Cary Rockwell - Tom Corbett Space Cadet 03 - On the Trail of the Space Pirates

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ON THE TRAIL OF THE SPACE PIRATES

By CAREY ROCKWELL

No. 3 in the A TOM CORBETT Space Cadet Adventure series

The Tom Corbett series:

STAND BY FOR MARS!, 1952

DANGER IN DEEP SPACE, 1953

ON THE TRAIL OF THE SPACE PIRATES, 1953

THE SPACE PIONEERS, 1953

THE REVOLT ON VENUS, 1954

TREACHERY IN OUTER SPACE, 1955

SABOTAGE IN SPACE, 1956

THE ROBOT ROCKET, 1956

Pirate stories are exciting enough, but a tale of piracy in the vast interplanetary spaces

is a thousand times more thrilling than any story of the high seas or the Spanish Main.

This is the story of how Bull Coxine and his crew of cutthroat pirates came within an ace

of taking control of the space lanes by threatening to destroy the great Solar Alliance, and

how Tom Corbett and his two pals, Roger Manning and Astro of the Polaris unit, helped to

foil the giant buccaneer's desperate scheme.

It all began at the Venusport Exposition whither the three cadets under the command of

Captain Strong had been ordered to exhibit the Polaris. There some suspicious events took

place, which sent the Polaris unit to the prison asteroid just in time to be caught in the

pirates' sneak attack which resulted in the freeing of Bull Coxine and all of the prisoners. For

a period the freebooters roamed the space lanes at will capturing ships and pillaging ports

while the cruisers of the Solar Alliance hunted for them in vain.

The final battle in which the pirate fleet and the combined forces of the Alliance fought it

out to a finish, finds the three cadets taking an important part in the struggle which

culminates in the capture of Bull Coxine.

"These Tom Corbett stories keep getting more and more exciting!" writes a young

reader. If you thought the first two were exciting, just wait until you read this one!

WILLY LEY Technical Adviser

GROSSET & DUNLAP Publishers New York

ILLUSTRATIONS

Frontispiece

Hawks stood up and eyed the two men coldly

Tom saw three pretty girls board the ship

The hatch opened again and the two spacemen entered the air lock

The scar-faced man obviously wanted something from Tom

The young cadet timed his move perfectly

All Solar Guard defense measures seemed to be futile

Astro and Coxine were locked in mortal combat

ON THE TRAIL OF THE SPACE PIRATES

CHAPTER 1

"ALL ABOARD!"

A metallic voice rasped over the loud-speakers and echoed through the lofty marble

and aluminum concourse of the New Chicago Monorail Terminal. "Atom City express on

Track Seven! Space Academy first stop! Passengers for Space Academy will please take

seats in the first six cars!"

As the crowd of people waiting in the concourse surged through the gate leading to

Track Seven, three boys in the royal-blue uniforms of the Space Cadet Corps slowly picked

up their plastic space bags and joined the mass of travelers.

Wearily, they drifted with the crowd and stepped on the slidestairs leading down to the

monorail platform. In the lead, Tom Corbett, the command cadet of the unit, a tall,

curly-haired boy of eighteen, slouched against the handrail and looked back at his two

unit-mates, Roger Manning and Astro. Manning, a slender cadet, with close-cropped blond

hair, was yawning and blinking his eyes sleepily, while Astro, the third member of the unit, a

head taller than either of his unit-mates and fifty pounds heavier, stood flat-footed on the

step, eyes closed, his giant bulk swaying slightly with the motion of the slidestairs.

"Huh! A real snappy unit!" Tom muttered to himself.

"Hmmm? What?" Roger blinked and stared bleary-eyed at Tom.

"Nothing, Roger," Tom replied. "I only hope you guys can stay awake long enough to get

on the monorail."

"It's your own fault, Tom," rumbled Astro in his bull-like voice. "If your family hadn't thrown

so many parties for us while we were on leave, we'd have had more sleep."

"I didn't hear any complaints then," snorted Tom. "Just get into the car before you cork

off, will you? I'm in no shape to carry you."

Seconds later, the slidestairs deposited the three boys on the platform and they slowly

made their way through the crowd toward the forward cars of the monorail. Entering the third

car, they found three seats together and collapsed into their luxurious softness.

