And his dyna 4 capsule, p.1
And His Dyna 4 Capsule, page 1
part #31 of Tom Swift Jr Series
TOM
SWIFT AND HIS DYNA-4 CAPSULE
BY
VICTOR APPLETON II
Tom Swift Jr. - 31
From the front: What are the green glowing bubble creatures that the young scientist-inventor encounters in the depths of the Pacific Ocean? How do they rescue Tom and his pal Bud Barclay from an attack by the fish men?
Tom's electrifying adventures begin deep in the Mariana Trench where he has based his newest invention, the Dyna-4 Capsule, in a hunt for rare metals. A super submarine, the craft has been especially designed for deep-sea research and exploration.
On orders from Washington, Tom takes time out from his own project to recover a stolen vial containing a highly destructive explosive. The top-secret mission turns into a danger-filled whale chase in the Dyna-4 and leads to a showdown with Tom's ruthless foes.
ILLUSTRATED BY RAY JOHNSON
GROSSET AND DUNLAP
COPYRIGHT © 1969 BY GROSSET & DUNLAP, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN CANADA
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG NUMBER: 69-12165
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The Tom Swift Jr. Series:
1 Tom Swift and his Flying Lab (1954)
2 Tom Swift and his Jetmarine (1954)
3 Tom Swift and his Rocket Ship (1954)
4 Tom Swift and his Giant Robot (1954)
5 Tom Swift and his Atomic Earth Blaster (1954)
6 Tom Swift and his Outpost in Space (1955)
7 Tom Swift and his Diving Seacopter (1956)
8 Tom Swift in the Caves of Nuclear Fire (1956)
9 Tom Swift on the Phantom Satellite (1956)
10 Tom Swift and his Ultrasonic Cycloplane (1957)
11 Tom Swift and his Deep-Sea Hydrodome (1958)
12 Tom Swift in the Race to the Moon (1958)
13 Tom Swift and his Space Solartron (1958)
14 Tom Swift and his Electronic Retroscope (1959)
15 Tom Swift and his Spectromarine Selector (1960)
16 Tom Swift and the Cosmic Astronauts (1960)
17 Tom Swift and the Visitor from Planet X (1961)
18 Tom Swift and the Electronic Hydrolung (1961)
19 Tom Swift and his Triphibian Atomicar (1962)
20 Tom Swift and his Megascope Space Prober (1962)
21 Tom Swift and the Asteroid Pirates (1963)
22 Tom Swift and his Repelatron Skyway (1963)
23 Tom Swift and his Aquatomic Tracker (1964)
24 Tom Swift and his 3D Telejector (1964)
25 Tom Swift and his Polar-Ray Dynasphere (1965)
26 Tom Swift and his Sonic Boom Trap (1965)
27 Tom Swift and his Subocean Geotron (1966)
28 Tom Swift and the Mystery Comet (1966)
29 Tom Swift and the Captive Planetoid (1967)
30 Tom Swift and his G-Force Inverter (1968)
31 Tom Swift and his Dyna-4 Capsule (1969)
32 Tom Swift and his Cosmotron Express (1970)
33 Tom Swift and the Galaxy Ghosts (1971)
CHAPTER I
HARPOON DANGER
"SKIPPER!" Bud called excitedly from the sonar room of Tom Swift's diving copter the Sea Hound "You have a message from a U. S. Navy sub - and it's urgent!
Eighteen-year-old Tom and his pal Bud Barclay had taken the Sea Hound into the deep Pacific. With them were Swift Enterprises' faithful cook Chow, Hank Sterling, and Arv Hanson. They were on their way in the sea-and-air craft to find a suitable location for Tom's new underwater research project.
Tom hurried to the audio receiver and listened intently to the submarine commander's startling message.
"This is Harper. Tom, an unbreakable vial containing a new and top-secret explosive has just been stolen from a team of American research scientists working in the Philippines."
"What!" Tom exclaimed.
"Washington," Harper went on, "wants you to help find it."
The officer explained that there had always been the danger of enemy agents stealing the sample of the explosive.
"The substance has extraordinary destructive capabilities. For this reason," he said, "the small black vial which contains the secret explosive is equipped with a hidden signal unit so it can be traced by radio or sonar."
"Clever idea," Tom said to himself. "That'll make it a lot easier for us to trace."
"The vial," continued the sub commander, "was to be flown from Manila to Washington in a Navy plane. As it was being brought down from the mountain research station by jeep, it was stolen by what were thought to be bandits.
"But they were not ordinary thieves. When the scientists in the jeep described the leader to intelligence authorities in Manila, he was identified as Ignace Sandor, a ruthless enemy agent."
"That figures," Tom said, knowing how actively hostile Brungaria, the man's country, had been to the United States over a period of years.
"We have good reason to believe that the men who stole the vial escaped by sea. The transmitter unit emits signals in the ultrasonic frequency range; they're inaudible to human ears. The unit is concealed in a false bottom on the vial. It is detachable and has a quartzose base for transmitting. The whole thing is painted black, so the chances are the thieves aren't aware that a signal is being sent out. Can we count on you to hunt for the vial?"
"You bet you can, Commander," Tom responded. "We'll do our best."
