"Get me a course to Mars, Roger," said Tom. "Astro, stand by to blast
off with as much speed as you can safely get out of this old wagon, and
stand by for Mars!"
The two cadets quickly reported their departments ready, and following
the course Roger plotted, Astro soon had the _Lady Venus_ blasting
through space, heading for Mars!
Mars, fourth planet in order from the Sun, loomed like a giant red gem
against a perfect backdrop of deep-black space. The _Lady Venus_,
rocketing through the inky blackness, a dull red glow from her three
remaining rockets, blasted steadily ahead to the planet that was
crisscrossed with wide spacious canals.
"Last time I was on Mars," said Astro to Tom and Roger over a cup of
tea, "was about two years ago. I was bucking rockets on an old tub
called the _Space Plunger_. It was on a shuttle run from the Martian
south pole to Venusport, hauling vegetables. What a life! Burning up on
Venus and then freezing half to death at the south pole on Mars." Astro
shook his head as the vivid memory took him back for a moment.
"From what I hear," said Tom, "there isn't much to see but the few
cities, the mountains, the deserts and the canals."
"Yeah," commented Roger, "big deal! Rocket into the wild depths of space
and see the greatest hunk of wasteland in the universe!"
The three boys were silent, listening to the steady hum of the rockets,
driving them forward toward Mars.
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