"What about stores, sir?" asked Tom. "I didn't see anything like a supply depot."
Connel told him of the small buildings which he believed housed the elevator shafts to underground storerooms. "Only one thing is missing!" he concluded.
"What's that, sir?"
"The nuclear chambers where they produce ammunition for their fleet."
"It must be underground too, sir," said Tom. "There isn't a building in the canyon that's made of concrete and steel."
"Right. Either that, or it's back up there in the cliffs in one of those tunnels!" The officer snorted. "By the stars, Corbett, this place is an atom bomb ready to go off in the lap of the Solar Alliance."
"What are we going to do, sir?" asked Tom. "So far, it looks as if it's going to be tough to get out again."
"We'll have to wait for a break, Tom," sighed Connel.
"I hope they've taken good care of Roger," said the cadet in a low voice. "And I hope they've got Astro."
"Watch it," warned Connel. "Drifi's coming back. Remember, if we're separated and you do manage to escape, get back to Sinclair's. Contact Commander Walters and tell him everything that's happened. The code name for direct emergency contact through Solar Guard communications center in Venusport is Juggernaut!"