t means we can't go alongside. We'll have
to use jet boats."

"Captain Strong," shouted Roger from the radar deck, "they're signaling
us with a small light from the upper port on the starboard side!"

"Can you read it?" asked Strong quickly.

"I think so, sir. They're using standard space code, but the light is
very dim."

"What do they say?"

" ... reaction ... chamber--" said Roger slowly as he read the blinking
light, " ... radiation ... leaking around ... baffle ... all ...
safe...." Roger stopped. "That's all, sir. I couldn't get the rest of
it."

Strong turned to the intercom. "Astro, get the jet boats ready to blast
off immediately. Roger, send this message. 'Am coming aboard. Stand by
to receive me on your number-one starboard jet-boat catapult deck,
signed, Strong, Captain, Solar Guard.'"

"Yes, sir!" replied Roger.

"Get into your space suit, Tom, and give Astro a hand with the jet
boats. I have to get a message back to Space Academy and tell them to
send out help right away."

"Aye, sir," said Tom.

"Roger," said Strong, "stand by to record this message for the
teleceiver in case Space Academy should call our circuit while we're off
the ship."

"All set, sir," came the reply from the radar deck.

"O.K.--here goes--Captain Steve Strong--Solar Guard--am boarding
passenger ship _Lady Venus_. Secondary communications signal message
received indicates it is power-deck failure. Am taking cadets Corbett,
Manning and Astro and boarding same at"--he paused and glanced at the
clock--"thirteen hundred fifty one hours!"

"That all, sir?" asked Roger.

"That's it. Get that set on the open circuit for any one calling us,
then climb into your space suit!"

In a matter of minutes, the four spacemen of the _Polaris_ crew were
making last-minute adjustments on their space suits. Astro picked up his
heavy belt of tools and strapped them around his waist.

"What's that for, Astro?" asked Strong. "They'll have tools aboard the
ship if we need them."

"If that lead baffle in the reaction chamber has worked loose, sir, the
odds are ten to one that the control chamber is flooded with radiation.
And if it is, the tools are probably so hot you couldn't use them."

"That's good thinking, Astro," complimented Strong. He turned to Tom and
Roger and checked their suits and the oxygen supply and feeder valves on
their backs. He then turned his back while Tom checked his, and Roger
adjusted Astro's.

"All right, t