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  +--------------------------------------------------------------+| || Transcriber's Note || || There is no evidence that the U.S. copyright on this || publication was renewed. || || Several obvious typographical errors were corrected, one || possible typographical error was left as is, and hyphenation || was standardized. A list of these items may be found at the || end of the text. Words and phrases surrounded by _'s _like || this_ are in italics in the original text. || || Although the cover page includes the title "STAND BY FOR || MARS!" that book is not included in this e-text. || || Enjoy! || |+--------------------------------------------------------------+

  DANGER IN DEEP SPACE

  THE TOM CORBETT SPACE CADET STORIES

  By Carey Rockwell

  STAND BY FOR MARS! DANGER IN DEEP SPACE

 

  A TOM CORBETT Space Cadet Adventure

  DANGER IN DEEP SPACE

  By CAREY ROCKWELL

  WILLY LEY Technical Adviser

  GROSSET & DUNLAP _Publishers_ New York

  COPYRIGHT, 1953, BY ROCKHILL RADIO

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  _Illustrations by_ LOUIS GLANZMAN

  PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  ILLUSTRATIONS

  _Frontispiece_

  The three weary cadets assembled on the control deck 13

  The junior spaceman maneuvered the great rocket shiptoward the air lock 36

  The jet cab raced along the highway to Venusport 54

  Tom could see two space-suited figures floating effortlessly 76

  Mason was frozen into a rigid statue, unable to move 133

  "Remember," Astro cautioned, "set the fuse for two hours" 161

  Landing, they would tumble out of the jet boat and begintheir frantic digging 180

  "I know we're going to be sent to the prison asteroid andwe deserve it," said Loring 206

  DANGER IN DEEP SPACE

  CHAPTER 1

  "Stand by to reduce thrust on main drive rockets!" The tall,broad-shouldered officer in the uniform of the Solar Guard snapped outthe order as he watched the telescanner screen and saw the WesternHemisphere of Earth looming larger and larger.

  "Aye, aye, Captain Strong," replied a handsome curly-haired Space Cadet.He turned to the ship's intercom and spoke quickly into the microphone.

  "Control deck to power deck. Check in!"

  "Power deck, aye," a bull-throated voice bellowed over the loud-speaker.

  "Stand by rockets, Astro! We're coming in for a landing."

  "Standing by!"

  The Solar Guard officer turned away from the telescanner and glancedquickly over the illuminated banks of indicators on the control panel."Is our orbit to Space Academy clear?" he asked the cadet. "Have we beenassigned a landing ramp?"

  "I'll check topside, sir," answered the cadet, turning back to theintercom. "Control deck to radar deck. Check in!"

  "Radar bridge, aye," drawled a lazy voice over the speaker.

  "Are we cleared for landing, Roger?"

  "Everything clear as glass ahead, Tom," was the calm reply.

  "We're steady on orbit and we touch down on ramp seven. Then"--the voicebegan to quicken with excitement--"three weeks' liberty coming up!"

  The rumbling voice of the power-deck cadet suddenly broke in over theintercom. "Lay off that space gas, Manning. Just see that this spacewagon gets on the ground in one piece. Then you can dream about yourleave!"

  "Plug your jets, you big Venusian ape man," was the reply, "or I'll turnyou inside out!"

  "Yeah? You and what fleet of spaceships?"

  "Just me, buster, with my bare hands!"

  The Solar Guard officer on the control deck smiled at the young cadetbeside him as the good-natured argument crackled over the intercomspeaker overhead. "Looks like those two will never stop battling,Corbett," he commented dryly.

  "Guess they'll never learn, sir," sighed the cadet.

  "That's all right. It's when they stop battling that I'll start gettingworried," answered the officer. He turned back to the controls. "Onehundred thousand feet from Earth's surface! Begin landing procedure!"

  As Cadet Tom Corbett snapped orders into the intercom and his unit-matesresponded by smooth co-ordinated action, the giant rocket cruiser_Polaris_ slowly arched through Earth's atmosphere, first nosing up tolose speed and then settling tailfirst toward its destination--thespaceport at Space Academy, U.S.A.