"Oh, brother!" Tom groaned as he curled himself into the cushions, "I'm going to sleep

all the way to the Academy."

"I'm asleep already," mumbled Roger, his voice muffled by his cap pulled low over his

face.

Suddenly Astro sat bolt upright. "I'm hungry!" he announced.

"Oh, no!" moaned Tom.

"Why, you overgrown Venusian ape, Mrs. Corbett gave you dinner less than an hour

ago!" Roger complained. "Steak, French fries, beans, corn, pie, ice cream..."

"Two helpings," chimed in Tom.

"And now you're hungry!" Roger was incredulous.

"Can't help it," calmly answered Astro. "I'm a big guy, that's all." He began digging

through his space bag for an apple Mrs. Corbett had thoughtfully provided.

Tom finally stirred and sat up. He had learned a long time ago the futility of trying to deny

Astro's Gargantuan appetite. "There's a dining car on this section of the monorail, Astro," he

said, slapping a crumpled mass of credits into the Venusian's hamlike hand. "Here. Have

yourself a good time." He slumped back in his seat and closed his eyes.

"Yeah," growled Roger, "and when you come back, don't make any noise!"

Astro smiled. He got up carefully and climbed over his two sleeping mates. Standing in

the aisle, he counted the credits Tom had given him and turned to the front of the car.

Suddenly a heavy voice growled behind him.

"One side, spaceboy!"

A hand grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him to one side. Caught off balance,

Astro fell back on his sleeping unit-mates.

"Hey! What th-" stuttered Astro as he sprawled on top of his friends. The two sleepy

cadets came up howling.

"Astro! What in blazes do you think you're doing?" roared Tom.

"Why, you space-brained idiot," yelled Roger, "I ought to lay one on your chin!"

There was a tangle of arms and legs and finally the three cadets struggled to their feet.

Astro turned to see who had pushed him.

Two men standing at the end of the car grinned back at him.

"It was those two guys at the end of the car," explained Astro. "They pushed me!" He

lumbered toward them, followed by Tom and Roger.

Stopping squarely in front of them, he demanded, "What's the big idea?"

"Go back to your beauty rest, spaceboy!" jeered the heavier of the two men and turned

to his companion, adding with a snarl, "How do you like his nerve? We not only have to pay

taxes to support these lazy kids and teach them how to be spacemen, but they're

loudmouthed and sassy on top of it!"

The other man, smaller and rat-faced, laughed. "Yeah, we oughta report them to their

little soldier bosses at Space Academy."

Astro suddenly balled his fists and stepped forward, but Tom grabbed his arm and

pulled him back while Roger eased himself between his mates and the two grinning men.

"You know, Tom," he drawled, looking the heavier of the two right in the eye, "the only

thing I don't like about being a Space Cadet is having to be polite to all the people, including

the space crawlers!"

"Why, you little punk," sneered the bigger man, "I oughta wipe up the deck with you!"

Roger smiled thinly. "Don't try it, mister. You wouldn't know what hit you!"

"Come on, Wallace," said the smaller man. "Leave 'em alone and let's go."

Astro took another step forward and roared, "Blast off. Both of you!"

The two men turned quickly and disappeared through the door leading to the next

monorail car.

The three cadets turned and headed back down the aisle to their seats.

"Let's get some sleep," said Tom. "We better be in good shape for that new

assignment when we hit the Academy. No telling what it'll be, where we'll go, or worse yet,

when we'll blast off. And I, for one, want to have a good night's rest under my belt."

"Yeah," agreed Roger, settling himself into the cushions once more. "Wonder what the

orders will be. Got any ideas, Tom?"

"No idea at all, Roger," answered Tom. "The audio-gram just said report back to the

Academy immediately for assignment."

"Hey, Astro!" exclaimed Roger, seeing the Venusian climb back into his seat. "Aren't

you going to eat?"

"I'm not hungry any more," grunted Astro. "Those guys made me lose my appetite."

Tom looked at Roger and winked. "Maybe we'd better tell Captain Strong about this,

Roger."

"Why?"

