"Put your back against the door, Tom!" snapped Connel. "Quickly!"
Tom felt the powerful grip of the Solar Guard officer's fingers on his arm as he was pulled backward. He closed his eyes, then opened them, hoping to pierce the darkness, but he saw nothing. Beside him, he could sense the tenseness in Connel's body.
There was a rustle of movement to the right of them.
"Careful, Tom," cautioned Connel. "To your right!"
"I hear it, sir," said Tom, turning toward the noise and bracing himself.
"My name is Connel," the burly spaceman suddenly spoke up in loud tones. "I'm an official in the Solar Guard! Whoever you are, speak up! Identify yourself."
There was a moment of silence and then a voice spoke harshly in the darkness.
"How do we know you're a Solar Guard officer? How do we know you're not a spy?"
"Do you have any kind of light?" asked Connel.
"Yes, we have a light. But we are not going to give away our positions. We know how to move in here. You don't."
"Then how do you expect me to prove it?"
"The burden of proof lies with you."
"Have you ever heard of me?" asked Connel after a pause.
"We know there is an officer in the Solar Guard named Connel."
"I am that officer," asserted Connel. "I was sent into the jungle to find this base, but one of our party was injured and we were captured by a patrol."
Tom and Connel heard voices whispering in the darkness and then a loud order.
"Lie down on the floor, both of you!"
The two spacemen hesitated and then got down flat on their backs.
"Close your eyes and lie still. One of us here knows what Connel looks like. I hope for your sake that you're telling the truth. If you're not--" The voice stopped but the threat was plain.
"Do as they say, Tom," said Connel.
The cadet closed his eyes and he heard the shuffle of feet around them. Suddenly there was a flash of light on his face but he kept his eyes tightly closed. The light moved away, but he could tell that it was still burning.
"It's Connel, I think," said a high-pitched voice directly over them.
"Are you sure?"
"Pretty sure. I met him once in Atom City at a scientific meeting. He was making a speech with a Professor Sykes."
"That's right," said Connel, hearing the remark. "I was there."
"Do you remember meeting a man from Venus wearing a long red robe?" asked the high-pitched voice.
Connel hesitated. "No," he said. "I only remember talking to three men. Two were from Venus and one was from Mars. But neither of the two from Venus wore a red robe. They wore purple--"
"He's right," acknowledged the voice. "This is Connel."
"Open your eyes," said the first voice.
Connel and Tom opened their eyes and in the light of a small hand torch they saw two gaunt faces before them. The tallest of the men stuck out a bony hand. "My name is Carson." They recognized his voice as the one that had spoken first. "And this is Bill Jensen," he added.
"This is Tom Corbett, Space Cadet," said Connel. He glanced around the room, and in the weak reflected light of the torch, saw almost fifty men crouched against the walls, each of them holding a crude weapon.
"You'll understand our caution, Major," said Carson. "Once before we had a plan to escape and a spy was sent in. As you see, we didn't escape."
"Neither did the spy," commented Jensen grimly.
"How long have you been here?" asked Connel.
"The oldest prisoner has been here for three years," replied Carson. And as the other men began to gather around them, Connel and Tom saw that they were hardly more than walking skeletons. Their cheeks were hollow, eyes sunk in their sockets, and they wore little more than rags.
"And there's no way to escape?" asked Tom.
"Three guards with blasters are stationed on the other side of that door," said Carson. "There is no other entrance or exit. We tried a tunnel, but it caved in and after that they put in a wooden floor." He stamped on it. "Teak. Hard as steel. We couldn't cut through."
"But why are you being held prisoners?" asked Connel.
"All of us joined the Nationalists believing it was just a sort of good-neighbor club, where we could get together and exchange ideas for our own improvement. And when we found out what Lactu and the Division Chiefs were really up to, we tried to quit. As you see, we couldn't. We knew too much."
"Blasted rebels!" muttered Connel. "The Solar Guard will cool them off!"
"I'm afraid it's too late," said Carson. "They're preparing to strike now. I've been expecting it for some time. They have enough ships and arms to wipe out the entire Solar Guard garrison here on Venus in one attack!" He shook his head. "After that, with Solar Guard ships and complete control of the planet--" He paused and sighed. "It will mean a long, bloody space war."
Tom and Connel plied the prisoners with questions and soon began to get a complete picture of the scope of the Nationalist movement.
"Lactu and his commanders should be sent to a prison asteroid for life," said Carson, "for what they have done to former Nationalists."
"Hundreds of unsuspecting Venusians have been brought here under the guise of helping to free Venus. But when they come and recognize what Lactu really intends to do, they want to quit. But it's too late, and they're sent to the caves."
Tom looked at the gaunt man fearfully. There was something in his voice that sent a chill down his spine.
