Connel. "Ready to blast?"

"All set!"

"Give me a ten-second burst on the starboard steering rockets," ordered
Connel, gripping the steering vane control tightly.

"Coming up!"

There was a sudden, jolting blast from the stern and Connel and
Hemmingwell hung on grimly as the mighty ship turned in space. Watching
the control panel instruments carefully, Connel slammed home the switch
that opened the powerful nose braking rockets and brought the ship to a
dead stop in space.

"On course, Professor, ready to fire!" Connel announced triumphantly,
and Hemmingwell took his station before the giant projectile control
board.

"Stand by to fire one!" said the professor, making a minute adjustment
on the panel. Behind him, Connel unconsciously crossed his fingers.

"Fire one!" shouted Hemmingwell.

Connel pressed a red button on the panel and waited, holding his breath.
There was a distinct hissing and then the great ship lurched slightly.
On the teleceiver overhead a white flash appeared, streaked across the
screen, and then disappeared in the darkness of space.

"Fire two!"

Again there was a hissing sound and another white burst of light faded
into the millions of other pinpoints of lights in the black void.

Over and over again, at one-minute intervals, the projectiles were
fired, until all twelve of the firing chambers had discharged their
fire-tailed missiles.

The professor sat back and smiled weakly at Connel. The gruff major
winked encouragingly and they both turned to watch the teleceiver screen
anxiously. The gyros on each projectile had been preset for a circular
flight of fifteen minutes' duration. Soon they would be returning and
the delicate job of bringing them safely aboard would begin.

"Here comes number one," shouted Connel, as a small pinpoint of light
appeared on the screen.

"I'm ready!" said the professor. He watched the teleceiver screen
carefully, made a minute adjustment of the dial controlling the
directional beam emitted by the ring in the number-one firing chamber,
and at the last possible moment, snapped the remote-control switch that
cut the power in the approaching test projectile. It hung dead in space,
immediately over the chamber. Gently the professor increased the power
of the electro-magnetic ring and pulled the projectile back into the
chamber as easily as slipping a hand in a glove.

"Success!" Connel shouted. "Professor, you've done it!"

"Congratulations, sir," Dave