He looked at
Coxine and spoke in as harsh a voice as he could.

"Listen," he snarled, "I just broke Monkey's jaw for treating me like a
kid. I hope you don't crowd me into fighting you by asking so many
questions. Y'see I won't answer them and then you'll have to freeze me."
Tom paused and tried to gauge Coxine's reaction. But he couldn't see a
thing in the cold staring eyes. "And," Tom continued, "if you freeze me,
you'll lose a better man than most of the scum in your crew!"

Coxine stepped forward and towered over the curly-haired cadet. When he
spoke, his deep voice echoed in the deserted passageway.

"What was your rating as spaceman before you hit the Rock?" asked the
big man.

Tom's heart raced. If he could get to the control deck or the radar
bridge, he could send his signal easily. But he realized quickly that in
either of these places he would be spotted almost immediately by Wallace
or Simms. He had to stay away from them and wait for a later chance.
Tom's mind raced.

"I was a gunner on a deep spacer," he drawled confidently. "I can take
the space tan off a crawler's nose at a hundred thousand yards with
anything from a two-inch to a six-inch blaster."

Coxine's eyes sharpened. "Where did you learn to use a six-incher?
They're only on heavy cruisers of the Solar Guard!"

Tom could have bitten his tongue off. He had slipped. He thought
quickly. "I was an enlisted spaceman in the Solar Guard."

"Why'd you get sent to the Rock?"

"My officer was a smart-alec lieutenant just out of Space Academy. We
got in a fight--" Tom didn't finish the sentence.

"And you were kicked out, eh?"

"No, sir," said Tom. "I hit him so hard--he never woke up again. I had
to blast out of there, but they caught me."

"All right," said Coxine. "Report to the gunnery chief. Tell him I said
you're second-in-command." The big man turned and walked away from the
cadet without another word.

Tom watched him disappear and smiled. He had faced two impossible
situations, the fight with Monkey and now this meeting, and he had come
out on top in each. Perhaps he had a chance, after all.

CHAPTER 13

"Any report from the search squadrons yet, Steve?" asked Commander
Walters.

"No, sir," replied Captain Strong. "We're concentrating on the asteroid
belt, but so far we've drawn a blank."

"Well, keep trying and let me know the minute something turns up," said
Walters.

"Yes, sir," said Strong, saluting his commanding