The thunder of the motors was silenced now as the rocket coasted up into orbit. The boys unbuckled their seat belts, and Tom radioed his report back to base.
“And now comes the part I like,” Bud said. “A joy ride through space!”
He pressed a button. The transparent pilot’s canopy had an outside cover of metal to protect it while the ship was going through the air. This cover now slid back, revealing the starry blackness outside. Below, the earth appeared as a huge sphere, with oceans and continents clearly outlined.
“Four hours to kill before we reach the space station,” Tom remarked, glancing over the control panel, studded with dials.
“Oh, oh! I forgot to call Sandy!” Bud exclaimed. “Let’s hope she and Phyl don’t go dating some other guys tonight just to get even.”
“They warned us,” Tom said. Suddenly he gasped and pointed at the radarscope. “Bud! We have company!”
A blip had appeared on the screen. The boys watched intently.
“There it is!” Bud cried. “Another spaceship!”
“And not one of ours,” Tom muttered.
The strange craft lay several miles to starboard, steering a course parallel to the Swift cargo
ENEMY ROCKET 63
rocket. Tom broke out a pair of binoculars and studied it.
Bud watched uneasily. “Do you suppose it’s an enemy?”
As he spoke, a rocket port opened in the other ship’s side. There was a burst of smoke and flame, and a missile came streaking toward them!
“There’s your answer!” Flinging the binoculars aside, Tom ripped out the flight tape and grabbed the steering controls. With a quick blast on the auxiliary rockets, he managed to evade the deadly missile.