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Updated: June 7, 2025
Sticoon completed the three circling passes around Deimos and shouted to Tom over his shoulder. "Stand by, Corbett. We're ready to go in!" Tom strapped himself into his acceleration chair and, watching the atmospheric altimeter, a delicate instrument that recorded their height above the surface of a heavenly body, began to call off the indicated figures.
He seems to think the two of you wouldn't get along." "On the contrary, skipper," said Roger, "I'd like the opportunity of keeping an eye on him." Strong thought a moment. "Not a bad idea, Roger," he said as he turned to Astro. "And I suppose you want to ride with Kit and his reactor?" Astro grinned. "Yes, sir. If I may." "All right. Tom, I guess that means you ride with Wild Bill Sticoon."
The picture Tom presented had many curious sides and no one had the slightest idea of how to go beyond speculation and find proof! "The winners are " Captain Strong's voice rang loud and clear over the loud-speakers "first place, Captain Sticoon, piloting the Marsopolis Limited entry, Space Lance! Second place, Captain Miles, piloting the Charles Brett Company entry, Space Knight!
"With that hot rocket in this race," said Astro, "the others will have to fight for second and third place." "Control tower to Strong," a voice crackled over the intercom loud-speaker. "Ready here, sir." "Right. Stand by for the next flight, Mac," replied Strong. "It's Sticoon."
"Space Lance," said Howard. "Exploded over Deimos right after blast-off. Knight is the one that's trying the long solo hop. Haven't received any word from him yet." "But what about the crew of the Space Lance?" demanded Strong with a glance at Walters. "The pilot, Sticoon, was killed, and they haven't found Cadet Corbett yet." And then understanding flashed in Howard's eyes.
"Information concerning explosion of rocket ship Space Lance. Please give details on survivors." There was a momentary pause and the loud-speaker crackled with static. The voice of the Deimos operator broke through. "Captain Sticoon dead. Cadet Corbett believed trapped in air-lock chamber. They have just cut through the chamber.
Not only did Tom know how to handle a ship, spelling the pilot for a few moments to have a walk around the control deck, but he was good company as well. More than once, Tom had surprised the Martian spaceman with his sober judgment of the minor decisions Sticoon had to make in flight. "Why don't you try to contact Manning again, Tom?" Sticoon suggested. "He might be awake now."
He glanced at the astral chronometer. "Blast off, minus five, four, three, two, one zero!" Tom, Roger, and Astro crowded to the viewport in Strong's command shack to watch the bulky Martian's ship take to space. With Sticoon at the controls, there was no hesitation. He gave the ship full throttle from the moment of blast-off and in three seconds was out of sight.
When Sticoon appeared and began to prepare the ship for blast-off, Tom went through the motions mechanically. The Space Lance was scheduled to leave first, with Kit Barnard following at the exact time interval of their arrivals.
Only static filled the control deck of the Space Lance as Tom clutched the microphone and pleaded desperately for Quent Miles to answer him. "Come in, Miles! This is Corbett on the Space Lance to Quent Miles on the Space Knight! Come in, Miles! Come in!" Bill Sticoon shook his head. "Miles must be nuts trying to get to Ganymede without refueling," he muttered.
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