"Put these on the jet boat, Alfie. I'll be along in a minute."
Alfie took the guns and walked toward the jet-boat catapult deck. Tom
returned to the radar bridge and stood before Connel.
"Would you see if there is any news of Roger, sir, when you make contact
with the Academy?"
Connel read the cadet's lips and nodded his head. Tom turned and went
directly to the jet-boat deck. Astro and Alfie waited for him inside.
"Brought along three space suits, Tom," said Astro. "You can never tell
what we might run into."
"Good idea," said Tom.
The three cadets climbed into the jet boat, Tom taking the pilot's seat.
He pushed a release button, and a portion of the _Polaris'_ steel hull
slid back. Tom pressed another button, gripped the wheel of the small
space craft, and stepped on the acceleration pedal. The little red ship
shot out of the open hatch and zoomed over the giant trees.
Traveling at a slow speed, Tom made a wide arc over the forest, checking
his position against that of the _Polaris_ before losing sight of it. He
pulled the tiny ship up to one thousand feet, leveled off, set the
automatic pilot, and took his first close look at Tara, four and a half
light years from Earth.
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