better vacuum than outer space."

Tom grinned and slapped the big Venusian on the back. "Astro, you're the
hero of the day. Come on, Roger, start drawing that tube! Astro can make
it on the power deck as if he were repairing something. Make it as
simple as possible."

"Right," said Roger, "all I need is the vacuum and of course the copper
filament inside the inner third tube for sending and receiving. We can
make it so the tubes screw together inside of each other and then seal
them."

"Right," said Astro.

"Meantime," said Tom, "Jeff and I will get you a set of earphones, if we
have to tear them off the head of the radarman!"

Meanwhile, in Vidac's quarters, the second-in-command was facing the
irascible Professor Sykes.

"Say that again, Professor," said Vidac. Sykes was standing before him
holding a slip of paper in his hand.

"I said," the professor snorted, "that in forty-eight hours and some odd
minutes we will be passing through a very thick cluster of asteroids,
about ten thousand miles in depth."

"Is it on our present course?" asked Vidac.

"Yes," replied Sykes. "We'll have to go around it. I wouldn't give you a