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calling—and keepin’ my ears wide open."
    "I know you are. Thanks."
    Still tens of thousands of miles remote in space, Nestria was already visible through the Challenger ’s big rectangular viewports, a blob of light against the blackness showing the hint of a disk. It swelled by the minute, soon disclosing its dark, mottled surface and craggy horizon, barely softened by the cloak of atmosphere that clung very close to the ground.
    "How far?" Bud asked presently. "It’s been a while since we reversed thrust." It now seemed that the asteroid was beneath them, the ship descending toward it.
    Tom checked the monitor dials. "Coming up on the 500 mile mark. We’ll make a polar flyby before we try ― "
    His last words were lost behind a fierce alert tone from the intercom. "Incoming transmission, Tom!" reported Hank excitedly.
    Bud whooped. "Man alive! Ask ’em how they’re doing up there—I mean, down there!"
    Hearing the comment, Hank had a quashing response. "No, it’s not the asteroid. It’s on the frequency used by the space friends!"
    "Good night!" muttered Tom. "Maybe they’ve found a way to elaborate on that message they sent."
    "Not exactly the best timing," harrumphed Bud.
    "I’ll send what I’m getting up to your monitor, guys, by way of the translating computer," Hank offered. After directing Hannah to continue the flight as planned, Tom turned his attention to the imaging-oscilloscope screen.
WE ARE FRIENDS. PROCEED
    After a moment, Tom intercommed Hank impatiently, "Where’s the rest of it?"
    "There is no ‘rest of it,’ Skipper," was the engineer’s answer. "Like Chow says, That’s all she wrote! "
    Bud shrugged. "Thanks a heap, space buddies! Well, at least they’re encouraging us."
    When Tom did not comment, Bud cast a curious glance his way. To his surprise, the young inventor was frowning—and pale!
    "Look at this," Tom said in a raspy voice, pointing at a corner of the screen.
    Again Bud shrugged. "Yeah, one of the space symbols."
    "Without a translation under it. And that’s because it’s not complete."
    "Guess they were called away from the phone." Bud looked again at his pal’s expression. "But this isn’t a joke, is it."
    "The space symbols modify one another, clustering together in groups that show the relation of concepts," Tom reminded him. "The symbol for ‘proceed’ made it through, but this one was cut off—we got just the bare bones. Bud, I’m sure it would have been the symbol for negation!"
    "Huh? Negation?" Then the young pilot’s eyes grew wide with alarm. "Jetz! They’re saying don’t proceed!"
    "Otherwise known as Stop !" Tom rushed to Hannah’s side and directed her to bring the ship to a full stop as rapidly as possible, station-keeping high above Little Luna. The Challenger began a sudden deceleration, pressing her crew downward against the deck as if they’d been turned to lead.
    "Full stop and hover mode," Hannah reported. "Altitude 481.4 miles, extended radial from Nestria surface."
    "What do you think’s going on, boss?" asked another member of the crew, Bob Jeffers, a veteran of Swift Enterprises space flight.
    Tom paused before answering. "What do I think? I think something—maybe some one —interrupted the space transmission at a crucial point. I think our space friends are trying to warn us of a danger to the ship if we continue on course."
    "Danger? Danger of what ?"
    No longer whitefaced, Tom looked Jeffers in the eye.
    "Of total destruction!"
     
CHAPTER 6
DEADLY MATTER
    THE OTHERS on the Challenger ’s control deck stared at Tom in shock. "Do you mean—they’re going to start shooting at us?" Bud demanded. "Or set off a bomb in space?"
    "He means someone’s planted a bomb on board—like they did on the supply rocket," murmured Hannah in fear.
    Tom shook his head, gazing downward through the Tomaquartz viewpane at the ball that was Nestria. "It may be something much more deadly. Let’s hope I’m wrong." He flicked on the intercom. "Join