a few minutes and we're cramming with him." "O.K. O.K. don't blow your jets," said Richards. "I just wanted to see if there were any bets on which unit would cop honors in the manuals this afternoon." "I suppose you think your Unit 77-K will finish on top?" drawled Roger.
"Remain there until the tube is returned to you in the red slot. Take it back to your desk." She paused and glanced down at her desk. "Now, there are four possible classifications for a cadet. Control-deck officer, which includes leadership and command. Astrogation officer, which includes radar and communications. And power-deck officer for engine-room operations.
"Three degrees up on the plane of the ecliptic and five degrees starboard!" "Get that, Astro?" snapped Tom. "Stand by for one-quarter burst on steering rockets!" "One-quarter right!" acknowledged the power-deck cadet and turned to the massive panel that controlled the rockets. On the control deck Tom Corbett continued talking to Roger.
They recognized it instantly a space torpedo! Astro dove through the power-deck hatch while Roger raced for the radar-bridge ladder. Tom hurled himself into the copilot's chair, and with Connel beside him in the command position, he waited for Astro to supply power.
He just sat in the power hole singing loud corny songs about the Arkansas mountains to those atomic motors. He was a real power-deck man. But he was a unit man first! The only reason I'm here to tell you about it is because he never forgot the unit. He died saving Addy and myself." The room was still.
He had to be familiar with every phase of space travel, with a working knowledge of the duties of all his unit mates. Astro, the power-deck officer of the unit, paced back and forth between the bunks like a huge, hulking bear, muttering to himself as he tried to memorize the table of reaction times for rocket motors.
"I've just received orders from Commander Walters to proceed to Mars with both ships. I'll blast off now and you three follow along on the Lady Venus. Any questions?" "I don't have any, sir," Tom said, "but I'll check with Roger and Astro to see if they have any." Tom turned to the intercom and informed the radar and power-deck cadets of their orders, and asked if there were any questions.
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