On the Trail of the Space Pirates_ A Tom Corbett Space Cadet Adventure - Carey Rockwell [471]
"… Order you to cut all power and stand by for a boarding party, or I'll open fire immediately!"
With an exclamation of startled surprise, Astro rushed to the teleceiver screen and saw a man in the uniform of the Solar Guard, his face grim and purposeful. Just as Astro was about to speak, the officer spoke again.
"Did you hear me? This is Captain Newton aboard the cruiser Regulus! I order you to cut all power and stand by or I'll open fire! Acknowledge!"
"Roger," gasped Astro, "what's this all about?"
"I—I don't know," stammered the blond-haired cadet. He grabbed the teleceiver microphone and called into it rapidly.
"Rocket scout 4J9 to Regulus. This is Space Cadet Roger Manning. There must be some mistake, sir. Cadet Astro and I are out here on special assignment for the Space Projectile project."
"I know who you are!" shouted Newton. "If you don't stand by, I'll open fire! This is your last warning!"
Astro grabbed the mike from Roger's hand.
"All right!" he bellowed. "We don't know what it's all about, but for the love of Saturn's rings, don't start shooting."
Captain Newton nodded grimly. "Very well," he said. "Bring your ship to a dead stop in space and open your starboard air lock. I will send a jet boat over to you."
"Aye, aye, sir," said Astro.
When the Solar Guard captain signed off and his image faded from the teleceiver screen, Astro and Roger numbly complied with Newton's abrupt orders, bringing the ship to a dead stop in space and opening the starboard air lock. Then the two cadets sat in the main deck of the small scout and waited, their faces showing their concern. Neither felt like talking. They were so confused that they didn't know what to say. Finally Roger got up and in a daze walked to the chart table to note the time of the tests in the log. Then he automatically logged the time of Newton's order.
Suddenly he threw the pencil down and turned to Astro.
"Blast it!" he shouted. "What's this all about?"
Astro merely grunted, shrugged his shoulders, and slumped further down in his chair. The big cadet was worried. Anything that threatened his career at the Space Academy made him literally tremble with fear. In his whole life there was never anything that he wanted more than to be an officer in the Solar Guard. And the only way that could be accomplished was by being a Space Cadet. Now he was under arrest. He didn't stop to reason why. All he knew was that it was a direct threat to his future as a power-deck officer in the Solar Guard.
The two boys felt the metallic thump of something hitting the hull of their rocket scout. They realized immediately that it was the sound of the jet boat coupling on their ship and they turned to face the air-lock hatch.
Captain Newton was the first to step through the air-lock hatch and he was followed by six Space Marines, holding their ray guns leveled.
"I am Captain Newton of the Solar Guard, in command of the rocket cruiser Regulus," he announced. "I arrest you in the name of the Solar Alliance." The officer handed over the standard warrant that was used by the Solar Guard.
Roger read it slowly. It was a simple warrant for their arrest, on the grounds of desertion, taking a Solar Guard vessel without permission, and being absent without leave from Space Academy. Stunned, the cadet handed it to Astro who had been reading it over his shoulder, his face white with shock.
"And I warn you, Cadet Manning," continued Newton, "that anything you say from now on may be used against you."
"I understand, sir," said Roger, dazed.
"Then do I have your word," said Newton, "on your honor as Space Cadets, that you will not make any attempt to escape or in any way jeopardize my authority over you?"
"Yes, sir," nodded Roger.
"On my honor, sir," said Astro, gulping, "as a Space Cadet."
"All right," said Newton. "Then I'll let you take the scout back to the Academy yourselves.