“That’s easily explained,” said Tom. “The force ray probably caused interference.”
Ted went on to relate that he and Mr. Swift had eventually been seized and taken aboard a spaceship far from the outpost. “There were only three men piloting the ship,” Ted added, “but they kept us covered with ray guns until they had us aboard with our hands tied.”
“Americans?” Tom asked.
Ted shook his head. “I’m not sure of their nationality, but they looked Mongolian and spoke
A STRANGE CAPTURE 161
English with a thick accent. Anyhow, they went into orbit somewhere thousands of miles above the space station.”
“But we looked everywhere,” Tom said.
Ted smiled. “Those fellows are mighty clever, Tom. They knew that and kept one jump ahead of you.”
“Go on with your story,” Tom urged.
“Later on, two other men came aboard from another ship and tried to make your father and me talk,” said Ted. “They were after the secrets of your solartron.”
Ted explained that his captors had mistaken him for Tom, and were furious when they learned their error. As Doc Simpson had suspected, when the Americans refused to talk, the criminals had kept on injecting doses of truth serum.
“After a while I blacked out,” Ted concluded. “That’s the last I remember.”
“What about Dad?”
Ted shrugged unhappily. “I’m sorry, Tom, but I just don’t know. All I can tell you is that he seemed okay just before I got woozy and passed out. Keep your chin up though, skipper! I’m sure we can find their rocket, because I know where it’s orbiting!”
“How come?” Tom asked eagerly. “Did they reveal their position?”