"Born in space," cackled Shinny, "on a passenger freighter carrying
colonists out to Titan. Never had a breath of natural fresh air until I
was almost a grown man. Nothing but synthetic stuff under the atmosphere
screens. My father was a mining engineer. I was the only kid. One night
a screen busted and nearly everybody suffocated or froze to death. My pa
and ma was among 'em. I blasted off after that. Been in the deep ever
since. And you know, by the blessed rings of Saturn, I'd be on a nice
farm near Venusport, living on a pension, if you hadn't kicked me out of
the Solar Guard!"
"Why, you broken down old piece of space junk," roared Connel, "I
oughta--" Connel never finished what he was going to say.
"Attention! Attention! Roger--Astro--Major Connel--come in, please! This
is Tom on the _Polaris_!"
As if they had been struck by a bolt of lightning, the five spacemen sat
up and then raced to the jet boat.
"Connel to Corbett!" roared the major. "Where are you? What happened?"
"I haven't got time to explain now, sir," said Tom. "Loring and Mason
escaped and forced me to take them to Tara.
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