Joel felt a surge of unreasoning fear. A bell rang suddenly.
"That's it!" Thorp warned. "Lie still."
As suddenly as it had struck, the acceleration ceased. A terrifying sensation of weightlessness possessed him. He felt as if he were falling—falling! He wanted to spring from the bunk, but remembered Thorp's warning.
Startled cries burst from the passengers. Several of them jumped up. From the corner of his eye Joel saw them shoot to the overhead where they hung kicking. Then the artificial gravity came on and they fell back to the deck a great deal faster than they'd gone up.
Thorp climbed down. "You can get up now."
Joel scrambled to his feet. He felt light, giddy. Nick Thorp took a look at his alarmed countenance and burst into laughter.
"You'll get your space legs quick enough," he assured Joel. "The gravity aboard ship is only about a third of Earth's pull. You'll enjoy it when you get used to it."
Joel had his doubts about that, but when he glanced at the antics of the others he couldn't resist a grin.
A tall red-haired girl kept bounding into the air at each step. Then she flipped all the way over and lit on her bottom.
Just then a whistle blew. Joel wheeled around to find Mister Mullin, the third mate, standing in the door to the mess-room.