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.There isn't a thing we can do!""We've got one choice," said Tom hollowly."We can either pile out now, inspace suits and use the jet boat, and hope for someone to pick us up beforethe oxygen gives out, or we can ride this space wagon right on in.Make upyour minds quick, we're already inside Mars's gravity pull!"There was a pause, then Astro's voice filled the control deck."I'll ride thisbaby right to the bottom.If I'm going to splash in, I'll take it on solid ground,even if it is Mars and not Venus.I don't want to wash out in space!""That goes for me, too," said Roger."O.K.," said Tom."Here we go.Just keep your fingers crossed that we hitthe desert instead of the mountains, or we'll be smeared across those rockslike applesauce.Spaceman's luck, fellas!""Spaceman's luck, both of you," said Astro."Just plain ordinary luck," commented Roger, "and plenty of it!"The three boys quickly strapped themselves into acceleration seats, withTom hooking up an emergency relay switch that he could hold in his hand.Hehoped he would remain conscious long enough to throw the switch and start the water sprinkler in case the ship caught fire.The Lady Venus flashed into the thin atmosphere from the void of spaceand the three cadets imagined that they could hear the shriek of the ship as itcut through the thin air.Tom figured his speed rapidly, and counting on thethinness of the atmosphere, he estimated that it would take eleven secondsfor the ship to crash.He began to count.".One-two-three-four-five-" he thought briefly of his family and how nicethey had been to him ".six-seven-eight-nine-ten-"The ship crashed.CHAPTER 17"Astro! Roger!" yelled Tom.He opened his eyes and then felt the weighton his chest.A section of the control board had fallen across him pinning hisleft arm to his side.He reached for the railing around the acceleration chairwith his right and discovered he still held the switch for the water sprinkler.Hestarted to flip it on, then sniffed the air, and smelling no trace of smoke,dropped the switch.He unstrapped himself from the acceleration chair withhis right hand and then slowly, with great effort, pushed the section of thecontrol board off him.He stood up rubbing his left arm."Astro? Roger?" he called again, and scrambled over the brokenequipment that was strewn over the deck.He stumbled over more rubble thatwas once a precision instrument panel and climbed the ladder leading to theradar deck."Roger!" he yelled."Roger, are you all right?" He pushed severalshattered instruments out of the way and looked around the shambles thatonce had been a room.He didn't see Roger.He began to scramble through the litter on the deck, kicking asideinstruments that were nearly priceless, so delicately were they made.Suddenly a wave of cold fear gripped him and he began tearing through therubble desperately.From beneath a heavy tube casing, he could see theoutstretched arm of Roger.He squatted down, bending his legs and keeping his back straight.Thengripping the heavy casing on one side, he tried to stand up.It was too muchfor him.He lifted it three inches and then had to let go."Tom! Roger!" Tom heard the bull-like roar of Astro below him andstumbled over to the head of the ladder."Up here, Astro," he yelled, "on the radar deck.Roger's pinned under theradar scanner casing!"Tom turned back to the casing, and looking around the littered deckdesperately, grabbed an eight-foot length of steel pipe that had been snappedoff like a twig by the force of the crash.Rarely able to lift it, he shoved it with all his strength to get the end of thepipe beneath the casing."Here, let me get at that thing," growled Astro from behind.Tom steppedback, half falling out of the Venusian's way, and watched as Astro got downon his hands and knees, putting his shoulder against the case.He lifted itabout three inches, then slowly, still balancing the weight on his shoulder,shifted his position, braced it with his hands and began to straighten up.Thecasing came up from the floor as the huge cadet strained against it."All-right-Tom-" he gasped, "see if you can get a hold on Roger and pull him out!"Tom scrambled back and grabbed Roger's uniform.He pulled, and slowlythe cadet's form slid from beneath the casing."All right, Astro," said Tom, "I've got 'im."Astro began to lower the casing in the same manner in which he had liftedit.He eased it back down to the floor on his knees and dropped it the last fewinches.He sat on the floor beside it and hung his head between his knees."Are you all right, Astro?" asked Tom."Never mind me," panted Astro between deep gasps for breath, "just seeif hot-shot is O.K."Tom quickly ran his hands up and down Roger's arms and legs, his chest,collarbone and at last, with gently probing fingers, his head."No broken bones," he said, still looking at Roger, "but I don't know aboutinternal injuries.""He wasn't pinned under that thing," said Astro at last."It was resting on abeam.No weight was on him.""Uh-huh-ahhh-uhhhh," moaned Roger."Roger," said Tom gently, "Roger, are you all right?""Uh-huh?-Ohhhh! My head!""Take it easy, hot-shot," said Astro, "that head of yours is O.K.Nothing-but nothing could hurt it!""Ooohhhh!" groaned Roger, sitting up."I don't know which is worse,feeling the way I do, or waking up and listening to you again!"Tom sat back with a smile.Roger's remark clinched it.No one was hurt."Well," said Astro at last, "where do we go from here?""First thing I suggest we do is take a survey and see what's left," saidTom."I came up from the power deck," said Astro, "all the way through theship.You see this radar deck?" He made a sweeping gesture around theroom that looked like a junk heap."Well, it's in good shape, compared to therest of the ship.The power deck has the rocket motors where the masterpanel should be and the panel is ready to go into what's left of the reactantchamber.The jet boat is nothing but a worthless piece of junk!"The three boys considered the fate of the jet boat soberly.Finally Astrobroke the silence with a question."Where do you think we are?""Somewhere in the New Sahara desert," answered Tom."I had the chartprojector on just before we splashed in, but I can't tell you any more thanthat
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