Tom Swift on the Phantom Satellite (19 page)

"I’m planning to blast off tomorrow, Dad, just as I told you." Tom added, "It looks like, er—a small garrison force will be left here to guard our country’s claim to the satellite and let us know if any enemy invaders are about to land. That’s what you can tell Mr. Helm, anyway."

"It’s wonderful how well everything has turned out, son," Mr. Swift commented. "We all have a great deal to be thankful for! And I’m especially glad your Brungarian hosts consented to make Fearing their first port of call. It’s hard to believe that we’ll be seeing all of you in less than twenty-four hours—which is still the length of a day here on Earth, in case you’ve forgotten!"

He supplied some further news before signing off: it had been determined that, as suspected, Col. Northrup had been the hidden source of the press release to Dan Perkins. Tom was glad to have that bit of the mystery cleared up. Mr. Swift added that the Swift expedition’s homecoming would be somewhat different from its take-off, but refused to say any more on the subject.

"See you tomorrow, son. And get a good night’s rest."

"Right, Dad. So long!"

Tom had no sooner left the compartment than Kent Rockland strolled up to him. "Tom, I know you must have a million things on your mind, but—well, I was talking to Dr. Wohl…"

It developed that Kent also wanted to remain on Little Luna! "There’s so much here to explore, Tom. And it’s not exactly permanent exile—I expect to see a thriving colony up here in a matter of months!"

Tom had no sooner given his consent than Rafael Franzenberg appeared in the corridor. "Let me guess!" exclaimed Tom. "You want to stay behind too!"

Rafe frowned. "Bite your tongue!" He was holding a palm to the side of his face, and, looking up, Tom noticed that Violet Wohl was standing at the other end of the corridor. She was also pressing a hand to her cheek—and looking none too happy.

"If I stay up here much longer, I’m afraid I’ll lose
all
my charm!" Rafael moaned.

Tom bid Rafe an amused goodnight, wishing he might crawl into bed at once. But there was still much to do, organizing the departure operation for the following day. It was almost midnight when he finally tumbled into his bunk, exhausted but happy. A moment later he was fast asleep.

The next thing Tom knew, Bud was shaking him gently. "Wake up!"

"Huh! Something wrong?" Tom almost bounced out of his bunk before his eyes were fully open.

"Take it easy, pal!" Bud advised. "I just want you to come outside and see a phenomenon you’re responsible for."

Pulling on his trousers, Tom hurried with Bud to the main entrance to the dome-habitat. As they stepped out into the early morning atmosphere, something wet splashed on Tom’s nose. The sky was gray and overcast. Drops of moisture were splattering all around.

"It’s
raining!"
Tom cried out in excited delight.

"The satellite’s first shower!" Bud grinned. "Little Luna’s getting more livable every day!"

By midmorning the
Gamma-4
was ready for liftoff under the command of Streffan Mirov. The big dome was partially folded back, and the last of a misty rain scattered droplets on the portholes. Tom bid an emotional farewell to the three who would be remaining behind, and took his place in the spaceship. Moments later the lift-thrusters roared, and the
Gamma
lifted up and off, heading spaceward.

In minutes the phantom satellite was no longer a world, but only a bleak mottled disk growing ever smaller with distance. Yet it was changed—a thin halo of blue, dotted with clouds, now clung to it like a transparent wrapper.

During the hours-long flight home, Bud, Chow, and Hank found time to chat with Tom about the translation of the space symbols he had received, which he had continued to work on, amplifying his father’s translation. "It’s quite a message," said the young inventor, "and it answers a lot of questions." It seemed that the space scientists had maneuvered the moonlet into its orbit in hopes that Tom could establish an earthly environment there. They had provided a slight gravity field to help with the containment of the atmosphere, and hinted that the energizer device had been left behind for Tom to study. Eventually, they desired to land on Little Luna themselves in an attempt to learn to acclimate their bodies to earthlike conditions.

"But why th’ Sam Hill didn’t they jest come out an’ tell you all this in th’ first place?" Chow demanded.

