Young Readers Science Fiction StoriesElam, Richard M. (Richard Mace)
Science
Young Readers Science Fiction Stories
Elam, Richard M. (Richard Mace)
Children's stories; Science fiction; Space travelers -- Juvenile fiction
Steve saw beautiful Saturn, with its colored rings, filling much of the
blue sky. Titan was a world of close mountains, worn smooth by lots of
windy weather. A film of glistening ice covered the peaks like caps of
glass.
“Look up there, Sue!” Steve said. “Over our heads! That’s the famous
skyport of Titan!”
“I wish we could go up there!” Sue said.
“Maybe we’ll get the chance,” answered Steve.
Ahead of them stood a rounded plastic dome. Men were carrying into it
cartons of supplies which the space freighter had brought. The twins’
father, who was an official of the American Space Supply Company, was
still aboard to take care of the unloading.
A boy came out of the domed building. “Are you the Shannons?” he asked
over his space radio.
“Yes, we are,” Steve replied.
“I’m Bobby King.”
Sue and Steve said they were glad to meet him. He asked if they would
like to go up and see the skyport.
Both the young Shannons answered a quick, “Sure!” together.
They followed their new friend into the plastic dome. Bobby King pointed
to an overhead cable. Hanging from the heavy cord was a cable car.
“All aboard!” Bobby called, like a train conductor.
Sue and Steve giggled with pleasure as they entered the car, followed by
Bobby. Bobby pushed a switch and the cable car began to move.
“We’re going up like a corkscrew,” Bobby said.
Round and round, right out of the top of the building, moved the cable
car. Up and up it went. It took about ten minutes to reach the top. As
soon as they got out, two men passed them who were talking about a storm
that was on the way.
“Boy, if there’s a storm coming, you two are sure in luck!” Bobby told
Sue and Steve.
Steve and Sue looked at one another, puzzled. Why should their young
friend be pleased over a coming storm?
They saw before them a space that looked as flat as a highway and larger
than a football field. There was a row of hangars along the far side.
“Wow, we sure must be high!” Steve burst out. They seemed to be almost
on a level with the mountains.
“We’re a whole mile off the ground,” Bobby told him. “The skyport rests
on the corners of two mountain ridges.”
They went over to one of the clear plastic walls that edged the skyport.
“Gee, the freighter sure is little down there!” Sue said.
It almost took Steve’s breath away. The big space ship indeed looked no
larger than a toy down below.
“Why did they go to such trouble to build this?” Steve asked.
“Because there wasn’t any place flat enough on the ground,” Bobby
answered. “My father says they need a main skyport on Titan because
there are so many companies here digging for uranium. The colonists fly
here to get their supplies and mail.”
“I see some dark clouds over the mountains,” Sue said. “Does that mean a
storm is coming?”
Bobby’s helmet nodded. “It sure does! You two are the luckiest ones! You
got here right at the start of the storm season.”
Steve and Sue were still puzzled as to why Bobby wanted it to storm.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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