DANGER IN DEEP SPACE ***
Produced by Greg Weeks, Patricia A Benoy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Transcriber's Note | | | | There is no evidence that the U.S. copyright on this | | publication was renewed. | | | | Several obvious typographical errors were corrected, one | | possible typographical error was left as is, and hyphenation | | was standardized. A list of these items may be found at the | | end of the text. Words and phrases surrounded by _'s _like | | this_ are in italics in the original text. | | | | Although the cover page includes the title "STAND BY FOR | | MARS!" that book is not included in this e-text. | | | | Enjoy! | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------+
DANGER IN DEEP SPACE
THE TOM CORBETT SPACE CADET STORIES
By Carey Rockwell
STAND BY FOR MARS! DANGER IN DEEP SPACE
[Illustration]
A TOM CORBETT Space Cadet Adventure
DANGER IN DEEP SPACE
By CAREY ROCKWELL
WILLY LEY Technical Adviser
GROSSET & DUNLAP _Publishers_ New York
COPYRIGHT, 1953, BY ROCKHILL RADIO
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
_Illustrations by_ LOUIS GLANZMAN
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ILLUSTRATIONS
_Frontispiece_
The three weary cadets assembled on the control deck 13
The junior spaceman maneuvered the great rocket ship toward the air lock 36
The jet cab raced along the highway to Venusport 54
Tom could see two space-suited figures floating effortlessly 76
Mason was frozen into a rigid statue, unable to move 133
"Remember," Astro cautioned, "set the fuse for two hours" 161
Landing, they would tumble out of the jet boat and begin their frantic digging 180
"I know we're going to be sent to the prison asteroid and we deserve it," said Loring 206
DANGER IN DEEP SPACE
CHAPTER 1
"Stand by to reduce thrust on main drive rockets!" The tall, broad-shouldered officer in the uniform of the Solar Guard snapped out the order as he watched the telescanner screen and saw the Western Hemisphere of Earth looming larger and larger.
"Aye, aye, Captain Strong," replied a handsome curly-haired Space Cadet. He turned to the ship's intercom and spoke quickly into the microphone.
"Control deck to power deck. Check in!"
"Power deck, aye," a bull-throated voice bellowed over the loud-speaker.
"Stand by rockets, Astro! We're coming in for a landing."
"Standing by!"
The Solar Guard officer turned away from the telescanner and glanced quickly over the illuminated banks of indicators on the control panel. "Is our orbit to Space Academy clear?" he asked the cadet. "Have we been assigned a landing ramp?"