“What caused it, skipper?”
Tom shook his head, a worried frown creasing his brow. “I don’t know, but I have a hunch it may be due to sunspots.”
Fortunately, the gyrocompass was not affected and the plane continued its steady flight above the storm area. After a moment’s silence, Bud asked thoughtfully:
“Skipper, what would happen if we were up on the moon and depending on your matter maker for food and oxygen? Would sunspots throw that out of kilter too?”
44 SPACE SOLARTRON
“Brand my jet scooter,” Chow burst out nervously, “why bring that up?”
Tom grinned at the apprehensive stares of his three friends. “Relax,” he said.
“It actually wouldn’t make much difference. Might cut down on production a little, or even boost it a bit, but otherwise it wouldn’t affect the machine at all.”
Chow fanned himself with his ten-gallon hat. “Might ‘a’ knowed that Buddy boy was jest tryin’ to spook us. Trouble with some hombres is they got too much ee-magination!”
Shortly before noon, the ship landed at Enterprises and Tom hurried to the big double office he shared with his father. Besides the huge modern desks for father and son, the room contained comfortable leather chairs, push-button drawing boards, and in front of one wall near the door a movable stack of shelves. They were crowded with books and shiny models of Tom Sr.‘s and Tom Jr.‘s greatest inventions, and also sample bottles of their various chemical compounds.
Over a tasty lunch of chicken sandwiches, Tom discussed with his father the new plans for experimenting with his matter-making machine at the outpost in space.