The Firebird Rocket Read Online Free Page B

He was wearing a plastic eyeshield and carrying a blowtorch. “Sorry about that,” he apologized. “I’m working on a wire coil with this torch. The coil’s too soft for the flame, and that’s the reason for the noise and sparks.”
    â€œThat’s okay,” Smoky said. “Don’t worry about it.”
    As the man walked off again, Chet crawled out from under the workbench and got to his feet. He looked embarrassed. “Guess I overreacted,” he said sheepishly.
    Frank soothed his feelings. “It’s better than taking chances. Well, we’ve seen the lab. Let’s report to Professor Young and find out about our assignment.”
    The Bayport youths left Smoky Rinaldo tinkering with the heat shields on the atomic reactor. They rejoined the professor, who shuffled some papers, placed them on the desk, and leaned back in his swivel chair.
    â€œHow do you like the Aerospace Lab?” he inquired genially.
    â€œWe like it fine, Professor,” Frank declared, “except for one thing.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œWe were being followed.” Frank told him about the man who seemed to be shadowing them through the lab.
    Young frowned. “I’ve never seen anyone who matches that description, but I’ll try to find out who he is. The lab is strictly off limits to unauthorized personnel.”
    He ordered through the intercom an immediate search of the premises. Then he turned back to his visitors. “Now,” he said, “let me tell you about the mystery.”
    The boys leaned forward in their chairs, eager to hear every word.
    â€œIt concerns Dr. Adrian Jenson,” Young went on. “You may have heard of him.”
    â€œThe rocket scientist,” Joe said. “He’s been working on space probes ever since the astronauts landed on the moon.”
    â€œAnd he won a prize for his math on trajectories,” Frank added. “The path of reentry from outer space into the earth’s atmosphere.”
    Young smiled. “You know your rocketry,” he complimented them. “Well, Dr. Jenson and I have been working on a revolutionary new engine powered by nuclear energy. We call it the Firebird, and it’s due for a test flight in a couple of weeks. Dr. Jenson flew to Australia three days ago to follow the flight of the Firebird at the Woomera Monitoring Station.”
    â€œAustralia?” Chet spoke up. “Why there?”
    â€œWhen a rocket is fired into orbit from our Space Flight Center, its path over the Southern Hemisphere is followed at tracking stations south of the equator. Woomera is one of the best of these installations. We are cooperating closely with the Australian government in monitoring our missiles, and our people go there frequently.”
    â€œBut why the mystery?” Joe asked.
    â€œDr. Jenson never got to Woomera. He hasn’t been heard of since he left Princeton!”
    Frank let out a low whistle. “Did he actually get on the plane?”
    â€œYes. We checked with the airlines. He arrived in Sydney and picked up his luggage. There the trail ends. We also searched his desk for clues, but found nothing.”
    â€œAnd you’ve notified the Australian police?” Joe asked.
    â€œWe did that immediately and they’ve been working on it ever since. However, both we and NASA wanted a top-flight investigator assigned to the case at this end—especially since there were indications that the plotters had been after him in this country. Our project’s top-secret, so the investigation has had to be kept under wraps, and your father seems the ideal man to handle it. But so far we have no real clue to Dr. Jenson’s whereabouts.”
    â€œMaybe enemy agents kidnapped him!” Chet exploded. “Maybe they’re brainwashing him!”
    â€œThat’s possible,” Young admitted. “The Firebird Rocket is classified. Dr. Jenson and I are the