"Get Astro mad enough and he won't want to eat. The Academy can cut down on its

food bills."

"Ah, rocket off, you guys," growled Astro sleepily.

Tom and Roger smiled at each other, closed their eyes, and in a moment the three

cadets of the Polaris unit were sound asleep.

Suspended from a single gleaming rail that stretched across the western plains like an

endless silver ribbon, the monorail express hurtled through the early dawn speeding its

passengers to their destination. As the gleaming line of streamlined cars crossed the newly

developed grazing lands that had once been the great American desert, Tom Corbett

stirred from a deep sleep. The slanting rays of the morning sun were shining in his eyes.

Tom yawned, stretched, and turned to the viewport to watch the scenery flash past. Looming

up over the flat grassy plains ahead, he could see a huge bluish mountain range, its many

peaks covered with ever-present snow. In a few moments Tom knew the train would rocket

through a tunnel and then on the other side, in the center of a deep, wide valley, he would

see Space Academy, the university of the planets and headquarters of the great Solar

Guard.

He reached over and shook Roger and Astro, calling, "All right, spacemen, time to hit

the deck!"

"Uh? Ah-ummmh!" groaned Roger.

"Ahhhoooohhhhhhl" yawned Astro. Standing up, he stretched and touched the top of the

monorail car.

"Let's get washed before the other passengers wake up," said Tom, and headed for the

morning room. Astro and Roger followed, dragging their feet and rubbing their eyes.

Five minutes later, as the sleek monorail whistled into the tunnel beneath the mountain

range, the boys of the Polaris unit returned to their seats.

"Back to the old grind," sighed Roger. "Drills, maneuvers, books, lectures. The same

routine, day in day out."

"Maybe not," said Tom. "Remember, the order for us to report back was signed by

Commander Walters, not the cadet supervisor of leaves. I think that means something

special."

Suddenly the monorail roared out of the tunnel and into brilliant early-morning sun again.

The three cadets turned quickly, their eyes sweeping the valley for the first sight of the

shining Tower of Galileo.

"There it is," said Tom, pointing toward a towering crystal building reflecting the morning

light. "We'll be there in a minute."

Even as Tom spoke, the speed of the monorail slackened as it eased past a few

gleaming structures of aluminum and concrete. Presently the white platform of the Academy

station drifted past the viewport and all forward motion stopped. The doors opened and the

three boys hurried to the exit.

All around the cadets, men and women in the varicolored uniforms of the Solar Guard

hurried through the station. The green of the Earthworm cadets, first-year students of the

Cadet Corps; the brilliant rich blue of the senior cadets like the Polaris unit; the scarlet red

of the enlisted Solar Guard; and here and there, the black and gold of the officers of the

Solar Guard.

The three cadets hurried to the nearest slidewalk, a moving belt of plastic that glided

silently across the ground toward Space Academy. It whisked them quickly past the few

buildings nestled around the monorail station and rounded a curve. The three cadets looked

up together at the gleaming Tower of Galileo. Made of pure Titan crystal, it soared above

the cluster of buildings that surrounded the grassy quadrangle and dominated Space

Academy like a translucent giant.

The cadets stepped off the slidewalk as it glided past the Tower building and ran up the

broad marble stair. At the huge main portal, Tom stopped and looked back over the

Academy grounds. All around him lay the evidence of mankind's progress. It was the year

2353, when Earthman had long since colonized the inner planets, Mars and Venus, and the

three large satellites, Moon of Earth, Ganymede of Jupiter, and Titan of Saturn. It was the

age of space travel; of the Solar Alliance, a unified society of billions of people who lived in

peace with one another, though sprawled throughout the universe; and the Solar Guard, the

might of the Solar Alliance and the defender of interplanetary peace. All these things Tom

saw as he stood in the wide portal of the Tower Building, flanked by Astro and Roger.

Turning into the Tower, the three cadets went directly to the office of their unit

commander. The training program at Space Academy consisted of three cadets to a unit,

with a Solar Guard officer as their teacher and instructor. Steve Strong, captain in the Solar

Guard, had been their cadet instructor since the unit had been formed and he now smiled a

welcome as the cadets snapped to attention in front of his desk.

