Tom Swift and the Asteroid Pirates by Victor Appleton II Read Free Book Online

wheeling descent back to Earth. "We’ll land at Fearing," Tom stated. "I want to test something using the big space communications gear."
    "What’s your idea?" inquired Hank.
    "It’s is only a theory," Tom said. "Let me hash it over a little, Engineer Sterling."
    The young inventor radioed a full report to Fearing Island, but the rest of the trip was spent mostly in grim silence. Two hours later the Challenger was biting into the earth’s atmosphere, then dropping smoothly like a clump of feathers to set down finally at the rocket base.
    The astronaut team ate dinner in the island mess hall. Afterward, as Tom and Bud walked back to Tom’s private laboratory on the island, Bud remarked, "I can tell plenty is going on in that high-powered head of yours, pal. Feel like talking about it yet?"
    "Our first job is to find out the exact nature of the disintegration barrier," Tom said thoughtfully. "So far we’re only guessing that antimatter is what’s causing the trouble. Since the barrier seems to be scrambling and nullifying our long-range instruments—even the spectroscopic scanners—we’ll have to take a sample to study in the lab."
    "And how do we do that?" Bud asked in challenging tones. "How do you get a tankful of something that turns anything it touches into the Fourth of July?"
    Tom grinned at his chum. "Hey, we had the same problem at Mount Goaba, remember?"
    "Which you solved with Inertite. But in this case ― "
    "I know. Inertite isn’t enough. But it just may be that we can bring a sample down to Earth without touching it at all!" As Bud started a skeptical, if fascinated, objection, Tom held up his hand. "That’s for tomorrow, flyboy. Right now I have something else in mind."
    "Well, there’s plenty of room for it up there in that head of yours! What?"
    "After I run some numbers on my lab computer, I’m heading over to Communications. If my theory is right, we’ll soon be back in touch with Little Luna!"
    Bud lifted his eyebrows, creasing his forehead with worry. "Let’s hope there’s someone up there to answer!"
     
CHAPTER 7
AN ADDRESS IN CHINATOWN
    IN THE space communications room inside the Fearing control tower, Tom explained his idea to Amos Quezada and the chief communications engineer, Harry Lengle. "The numbers look good," he declared. "So my idea is plausible, at least."
    "Which is?" challenged Quezada.
    "My guess is that during the shadow-traverse every three and three-quarters days, when Nestria orbits through Earth’s shadow, the unusual mineralogy of the asteroid will be affected by the temperature drop—remember, the higher elevations stick up beyond the atmospheric envelope which insulates the lower parts. About eighty percent of Nestria is airless."
    "Granted. Okay, chief, so you have a quick change in surface temperature. But what good does it do?"
    "My calculations show that it makes Little Luna as a whole less permeable to magnetic forces," Tom continued excitedly. "Something is holding that barrier in place, and it may well be electromagnetic in nature. If I’m right, when the average surface temp drops, the field’s lines of force will be pushed away from the surface further out into space."
    "I understand Tom’s idea," Harry spoke up. "That would tend to make the barrier thinner and less opaque—like a stretched balloon—so it’s easier for radio waves to penetrate."
    "All right then." Quezada checked his wristwatch. "We’re lucky—she’ll be starting the traverse in about six hours. We can give it a try."
    "I’ll be grabbing some shuteye in the cottage," Tom said wearily. "I have to—but call me immediately if you get through."
    Tom met up with Bud, who had been chatting with one of his friends among the staff, and the two headed across the facility grounds toward the executive quarters. As he walked along, the youthful pilot gave a mighty yawn—which turned into a laugh. "Good grief, I just realized something. It’s only been twenty-four hours since we went up