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While Sticoon secured the control deck, closing the many switches and circuits on the master panel, Tom opened the air lock. Almost immediately, special-trained crews swarmed into the ship to refuel her and prepare her for the next lap of the race. Tom and Sticoon stepped out onto the spaceport of the tiny moon of Mars and gazed up at the red planet that loomed large over the horizon.

"I heard a terrific noise on the power deck as soon as we blasted off," Tom began. "And Captain Sticoon ordered me to go below and check on it. I saw the trouble right away. The lead baffles around the reactant chambers had become loose and the reactant was spilling out, starting to wildcat.

Finally the two cadets had to forego their meal and return to their respective ships to escape the wild demonstration. Seated in his acceleration chair on the control deck of the Space Lance, waiting for Bill Sticoon to come aboard, Tom found his concern for Roger overriding his enthusiasm for the race.

"Have you found the Space Lance yet, Astro?" asked Kit Barnard, glancing over his shoulder at the giant Venusian, standing at the radarscope. "I think I'm getting it now," said Astro. "Either that or I've picked up an asteroid." "Not likely," said Kit. "We're too far from the belt to have anything that big drifting around without being charted. It must be Sticoon." "Boy!" chuckled Astro.

"Wild Bill Sticoon is a hot spaceman. One of the best rocket jockeys I've ever seen. Did I ever tell you what we went through a few years back trying to get him to join the Solar Guard?" Walters laughed. "We promised him everything but the Moon. But he didn't want any part of us. 'Can't ride fast enough in your wagons, Commander, he told me. Quite a boy!"

"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."

When the air lock opened, Tom immediately began to kid Astro and Sid, while Sticoon and Kit Barnard compared flight notes. A Universal Stereo reporter rushed up with a small portable camera and conducted an interview that was to be telecast back to Earth.

"I tried to contact Roger, but Quent Miles told me he's asleep." "Asleep!" cried Walters. "But I thought you weren't going to put Manning with Miles." "Astro wanted to go with Kit, sir. And Tom was anxious to go with Wild Bill 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.

Strong flipped a switch on the intercom to direct contact with the waiting ship and gave Sticoon the oft-repeated final briefing, concluding, "Do not go beyond the necessary limitations of fuel consumption that are provided for in the Solar Guard space code. If you return here with less than a quarter supply of reactant fuel, you will be disqualified. Stand by to blast off!"

They stared out at the gruesome spectacle of torn hull plates, twisted spars, and broken pieces of equipment floating gently in the velvet space, outlined against the reddish hue of the planet Mars. "Astro! Kit!" shouted Sid through the suit intercom. "Look, there's Sticoon! Over there near that tube."