aid Connel finally, "the rest of you board your jet boats!
This is going to be the hottest ride we'll ever take, and I don't want
it to get any hotter!"

Silently, their faces grim masks, the five spacemen filed out of the
control room, leaving Tom alone. Presently he heard the cough of the
rockets in the jet boats as one by one the small space craft blasted out
of the _Polaris_. Suddenly Tom began to shake as he realized the
importance of his task--the responsibility of counting time for five
men, time that could cost them their lives. If he made a single mistake,
miscounted by a minute, the expedition to Junior would end not only in
failure, but in tragedy.

As quickly as the thought came, Tom pushed it aside and turned to the
control board. No time now for fear. Now, more than any other time in
his life, he had to keep himself alert and ready for every emergency. As
a child he had often dreamed of the day when, as a spaceman, he would be
faced with an emergency only he could handle. And in the dreams he had
come through with flying colors. But now that it was a reality, Tom felt
nothing but cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

He turned his whole attention to the great solar clock overhead. Time
had already begun slipping away. Ten minutes of the two hours had swept
past. They must be on Junior by now, he thought, and flipped on the
teleceiver. He focused on the satellite's surface. There in front of him
were the three jet boats. Major Connel, Roger, Astro, Alfie, and Mr.
Shinny were so close that Tom felt as though he could touch them. They
were unloading the first reactor unit, with Astro and Shinny digging the
hole. Tom glanced at the clock, turned to the microphone, and announced
clearly:

"Attention! Attention! Corbett to Connel. One hour and forty-eight
minutes until blast-off time--one hour and forty-eight minutes to
blast-off."

He flipped the switch and watched the screen with rising excitement. The
crew on the satellite had completed the installation of the first
reactor unit. He saw them blasting off in their jet boats for the second
spot. He adjusted the teleceiver and tried to follow them, but they
disappeared. He glanced at the clock.

"Attention! Attention! Corbett to Connel. One hour and forty-seven
minutes to blast-off--one hour and forty-seven minutes to blast-off."

On the satellite, in the deep shadow of a protecting cliff, each of the
five Earthmen paused involuntarily when they hear