“Not bad for a first try.” Mr. Swift smiled as he examined the results. “But I seem to be up against the same problem you are, Tom-my process works rather slowly.”
“The particles may accumulate faster as the attracting surface increases in size, Dad,” Tom pointed out. “Let’s continue the experiment tomorrow. I’m eager to see how this works out.”
The next morning, however, while the station crew was eating breakfast, Arv Hanson arrived by shuttle rocket from Fearing Island.
“The luxium and conductate leaves are finished, Tom,” he reported. “So are the frameworks of foil tubing. I made up enough for a dozen energy collectors.”
A STARTLING DISAPPEARANCE 99
“Good work, Arv!” Tom approved. “Let’s get them unloaded and we’ll assemble one in my lab.”
With Arv and Bud assisting-Ted would remain with Mr. Swift-Tom set to work immediately. Each set of luxium-conductate leaves was installed in the crisscross framework of tubing and folded over until there was a great pile. Then the wiring was connected. Hours went by. It was midafternoon before the job was finished.
“Whew!” gasped Bud wearily. “That was like working a four-acre crossword puzzle!”
“This is only the beginning, fly boy.” Tom grinned. “We still have to test twelve more.”
Finally, with more assistance, the work was accomplished. Each of the huge energy collectors was neatly folded and baled into a compact bundle and transferred to the spaceship one by one.
“Are you still going to use helium gas for inflating the tubes?” asked Arv.
“Yes,” Tom replied. “But first I’d like to get Dad’s advice on the proper inflation pressure.”
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