Vidac didn't answer. "Vidac!" screamed Tom again. "Emergency power!"

The man didn't move. He sat in front of the control panel as though
paralyzed. Tom slipped off the straps of the acceleration chair and
raced to the intercom. Vidac made no attempt to stop him.

"Astro! Full emergency thrust! Hit it!"

In immediate reply, a jolting burst of power blasted through the tubes,
jerking the ship convulsively and throwing Tom to the deck. A loud,
crashing sound filled the ship, followed by a strange stillness. Dimly
Tom realized that the rockets had been cut and they were safely on the
surface of the satellite.

He picked himself up and turned to face Vidac. The lieutenant governor
was unstrapping himself from the pilot's chair. His face was ashen. He
stalked out of the control deck without a word.

"Touchdown!" screamed Roger from the radar deck. "We made it. We're on
Roald!"

Tom heard the blond-haired cadet, but his unit mate's excitement did not
register. He was staring at the open hatch. "He lost his nerve," said
Tom aloud, half to himself and half to Governor Hardy who was
unstrapping himself from the acceleration chair. "He quit cold!"

"He certainly did," said Hardy. "And if it wasn't for your quick
thinking, we'd be spread all over this satellite!"

Roger tumbled down the ladder from the radar deck. "Nice work, Tom," he