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Updated: June 4, 2025
"Tricks, sir?" asked Tom stupidly, so incredible did the lieutenant governor's question seem. "Yes, tricks!" roared Vidac. "Get out of the way. I can take this ship down." He sat down in the pilot's chair and called Roger on the radar bridge. "Notify all the other ships they are to stand off until we have made a secure touchdown!" "Yes, sir!" replied Roger.
"They're coming," said Tom, waving his arm toward his friends. Astro and Roger rose from their places of concealment and darted forward. "Get in the house, quick!" ordered Logan. "Vidac and his flunky Winters were out here last night and " He didn't finish. The unmistakable roar of a jet car approaching rapidly was heard.
"Fortunately for the project of Roald," said Vidac with a half-smile playing at his lips, "Captain Strong has been taken off the Roald project." He paused and lounged against the bulkhead to announce, "I have replaced him." "You couldn't replace Captain Strong digging a hole in the ground, mister!" snapped Roger sarcastically.
The boom bent even more and still the motors would not lift free of the ground. The rocket exhausts on the jet barge glowed fiery red under the sustained surge of power. All over the colony, men stopped work to see if the jet barge would handle the outsized lift. Vidac sat at the controls calmly and watched Tom. The curly-haired cadet continued to wave his hand to lift the motors.
He was violating one of the cardinal laws of the Solar Alliance. He was presuming that Vidac or Hardy was guilty and he didn't have an atom's worth of proof. There was only one way to get the proof. The cadets would have to escape to find it. Strong sidled around the corner of the corridor.
"All of us are assigned to important jobs," he said calmly. "Yours is scientific research; the cadets have a specific job of education; I am the co-ordinator of the whole project and Lieutenant Governor Vidac is my immediate executive officer. We all have to work together. Let's see if we can't do it a little more smoothly, eh?" Hardy smiled and turned back to his chair.
He checked carefully, continuing through the entries for the succeeding days, ending with the last entry made just an hour before. There was no mention of Tom's report. Jeff turned to give the logbook to the pilot when Vidac and Professor Sykes stepped through the hatch. Seeing Jeff with the log in his hands, Vidac frowned. "What are you doing here, Marshall?" he snapped. Jeff was trapped.
He made a slight movement toward Vidac and Bush, but they leveled their guns quickly. "None of that," warned Vidac. Astro's shoulders drooped. He was almost in tears as he walked toward Tom. The curly-haired cadet stood immovable, staring at his friend. The Venusian leaned over and picked up Tom gently. "Take it easy, Astro," whispered Tom, not moving his lips. "I'm not frozen. He missed me!"
Expecting another cold interview, he was surprised when Vidac met him with a smile and asked him to enjoy a cup of coffee with him. "No need for us to antagonize each other over the foolish mistakes and bunglings of the cadets, Professor," said Vidac evenly. "I apologize for cutting you off, but I make it a point never to talk to a man when he's angry. Come, sit down, and have a cup of coffee.
"Somebody's got to do something about Vidac, and if the governor won't, it should be brought to Commander Walters' attention." "Come on. Let's do it right now," urged Roger. "We'll be sticking our necks out, but since when have we ever let that stop us?" Astro shrugged his shoulders and quickly redressed.
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