blowout.”

Rob sensed someone behind him and turned to see Clay, who had followed him into the engine room. Rob saw a stark look on the cadet’s face as though the grave significance of his clash with Mort were suddenly made startlingly real to him.

“Can I help?” Clay asked.

“If you can, we’ll let you know,” Rob told him as he hurried from the room toward the pilot’s nest forward.

After instructing Lieutenant Fox, Rob returned to the engine room. As though anxious to make himself useful, Clay was leaning over the hold into which Mort had disappeared, pointing a flashlight for him. The other crewmen, except for the pilot, were gathered around in a tense knot. By now, the ship had leveled off somewhat and the unevenness was less severe.

“How is Mort coming?” Rob asked them.

“He’s complaining of the heat, sir,” Harry said. “He’s liable to collapse down there.”

Rob leaned over the hold. “How are you, Mort?”

“I’m nearly through!” came a feeble reply.

“He sounds weak,” Lieutenant Swenson said.

“I wish one of us knew how to repair the damage,” Rob said. “We could give him relief.” He turned to Clay. “Let me have the light.”

Rob shone the flashlight around the confining interior of the rocket hold. He could see the squatting figure of Mort in the far corner pressed against the huge glittering curve of the jet chamber.

Minutes later, Mort had just announced that the job was completed when there was a burst of radiant light that filled the entire hold. An acrid, burning smell swirled into the room above.

“Hand me that fire extinguisher!” Rob cried and began lowering himself. Someone thrust the CO₂ extinguisher from its wall rack into his hand, and he disappeared into the smoky hold. Through the gray veil that choked the basement room, Rob could see growing lurid flames. He pointed the extinguisher full into the fire and saw white clouds of carbon dioxide suffocating the blaze. When he could see no more redness, Rob moved forward and tumbled along the floor for Mort. He retched and coughed from the smoke. He’d be needing help soon.

His probing hands finally located Mort’s inert body and he 

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