all regulations are observed--that no one gets the jump
on anyone else. These men will be souping up their reactors until those
ships will be nothing but 'go,' and it's your job to see that they use
only standard equipment."

"We're going to be real popular when we tell a spaceman he can't use a
unit he's rigged up specially," commented Astro with a grin.

Tom laughed. "We'll be known as the cadets you love to hate!"

"Especially when you run up against Charley Brett," said Kit.

The cadets looked at the veteran spaceman inquiringly, but he was not
smiling, and they suddenly felt a strange chill of apprehension.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 3

"It's about time you got here!"

Charley Brett glared angrily at his chief pilot, Quent Miles, as he
sauntered into the office and flopped into a chair.

"I had a heavy date last night. I overslept," the spaceman replied,
yawning loudly.

"We're late for Strong's meeting over at the Academy," Brett snapped.
"Get up! We've got to leave right away."

Quent Miles looked at the other man, his black eyes gleaming coldly.
"I'll get up when I'm ready," he said slowly.

The two men glared at each other for a moment, and finally Brett lowered
his eyes. Miles grinned and yawned again.

"Come on," said Brett in a less demanding tone. "Let's go. No use
getting Strong down on us before we even get started."

"Steve Strong doesn't scare me," replied Miles.

"All right! He doesn't scare you. He doesn't scare me, either," said
Brett irritably. "Now that we both know that neither of us is scared,
let's get going."

Quent smiled again and rose slowly. "You know something, Charley?" he
said in a deceptively mild voice. "One of these days you're going to get
officious with the wrong spaceman, one that isn't as tolerant as I am,
and you're going to be pounded into space dust."

Quent Miles stood in front of Brett's desk and stretched like a languid
cat. Brett noted the powerful hands and arms and the depth of the
shoulders and chest, all emphasized by the tight-fitting clothes the
spaceman affected. The man was dark and swarthy, and dressed all in
black. Brett had often imagined that if the devil ever took human form
it would look like Quent Miles. He shivered uncontrollably and waited.
Finally Miles turned to him, a mocking smile on his face.

"Well, Charley? What are we waiting for?"

A few moments later they were speeding through the broad streets of Atom
City in a jet c