Tom Swift in the Race to the Moon (17 page)

Finally there was a nodding of heads. Tom and Hank dragged one of the Donkeys into the space and tilted it onto its side.

"What’s he goin’ to do?" murmured Chow. "Repel them little robots right out o’ the animals?"

"Whatever he does, pardner, it’s sure to be something nobody else has thought of," Bud declared. "And it’s probably our best hope!"

Tom and Hank opened up the repelatron circuitry and worked on it for a time using microtools from their spacesuits. Then Tom waved the others over to join them.

"We’d best stand outside the barrier while I try this," said the young inventor.

"Is this a bad time to ask for an explanation?" Bud asked.

"It’s nothing complex, pal. Remember how that feedback effect knocked out the Pigeon Special’s electrical system? Well, I—"

"Of course, genius boy!" Bud exulted. "These are just little machines—it could switch ’em right off, all at once!"

"That’s the idea," Tom confirmed. "The repelatron will also help things along by being tuned very precisely to the materials of which the nanobots are composed. A one-two punch!"

Reaching in through the barrier, Tom switched on the repelatron controls. Very slowly, he swiveled the bottom of the platform from side to side, taking in the entirety of the zoo. The animals stood in understanding silence.

"Nothin’ happening," said Chow.

"Something is," was Wohl’s rejoinder, and suddenly Nicky began to make a weird screeching sound, as if relaying the sensations and fears of the animals.

"Oh lord," gulped Anton Faber, "I’m afraid it’s killing them!"

The creatures had begun to tremble violently and gasp for breath, collapsing one by one to the ground!

"Wait and hope," advised Glennon. "We’ve put a great strain on their immune systems all at once."

Like the turning off of a switch, Nicky fell silent. All the animals lay still in the bluish alien light. Then a startling roar echoed through the chamber. One of the micro-tyrannosaurs had struggled to his feet!

"Sounds kinda—
healthy,"
Bud ventured.

The other beasts were stirring, muttering, bleating, growling. But they were most definitely alive. And now Nicky joined in the clamor, with a chattering that seemed joyous.

"I think it worked," said Tom softly. "I
think."

In minutes the scientists began to test the animals with their instruments, and at long last Anton Faber made the hoped-for announcement. "A miracle cure! The infesting mechanisms are inert and dissolving away rapidly."

The space ark rang with cheers. Even Volj’s two colleagues joined in—though Volj himself only looked dark and supercilious.

"Say, ya know," Chow remarked musingly, "now that I see that armer-dillo feller lookin’ right healthy, it seems to me he’d make—" But Chow got no further. The creature bolted away in alarm! As the others laughed, Chow grumbled, "Aw, no call t’ get het up—I ’as
thinkin’,
that’s all."

"Around here, that’s enough," Tom grinned.

After some further examinations, and feeling that they had done all they could, Tom decided to leave the space zoo so that the ark could return to its point of origin. He would leave the curative repelatron aboard, and transmit to the space beings simple instructions as to its operation.

In the outer passageway, they waited silently, expecting that the vessel would divine their intentions in its usual mysterious way. In an instant, the inner wall again became opaque; another, and they all stood on the upper hull again with the remaining five Repelatron Donkeys.

"Go back to your ship, Professor," Tom said. "The sun’s started to touch your hull, anyway. I don’t suppose we should let you go, but there isn’t much to be done—I don’t intend to freight you back aboard the
Challenger.
But I do recommend that you look seriously into making an honest living somewhere." Volj glared contemptuously and turned toward his rocket scooter. "Wait!" Tom called, stopping him.

"What now?"

"One thing. Does the name Samimel Nevolyan mean anything to you?"

The man turned. "Perhaps. What of it?"

"I’ve played fair with you, Professor," Tom declared. "I ask you for this one favor as we part company. If Nevolyan is still alive, let me relay his location to the authorities of your country. You can warn your people if you want, but I’m asking that you free him."

