Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift Jr 13 – And His Space Solartron

“Nice work, skipper,” said Chuck Thornton, one of the shopworkers, as he examined the results admiringly.

Tom nodded. “These aluminum ones are a lot lighter than copper and will handle the current just as well.”

Returning to his laboratory, he installed the bars and soon was ready to make the first test run of his matter maker. “Here goes,” he told himself tensely.

Switching on the power, Tom adjusted several control knobs. Then he watched the dials with bated breath as the concrete building throbbed 18 SPACE SOLARTRON

with the hum of the tremendous current flow.

So intent was Tom on his experiment that he failed to notice that the aluminum bars were becoming red-hot. As the bars melted under the intense heat, there was a sudden shower of sizzling metal!

“Good night! The circuit’s overloaded!” Tom cried out as he fell back, shielding his eyes. Fortunately he was wearing a lab coat of protective fabric. But to turn off the main switch, he would have to stretch his arms straight through the barrage of sparks and molten metal!

“I-I can’t reach it!” Tom gasped as he groped vainly for the switch. The white-hot spume of metal was already eating through the fabric of his sleeves, and the exposed portions of his skin stung with agonizing pain!

To make matters worse, he had set up the machine in a corner of the laboratory, and there was no means of escape except through the sizzling metal.

“Help!” Tom yelled.

“Skipper!” a horrified voice cried out. Tom recognized it as Ted Spring’s, even though he was too blinded by the sparks to see him. “How can I get you out?” Ted asked frantically.