With Kit Barnard in one jet boat, Astro strapped himself into the
control chair of the other, and intercoms on, they gently fed power into
their ships. Coordinating perfectly in their maneuvers, they headed back
to the spaceport with their strange cargo.

Slowly and gently, Kit and Astro circled lower and lower until the two
jet boats were directly over the Deimos spaceport. They circled wide and
shut off power together, coming down in a long, easy glide. Keeping the
cables taut between them, so the chamber wouldn't touch the concrete
strip, the two spacemen made perfect landings, coming to a stop directly
in front of the control tower. Astro was out of his ship in a flash and
almost immediately Kit was beside him. They took no notice of the stereo
reporter who was focusing his camera on their efforts to force open the
portal on the chamber. Nor did they notice the immense crowd, standing
behind police lines, watching and waiting in silence.

"A cutting torch!" bellowed Astro to the emergency crew below. "Get me a
cutting torch."

In an instant the torch was handed to him, and ripping the space gloves
off his hands, the big cadet began cutting into the tough metal side of
the chamber.

The seconds ticked into minutes. The crowds did not move, and only the
low comments of the stereo reporter talking over an interplanetary
network could be heard above the hiss of the torch as Astro bent to his
task. A half hour passed. Astro didn't move or turn away from the
blinding light of the torch as he cut into the section of the chamber
where the portal locks would be. He did not notice that the _Good
Company_ and the emergency fleet had returned to the spaceport, nor that