Read Online Tom Swift and the Asteroid Pirates by Victor Appleton II - Free Book Online
Authors: Victor Appleton II
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threatened with kidnapping on a regular basis?"
Though the Pakistani’s tone was joking, Sandy turned pale. "But—but they won’t know you found them out, Tom. They’ll still try to take the bracelet from me!"
"No they won’t," declared her brother firmly. "They know you won’t always be wearing it— after all, it doesn’t match every outfit! —and they wouldn’t make an attempt unless they see it on you. Just wear it home when you leave here. I’ll sneak it back tomorrow and let the security guys look it over."
The girls left hastily, Sandy’s repaired bracelet back on her wrist. Bud turned to his friend and said: "Okay, Skipper, so much for keeping the civilians calm. You don’t really think this is about a business rival, I hope."
"Of course not. But Sandy’s always been pretty scared of Li Ching, especially so after what happened last time. She and Bashalli know about the Nestria situation, but Dad and I agreed to... to postpone bringing up the Comrade-General around her."
Tom phoned a full report of the episode to Phil Radnor, who had come in to work in his office. "More of Li’s high tech," he noted. "At least we know that cube the guy gave you isn’t bugged." The cobra talisman had been thoroughly scanned by a number of sophisticated detection instruments.
Radnor finished by promising to send a full report to Harlan Ames in New Mexico. "Incidentally," he concluded, "I have a few pieces of news concerning Mr. John Tsu. According to M.I.T. he’s a grad student in advanced engineering theory, part of a special exchange program with Hong Kong. Also, I called that clinic this morning. The doctor says Tsu’s in and out of consciousness and unable to speak. But he’s well guarded—now to keep him in place as well as to protect him."
"Good. But you know my suspicions, Rad. Despite what Mr. Fun said, I’m not so sure Tsu’s warning was just the interrupted start of a lie. I looked in his eyes—he was mighty scared, but trying as hard as he could to speak to me. I don’t think it was just an act."
The morning following—a cloudy Monday in upstate New York—Tom demonstrated his new inventive approach to Bud and Enterprises’ talented modelmaker, Arvid Hanson. They had gathered around a shallow, flat tank covered by a plate of Tomaquartz. "I know you use this for magneto-dynamic experiments, boss," said Arv. "I take it you’re planning to capture some of that antimatter in a magnetic bottle."
As Tom nodded, Bud said: "Okay, guys, what’s that—a bottle of fridge magnets?"
"They’ve used it for years in fusion-power experimentation," explained Tom. "The standard fusion process requires the creation of a minute pocket of hydrogen gas at extreme pressure and density. The gas in this state, plasma, is as hot as the sun, and because it has a net electric charge, an electromagnetic flux can be used to force it away from the sides of the container. Otherwise the container would vaporize instantly."
"Like lassoing it in magnetic lines of force. But as I understand it," Arv objected, "even the strongest fields have only been able to hold the plasma for less than a second."
"That’s true."
"And besides, our instruments don’t indicate that the barrier particles are charged in the first place."
"Right again."
"Fine. Spill it, sci-guy," Hanson remonstrated jokingly as Bud nodded.
" Wa-aal, buckaroos, as Chow would say," began the young inventor while he made adjustments to the controls of the test device, "remember how we ― "
Before he could finish the thought, he and his listeners swiveled about in surprise as a weird humming sound, unlike anything they had ever heard, filled the laboratory—and the lab door suddenly burst open with a bang!
CHAPTER 9
MENACING MONGEESE
TOM AND BUD tensed to rush at the intruder, then stopped themselves. "Boris!" exclaimed Tom. "What’s wrong?"
In the absence of Chow Winkler, his second-in-command was in control of the executive kitchen. But Boris
Though the Pakistani’s tone was joking, Sandy turned pale. "But—but they won’t know you found them out, Tom. They’ll still try to take the bracelet from me!"
"No they won’t," declared her brother firmly. "They know you won’t always be wearing it— after all, it doesn’t match every outfit! —and they wouldn’t make an attempt unless they see it on you. Just wear it home when you leave here. I’ll sneak it back tomorrow and let the security guys look it over."
The girls left hastily, Sandy’s repaired bracelet back on her wrist. Bud turned to his friend and said: "Okay, Skipper, so much for keeping the civilians calm. You don’t really think this is about a business rival, I hope."
"Of course not. But Sandy’s always been pretty scared of Li Ching, especially so after what happened last time. She and Bashalli know about the Nestria situation, but Dad and I agreed to... to postpone bringing up the Comrade-General around her."
Tom phoned a full report of the episode to Phil Radnor, who had come in to work in his office. "More of Li’s high tech," he noted. "At least we know that cube the guy gave you isn’t bugged." The cobra talisman had been thoroughly scanned by a number of sophisticated detection instruments.
Radnor finished by promising to send a full report to Harlan Ames in New Mexico. "Incidentally," he concluded, "I have a few pieces of news concerning Mr. John Tsu. According to M.I.T. he’s a grad student in advanced engineering theory, part of a special exchange program with Hong Kong. Also, I called that clinic this morning. The doctor says Tsu’s in and out of consciousness and unable to speak. But he’s well guarded—now to keep him in place as well as to protect him."
"Good. But you know my suspicions, Rad. Despite what Mr. Fun said, I’m not so sure Tsu’s warning was just the interrupted start of a lie. I looked in his eyes—he was mighty scared, but trying as hard as he could to speak to me. I don’t think it was just an act."
The morning following—a cloudy Monday in upstate New York—Tom demonstrated his new inventive approach to Bud and Enterprises’ talented modelmaker, Arvid Hanson. They had gathered around a shallow, flat tank covered by a plate of Tomaquartz. "I know you use this for magneto-dynamic experiments, boss," said Arv. "I take it you’re planning to capture some of that antimatter in a magnetic bottle."
As Tom nodded, Bud said: "Okay, guys, what’s that—a bottle of fridge magnets?"
"They’ve used it for years in fusion-power experimentation," explained Tom. "The standard fusion process requires the creation of a minute pocket of hydrogen gas at extreme pressure and density. The gas in this state, plasma, is as hot as the sun, and because it has a net electric charge, an electromagnetic flux can be used to force it away from the sides of the container. Otherwise the container would vaporize instantly."
"Like lassoing it in magnetic lines of force. But as I understand it," Arv objected, "even the strongest fields have only been able to hold the plasma for less than a second."
"That’s true."
"And besides, our instruments don’t indicate that the barrier particles are charged in the first place."
"Right again."
"Fine. Spill it, sci-guy," Hanson remonstrated jokingly as Bud nodded.
" Wa-aal, buckaroos, as Chow would say," began the young inventor while he made adjustments to the controls of the test device, "remember how we ― "
Before he could finish the thought, he and his listeners swiveled about in surprise as a weird humming sound, unlike anything they had ever heard, filled the laboratory—and the lab door suddenly burst open with a bang!
CHAPTER 9
MENACING MONGEESE
TOM AND BUD tensed to rush at the intruder, then stopped themselves. "Boris!" exclaimed Tom. "What’s wrong?"
In the absence of Chow Winkler, his second-in-command was in control of the executive kitchen. But Boris
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