Polaris unit reporting as ordered, sir," said Tom, handing over the audiogram order he

had received the day before.

"Thank you, Corbett," said Strong, taking the paper. "At ease."

The three boys relaxed and broke into wide grins as Strong rounded his desk and

shook hands with each of them.

"Glad to have you back, boys," he said. "Did you enjoy your leave?"

"And how, sir," replied Tom.

"Tom's mother showed us a whale of a good time," chimed in Roger.

"And how she can cook!" Astro licked his lips involuntarily.

"Well, I hope you had a good rest-" said Strong, but was suddenly interrupted by the

sound of a small bell. Behind his desk a small teleceiver screen glowed into life to reveal the

stern face of Commander Walters, the commander of Space Academy.

Strong turned to the teleceiver and called, "Yes, Commander Walters?"

"Did the Polaris unit arrive yet, Steve?" asked the commander.

"Yes, sir," replied Strong. "They're here in my office now, sir."

"Good," said the commander with a smile. "I just received a report the exposition will

open sooner than expected. I suggest you brief the cadets and raise ship as soon as

possible."

"Very well, sir," answered Strong. The screen darkened and he turned back to the

cadets. "Looks like you got back just in time."

"What's up, sir?" asked Tom.

Strong returned to his chair and sat down. "I suppose you've all heard about the Solar

Exposition that opens on Venus next week?"

Tom's eyes lit up. "Have we! That's all the stereos and visunews and teleceivers have

been yacking about for weeks now."

"Well," said Strong with a smile, "we're going!"

The three cadets couldn't restrain themselves and burst out in a happy shout. Then

Roger calmed down enough to comment, "Sounds more like another vacation than an

assignment, sir."

"Hardly, Manning," replied Strong. "You see, every industry, society, organization, and

governmental agency is setting up exhibits at the exposition to show the people what's

taking place in their part of the solar system. There'll also be an amusement section." Strong

chuckled. "I've seen pictures of some of the tricks and rides they've developed to entertain

the younger generation. Believe me, I'd rather take full acceleration on a rockel ship than

ride on any of them."

"But what will we do, sir?" asked Tom.

"Our job is very simple. We're to take the Polaris to the exposition and land on the

fairgrounds. When the fair opens, we show all the visitors who are interested, everything

about her."

"You mean we're going to be"-Roger swallowed- "guides?"

"That's right, Manning," said Strong. "You three will guide all visitors through the

Polaris."

"How long will we be there, sir?" asked Tom.

"A month or so, I guess. The Polaris will be the first Academy exhibit. When you leave,

another unit will replace you with their ship and do the same thing."

"But-but-" stammered Astro, "what will we say to them? The visitors, I mean?"

"Just answer all their questions, Astro. Also, make up a little speech about the functions

of your particular station."

Strong looked at his watch and rose to his feet. "It's getting late. Check the Polaris over

and stand by to raise ship in an hour."

"Yes, sir," said Tom.

The cadets came to attention, preparing to leave.

"One thing more! Don't get the idea that this is going to be a space lark," said Strong.

"It's very important for the people of the Solar Alliance to know what kind of work we're doing

here at the Academy. And you three have been selected as representatives of the entire

Cadet Corps. So see that you conduct yourselves accordingly. All right, dismissed!"

The three cadets saluted sharply and filed out of the room, their skipper's final words

ringing in their ears.

Fifteen minutes later, having packed the necessary gear for the extended trip, the

Polaris unit rode the slidewalk through the grassy quadrangle and the cluster of Academy

buildings, out toward the spaceport. In the distance they could see the rocket cruiser

Polaris, poised on the launching ramp, her long silhouette outlined sharply against the blue

sky. Resting on her four stabilizer fins, her nose pointed toward the stars, the ship looked

like a giant projectile poised and ready to blast its target.

"Look at her!" exclaimed Astro. "If she isn't the most beautiful ship in the universe, I'll eat

my hat."

"Don't see how you could," drawled Roger, "after the way you put away Mrs. Corbett's

pies!"

Tom laughed. "I'll tell you one thing, Roger," he said, pointing to the ship, "I feel like that

baby is as much my home as Mom's and Dad's house back in New Chicago."

