Maneuvering themselves away from the ship with the aid of the small jet
packs strapped to their shoulders, they reached the dead spaceman. Sid
carried him back to the ship while Astro and Kit remained to search the
wreckage for Tom.

By now, three small jet boats and two rocket scouts had blasted off from
Deimos, bringing emergency rescue equipment. More than a dozen men
poured out of the ships and joined in the search. The work was carried
on in silence. No one spoke.

Astro and Kit worked side by side, pushing their way gently through the
twisting mass that was once a proud spaceship, to the heart of the
spiraling wreckage, down toward the bank of atomic motors that was
attracting all the lesser pieces. Suddenly Astro paled. He gripped the
veteran's arm and gestured toward a large section of the ship on the
other side of the motors that they had not seen before.

"By the stars," Kit gasped, "it's the air lock! All in one piece!"

"If Tom managed to get in there, or if he was in there when the ship
exploded, maybe he has a chance."

"You're right, Astro," said Kit hopefully.

[Illustration]

"But we can't open it out here," said Astro. "If Tom is inside, we have
to take it down to Deimos. If we open it here, and he doesn't have a
space suit on, he'd suffocate."