R 10

"Stop your ship and be recognized!"

The rasping voice on the audioceiver was sharp. A command to be obeyed.

Tom turned away from the control board and looked at Strong who was
already reaching for the ship's intercom.

"Full braking rocket thrust, Astro," he yelled into the microphone, "and
make it quick or we'll all be blasted into protons!"

Tom and the captain gripped their chairs tightly as the ship bucked
against the deceleration force of the powerful braking rockets.
Gradually the freighter _Dog Star_ slowed and came to a dead stop in
space.

"Hey!" yelled Astro over the intercom from the power deck. "What's going
on up there?"

"We've just entered the outer circle of defense on the prison asteroid,
Astro," replied Strong. "We have to stop so they can sweep us with their
radar and identify the ship."

"But I sent them a message in Solar Guard code that we were coming,"
interjected Roger who was listening from the radar bridge.

"They still have to make sure it's us," said Strong.

"Identify yourselves!" commanded the voice over the audioceiver again.

"This is space freighter _Dog Star_ under temporary command of Captain
Strong of the Solar Guard," answered Strong.

"What's your business here?" demanded the voice again.

"Interrogation of one of your prisoners. We have sent a coded message,
under code Z for Zebra to your prison commandant, Major Alan Savage. If
you'll check with him, you'll find everything in order," said Strong.

"Very well," replied the voice crisply, and then added, "Remain where
you are. Do not move from your present position or attempt to send any
messages. If you fail to comply with these conditions you will be
blasted!"

"Very well," said Strong, "conditions are understood."

"Boy," chimed in Roger, as he climbed down the ladder from the radar
bridge, "they sure don't want any company here."

"And for good reason," said Strong. "The most vicious criminals in the
whole universe are confined here. Every one of them is capable of
committing any crime in the solar code. And most of them have. The men
here are the worst. They have refused psychotherapeutic readjustment to
make them into new men."

"But I thought they had to go through it, sir?" said Tom.

"No," replied Strong. "Even criminals have certain rights in our
society. They can either remain criminals and stay here, or be
psychoadjusted and given new personalities. The ones that refuse are the
ones on t