"Appleton, Victor - Tom Swift Jr 12 - In the Race to the Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Appleton Victor)

There was a tense look on Mr. Swift's face. "This must not mean failure,
Tom. You must perfect this new invention of yours in a hurry so you can make a
flight soon. I've just heard from our space friends. They're in trouble and need our
help."
CHAPTER II
SOS TO ENTERPRISES
A NEW and exciting message from space! Both Tom and Bud were eager to
hear it.
For several months the Swifts had been in communication with beings on
another planet. It had all started when a meteorlike object, etched with strange
mathematical symbols, had landed on the grounds of Swift Enterprises. Tom and
his father had successfully decoded the message, and had developed a device
with an oscilloscope-type screen for picking up other messages. With a powerful
transmitter, Tom and his father had beamed back messages of their own.
Not long before, Tom had voyaged to the phantom satellite which the space
beings had moved into orbit about the earth. They had done this in the hope that
Tom could set up an earth-type atmosphere for them to try living in before visiting
earth itself. But, although Tom had succeeded in creating such an atmosphere
on Nestria,
the unknown space beings had been frightened
11
12 THE RACE TO THE MOON
away from the asteroid by the Brungarians, and had not yet returned there to
complete the planned experiment.
"What were the details of the message, Dad?" Tom asked eagerly.
"That's just it-there are none," Mr. Swift replied. "You see, only part of a
message was picked up on our new electronic brain."
This machine, the Swifts' latest invention, monitored the space lanes at all
times. Whenever a message was picked up from the space scientists, the brain
translated it into English. The device could also code a written message into
mathematical symbols and beam them to the Swifts' mysterious planet friends.
"Did the space people say why they needed help?" Bud put in.
Mr. Swift shook his head. "That's what worries me. The message broke off
before it was completed."
"Dad, we'd better get back to the plant fast and see if there's any further
word!"
"Right, son!"
Since his early teens Tom had worked closely with his father and had
perfected several inventions which had been patented. His first big craft had
been the Flying Lab. But nothing interested him more than creating rockets for
explorations in space. Now another journey, the most daring and challenging yet,
lay just ahead.
After telephoning for a salvage crew to remove the disabled Pigeon Special
from the water, Tom
SOS TO ENTERPRISES 13
hopped into Mr. Swift's sedan with Bud and drove back to Enterprises. The
boys quickly changed into dry clothing, then hurried over to the communications
building to rejoin Tom Sr.
"Nothing yet from our planet friends," he reported. "I sent out a message
requesting more information, but so far it hasn't been acknowledged." Mr. Swift