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He saw them blasting off in their jet boats for the second spot. He adjusted the teleceiver and tried to follow them, but they disappeared. He glanced at the clock. "Attention! Attention! Corbett to Connel. One hour and forty-seven minutes to blast-off one hour and forty-seven minutes to blast-off."
One thing I've learned since I've become an instructor at the Academy and that is you can't make a spaceman. He's born with the feeling and the instinct, or he isn't a spaceman." Hardy nodded. "I've got some important messages to send out, Captain. I'd like to use the teleceiver for a while." "Of course, sir," said Strong. "Right up that ladder there."
The aide flipped off the teleceiver and smiled up at the cadets. "Go ahead, fellows. He's in a good mood today, so you don't have to worry about demerits." Tom thanked the guardsman and started for the door to the inner office, but Roger grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. "We can't go in there now, Tom," he whispered. "Not with Governor Hardy sitting there!" "I know," replied Tom.
"From casual observations, Tom, the surface of the far side of the satellite is more suitable for a touchdown. I would suggest you observe the planetoid yourself with the magnascope and draw your own conclusions." "O.K.," replied Tom. He switched the teleceiver screen on to the more powerful magnascope and studied the surface of the small celestial body.
"Get the spaceport," he ordered. "Tell the spaceport officer to prepare a welcoming party to blast off in ten minutes. They will meet Captain Strong of the Solar Guard in the cruiser Orion. Communications control will give them his position." He flipped off the teleceiver and settled back in his chair, smiling. Nothing in the world like a big fuss to throw a man off guard, he thought.
Tom flipped a switch on the board and set the ship on automatic flight. Then, turning to the teleceiver, he switched the set on. "Lady Venus to Polaris " said Tom, "come in, Polaris come in!" " ... Strong here on the Polaris!" the officer's voice crackled over the speaker. "By the rings of Saturn, I should log you three space-brained idiots for everything in the book!"
We have night crews to handle light traffic, but by midnight the station is pretty much like any sleepy Middle Western town. Rolls up the sidewalks and goes to bed." He motioned to Roger to follow him to the radar section and left Tom watching the interesting spectacle on the giant teleceiver.
"I got him spotted on the teleceiver. Go aft, about a thousand, maybe fifteen hundred yards. I'll direct you from there." "Right!" snapped Roger. "And listen, you Venusian bonehead! Make it good. I don't like being a clay pigeon for this crazy shooting gallery out here!" "Aw, damp your tubes and get to work," drawled Astro. "Honestly, Tom, did you ever hear him not complain?" Tom did not answer.
He made one stop. Looking around quickly to make sure that he was not observed, he slipped into the teleceiver booth and made a hurried call to an Atom City number. When a gruff voice answered, he merely said three words: "It's all set!" Roger and Astro were some distance away from the main gang, working at the tunnel mouth overlooking the hangar area. "Look, Astro," said Roger.
Believing the recording to have broken down, he turned inquiringly to Captain Strong, but received only a blank stare in return. Tom hesitated for a split second, then turned back to the controls. He quickly flipped the teleceiver button on and began plotting the course of the approaching asteroid, ignoring for the moment his other duties on the control deck.
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