Danger in Deep Space

 

Read/Watch 'em In Order #167

The second Tom Corbett Space Cadet tie-in novel (written under the psuedonym Carey Rockwell by an unknown author) sends Tom and his fellow cadets out of the solar system for the first time.

Danger in Deep Space (1953) is another slam-bang Space Opera tale that drips with fun. Tom, Roger and Astro are assigned to fly the Polaris to the planet Tara, orbiting around Alpha Centauri. Once there, they are to test a new interstellar communication device. For this mission, the Polaris will be refitted with a hyperdrive and overall command will go to Major Connel, reputed to be the toughest officer in the service.

This is apparently true, as Connel's first encounter with the three cadets involves him chewing them out and all three soon have a bucketful of demerits charged to them for a variety of minor infractions.

But Connel isn't just a martinet. Yes, his command technique for cadets is at first to go into total Drill Sergeant Mode. But we soon find out he's really good at his job--that he cares about both the service and those under his command--and that, if you've earned a "well done," you'll get it. Connel's character template isn't original, but it's presented here with sincerity and a genuine respect for men who do jobs requiring discipline, intelligence and courage.

And discipline, intelligence and courage will be needed. The Polaris heads first to a large spaceport in orbit around Venus. It's from here they will refuel and then launch for Alpha Centuri. (By the way, there is a few paragraphs of technobabble to explain how a hyperdrive works, but then any real-life problems with relativity and Einsteinian physics are blissfully ignored. The book jumps with both feet into Space Opera territory and only occasionally about realistic science. This is how it should be in the Tom Corbett universe.)

While there, a ship crashes into the space station and the two crewmen aboard are killed. Roger Manning, who had been on duty in what was essentially the space station's air traffic control, is framed for being responsible. He goes on the run, while a replacement is brought aboard the Polaris.

While the good guys fly to the planet Tara on their mission, the guys who framed Roger actually recruit the fugitive aboard their ship. They are also flying for Alpha Centauri, intending to mine a small planetoid that is rich in copper. Copper is now very valuable--its esssential for making modern electronics, but most copper sources on Earth have been mined out.

This leads to an entertaining storyline in which the overall situation keeps changing in fun ways. The bad guys try to blow up the good guys. Roger helps foil this plan and then helps capture the bad guys, rejoining the crew of the Polaris. 

The crew of the Polaris decides to blast the copper-planet out of orbit and send it towards Earth. Apparently, it will reach the Earth in a reasonable period of time despite a distance of four light-years. It's similar to how the Millenium Falcon can reach Bespin despite its hyperdrive being knocked out. Or how the Mandalorian could get himself and Baby Yoda from one star sytem to another with no hyperdrive. Like Star Wars, the Tom Corbett Universe works according to Space Opera Physics. As it should. I DON'T WAN TO HEAR A WORD OF COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS! UNDERSTAND?

To carry out this plan, the cadets have to spend several near-sleepless days working out complicated math while building reaction bombs and timing devices. The bombs have to go off at the exact correct second to send the planet off on the correct trajectory.

I really enjoy this part of the book. As in Stand By For Mars, the book here stresses not just physical courage, but education and intelligence. We are reminded that the cadets are all very, very smart. In our universe, they'd each have at least one doctorate in the fields of math, physics or astronomy. When Major Connel obligates them to do Nobel Prize winning tasks on the fly, they step forward to do them. 

But sometimes the need for physical courage arises as well. The captured bad guys stage a break-out at the worst possible moment, putting the mission and the men of the Polaris in a situation that seems pretty much hopeless.

 

Danger in Deep Space brings the Tom Corbett series so far to 2 wins and no losses. We'll return soon to see if the winning streak continues with On the Trail of the Space Pirates. But it has space pirates in it. It can't help but be good.