At last came the day when the final connection had been soldered, and the last joint welded. The atomic hydrogen tanks were full, and under the ship's own power the oxygen tanks were filled and the batteries charged. They were ready for a test flight!
The great ship rested on the floor of the shed now, awaiting the start.
“Oh fellows—come here a minute!” Arcot called to the other members of the party. “I want to show you something.”
The three walked quickly to the bow where Arcot stood, and following the line of his vision, looked in wonder to see that everything was right. They watched curiously as he drew from his coat a large glass bottle, tightly sealed.
“What's that for?” asked Wade curiously.
“We're about to start on the first cruise, and I've been wondering if it isn't time we gave the ship a name.”
“Great—I'd been thinking of that too—what are we going to name her?”
“Well,” said Arcot, “I had been thinking of Alexander—he longed for other worlds to conquer!”
“Not bad,” Morey commented. “I have been thinking of naming it too—I guess we all have—but I was thinking of Santa Maria—the first ship to discover the New World.”
“I was think more of its home,” said Wade. “How about calling it Terrestrian?”