  Far below, on the grounds of the Academy, cadets wearing the greenuniforms of first-year Earthworms and the blue of the upper-classmenstopped all activity as they heard the blasting of the braking rocketshigh in the heavens. They stared enviously into the sky, watching thesmooth steel-hulled spaceship drop toward the concrete ramp area of thespaceport, three miles away.

  SPACE ACADEMY U.S.A.]

  In his office at the top of the gleaming Tower of Galileo, CommanderWalters, commandant of Space Academy, paused for a moment from hisduties and turned from his desk to watch the touchdown of the greatspaceship. And on the grassy quadrangle, Warrant Officer Mike McKenny,short and stubby in his scarlet uniform of the enlisted Solar Guard,stopped his frustrating task of drilling newly arrived cadets to watchthe mighty ship come to Earth.

  Young and old, the feeling of belonging to the great fleet thatpatrolled the space lanes across the millions of miles of the solarsystem was something that never died in a true spaceman. The green-cladcadets dreamed of the future when they would feel the bucking rockets intheir backs. And the older men smiled faintly as memories of their ownfirst space flight came to mind.

  Aboard the _Polaris_, the young cadet crew worked swiftly and smoothlyto bring their ship to a safe landing. There was Tom Corbett, an averageyoung man in this age of science, who had been selected as thecontrol-deck and command cadet of the _Polaris_ unit after rigidexaminations and tests. Topside, on the radar bridge, was Roger Manning,cocky and brash, but a specialist in radar and communications. Below, onthe power deck, was Astro, a colonial from Venus, who had been accusedof cutting his teeth on an atomic rocket motor, so great was his skillwith the mighty "thrust buckets," as he lovingly called the atomicrockets.

  Now, returning from a routine training flight that had taken them to themoons of Jupiter, the three cadets, Corbett, Manning, and Astro, andtheir unit skipper, Captain Steve Strong, completed the delicate task ofsetting the great ship down on the Academy spaceport.

  "Closing in fast, sir," announced Tom, his attention focused on themeters and dials in front of him. "Five hundred feet to touchdown."

  "Full braking thrust!" snapped Strong crisply.

  Deep inside the _Polaris_, braking rockets roared with unceasing power,and the mighty spaceship eased itself to the concrete surface of theAcademy spaceport.

  "Touchdown!" yelled Tom. He quickly closed the master control lever,cutting all power, and sudden silence
filled the ship. He stood up andfaced Strong, saluting smartly.

  "Rocket cruiser _Polaris_ completes mission"--he glanced at the astralchronometer on the panel board--"at fifteen thirty-three, sir."

  "Very well, Corbett," replied Strong, returning the salute. "Check the_Polaris_ from radar mast to exhaust ports right away."

  "Yes, sir," was Tom's automatic answer, and then he caught himself. "ButI thought--"

  Strong interrupted him with a wave of his hand. "I know, Corbett, youthought the _Polaris_ would be pulled in for a general overhaul and youthree would get liberty."

  "Yes, sir," replied Tom.

  "I'm not sure you won't get it," said Strong, "but I received a messagelast night from Commander Walters. I think the _Polaris_ unit might haveanother assignment coming up!"

  "By the rings of Saturn," drawled Roger from the open hatch to the radarbridge, "you might know the old man would have another mission for us!We haven't had a liberty since we were Earthworms!"

  "I'm sorry, Manning," said Strong, "but you know if I had my way, you'dcertainly get the liberty. If anyone deserves it, you three do."

  By this time Astro had joined the group on the control deck.

  "But, sir," ventured Tom, "we've all made plans, I mean--well, my folksare expecting me."

  "_Us_, you mean," interrupted Roger. "Astro and I are your guests,remember?"

  "Sure, I remember," said Tom, smiling. He turned back to Captain Strong."We'd appreciate it if you could do something for us, sir. Imean--well, have another unit assigned."

