Read Online Tom Swift on the Phantom Satellite by Victor Appleton II - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Victor Appleton II
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it was probably just an accident," pronounced Kent Rockland over Tom’s shoulder. "It wasn’t made to take such a high acceleration."
"Neither was I!" jibed Rafe Franzenberg. "But say, Violet, you might want to check the blood pressure of your rats."
"We all thank you for your concern," she replied with a frown.
Tom and Bud now returned to the front of the compartment, and Hank reported his findings. "It was a programming glitch that came into play when we had to load in the new course data," he explained. "We should have no further trouble."
"That’ll be the day!" muttered Chow. "I’m jest glad I didn’t have a cake in the oven."
In fifteen minutes Dr. Jatczak’s acceleration seat had been repaired with spare parts. Next, Tom took a reading of their position with a device nicknamed the Spacelane Brain.
Kent Rockland came forward to peer over the inventor’s shoulder as the machine whirred into action. On one dial a needle flickered to the 27,600-mile mark. On another dial colored dots registered a navigational fix.
"What is that gadget?" Kent inquired with keen interest.
"A combination stellar sextant, cosmic-ray altimeter, and computer," Tom explained. "We were way off course, but this gimmick will tell us our position and velocity and feed the results into the main navigational computer."
Turning to the crew, he ordered, "All hands back to your seats and secure your safety belts! We’re going to accelerate again!"
"This time, let’s not burn a hole in the sky, pal," Bud cracked as he took his seat.
Tom chuckled. "I’ll watch it."
Cautiously he flipped on the automatic pilot and the atom-powered oxygen thruster thundered to life. The Titan speared forward at terrific but bearable acceleration.
Mere minutes later, the rocket’s automatic cutoff switch shut off the power. The Titan then coasted along an elongated trajectory carrying it further and further away from the earth. Finally, hours later, Tom brought the ship into an orbit 54,000 miles out. "Now we play catchup," Tom remarked.
Soon the phantom satellite glided onto the crew cabin viewpane. At first only a round blob of light, it began to look more like a midget world as the ship drew closer—a dark world mottled with strange patches and streaks of color. As it grew larger still, the tense, silent crew stirred with excitement.
"Wow!" Bud gasped. "We’re here! I can hardly wait for the first close look!"
Tom turned on the tracking-control computer and the rocket went into a slow-cruising pattern around Little Luna. Ripping off their seat belts, everyone crowded up to the window. In silence, they gaped down at the weird moonlet. A feeling of awe akin to terror gripped the crew as they eyed the mysterious intruder from outer space.
"A new and unknown world!" Dr. Jatczak exclaimed.
Ron Corey said softly, "Some day we’ll make it a green world, Doctor—a world with air, water, and food crops to keep colonists alive."
"I hope the tree-huggers won’t make a national park of it," grumbled Jason Graves. "I see quite an industrial potential down there."
"Brand my space suit," Chow quavered, "jest lookin’ at the thing makes my spine feel like a buckin’ bronc!"
Bud glanced at his pal, who had said nothing so far. "What’re you thinking, genius boy?"
"Mostly about setting us down safely," he answered. "I’ll coast in to about twenty miles altitude and head north to the pole. Bud, you and Dr. Jatczak break out the small telescope and see if you can spot a good, flat place to land. I’d like to get as close to the pole as possible."
"I would suggest you also look for any signs a Brungarian landing." All eyes turned toward Dr. Kutan.
"But I thought the report of their expedition was bogus!" Kent protested.
Teodor Kutan shook his head. "These competitions between nations are anything but simple and straightforward. It would be typical of the Brungarians to have launched an expedition, and then denied it when word got out. They would
"Neither was I!" jibed Rafe Franzenberg. "But say, Violet, you might want to check the blood pressure of your rats."
"We all thank you for your concern," she replied with a frown.
Tom and Bud now returned to the front of the compartment, and Hank reported his findings. "It was a programming glitch that came into play when we had to load in the new course data," he explained. "We should have no further trouble."
"That’ll be the day!" muttered Chow. "I’m jest glad I didn’t have a cake in the oven."
In fifteen minutes Dr. Jatczak’s acceleration seat had been repaired with spare parts. Next, Tom took a reading of their position with a device nicknamed the Spacelane Brain.
Kent Rockland came forward to peer over the inventor’s shoulder as the machine whirred into action. On one dial a needle flickered to the 27,600-mile mark. On another dial colored dots registered a navigational fix.
"What is that gadget?" Kent inquired with keen interest.
"A combination stellar sextant, cosmic-ray altimeter, and computer," Tom explained. "We were way off course, but this gimmick will tell us our position and velocity and feed the results into the main navigational computer."
Turning to the crew, he ordered, "All hands back to your seats and secure your safety belts! We’re going to accelerate again!"
"This time, let’s not burn a hole in the sky, pal," Bud cracked as he took his seat.
Tom chuckled. "I’ll watch it."
Cautiously he flipped on the automatic pilot and the atom-powered oxygen thruster thundered to life. The Titan speared forward at terrific but bearable acceleration.
Mere minutes later, the rocket’s automatic cutoff switch shut off the power. The Titan then coasted along an elongated trajectory carrying it further and further away from the earth. Finally, hours later, Tom brought the ship into an orbit 54,000 miles out. "Now we play catchup," Tom remarked.
Soon the phantom satellite glided onto the crew cabin viewpane. At first only a round blob of light, it began to look more like a midget world as the ship drew closer—a dark world mottled with strange patches and streaks of color. As it grew larger still, the tense, silent crew stirred with excitement.
"Wow!" Bud gasped. "We’re here! I can hardly wait for the first close look!"
Tom turned on the tracking-control computer and the rocket went into a slow-cruising pattern around Little Luna. Ripping off their seat belts, everyone crowded up to the window. In silence, they gaped down at the weird moonlet. A feeling of awe akin to terror gripped the crew as they eyed the mysterious intruder from outer space.
"A new and unknown world!" Dr. Jatczak exclaimed.
Ron Corey said softly, "Some day we’ll make it a green world, Doctor—a world with air, water, and food crops to keep colonists alive."
"I hope the tree-huggers won’t make a national park of it," grumbled Jason Graves. "I see quite an industrial potential down there."
"Brand my space suit," Chow quavered, "jest lookin’ at the thing makes my spine feel like a buckin’ bronc!"
Bud glanced at his pal, who had said nothing so far. "What’re you thinking, genius boy?"
"Mostly about setting us down safely," he answered. "I’ll coast in to about twenty miles altitude and head north to the pole. Bud, you and Dr. Jatczak break out the small telescope and see if you can spot a good, flat place to land. I’d like to get as close to the pole as possible."
"I would suggest you also look for any signs a Brungarian landing." All eyes turned toward Dr. Kutan.
"But I thought the report of their expedition was bogus!" Kent protested.
Teodor Kutan shook his head. "These competitions between nations are anything but simple and straightforward. It would be typical of the Brungarians to have launched an expedition, and then denied it when word got out. They would
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