to the
return trip.

Near the end of the third day Captain Robb contacted his far flung crew
members over helmet intercom. He ordered them back to the Ajax XX for a
briefing session.

Soon the men entered the ship. They were hot, uncomfortable and
exhausted. Once back on Earth they could testify that there was nothing
romantic about a thirty-five-pound pressure suit.

* * * * *

Hamston, the rocket expert, summed it up: "With that damn bulb over his
skull a man is helpless to remove a single bead of perspiration. He
could easily develop into a raving maniac."

Robb held his meeting in the control room. "You have eight hours to
finish your work, gentlemen. We're blasting off at 0900."

"I beg your pardon, Captain," said Kingsley, the young man in charge of
radio operation, "but what about Washington? They haven't made contact
yet and I thought--"

"I talked with Washington an hour ago!"

A modest cheer of approval went up from the crew members.

"Well, why didn't you say so before!" said Anderson, the first officer.

Robb explained. "It seems _their_ equipment has been haywire for two
days, they haven't been able to get through."

"How do you like that!" cracked Farnsworth, the astrogator. "We're two
hundred and forty thousand miles off the Earth and our equipment works
fine. They have all the comforts of Earth down at headquarters and they
can't repair radio transmission for two days!"

The men laughed.

"Gentlemen," Robb continued, "every radio and TV network in the country
was hooked up to the chief's office in Washington. I not only talked to
General Lovett, I spoke to the whole damn country."

The men could not contain their excitement. The captain received a
verbal pelting of stored-up questions.

"Did you get word to my family, Captain?" asked Kingsley.

"I hope you told them we're physically sound, Captain," said Farnsworth.
"I have a fiancee that'll never forgive me if anything happens to me--"

"What's the reaction like around the country--"

"Have the Russians had anything to say yet--"

"Ha! I'll bet they're sore as hell--"

"Do you think the army would mind if I hand in my resignation?"
Kingsley's remark brought vigorous applause from the others.

Captain Robb held up his hand for silence. "Hold on! Hold on! First of
all, General Lovett has personally contacted relatives and told them
we're all physically and mentally sound. Secondly, you'd better get