  Strong stepped forward and put his arms around the shoulders of Tom andRoger and faced Astro. "I'm afraid you three made a big mistake inbecoming the best unit in the Academy. Now every time there's animportant assignment to be handed out the name of the _Polaris_ unitsticks out like a hot rocket!"

  "Some consolation," said Roger dourly.

  Strong smiled. "All right, check this wagon and then report to me in myquarters in the morning. You'll have tonight off at least. Unit_dis_-missed!"

  The three cadets snapped their backs straight, stood rigid, and salutedas their superior officer strode toward the hatch. His foot on theladder, he turned and faced them again.

  "It's been a fine mission. I want to compliment you on the way you'vehandled yourselves these past few months. You boys are real spacemen!"He saluted and disappeared down the ladder leading to the exit port.

  "And that," said Roger, turning to his unit-mates, "is known as theroyal come-on for a dirty detail!"

  "Ahhh, stop your gassing, Manning," growled Astro. "Just be sure yourradar bridge is O.K. If we do have to blast out of here in a hurry, Iwant to get where we're supposed to be going!"

  "You just worry about the power deck, spaceboy, and let little Rogertake care of his own department," replied Roger.

  Astro eyed him speculatively. "You know the only reason they allowedthis space creep in the Academy, Tom?" asked Astro.

  "No, why?" asked Tom, playing along with the game.

  "Because they knew any time the _Polaris_ ran out of reactant fuel wecould just stick Manning in the rocket tubes and have him blow out someof his special brand of space gas!"

  "Listen, you Venusian throwback! One more word out of you and--"

  "All right, you two!" broke in Tom good-naturedly. "Enough's enough!Come on. We've got just enough time to run up to the mess hall and graba good meal before we check the ship."

  "That's for me," said Astro. "I've been eating those concentrates solong my stomach thinks I've turned into a test tube."

  Astro referred to the food taken along on space missions. It wasdehydrated and packed in plastic containers to save weight and space.The concentrates never made a satisfactory meal, even though theysupplied everything necessary for a healthful diet.

  A few moments later the three members of the _Polaris_ stood on the mainslidewalk, an endless belt of plastic, powered by giant subsurfacerollers, being carried from the spaceport to the main academyadministration building, the great gleaming Tower of Galileo.

  Space Academy, the university of the planets, was set among the lowhills of the western part of the North American continent. Here, in thenest of fledgling spacemen, boys from Earth and the colonies of Venusand Mars learned the complex science that would enable them to reachunlimited heights; to rocket through the endless void of space and visitnew worlds on distant planets millions of miles from Earth.

  This was the year 2353--the age of space! A time when boys dreamed onlyof becoming Space Cadets at Space Academy, to learn their trade andlater enter the mighty Solar Guard, or join the rapidly expandingmerchant space service that sent out great fleets of rocket ships dailyto every corner of the solar system.

  As the slidewalk carried the three cadets between the buildings thatsurrounded the grassy quadrangle of the Academy, Tom looked up at theTower of Galileo dominating the entire area.

  "You know," he began haltingly, "every time I go near this place I get alump in my throat!"

  "Yeah," breathed Astro, "me too."

  Roger made no comment. His eyes were following the path of the gianttelescope reflector that moved in a slow arc, getting into position forthe coming night's observations. Tom followed his gaze to the massivedomed building, housing the giant one-thousand-inch reflector.

  "You think we'll ever go as far into the deep with a rocket ship as wecan see with the big eye?" he asked.

  "I dunno," replied Roger. "That thing can penetrate other star systemsin our galaxy. And that's a long way off!"

  "Nearest thing to us is Alpha Centauri in our own galaxy, and that'stwenty-three and a half million million miles away," commented Astro.

  "That's not so far," argued Tom. "Only a few months ago the SolarAlliance sent out a scientific exploration to take a look at that baby."

  "Musta been some hop," commented Roger.