"They are driven like cattle into the canyon walls," continued Carson. "There they are forced to dig the huge underground vaults for storage dumps. They are beaten and whipped and starved."
"Why aren't you in the caves then?" asked Connel.
"Some of us were," replied Carson. "But each of us here owns land and it is necessary to keep us alive to send back directives to our bankers and foremen to give aid in one form or another to Sharkey and the Division Chiefs."
"I see," said Connel. "If you were to die, then your property would be out of their reach."
"Exactly," said Carson.
"Is Sharkey the real leader of the movement?"
"I don't believe so. But then, no one knows. That's the idea of the frosted helmets. If you don't know who a man is, you can liquidate him without conscience. He may be your closest friend, but you would never know it."
"The blasted space crawlers!" growled Connel. "Well, they'll pay!"
"You have a plan?" asked Carson eagerly.
"No," said Connel slowly, "but at least we all have more of a chance now."
"How?" asked Carson.
"The Solar Guard sent us here to find this base. If we don't return, or send some sort of message back within a reasonable time, this jungle will be swarming with guardsmen!"
Carson looked a little disappointed. "We shall see," he said.
There were three things on Astro's mind as twilight darkened into night over the canyon. One, he had to find out why Roger wasn't with Tom and Connel when they were taken into the building; two, he had to figure out a way to contact Tom and Connel; and finally, he had to escape himself, or help Tom and Connel escape.
The big cadet finished the last job in the machine shop. It had taken very little time, but the big cadet had lingered over it, trying to find answers to his three problems. Around him, the workers were leaving their benches and lathes, to be replaced by still others. A twelve-hour shift was being used by the Nationalists in their frantic preparations for an attack on the Venusport garrison of the Solar Guard. Astro finally dropped the last wrench into the tool kit and straightened up. He stretched leisurely and glanced over at his guard. The man was still rubbing his stomach where Astro had hit him, and he watched the big cadet with a murderous gleam in his eye.
"All finished," said Astro. "Where and when do I eat?"
"If I had my way, you wouldn't," sneered the guard.
"Either I knock off and eat," said Astro confidently, "or I call the foreman and you talk to Lactu."
"Feeling pretty big, aren't you?" growled the guard. "I haven't forgotten that punch in the stomach."
"Why, I hardly touched you," said Astro in mock surprise.
The guard glared at him, muttered an oath, and turned away. Astro could see that he was boiling, almost out of his mind with helpless, frustrated anger, and suddenly the young cadet realized how he would be able to move about the base freely. Grinning, he walked arrogantly in front of the guard and out of the shop into the dark Venusian night. It was very warm and many of the workers had stripped down to their trousers. He passed the open doorway of a large tool shop and glanced inside. It was empty. The men had apparently gone to eat. He suddenly stopped, turned to the guard, and growled, "If you want to settle our differences now, we can step inside."
The guard hesitated and glared at Astro. "When I settle with you, big boy, you'll know about it."
"What's the matter with right now?" asked Astro. "Yellow?" He turned and walked into the tool shop without looking back. The guard rushed after him. But the big cadet had carefully gauged the distance between them, and when he heard the rushing steps of the guard immediately behind him, he suddenly spun around, swinging a roundhouse right, catching the guard in the pit of the stomach again. The man stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes bulged and glazed, and he dropped to the floor like a stone. Astro pulled the man to the corner of the empty shop, removed the plastic helmet, and then tied and gagged him. He pulled the helmet over his own head, nearly tearing one ear off, grabbed the gun and stepped back outside. He stood in front of the door and glanced up and down the area between the buildings. Fifty feet away a group of men were working over a tube casing, but they didn't even look up.
Staying in the shadows, he walked down the lane, moving carefully. The plastic helmet would keep him from being recognized right away, but to complete his plan, he needed one of the green uniforms of the guards.
Deciding it would be too risky to walk around the base, he crouched behind a huge crate of machinery at the head of the lane. Sentries were constantly patrolling the area and he was certain that one would pass by soon. He only hoped the man would be big enough. Fifteen minutes later the cadet heard footsteps in a slow measured tread. He peered around the edge of the crate and silently breathed a thankful prayer. It was a green-clad guard, and luckily, almost as big as he was.
Crouching in the shadow of the crate, Astro tensed for the attack. It had to be quick and it had to be silent. He couldn't club the guard because of his helmet. He would have to get him around the throat to choke off any outcry.
The slow steps came nearer and the big cadet raised himself on the balls of his feet, ready to spring. When the guard's shadow fell across him, Astro leaped forward like a striking tiger.
