The Angry Red Planet Page #2

by some powerful magnetic force!

Treegar expects they're

all like that.

Then we may never know.

We have one chance--

the girl!

She is actually our only hope.

If she could give us a lead...

What is Dr. Ryan's condition?

Exhaustion, shock.

She's resting.

We should be able to talk to her

in a couple of hours.

We have very little time.

I hope she comes through.

Dr. Ryan,

will you talk to us now?

I'll try.

How is he?

Will he be all right?

We're doing everything we can.

What happened to him?

I don't know.

I can't remember.

Iris,

a lot will depend on

what you can tell us.

Please,

try to remember.

How was he infected?

By what?

I can't--

I can't remember.

Why don't you start

at the beginning?

Tell us everything that happened

from the day you left.

It may help clear your mind.

Yes--yes, I'll try.

The takeoff was

as we expected.

We reached escape velocity,

and Tom cut in the steady

1-G acceleration rockets.

We were all in high spirits

as we finished our flight-check.

Well, it's not much different

from the dry run

in the space-test cabin

on the base, huh?

A lot easier, if you ask me.

And no "Eager Treegar"

to throw imaginary

problems at us, either!

That's what the man said, Sam.

"The trip will probably be

boring routine!"

Just so you blase

space travelers

don't get too bored,

the radiation count is jumping.

Radioactive meteor?

Looks like it.

Both the radar scope pattern

and the erratic gamma-count fit.

Well, let's double check, mmm?

Visual direct, too.

Right.

Meteor confirmed.

Intersecting course.

Safety margin adequate.

I wish my parents

could have seen this.

They spent their lives

making it possible.

Mars--

the red planet.

Our destination.

Look, both moons are visible.

Hey, 2 moons--

what a place for romance, huh?

And songwriters.

2 moons, da da da da da

da da da!

Let's close your mouth

and the port guards, huh?

No use getting the view plates

scratched up by meteor dust.

I know, I know, okay, okay!

MR-1 to EB-9.

MR-1 to EB-9.

Come in, please.

Oh, Sam, get it all

on tape, will ya?

I've got it on the

auxiliary tape, sir.

MR-1, this is EB-9. Over.

MR-1 to EB-9,

condition A.

Condition A.

Everything's under control.

Over.

Well, we're still in

our own back yard.

The radio time-lag is

only a few seconds.

Wait till it's a

couple of hours.

Our conversation is going

to be a real drag then.

MR-1,

base computations

confirm report.

You are on course,

on schedule.

Hey, you look real

good up there.

Over and out!

Thanks a lot.

Over and out!

Good old mother hen

watching over her

4 little chicks.

We're thousands of

miles out in space.

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