“Listen!” Tom ordered. “We can warn you if we hit a storm of particles. Do as I say!”
Meanwhile, Mr. Swift was working with a bank of computers at Enterprises to plot a safe re-entry procedure into the atmosphere. Tom waited tensely for the information while continuing his argument with Holbrook.
Suddenly Arv Hanson, who was manning the megascope, let out a cry of alarm.
“Tom! A missile is heading straight for us!”
CHAPTER XX
A DESPERATE MANEUVER
TOM whirled. A glance at the megascope screen showed him what had triggered Arv’s cry-a nose-on view of a speeding missile!
The deadly object was approaching so fast Arv’s twirling fingers at the control knobs could barely keep it in focus.
“Men! Brace yourselves for action!” Tom yelled over the intercom. His hands darted among the control switches and levers.
As the Challenger zoomed steeply out of orbit, however, the missile too could be seen shifting course. Again its fearsome collision aspect showed on the screen.
“It’s homing on us!” Arv reported tensely.
Twice more Tom tried to side-step the approaching deadly onslaught by altering course and speed. But each time the missile responded 168
A DESPERATE MANEUVER 169
by duplicating the ship’s action and locking on as before.
Instant by instant it was drawing closer. If the missile was armed with a proximity fuse, Tom knew the range might narrow enough at any moment to explode its warhead. Beads of perspiration glistened on his forehead.
“Them yellow-striped, bush-whackin’ polecats!” Chow mumbled, evidently referring to the ones who had launched the sneak attack. He and the others in the flight compartment-Arv, Hank, and Slim-stood watching the screen in hypnotized suspense.
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