Free Journey Into Space by Charles Chilton Page B

walking up side of ship. I’ll make a complete circuit.”
    “How’s the suit, Jet?” I asked him.
    “Fine, Doc, fine. More comfortable than I’d dared to hope. Now hitching safety line and walking towards nose.”
    I could imagine him out there, walking up the side of the ship like a fly up a wall. To him ‘down’ was towards his feet--whatever part of the ship he might be. If, by any mischance, his magnetic boots failed and he went drifting off into the void, his safety line would hold and enable him to pull himself back.
    “Any sign of where the meteor hit us?” It was Mitch.
    “No, not yet.”
    “Ask him if he can see the Earth,” prompted Lemmy.
    “Not now,” Mitch replied. “One thing at a time. Finding the point of impact is more important.”
    But Jet had already found it. The meteor had struck us near the ship’s nose. Apparently it must have been a very small one--minute--for only a tiny part of the steel outer casing had vaporised. We thanked our lucky stars it hadn’t been larger.
    We all now expected Jet to make his way back to the airlock and return to the cabin. But no. “You must come out here, all of you,” he said with bated breath. “This is something you’ve got to see.”
    “We can’t all go,” Mitch told him. “Somebody must stay to work the airlock.”
    In spite of my great desire to join Jet outside the ship, I volunteered to remain behind, asking, by way of compensation, that I should be the first to step down on the surface of the Moon. My request was granted. A few moments later Mitch and Lemmy were outside with Jet and I could hear their excited voices as they pointed out to one another the sights of the Universe.
    “Did you ever see so many stars? So many different colours, too. And so small and bright,” said Lemmy. “How fast are we going, Jet?”
    “About 2000 miles an hour.”
    “We don’t seem to be moving at all.”
    “Take a look at the Moon, Lemmy. Even from this distance you can see the mountains and craters on her.”
    “How far away is she now?”
    “At a rough guess I’d say about a hundred thousand miles.”
    “Oh. No distance at all. A fourpenny ‘bus ride.”
    “If it’s a sight you want to see, take a look at the Earth.” Mitch had joined the conversation now. “You can make out the African continent quite easily and the reflection from the ice cap is almost too brilliant to look at.”
    “If we never get to the Moon,” said Jet, “the trip will have been worth it--just for this.”
    “Jet,” said Lemmy, “I’m going for a walk down under.”
    “Then be sure your safety line is secure. We don’t want you drifting off.”
    “Don’t worry, boy. I don’t aim to leave this ship yet. You must come out here, Doc, you’d enjoy it. Maybe when I’ve taken my constitutional I’ll come in and you can come out.”
    “Thanks, Lemmy,” I told him. “I’d like to.”
    I visualized them out there, stuck to the hull of the rocket; Jet and Mitch standing on one side and Lemmy walking away from them down to the opposite side.
    Lemmy was still talking, half to me, half to himself. “If only Becky could see me now, she wouldn’t know if I was on my head or my heels--any more than I do. Do you know, Doc ...” He paused. “Huh?” he said, as though Jet or Mitch had spoken, “what’s that?” But neither of them had said a word and I certainly hadn’t as I’d been listening to Lemmy. But he had heard something for he went on: “There it is again--that funny music.”
    I listened intently but could hear nothing. “What is it, Lemmy?” I asked him. “What can you hear?”
    He didn’t reply but continued talking to himself. “There it is again.” He began to sound alarmed. “And getting louder. Doc, can you hear me? Why don’t you answer?”
    “I am answering you, Lemmy--what is it?” But although I could hear Lemmy all right, he obviously couldn’t hear me. Urgently he called Jet, but didn’t hear when he replied either. Now