“The section must have jammed!” Tom cried, glancing at Bud.
But his friend had slumped forward, unconscious.
“Bud must have been caught off balance and clipped on the head,” the young inventor thought. He knew that traveling at such high acceleration one’s body and limbs feel heavy as lead, and muscle co-ordination is poor.
GHOST WINDS 175
Tom reached for the automatic coupling clearance gun. Nothing happened!
“I’ve got to release that third stage before the motors quit firing!” he muttered frantically.
The young inventor knew that when the motors gave out he would no longer be able to steer, and the Star Spear would begin to tumble aimlessly, end over end. The nose section, if it could be launched at all, would be improperly aimed.
The motors were still firing-a tribute to the efficient performance of the kicker in conserving fuel. But he had to release the defective coupling before it was too late.
Gritting his teeth, Tom slid to the rear of the cabin, jumped into an overall heat-resistant work suit, and picked up a tool kit. After opening the hatch to the motor room, he descended to the heavy door of the stage below. Using an electronic lever, he waited impatiently while the door was opening.
The noise of the firing motors was deafening as he climbed along the magnesium girders to investigate the trouble. Each time the tail end swerved, Tom had to hang on for his life. He waited for the rocket to level momentarily, then crawled as fast as he could along the slender ribs of the section, hoping against hope that the fuel supply would not give out.