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"Major Connel, for another crack at Junior," roared the big Venusian, "I'd get you back in a day and a half!" "All right," said Connel. "That's one problem. But there are others." "What, sir?" asked Tom. "We have to prepare reactant fuses and we have to build new reactor units. If we could do that "
"Rocket cruiser Polaris completed space flight one-seven-six at 1301." Captain Strong stepped up to Tom and clapped him on the shoulder. "Secure the Polaris, Tom, and tell Astro to get the reactant pile from the firing chamber ready for dumping when the hot-soup wagon gets here."
The cadet turned, and racing as fast as the cumbersome space suit would allow him, headed toward the power deck. Passing the galley, he snatched up several plastic packages of food. Down on the power deck, Roger went directly to the lead baffling shields around the reactant chambers and carefully squeezed between them and the outer hull.
Satisfied, he flipped open the intercom and called, "All stations, check in!" "Radar deck, aye!" drawled Roger's lazy voice. "Power deck, aye!" rumbled Astro. "Energize the cooling pumps!" ordered Tom. "Cooling pumps, aye!" The whine of the mighty pumps was suddenly heard, moaning eerily throughout the ship. "Feed reactant!"
Once, when the jet barge needed to be refueled, Vidac had ordered them to salvage the remaining reactant from the crashed ships and they worked forty-eight hours in lead-lined suits transferring the reactant fuel to the jet barge. In addition, Roger was now hard at work building a communications center and a network all over the satellite.
"Remember, this unit has but one job. To start the reaction. When the reaction fuel gets hot enough, it'll start a reaction of the copper on Junior and sustain itself. Try a smaller amount of the reactant. But whatever you do, keep working. Only a day and a few hours left." Connel looked at Shinny. "Keep him working, Mr. Shinny," he ordered. "I know he can do it. Just keep him going."
"Unless Astro can build enough pressure in those cooling pumps to handle the overload of reactant fuel, we're done for. We'll get off this moon in pieces!" "Power deck to control deck." "Come in, Astro," said Tom. "Almost ready, Tom," said Astro. "Maximum pressure is eight hundred and we're up to seven seventy now." "Very well, Astro," replied Connel.
"I don't know who's going to be first, but I can't even strip my ship by tomorrow morning, let alone soup up the reactant." His voice was full of contempt, and he glanced around the room at the other pilots. "Seems to me we're being treated a little roughly." There were several cries of agreement. Strong held up his hand.
Let's just report to Captain Strong and get some sack time. I'm all out of reactant." "I suppose Astro will spend half the night trying to figure out what it took Kit Barnard years to build," mused Roger. "And if I know Astro," chuckled Tom, "he'll get it figured out too!"
"But someone dumped impure reactant into my " "What?" It was the first time Strong had heard of it and he listened intently as the cadets and Sid told him the whole story. "Why didn't you make a complaint?" demanded Strong finally. "We'd have given you more time to get squared away." "It's not important," said Kit. "I won a place in the finals and now the boys and Sid have helped me clean it out."
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