The guard didn't have a chance. Astro's arm coiled around his throat and the cry of alarm that welled up within him died down in a choking gasp. Within seconds he was unconscious and the big cadet had dragged him behind the crate. He stripped him of his uniform, bound and gagged him with his own rags, and crammed him into the crate. Then, protected by the helmet and green uniform and carrying the blaster, the cadet stepped out confidently and strode down the lane.
He went directly to the building he had seen Tom and Connel enter, and walked boldly up to the guard lounging in front of the door.
"You're relieved," said Astro in the Venusian dialect. "They want you up in the caves." The cadet had no idea where the caves were, but he knew that they couldn't be near by and it would be some time before an alarm could be sounded.
"The caves?" asked the guard. "Who said so?"
"The chief. He wants you to identify somebody."
"Me? Identify someone? I don't understand." The guard was puzzled. "What section of the caves?"
"The new section," said Astro quickly, figuring there must be a new and an old section because he had heard a guard refer to the old one.
"Up by the jungle tunnels?"
Astro nodded.
"Must be more of those Solar Guardsmen," said the guard, relaxing. "We have two of them in here, another in the hospital, and one of them working in the machine shop."
Hospital! Astro gulped. That would be Roger. But he dared not ask too many questions. "What's going to happen to them?" he asked casually.
"I don't know," said the guard, "but I wish we'd hurry up and attack Venusport. I'm getting tired of living out here in the jungle."
"Me too," said Astro. "Well, you'd better get going."
The guard nodded and started to walk away. Suddenly Astro stiffened. Two other guards were rounding the corner of the building. He called to the departing guard quickly. "Who's on duty with you tonight?"
"Maron and Teril," replied the guard, and then strode off into the darkness.
"So long," said Astro, turning to face the two men walking toward him. He would have to get rid of them.
"Hello, Maron, Teril," he called casually. "Everything quiet?"
"Yes," replied the shorter of the two, as they stopped in front of Astro, "no trouble tonight."
"Well, there's trouble now!" growled Astro. He brought up the blaster and cocked it. "Make one wrong move, and you're dead little space birds! Get over there and open that door!"
Stunned, both men turned to the door without a protest and Astro took their guns. "Open up!" he growled.
The men slid the heavy bar back and pushed the door open.
"Get inside!" ordered Astro. The two men stumbled inside. Astro stepped to the door. "Tom! Major!"
There was a cry of joy from the blackness within and Astro recognized Tom.
"Astro!" roared Connel, rushing up. "What in the stars--?"
"Can't talk now," said Astro. "Here. Take these blasters and then tie these two up. Close the door, but leave it open a crack. We can talk while I stay outside and keep watch. If there isn't a guard out here, it might mean trouble."
"Right," said Connel. He took the blasters, tossing one over to Tom. "Blast it, I never felt anything so good in my life!" He closed the door, leaving it open an inch.
"Why is Roger in the hospital?" asked Astro quickly.
Connel told him of the fight with the tyrannosaurus and Roger's injury, ending with their capture by the patrol.
"You know what's going on here, Major?" asked Astro.
"I sure do," said Connel. "And the sooner we blast them, the happier I'll be."
"One of us will have to escape and get back to the Polaris to contact Commander Walters," said Astro. "But they've got radar here as good as ours. That has to be put out of commission or they can blast any attacking fleet."
"You're right," said Connel grimly, and turned back into the room. "Tom!" he called.
"Yes, sir," replied Tom, coming up to the door.
"Since Astro and I speak Venusian--" said Connel, and then added when Tom gasped, "Yes, I speak it fluently, but I kept it a secret. That means you're the one to go. Astro and I will have more of a chance here. You escape and return to the Polaris. Contact Commander Walters. Tell him everything that's happened. We'll give you thirty-six hours to make it. At exactly noon, day after tomorrow, we'll knock out their radar."
"But how, sir?" asked Tom.
"Never mind. We'll figure out something. Just get back to the Polaris and tell the Solar Guard to attack at noon, day after tomorrow. If you don't and the fleet attacks earlier, or later, they'll be wiped out."
"What about you, sir?" asked Tom.
"If you get back in time, we'll be all right. If not, then this is good-by. We'll hold out as long as we can, but that can't be forever. We're fighting smart, determined men, Tom. And it's a fight to the finish. Now hurry up and get into one of those uniforms."
While Tom turned back inside to put on the uniform, Connel returned to Astro outside the door. "Think we can do it, Astro?"
"I don't see why not, sir," replied the big cadet.
A moment later Tom returned, dressed in one of the guard's green uniform and wearing a helmet. Carson was with him, similarly clad. "Astro better show me the way out of the base," said Tom. "Carson will stand guard until he gets back."
"Good idea," said Connel. Tom and Carson slipped out the door.
"All set, Astro?" asked Tom.
"Yeah, there's only one thing wrong," replied the big cadet.