"All right, all right," said Roger. "Since we're all getting sloppy, I have to admit that I'm

glad to see that old thrust bucket too!"

Presently the three cadets were scrambling into the mighty spaceship, and they went

right to work, preparing for blast-off.

Quickly, with sure hands, each began a systematic check of his station. On the power

deck Astro, a former enlisted Solar Guardsman who had been admitted to the Cadet Corps

because of his engineering genius, stripped to the waist and started working on the ship's

massive atomic engines. A heavy rocketman's belt of tools slung around his waist, he

crawled through the heart of the ship, adjusting a valve here, turning a screw there, seeing

that the reactant feeders were clean and clear to the rocket firing chambers. And last of all

he made sure the great rocket firing chambers were secure and the heavy sheets of lead

baffling in place to protect him from deadly radioactivity.

On the radar bridge in the nose of the ship, Roger removed the delicate astrogation

prism from its housing and cleaned it with a soft cloth. Replacing it carefully, he turned to the

radar scanner, checking the intricate wiring system and making sure that the range finders

were in good working order. He then turned his attention to the intercom.

"Radar bridge to control deck," he called. "Checking the intercom, Tom."

Immediately below, on the control deck, Tom turned away from the control panel. "All

clear here, Roger. Check with Astro."

"All clear on the power deck!" The big Venusian's voice boomed over the loud-speaker.

The intercom could be heard all over the ship unless the many speakers were turned off

individually.

Tom turned his attention back to the great control panel, and one by one tested the

banks of dials, gauges, and indicators that controlled the rocket cruiser. Tom Corbett had

wanted to be a Space Cadet as long as he could remember. After taking the entrance

exams, he had been accepted for the rigid training that would prepare him to enter the ranks

of the great Solar Guard. He had met his two unit-mates, Roger and Astro, on his very first

day at the Academy, and after a difficult beginning, adjusting to each other's personalities

and the discipline of the Academy routine, the three boys had become steadfast friends.

As control-deck cadet and pilot, Tom was head of the unit, second-in-command to

Captain Strong. And while he could issue orders to Astro and Roger and expect to be

obeyed, the three cadets all spoke their minds when it came to making difficult decisions.

This had solidified the three cadets into a fighting, experienced, dependable unit.

Tom made a final check on the gravity generator and turned to the intercom.

"All departments, report!" he called.

"Radar bridge checks in O.K.," replied Roger.

"Power deck checks in on the nose, Tom," reported Astro.

"Right! Stand by! We blast as soon as the skipper gets around."

Tom turned to the teleceiver and switched it on. The screen blurred and then steadied

into a view of the spaceport outside. Tom scanned the launching ramp below, and, satisfied

it was clear, he switched the teleceiver to the spaceport traffic-control circuit.

"Rocket cruiser Polaris to spaceport control," he called. "Come in, spaceport control.

Request orbit clearance."

"Spaceport traffic control to Polaris," reported the traffic officer, his face in focus on the

teleceiver screen. "Your orbit has been cleared for blast-off. Orbit number 3847-repeat,

3847-raise ship when ready!"

"Orbit 3847," repeated Tom. "End transmission!"

"End transmission," said the officer. Tom flipped off the teleceiver and the officer's face

disappeared.

At the rear of the control deck, Captain Strong suddenly stepped through the hatch and

dropped his black plastic space bag on the deck. Tom got up and saluted sharply.

"Polaris ready to blast off, sir," he said. "Orbit cleared."

"Very well, Corbett," replied Strong, returning the salute. "Carry on!"

Tom turned back to the control board and flipped on the intercom. "Control deck to

power deck! Energize the cooling pumps!"

"Cooling pumps, aye!" said Astro.

From the power deck, the massive pumps began their whining roar. The great ship

shuddered under the pressure.

Tom watched the gauge that indicated the pressure control and then called into the

intercom.

"Radar bridge, do we have a clear trajectory?"

"All clear forward and up, Tom," reported Roger from the radar bridge.

"Strap in for blast-off!" bawled the curly-haired cadet.

Captain Strong took his place in the pilot's chair next to Tom and strapping himself in

snapped out, "Feed reactant!"

