Part 11 (1/2)
Not s.h.i.+nny.” He got up. ”Come on, Mason. We haven't got much time before the _Annie Jones_ blasts off.”
”What are we gonna do?” the shorter man wanted to know.
”Stow away on the cargo deck. Then, when we get out into s.p.a.ce, we dump the pilots and head for Tara, for our first load of copper.”
”But a job like this'll take money!”
”We'll make enough to go ahead on the first load.”
Mason began to get up, hesitated, and then sat down again.
”Come on,” snapped Loring. His hand dropped toward his belt. ”I'm going to make you rich, Mason,” he said quietly. ”I'm going to make you one of the richest men in the universe--even if I have to kill you first.”
[Ill.u.s.tration]
CHAPTER 7
”s.p.a.ce freighter _Antares_ from Venus s.p.a.ce station. Your approach course is one-nine-seven--corrected. Reduce speed to minimum thrust and approach s.p.a.ceport nine--landing-deck three. End transmission!”
Tom stood on the dais of the traffic-control room and switched the _Antares_ beam to one of his a.s.sistants at the monitors in the control room. In less than two weeks he had mastered the difficult traffic-control procedure to the point where Captain Stefens had allowed him to handle the midnight s.h.i.+ft. He checked the monitors and turned to see Roger walk through the door.
”Working hard, Junior?” asked Roger in his casual drawl.
”Roger!” exclaimed Tom. ”What are you fooling around down here for?”
”Ah, there's nothing to do on the radar deck. Besides, I've got the emergency alarm on.” He wiped his forehead. ”Brother! Of all the crummy places to be stuck!”
”Could be worse,” said Tom, his eyes sweeping the monitors.
”Nothing could be worse,” groaned Roger. ”But nothing. Think of that lovely s.p.a.ce doll Helen Ashton alone on earth--and me stuck here on a s.p.a.ce station.”
”Well, we're doing an important job, Roger,” replied Tom. ”And doing it well, or Major Connel wouldn't leave us alone so much. How're you making out with the new equipment?”
”That toy?” sneered Roger. ”I gave it a look, checked the circuits once, and knew it inside out. It's so simple a child could have built one!”
”Oh, sure,” scoffed Tom. ”That's why the top scientists worked for years on something small, compact, powerful enough to reach through deep s.p.a.ce--and still be easy to repair.”
”Quit heckling me, Junior,” retorted Roger, ”I'm thinking. Trying to figure out some way of getting to the teleceiver set on board the _Polaris_.”
”Why can't you get on the _Polaris_?” asked Tom.
”They're jazzing up the power deck with a new hyperdrive unit for the big hop to Tara. So many guys buzzing around you can't get near it.”
”What do you need a teleceiver for?” asked Tom.
”To give me company,” replied Roger sourly. ”Say!” He snapped his fingers suddenly. ”Maybe if I just changed the frequency--”
”What frequency? What are you talking about?”