Tom Swift and the Electronic Hydrolung

South Atlantic task force. Other watchers waited breathlessly in t

Jupiter probe missile?" Bud

glance at the dials of the tracking equipment. "Eight thousand m

ntists, Navy officers, and newsmen were crow

e data from the planet Jupiter that no

was quiet but taut with the strain of waiting. The two Swifts resembled each other closely-e

t snare the missile, our whole project will

banked with radar and telemetering devices. Tension had been mounting throughout the morning aboard the ships and observation plane

n if the recovery operation's a flop, the shot wil

loratory flight around Jupiter was to take and record all kin

w c

, it would have cut down the amount of information-gathering equ

copilot, Bud Barclay-Tom had been given the job of directing the recovery phase of the United States government's Project Jupi

n, pal. With all our eggs in one basket, we sure can't

miled. "It's what we call in warfare a calculated risk, Bud," he sai

s remark. Tom Jr.'s pioneering rocket flights and inventio

" Bud agreed. "I'll back

ter save your orchids and keep your fingers crossed, fly boy

, were following the missile's progress as it drew closer to earth. A

retro-rockets, Tom?" Admir

" Tom replied, eying the sw

out in space, the retarding rockets in the missile's nose were triggered for a brief burst, slowi

it up!" shou

with the landing plan, and noted that the missile was slightly off the correct path. A new flow of information now began pulsing in as other ships' tracking radars recorded its course. The data was being f

e computer's dials, then busied himself

ing okay, skip

They'll fire at the proper intervals to slow down

gradually quieted as the clock ticked steadily

missile firing

s intercom. Tense silence fell as Tom's e

ast-off!" came th

led roar from topside as the slender recovery missile shot skyward. The ship rocked convulsive

hed from the compartment and up the nearest ladder for a

very missile intentl

on," said Mr.

d him a hasty smile. For the first time, the young inventor realiz

wait and hope,

screens. Two small blips were visible-one the Jupiter probe missile, the

compartment, several of the

nine o'clock!" Admiral Walt

moving steadily toward the meetin

cried out. "Some enemy's try

d gulped. "Who'd

. "But if those three missiles meet,

l readings!" Mr

ht,

In stunned silence, the Navy officers and scientists

those for?

that third blip is homing on target. This other control has just caused every instrument on this ship,

om went on, "there's only one hope of recovery-to plot the exact ge

!" Bud

d. The mystery blip had veered as the recovery missile speeded up. Within sec

sponding to control!" one of the

ashed a questioning look at To

raid so

as the radar dishes tracked it, moving in a

despair. But he set his jaw fi

soon as the tracking instruments lose contact, have the recording tapes pi

ded tersely. "Very

replied, "and lay out a computer

trument tapes-would be fed to an electronic brain. The brain would then calc

changed a brief worried glance with his f

ter probe missile? Or would