Spinning a small wheel at the side of the control panel, Tom reported, "Feeders at D-9

rate, sir!"

Then, as the hiss of fuel pouring into the mighty engines of the ship blended with the

whine of the pumps, Tom snapped out a third order. "Cut in take-off six yards!"

Receiving acknowledgment from below, he grasped the master blast-off switch and

watched the sweeping hand of the astral chronometer.

"Stand by to raise ship!" he yelled. "Blast off minus- five-four-three-two-one-zero!"

He pulled the switch.

Slowly, the rockets blasting evenly, the giant ship lifted itself free of the ground. Then,

gaining speed, it began rocketing away from the Earth. Like a giant shining bullet, the great

spaceship blasted through the dark void of space, her nose pointed to the distant misty

planet of Venus.

Once again Tom Corbett and his unit-mates had embarked on a mission for the Solar

Guard.

CHAPTER 2

"Stand by for touchdown!" bellowed Captain Strong's voice on the big spaceship's

intercom.

"Control deck standing by," replied Tom.

"Corbett," Strong continued, "you may take her down as soon as you get clearance from

Venusport traffic control."

Tom acknowledged the order with a brisk "Aye, sir!" In a few moments he received

permission to touch down on the newly colonized planet. Then, turning his attention to the

control board, he requested a ground-approach check from Roger.

"About two miles to touchdown, Tom," reported Roger from the radar bridge. "Trajectory

clear!"

"O.K., Roger," said Tom. Glancing quickly at the air speed and rocket thrust indicators,

he flipped a switch and sang out, "Power deck, reduce thrust on main drive rockets to

minimum!"

"Got ya, Tom," boomed Astro.

'Closing in fast, sir," said Tom to Strong, who had come up from below and now stood

at the cadet's shoulder watching as Tom maneuvered the big ship through the Venusian

atmosphere, his keen eyes sweeping the great panel of recording gauges and dials.

"One thousand feet to touchdown," intoned Roger from the radar bridge.

Reacting swiftly, Tom adjusted several levers, then picking up the intercom microphone,

he threw a switch and yelled, "Power deck! Full braking thrust!"

Deep inside the Polaris, Astro, who tended the mighty rocket power plant with loving

care, eased home the sensitive control mechanism, applying even pressure to the braking

rockets.

As the giant spaceship settled smoothly to within a few feet of the surface of the

concrete spaceport, Tom threw the master switch that cut all power. A moment later the

huge craft dropped easily, then settled on the landing platform with a gentle thump.

"Touchdown!" yelled Tom. Then, glancing at the astral chronometer on the control

board, he turned to Strong, and saluting smartly, reported, "Polaris completes space flight at

exactly seven fifty-two-O-two!"

Strong returned the salute. "Very well, Tom. Now, I want you, Roger, and Astro to come

with me to the exposition commissioner's office for an interview and detailed orders."

"Yes, sir," said Tom.

A few minutes later, dressed in fresh uniforms, the three cadets followed their unit

commander out of the ship, then stood by as Strong ordered the chief petty officer of an

enlisted Solar Guard working party to prepare the Polaris for moving to the exposition site.

"Empty the reactant fuel tanks of all but enough for us to raise ship and touch down over

to the fairgrounds," said Strong. "Better strip her of armament, too. Paralo-ray pistols and

rifles, the three-inch and six-inch atomic blasters, narco sleeping gas; in fact, everything that

could possibly cause any trouble."

"Yes, sir," replied the scarlet-clad enlisted spaceman.

"One thing more," added Strong. "There will be a crew living aboard, so please see that

the galley is stocked with a full supply of both fresh and synthetic foods. That's about all, I

guess."

"Very well, sir," replied the petty officer with a crisp salute. He turned and began bawling

orders to a squad of men behind him and immediately they were swarming over the great

ship like ants.

Fifteen minutes later, a jet cab swerved to a stop in front of the tallest of the Venusport

buildings, the Solar Alliance Chamber. Strong paid the driver, adding a handsome tip, and

flanked by his three cadets strode briskly into the building.

