Tom switched on the repelatron detector and analyzer circuits. As lights lit up on the element selector panel, his hands flew busily between the isotope switches and interplugging board. Then he swiveled the three radiators into position for ground thrust and fed power to the repelatrons.
With an audible whoo-o-osh, the spaceship shot upward like a ricocheting bullet!
A POWERFUL TAKEOFF 85
“Leapin’ rockets!” Bud gulped. The boys had been jarred almost senseless by the shock of takeoff!
Tom was aghast. “Something’s gone haywire!” he cried out. “Takeoff should be smooth.”
As Tom maneuvered the ship hastily, Billing’s voice shrieked over the radio, “Skipper, come back! But land gently!”
The boys shot startled glances at each other. What was wrong?
The answer was instantly revealed as Tom brought the ship down and climbed out. The buildings near the launching area looked as though they had just undergone a blitz attack! Roofs and walls were crumpled, windows shattered, and the ground nearby strewn with bricks and hunks of concrete.
“Good night!” Tom gasped.
Stunned crewmen stood gaping at the damage.
“What happened?” Bud demanded.
“That flying powerhouse you fellows took off in,” Hank replied, “practically flattened everything in sight!”
Shocked by the disaster, Tom said dolefully, “No doubt about the cause.
When we rose, the buildings took an even stronger thrust from the repelatrons than the ground did, because they were closer.”
“But weren’t the repelatrons tuned to repel the elements in the ground?” Bud asked.