"Wonder how Captain Strong is making out with those tough babies on the
_Polaris_?" asked Tom.
"I don't know," replied Roger, "but anything would be better than
sitting around waiting for this thing to blow up!"
"Ah--stop griping," said Astro, "or I'll shove you up a rocket tube and
blast you from here all the way back to Atom City!"
"Hey, wait a minute!" shouted Tom. "Astro, remember the time we were on
the ground crew as extra duty and we had to overhaul the _Polaris_?"
"Yeah, why?"
"There was one place you couldn't go. You were too big, so I went in,
remember?"
"Yeah, the space between the rocket tubes and the hull of the ship. It
was when we were putting in the new tube. So what?"
"So this!" said Tom. "When they converted this tub, they had standard
exhausts, so it must have the same layout as the _Polaris_. Suppose I
climb in the main exhaust, between the tube and the outer hull, and cut
away the cleats that hold the tube to the ship?"
"Why, then everything would come out in one piece!" Astro's face lit up.
"Reactant mass, tube, control box--the works!"
"Say, what are you two guys talking about?" asked Roger.
"Saving a ship, Roger," said Tom. "Dumping the whole assembly of the
number-three rocket!"
"Ah--you're space happy!"
"Maybe," said Tom, "but I think it's worth trying. How about it, Astro?"
"O.
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