Crossing a high-ceilinged lobby, they entered an express vacuum elevator and five

seconds later stepped out onto the four-hundredth floor. There, Strong slid a panel door to

one side, and, followed by the cadets, stepped inside the office of Mike Hawks, exposition

commissioner and retired senior officer of the Solar Guard.

The office was impressively large and airy, with an outside wall forming a viewport of

clear Titan crystal reaching from floor to vaulted ceiling and affording a magnificent view of

the city of Venusport and, beyond it, the futuristic buildings of the exposition itself. Another

wall, equally as large, was covered by a map of the exposition grounds.

Mike Hawks, a man with steel-gray hair, clear blue eyes, and a ramrod military bearing,

sat behind a massive desk talking to two men. He looked up when Strong and the cadets

walked in and rose quickly with a broad smile to greet them.

"Steve!" he exclaimed, rounding the desk to shake hands with his old friend. "I never

dreamed we'd have you and the Polaris unit at our fair!" He nodded warmly to the cadets

who stood at rigid attention. "At ease, cadets. Glad to have you aboard."

"I was just as surprised to get this assignment, Mike," said Strong, pumping the officer's

hand. Nodding toward the men seated in front of Hawks' desk, he apologized, "Sorry to bust

in on you like this, old man. Didn't know you were busy."

"It's quite all right." The commissioner smiled. "Just handing out a few licenses for the

concessions in the amusement section at the fair. People expect to have a little fun when

they go to a fair, you know. By the stars, they're going to have it so long as I'm

commissioner." He turned to the cadets. "Sit down, boys. You too, Steve. I'll be with you in a

minute." He turned back to his desk and the waiting men.

The cadets, at a nod from Strong, sat down on a leather couch that stretched the length

of one wall and listened while Hawks completed his business with the two men.

"There you are," said Hawks, applying the seal of his office to a slip of paper. "That

gives you the right to operate a concession in the amusement area as long as the fair is

open."

One of the men took the paper and glanced at it quickly.

"Wait a minute, Commissioner. This is over near the edge of the area," he complained.

"We wanted to get in the middle. How do you expect us to make any credits away out there

by ourselves?" The man's tone was surly and disrespectful.

"Sorry, but that's the only location left. In fact," Hawks added acidly, "you're lucky to get

it!" "Really?" sneered the heavier of the two. "Well, I'm sure going to find out about this!"

Hawks stood up and eyed the two men coldly. "I've been appointed commissioner of

this exposition by the delegates to the Solar Alliance Council. I answer only to the council. If

you have a complaint, then you must present your case before that body." He cleared his

throat and glared at them from behind his desk. "Good day, gentlemen!" he said.

The two men, who until now had been seated facing the desk, got up, and after glaring

at Hawks, turned and walked toward the door. Tom gasped, and grabbing Roger by the

arm, involuntarily pointed at the two men.

"Look, Roger-those men-" he whispered.

"Yeah," said Roger. "Those are the wise-guy space crawlers we met on the monorail,

the ones who called us punks!"

"How'd they get here so fast?" asked Astro.

"Must have taken a jet liner from Atom City, I guess."

Strong, who sat near Tom, heard the exchange between the cadets.

"You know those men?" he asked.

"Well-uh-not exactly, sir. We just had a little run-in with them on the monorail returning

from leave, that's all," said Tom. "Nothing serious. They don't think much of the Solar Guard,

though."

"I gathered as much," said Hawks dryly. He walked over from his desk. "I hated to give

them the license to operate, but I had to, since I had no valid reason to turn them down. They

have a good idea, too."

"That so? What is it?" asked Strong.

"They have an old chemical-burning space freighter in which they're going to take fair

visitors up for a short ride. You see, the big one, Gus Wallace, is an old deep-space

merchantman. The smaller one is Luther Simms, a rocketman."

"Hm. Not a bad idea at all," mused Strong. "They should make out all right."

With that, the two Solar Guard officers dropped the incident of Wallace and Simms and

turned to exchanging news of mutual friends and of what each had been doing since their

last meeting. Finally, as the conversation was brought around to the exposition, Hawks got

up and sat on the side of the desk, facing Strong and the cadets. His eyes glowed as he

spoke.

