te a million times faster than the gravity of the Earth you
wouldn't feel a thing, because all the atoms inside would be pushed
along at the same time!" Astro sat back triumphantly.

"Ummmmh," commented Alfie. "That sounds all right as a principle, but
will it work out in space?"

"Listen, you--you--" snorted Astro.

"Sure it will, Alfie," said Tom. "It's been tested before."

"Still room for improvement, though," commented Alfie.

"I'll improve your head," barked Astro, "if you don't close that big
mouth! How do you like that, Tom? We get rid of one space-gassing Romeo
and now we get one even worse!"

Astro's reference to Roger made Tom draw a quick breath. In the short
while since Alfie's arrival and the week since Roger's disappearance
there hadn't been time to forget their old unit-mate and get accustomed
to a new personality. Astro sensed Tom's feelings and irritably banged
one hamlike fist into the other. Alfie was O.K., thought the big
Venusian, but by the craters of Luna, he wasn't Roger.

"Attention--attention!" The intercom crackled into life. "_Polaris_
unit--by order of Major Connel--stand by to blast off immediately. This
is first warning! Pack your gear and stand by to blast off immediately."

Tom, Astro, and Alfie got up, and with the image of Roger fresh in their
minds, made their way to the landing-port deck where the great gleaming
spaceship was slung on magnetic cradles. They were met at the hatch by
Major Connel.

"All right," he said, "we leave all thoughts of Manning right here on
the station. I know it's tough, but we've got a still tougher job to do.
This is to be a scientific expedition and we'll need every ounce of
energy and intelligence we have--_collectively_--to make a success of
this mission. Cadet Corbett!"

"Yes, sir," replied Tom.

"Stand by to blast off in five minutes!"

CHAPTER 10

"Can I speak with you a minute, spaceman?"

Roger turned from the automatic food dispenser and stared at a wizened
little man standing beside him, grinning up at him toothlessly.

"What do you want?" asked Roger.

"Just talk. Let's sit down at this table, eh?" said the little man,
taking the cadet by the arm. "Gotta little deal I think you might be
interested in."

Roger cast a quick appraising glance over the shabbily dressed man and
walked to the table. Unless someone knew Roger personally, it would have
been hard to recognize him. No longer wearing the vivid blue of the
sen