Moments passed. Suddenly Bud’s voice crackled over the Private Ear radio: “Hi, Tom! This black void is hard to take!”
Tom experienced a shock of apprehension. He quickly explained the code to the others, then called back a reply over the microphone. Silence fell as everyone stared at the screen intently.
Suddenly they heard another voice reporting:
“Lieutenant Holbrook taking over! Captain Barclay has become ill, but there’s no need for us to return!”
The watchers were stunned. What had happened?
CHAPTER XIX
OUTER-SPACE RESCUE
“OH, TOM!” Sandy cried, coming over to stand beside her brother. “I know something must be terribly wrong! Bud’s had an accident!”
“Lieutenant Holbrook only said he’d been taken ill, dear,” Mrs. Newton ventured. “Perhaps it’s just the effects of weightlessness, now that the astronauts are on their way.”
Tom hated to add to everyone’s fears, especially Sandy’s, but he shook his head.
“Bud has been on too many space missions to suffer nausea or disorientation from that cause.”
Tom clenched his fists. He felt a desperate need to take action, now that his chum was in possible danger!
“Dad, I’m going after Bud in the Challenger!” Tom blurted out suddenly.
Mr. Swift laid a hand on his son’s arm. “Steady, 160
OUTER-SPACE RESCUE 161
boy. We’ll have to be patient until we know more of what’s going on.”
The elder scientist’s reasonable tone helped somewhat to calm the young inventor.
“You’re right, Dad,” he said, swallowing hard. “But I sure hope we get some word soon.”
Tom wanted to grab the microphone and pin Holbrook down regarding Bud’s condition. But he knew the copilot would be too busy, now that he had taken over full control of the ship, and this was no time to distract him.
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