"Steve," he said, "this is going to be the greatest gathering of minds, thoughts, and

ideas in the knowledgeable history of mankind! There are going to be lectures from the

greatest minds in the system on any and all subjects you can think of. In one building we're

going to build a whole spaceship-a rocket cruiser-piece by piece, right in front of the eyes of

fair visitors. In another building we're going to have the greatest collection of musicians in

the universe, continuously playing the most beautiful music, in a hall built to seat a half million

people. Industry, science, medicine, art, literature, astrophysics, space flight, to say nothing

of a comparative history exhibit designed to show the people where our forefathers went off

the track by warring against each other. In fact, Steve, everything you can think of, and then

more, will be represented here at the exposition. Why, do you know I've been working for

three years, coordinating ideas, activity, and information!"

Strong and the cadets sat transfixed as they listened to the commissioner speak in

glowing terms of the exposition, which, until this time, by the cadets at least, had been

considered little more than a giant amusement park. Finally Strong managed to say, "And

we thought the Polaris was going to be so big, it'd be the center of attraction." He smiled.

Hawks waved his hand. "Look, I don't want to offend you or the boys, Steve, but the fact

is, the Polaris is one of the smaller exhibits!"

"I can see that now," answered Strong. "Tell me, Mike, just what do you want us to do?"

"I'll answer that in two parts. First, I would like the cadets to set up the Polaris, get her

shining and bright, and with quiet courtesy, answer any question anyone might ask

concerning the ship, referring any question they can't answer to the information center in the

Space Building."

"That's all, sir?" asked Tom incredulously.

"That's all, Corbett. You open the Polaris at nine in the morning and close her at nine at

night. You'll be living aboard, of course."

"Yes, sir. Of course, sir."

"That sounds so simple," drawled Roger, "it might be tough."

"It will be tough, Manning," commented Hawks. "Don't fool yourself into assuming

otherwise."

"Don't worry about these boys, Mike. Now, what is part two?" Strong asked.

Hawks smiled. "Here it is, Steve. The Solar Alliance has decided to open the exposition

with a simple speech made by a relatively unknown person, but one who is deserving of

such an honor. They left the choice of that person up to me." He paused and added quietly,

"I'd like you to make that opening speech, Steve."

"Me!" cried Strong. "Me, make a speech?"

"I can't think of anyone more deserving-or dependable."

"But-but-" stammered the captain, "I can't make a speech. I wouldn't know what to say."

"Say anything you want. Just make it short and to the point."

Strong hesitated a moment. He realized it was a great honor, but his naturally shy

personality kept him from accepting.

"Steve, it may make it easier for you to know," said Hawks teasingly, "that there's going

to be a giant capsule lowered into the ground which will contain a record of every bit of

progress made since the inception of the Solar Alliance. It's designed to show the men of

the future how to do everything from treating a common cold to exploding nuclear power.

This capsule will be lowered at the end of your opening address. So, most of the attention

will be focused on the capsule, not you." The commissioner smiled.

"All right, Mike," said Strong, grinning sheepishly. "You've got yourself a speechmaker!"

"Good!" said Hawks and the two men shook hands.

Tom Corbett could contain himself no longer. "Congratulations, sir!" he blurted out as

the three cadets stood up. "We think Commissioner Hawks couldn't have made a better

choice!" His unit-mates nodded a vigorous assent.

Strong shook hands with the cadets and thanked them.

"You want the cadets for anything right now, Mike?" asked Strong.

"Not a thing, Steve."

Strong turned back to the boys. "Better hop out to the spaceport and get the Polaris

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ONTHETRAILOFTHESPACEPIRATESByCAREYROCKWELLNo.3intheATOMCORBETTSpaceCadetAdventureseriesTheTomCorbettseries:STANDBYFORMARS!,1952DANGERINDEEPSPACE,1953ONTHETRAILOFTHESPACEPIRATES,1953THESPACEPIONEERS,1953THEREVOLTONVENUS,1954TREACHERYINOUTERSPACE,1955SABOTAGEINSPACE,1956THEROBOTROCKET,1956Piratestorie...

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Cary Rockwell - Tom Corbett Space Cadet 03 - On the Trail of the Space Pirates

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