We can't reach it."
There was a sudden loud ticking from the Geiger counter.
"Astro!" cried Roger. "The mass is building!"
"Here, lemme see!" shouted Astro. He took the instrument in his big hand
and watched the clocklike face intently.
" ... fourteen hundred thirty--fourteen hundred fifty--fourteen hundred
seventy--" He faced his unit-mates. "Well, that does it. The mass is
maintaining a steady reaction without the energizing pumps. It's
sustaining itself!"
"But how is that possible?" asked Tom.
"It's one of those freaks, Tom. It's been known to happen before. The
fuel is just hot enough to sustain a steady reaction because of its high
intensity. Once that baffle worked loose, the mass started wildcatting
itself."
"And if it doesn't stop?" asked Roger tensely.
"It'll reach a point where the reaction comes so fast it'll explode!"
"Let's pile out of here!" said Roger.
The three boys made a dash for their space suits and the jet boat.
Inside the air lock, they adjusted their oxygen valves and waited for
pressure to equalize so they could blast off.
"Blast it," said Astro, "there must be some way to get to that rocket
tube and dump that stuff!"
"Impossible, Astro," said Roger. "The release controls are in the
control box, and with all that radiation loose, you wouldn't last half a
minute!"
Tom walked over to the valve that would open the outside hatch.
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