"As we are in a period of amicable negotiation, why not?" Volj gave Tom the information brusquely, and departed, a sneer on his face.

Returning to the
Challenger,
Tom found the crew that remained behind anxiously waiting to learn what had transpired aboard the space ark. He found it hard to repress a smile at their gasps of disbelief when he described the queer animals aboard, and how they had been cured.

"And it hasn’t even been an hour!" marveled Dinah.

Tom chuckled and shrugged. "Seemed a
lot
longer to us!"

They now watched through the big twin viewports as the
Dyaune
’s engines were activated. The ship began to move off, and Tom powered-down the repelatron beams as it did so.

"They’re looping back around," muttered Bud in surprise and alarm. "Tom, I think they’re—"

A new missile volley flashed from the hull in their direction!

Can’t adjust the repelatrons quickly enough!
Tom thought frantically. There was no way to hold back the deadly, treacherous attack!

But as the swarm passed close to the space ark—

It was gone!

"Where’d them missiles go?" demanded Chow breathlessly. "Jest not there no more!"

"More scientific magic from our space friends," said Tom slowly.

"Nice way to say thanks," Bud noted with wide-eyes. He called out jokingly:
"You’re welcome!"

Tom took the controls and focused all the repelatron power he could muster squarely on the Brungarian rocket ship. To the delight of everyone aboard the
Challenger,
the enemy craft was hurled outward by the force of the repulsion beam, faster and faster still!

"Yippee! The sneakin’ foxes are beaten!" Chow cheered. "Now this here star-studded sky ranch is ours!"

The others were not so sure of this and kept a close watch on the enemy ship for any attempt to renew hostilities. But, after a few minutes, the Brungarians suddenly veered their now-distant rocket about and sped off into space.

Bud heaved a great sigh. "Guess you’re right, Chow. Looks as if they’ve finally given up."

Hank Sterling agreed. "Your repelatron was too much for those guys, Tom! Maybe they’re even grateful you saved them from crashing into the moon."

"That," said Evan Glennon, "is hardly a likely hypothesis, eh?"

"Hmmph!" Chow snorted in disbelief. "Grateful? Them underhanded critters? Bet they don’t even have a word fer it. Nope, they’re givin’ up cause Tom got to that there space ark first and there’s nothin’ left fer ’em."

"Speaking of which," said Violet Wohl softly. "Where is it? The ark?"

"Gone!" cried Bud.

"Not quite," was Tom’s response. "Look out there!"

Among the glittering stars they could make out a hazy point of light. Even as they watched, it became a streak, fast as lightning. And, fast as lightning, it was gone.

Tom looked after the space saucer enviously. "Guess I have a long way to go," he sighed, "before I can catch up to my space friends and develop a super-spaceship like that."

Chow consoled him. "Don’t worry, son. This here
Challenger
’s super enough! Took us all th’ way to th’ blame moon, dinnit?" The cook gazed out longingly at the huge ball of earth, hanging low in the sky. "And I’m sure feelin’ earthstruck, jest like I wanted to be. Let’s go back home pronto, Tom!"

The youthful inventor was willing. He had several ideas which needed to be worked out on the drawing board. But the thought of the beckoning moon hung with him, in his imagination. One day, as he pored over a problem in his lab, it suddenly occurred to him how valuable the solution to it would be in solving the immense challenge of establishing a permanent lunar colony—with astounding results to be related in the next volume,
Tom Swift and His Space Solartron.

Tom slapped his old friend Chow on the back. "I’m earthstruck, too, Chow. But there’s one more thing we have to do before we leave."

An hour later, the mighty
Challenger
stood in the center of Copernicus Crater, the earth a blue beacon high above them. The crew stood with bowed heads before a plaque of immortal metal, to which a small, sealed metal box had been welded. Tom Swift said a few eloquent words of ceremony and read aloud the words inscribed on the plaque.

HERE THE BRAVE SOULS OF
THE CHALLENGER
COMPLETED THEIR MISSION.

"Let’s go home," said Tom.