“Here comes another message,” Tom said.
As Bud scanned the sky with the telescope, Tom noted that the first two figures on the oscilloscope were the same as those in the original message that he and his father had received from their space friends. Now he was sure that this new set of mathematical symbols was from them instead of from the earth.
“Maybe they want to meet us out here,” Bud suggested.
“No,” said Tom, translating quickly. “They say we’re running into trouble.”
“Rotzog?”
“I don’t think so.”
The boys watched eagerly but no more figures appeared on the face of the oscilloscope. After a few seconds of waiting and watching, Tom looked up at the orbital flight indicator. Unnoticed, the indicator pointer had crept down from the zero position.
“Bud, look!” Tom said excitedly. “We’re being swung off our course, out into space!”
A moment later their senses began to confirm the evidence of the sensitive instrument. They could feel the Star Spear pulling upward and to the right.
Startled by this unforeseen action, Tom weighed the possibility of using the rocket controls and returning the Star Spear to her course by a short burst of power from the rocket motors. Deciding on this 186 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ROCKET SHIP
course, he threw the ignition switch and instantly the motors roared to life.
After a few seconds his face became grave. “Bud, we’ve climbed another fifty miles off course!” he cried. “And I can’t seem to fight the force that’s sending us out of our orbit!”
He opened the throttle wider and the Star Spear reared. For a moment it seemed as if Tom had broken the hold of the mysterious force. But in another instant the ship yielded to the overpowering attraction and was gliding along its new and unknown line of flight.
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