“It’ll be some time before we can tell which way the ship is heading. The collision changed our course completely. Even when we do find out, there’s nothing we can do to control the Carefree. She’s just a runaway. But I still think there’s hope for us.”
All eyes turned upon Ben questioningly.
“That flier you two arrived in, Garry,” Ben continued. “I’ve only had a quick look inside it, and the console seemed in pretty bad shape from your and Patch’s efforts to start the engines. However, if I’m lucky and we have time before the Carefree hits another satellite or something, I may be able to fix it up so that we can escape in it.”
“It’s our only hope,” Captain Eaton replied. “I suggest you get right on the job, Ben, and call on anyone you need to help you. Meanwhile, we’ll sweat out the flight, although I must say I feel like a duck in a shooting gallery because of all the flying objects whirling out there all around us.”
“If we are able to escape in the flier,” Mr. Klecker said, “we can use its radio to send for help.”
Ben shook his head. “The radio was removed for some reason. There’s only the empty compartment it came out of.”
With faint hope of survival, some measure of good spirits was restored to the astronauts. Ben called upon Mr. Klecker to help him work on the space taxi, and Captain Eaton said he would go to the observatory to take a “fix” and try to determine the course the Carefree had taken.
“I’ll have to change clothes,” Mr. Klecker said. “I don’t want to get my uniform soiled.”
“Guess I’ll go and whip up some breakfast,” Gino said. “That’s about all I can do, although maybe nobody will be hungry.”
Captain Eaton turned to Garry and Patch before he left. “I know it’s going to be hard for you,” he said, “but try to feel hopeful about this situation. A terrible misfortune has come our way, but try to believe that things will work out for us. Chins up, eh, fellows?”