he only weapons used by law-enforcement agencies in the Solar Alliance.
They work on a principle of controlled energy, sending out a ray with an
effective range of fifty yards that can paralyze the nervous system of
any beast or human."

"And it doesn't kill, sir?" inquired Astro.

"No, Astro," replied Strong. "Paralyzing a man is just as effective as
killing him. The Solar Alliance doesn't believe you have to kill anyone,
not even the most vicious criminal. Freeze him and capture him, and you
still have the opportunity of making him a useful citizen."

"But if you can't?" inquired Roger dryly.

"Then he's kept on the prison asteroid where he can't harm anyone."
Strong turned away abruptly. "But this isn't the time for a general
discussion. We've got work to do!"

He walked over to the master control panel and switched the teleceiver
screen. There was a slight buzz, and a view of the spaceport outside the
ship suddenly came into focus, filling the screen. Strong flipped a
switch and a view aft on the _Polaris_ filled the glowing square. The
aluminum scaffolding was being hauled away by a jet truck. Again the
view changed as Strong twisted the dials in front of him.

"Just scanning the outside, boys," he commented. "Have to make sure
there isn't anyone near the ship when we blast off. The rocket exhaust
is powerful enough to blow a man two hundred feet, to say nothing of
burning him to death."

"You mean, sir--" began Tom, not daring to hope.

"Of course, Corbett," smiled Strong. "Take your stations for blast-off.
We raise ship as soon as we get orbital clearance from spaceport
control!"

Without waiting for further orders, the three boys scurried to their
stations.

Soon the muffled whine of the energizing pumps on the power deck began
to ring through the ship, along with the steady beep of the radar
scanner on the radar bridge. Tom checked the maze of gauges and dials on
the control board. Air locks, hatches, oxygen supply, circulating
system, circuits, and feeds. In five minutes the two-hundred-foot
shining steel hull was a living thing as her rocket motors purred,
warming up for the initial thrust.

Tom made a last sweeping check of the complicated board and turned to
Captain Strong who stood to one side watching.

"Ship ready to blast off, sir," he announced. "Shall I check stations
and proceed to raise ship?"

"Carry on, Cadet Corbett," Strong replied. "Log yourself in as skipper
with me along as s