"Major Connel, for another crack at Junior," roared the big Venusian, "I'd get you back in a day and a half!"
"All right," said Connel. "That's one problem. But there are others."
"What, sir?" asked Tom.
"We have to prepare reactant fuses and we have to build new reactor units. If we could do that—"
"If Astro can get us back," said Shinny, "and Roger and this smart young feller here, Alfie, can make up some fuses, I'll build them there units. After all, Astro showed me how once. I guess I can follow his orders!"
"Good!" said Connel. "Now there is the element of time. How much time would we need on Junior?" He looked at Tom.
"Let me answer this way, sir," said Tom. "We'd only have two hours to plant the reaction charges and trigger them, but that should be enough."
"Why so close, Tom?" asked Roger.
"It has to be," answered Tom. "We know what the pull of the sun is, and the power of the jet boat. When the sun's pull becomes greater than the escape speed of the jet boat, the boat would never clear. It would keep falling into the sun. I've based this figure on reaching Junior at the last possible moment."
"It'd take at least five men to set up the five explosions we need," mused Connel. "That means one of us will have to stay on the Polaris."