"They did!" Tom exclaimed. "We always suspected that the earlier message had been cut short. But the Brungarians, who have been monitoring our space communications—which is their right to do since we went public with it—did receive that last part. That’s how they knew about the device in the cave, though they didn’t know how to find it."

Long hours later, the Brungarian spacecraft streaked through the skies of Earth and touched down in a smooth landing on Fearing Island. Tom flicked open the porthole shutters and looked out.

"Good night!" he exclaimed, as Commander Mirov broke into laughter.

Held back by guards was an excited throng, eager to greet the returning heroes who had taken possession of the earth’s new moon in the name of the United States. TV cameras, interviewers with headphones and portable microphones, reporters and news photographers stood poised for action like an army battalion. Gold-braided admirals, generals, and Air Force commanders were clustered in the front rank.

Mr. Swift boarded the ship and greeted his son warmly. "Dad," Tom gasped, "is
this
what you meant by—"

Damon Swift nodded, smiling. "I told you your homecoming would be different from the takeoff!"

As the space team exited the ship, frenzied cheers split the air, and a brass band broke into "The Stars and Stripes Forever," quickly followed by a Brungarian marching song!

Tom nudged Bud, remembering the latter’s wisecrack about no band to see them off. "Guess your complaint brought action, pal!"

An instant later Tom and the others found themselves mobbed as the crowd broke forward, out of control! Tom tried to shunt the newsmen and officials off to his father, but Mr. Swift said:

"It’s your show, son. The spotlight’s on you!"

"Over here, Tom!" yelled a familiar voice.
Flash!
Gabe Knorff had finally captured a photo that would soon be blazened on front pages around the world!

Unable to duck the welcoming committee, Tom gave a short speech on the future of space travel and science. Then, one by one, he introduced the various members of the expedition, and then turned the microphone over to Streffan Mirov, who introduced his senior officers and scientists. Mirov concluded with, "We will see this bright satellite forever shining in our skies, to remind us that we are all fellow citizens of this world, and friends."

The last to speak was Jason Graves. He told of the wonderful new materials they had discovered, and painted a glowing picture of their use in the coming industrial conquest of space. To his shipmates’ surprise, the tycoon gave Tom full credit for the expedition’s success.

"My congratulations to Tom Swift, the greatest modern-day symbol of American invention and ingenuity!"

Luther Helm, the representative from the Defense Department, then stepped up to the microphone to say that the Swifts would be given the honor of naming the new satellite—which was, of course, not legally a celestial body, but a
vehicle.
Though it had been nicknamed Little Luna, the government preferred to list its newest possession by a more scientific designation.

Tom had already discussed the matter with his father. Tom announced, "There would be no Swift Enterprises today, and no expedition to the moonlet, if not for the dedicated woman who stood at my great-grandfather’s side and believed in him when the rest of the world looked away. We’ve decided the satellite will be called Nestria, in honor of my great-grandmother, Mary Nestor Swift!"

The onlookers cheered loudly.

But at long last, Tom and Bud found themselves alone in a Fearing Island locker room as they changed from their rocket attire. "Well, my space friend," said Bud, "where do we go from here? I mean, where’s
left?"

"Who knows?" Tom answered. But the unexpected answer awaited the two of them in Tom’s
Ultrasonic Cycloplane.

"To tell you the truth, I’m anxious to return to Nestria," Tom continued. "I can’t wait to study that gravity concentrator with some more sophisticated instruments." Then he chuckled and added excitedly, "Maybe our space friends will be there in person to tell us the whole story!"

Just then Jason Graves stopped by and offered his hand to Tom. "Young man, when I’m wrong, I’m wrong. I judged you on your years, not your abilities. I can’t thank you enough for having ignored me!"

Tom laughingly shook Graves’s hand and modestly left the room.

The industrialist shook his head in something like awe and much like envy. "I must say," he commented to Bud Barclay in a gruff voice. "If this is what Tom Swift can accomplish now, I wonder—
what will he be like when he grows up?"