angle below. The door opened and the three officers
turned quickly to see Dr. Joan Dale enter, carrying several papers in
her hand.

"Well, Joan?" asked Walters.

"I'm afraid that the reports are true, sir," Dr. Dale said. "There are
positive signs of decreasing pressure in the artificial atmosphere
around the settlements on Titan. The pressure is dropping and yet there
is no indication that the force screen, holding back the real methane
ammonia atmosphere of Titan, is not functioning properly."

"How about leaks?" Connel growled.

"Not possible, Major," replied the pretty physicist. "The force field,
as you know, is made up of electronic impulses of pure energy. By
shooting these impulses into the air around a certain area, like the
settlement at Olympia, we can refract the methane ammonia, push it back
if you will, like a solid wall. What the impulses do, actually, is
create a force greater and thicker in content than the atmosphere of
Titan, creating a vacuum. We then introduce oxygen into the vacuum,
making it possible for humans to live without the cumbersome use of
space helmets." Dr. Dale leaned against Commander Walters' desk and
considered the three Solar Guard officers. "If we don't find out what's
happening out there," she resumed grimly, "and do something about it
soon, we'll have to abandon Titan."

"Abandon Titan!" roared Connel. "Can't be done."

"Impossible!" snapped Walters.

"It's going to happen," asserted the girl stoutly.

Connel sprang out of his chair and began pacing the floor. "We can't
abandon Titan!" he roared. "Disrupt the flow of crystal and you'll set
off major repercussions in the system's economy."

"We know that, Major," said Walters. "That's the prime reason for this
meeting."

"May I make a suggestion, sir?" asked Strong.

"Go ahead, Steve," said Walters.

"While these graphs of Joan's show us _what's_ happening, I think it
will take on-the-spot investigations to find out _why_ it's happening."

Connel flopped back in his chair, relaxed again. He looked at Walters.
"Send Steve out there and we'll find out what's going on," he said
confidently.

Walters looked at Strong. "When are the ships supposed to blast off for
the race?"

"Tomorrow at 1800, sir."

"You planned to use the _Polaris_ to monitor the race?"

"Yes, sir."

"Think we should send the _Polaris_ unit out alone?"

"I have a better suggestion, sir," said Strong.

"Well?"

"Since there are only thr