  "Hey!" cried Tom suddenly. "There's Alfie Higgins!" He pointed in thedirection of another slidewalk moving at right angles to their own. Thecadet that he singled out on the slidewalk was so thin and small helooked emaciated. He wore glasses and at the moment was absorbed in apaper he held in his hand.

  "Well, what do you know!" cried Astro. "The Brain!"

  Roger punched Astro in the mid-section. "If you were as smart as he is,you big grease monkey, you'd be O.K."

  "Nah!" replied Astro. "If I was as smart as Alfie, I'd be scared. Andbesides, what do I need to be smart for? I've got you, haven't I?"

  When they drew near the other slidewalk, the three members of the_Polaris_ unit skipped lightly over and jostled their way past otherriders to the slightly built cadet.

  "Alfie!" Tom yelled and slapped the cadet on the back. Alfie turned, hisglasses knocked askew by Tom's blow, and eyed the three _Polaris_members calmly.

  "It gives me great pleasure to view your countenances again, CadetsCorbett, Manning, and Astro," he said solemnly, nodding to each one.

  Astro twisted his face into a grimace. "What'd he say, Roger?"

  "He's happy to see you," Roger translated.

  "Well, in that case," beamed Astro, "I'm happy to see you too, Alfie!"

  "What's the latest space dope around the Academy, Alfie?" asked Tom."What's this?" he indicated the paper in Alfie's hand.

  "By the sheerest of coincidences I happen to have a copy of your newassignment!" replied Alfie.

  Tom, Roger, and Astro looked at each other in surprise.

  "Well, come on, spaceman," urged Roger. "Give us the inside info. Whereare we going?"

  Alfie tucked the paper in his inside pocket and faced Roger. He clearedhis throat and spoke in measured tones. "Manning, I have high regard foryour personality, your capabilities, and your knowledge, all of whichmakes you an outstanding cadet. But even you know that I occupy aposition of trust as cadet courier for Commander Walters and theadministrative staff. I am not at liberty to mention anything that Iwould have occasion to observe while in the presence of CommanderWalters or the staff. Therefore, you will please refrain fromques
tioning me any further regarding the contents of these papers!"

  Roger's jaw dropped. "Why, you human calculator, you were the one whobrought it up in the first place! I oughta knock off that big head ofyours!"

  Tom and Astro laughed.

  "Lay off, Roger," said Tom. "You ought to know Alfie couldn't talk if hewanted to! We'll just have to wait until Captain Strong is ready to tellus what our next assignment will be!"

  By this time the slidewalk had carried them to the front of the maindormitory, and the wide doors were crowded with members of the SpaceAcademy Corps heading in for the evening meal. From all corners of thequadrangle, the slidewalks carried Earthworms in their green uniforms,upper-class cadets in deep blue, enlisted spacemen in scarlet red, andSolar Guard officers in their striking uniforms of black and gold.Chatting and laughing, they all were entering the great building.

  The _Polaris_ unit was well known among other cadet units, and they weregreeted heartily from all sides. As Astro and Roger joked with variouscadet units, forming up in front of the slidestairs leading down to themess halls, Alfie turned to take a slidestairs going up. Suddenly hestopped, grabbed Tom by the shoulders, and whispered in his ear. Just asabruptly he turned and raced up the ascending slidestairs.

  "What was that about?" asked Roger, as Tom stood staring after thelittle cadet.

  "Roger--he--he said our next assignment would be one of the greatexperiments in space history. Something to be done that--that hasn'tever been done before!"

  "Well, blast my jets!" said Astro. "What do you suppose it is?"

  "Ahhh," sneered Roger, "I'll bet it's nothing more than taking someguinea pigs to see how they react to Jovian gravity. That's never beendone before either! Why can't we get something exciting for a change?"

  Tom laughed. "Come on, you bloodthirsty adventurer, I'm starved!"

  But Tom knew that Alfie Higgins didn't get excited easily, and his eyeswere wide and his voice trembled when he had whispered his secret toTom.

  The _Polaris_ unit was due to embark on a great new adventure!