couting trip. They discussed their chances of contacting Space Academy
with the communications set they had left hidden in the storeroom.

"How far did you get with the tube, Astro?" asked Roger.

"You'll be able to send out a message four hours after we get back,"
replied Astro between bites of sandwich.

"Too bad we don't have the tube with us," said Tom. "Now that we're
alone we could vacuumize it without worrying about Vidac."

"I've already tried to make another one here," said Astro. "But these
scouts don't have any kind of tools or equipment. We'll have to wait
till we get back."

In a few hours Roger picked up the welcome outline of the _Polaris_ on
his scanner and, shortly after, the rest of the fleet. After receiving
instructions from Vidac to return the scout to the freighter and come
aboard, the three cadets made quick work of transferring to the jet boat
and a short while later were waiting impatiently for the hiss of oxygen
to fill the air lock of the _Polaris_. No sooner had the dial indicated
the equal pressure with the rest of the ship than the inner portal
opened to reveal Vidac waiting for them.

"Well?" he demanded at once. "Is there a way through the asteroid
cluster?"

"No, sir," said Tom. "We searched practically the whole thing. There are
a few openings, but none large enough to let the whole fleet through."

"I thought so," sneered Vidac. "You just blasted to the edge of the
cluster and waited for enough time to pass and then came running back
here!"

"Why, you--" growled Astro. He took a menacing step toward Vidac. The
older spaceman didn't move.

"Yes, Cadet Astro?" said Vidac coldly. "Did you want to say something?"

Before Astro could speak, Tom stepped forward. "Regardless of what you
may think, sir," he said, "we did search the belt and there wasn't any
way through it."

"I have to accept your word, Corbett," said Vidac. He turned and started
back down the companionway, then stopped and whirled around to face them
again. "Incidentally, something happened while you were away. Jeff
Marshall was found experimenting with a homemade communicator. Do you
know anything about it?"

The three cadets were dumfounded. Finally Roger shook his head.
"No--no, sir," he muttered. "We don't know anything about it."

Vidac smiled. "All right. That's all. Make out a full report on the
scouting mission and send it to me immediately."

When the lieutenant governor had disappeared, Roger turne