"Fine, Tom. I'll inform Washington. Before we sign off, I'll give you the pattern of the signals sent out by the transmitter in the base of the vial. Their vibration pattern is unique and easily distinguished from the 'talking' of undersea creatures."
Tom quickly recorded the alternating series of sonic wave pulses. Then he asked how the explosive could be detonated.
"That's a government secret, Tom," the commander replied, "and the Brungarians would need a long time to figure it out. Eventually, of course, they could, but we must get that vial back before they do."
As the Sea Hound proceeded at top speed, Bud said, "How did the Navy know we're out here, Tom?"
His chum grinned. "Washington has been very interested in our Dyna-4 Capsule - and that's why we're here, of course. Guess they've been keeping pretty close tabs on what we've been doing and where we've been."
The Dyna-4 Capsule, Tom Swift Jr.'s latest invention, was an underwater super laboratory, especially designed for investigation in deep-sea environments. It consisted of a central control-and-power unit with four laboratories attached to it. Each was equipped for work in a different branch of science-biology, geology, chemistry, and metallurgy.
"It's a good thing, Tom, that your trip to find a location to anchor the Dyna-4 is over," said Bud.
Tom had picked a spot in the vast and forbidding Mariana Trench, one of the deepest known places in the world's oceans-more than 36,000 feet down.
"The exploratory work we were about to begin in the trench," he said, "will have to wait. First we must rescue that secret vial."
He set the Sea Hound in an automatic spiral search course.
It was not long before Bud exclaimed, "Tom, we're picking up the vial signal on our sonar!"
"You're right. It seems to be coming from the surface. Let's take the Hound up."
Sending the craft quickly to the top, the boys scanned the surrounding ocean.
"There's the source, Bud!" Tom pointed excitedly to an old-time whaling ship lying not far away. "They have the secret vial!"
Warily Tom maneuvered the Sea Hound nearer the vessel. "Whaler ahoy!" He shouted.
To the boys' surprise, voices with foreign accents hailed them from the bridge and invited the Americans aboard.
"They certainly sound friendly," Bud commented, "but let's not take any chances."
"Right, pal," Tom agreed. "Somebody on board that ship has the Navy's stolen vial. And you can bet he'll do everything possible to keep us from finding it.
"We have one advantage, Bud. He probably hasn't found out about the transmitter, so he can't have any idea that we suspect him. Anyway, I'll take my pencil radio to keep track of the signal and my repelatron wrist watch, just in case."
The Sea Hound was close to the whaler now. Tom edged it in cautiously to the side of the huge old ship.
Prospects for a pleasant reception seemed less likely at close range. Tom noted that one of the surly-looking crewmen was poised at a harpoon gun on the forward deck. Presumably the crew was on the alert for whales-but, Tom thought, that harpoon gun could be a lethal weapon if fired at Bud or him!
Leaving Arv Hanson at the controls of the Sea Hound with instructions to follow the whaler if she tried to get away, the boys, accompanied by Hank Sterling and Chow, climbed aboard.
The trio were good friends of Tom and Bud and long-time employees of Swift Enterprises. Arv Hanson, who headed the model-making division, was blond and big-boned; the chief pattern-maker, Hank Sterling, was light-haired and lean. Only Chow Winkler, formerly a Texas ranch cook, suffered from overexposure to his special Western dishes. The size of his waist was a perfect match for his broad, happy-go-lucky smile.
They had just set foot on deck when one of the ship's crew shouted, "Thar she blows!" A huge sperm whale had surfaced off the bow!
Immediately the ship went into action. The captain hove the vessel nearer the whale. Carefully timing his shot, the crewman at the harpoon gun fired the huge shaft into the mammal's back.
The sea became a seething froth as the creature dived to escape t he enemy who had wounded it. The line from the harpoon unraveled at a fierce pace to its full length - and broke! The whale escaped, taking the harpoon with it!
"Tough luck," Bud remarked. "That old fellow must have gone crazy when he was hit. Ordinarily sperm whales don't move that fast."
Tom whispered to his pal, "The signal from the vial just stopped!"
During the exciting action, Tom had been listening carefully to the signals from his pencil radio. Now they were gone!
The boys' attention was diverted by the whaler's captain, who was corning down from the bridge in a towering rage, shouting and swearing.
"This guy sure is a poor loser," Bud said. "Listen to him over the loss of one whale."
"I wonder," mused Tom. "Could. . .?"
"Wonder what, skipper?" Bud asked quickly.
"Look over there," Tom said in reply, pointing to a thin-faced, dark-haired man. "That's Ignace Sandor, the Brungarian agent! I recognize him from the Navy's description and a picture I saw of him."
Advancing toward the agent, Tom decided on a direct approach.
"All right, Sandor," he said, "I know you, and I know you have the secret vial. Where is it?"
Surprised only for an instant, the agent swiftly whipped out a small hand weapon and pointed it at the visitors.
"Watch out!" Tom warned his party. "That's a ray gun!"
Sandor fired point-blank at Tom, but the young inventor deftly deflected the beam with his repelatron wrist unit.
The exchange between Tom and Sandor had alerted the whaling crew. The hostile and menacing men surrounded the young inventor and his party.
"Looks as if we're in for trouble," whispered Tom. "Let's try to fight our way over the side and back to the Sea Hound."
But the crew closed in. A muscular sailor in a striped shirt lunged at Tom with a harpoon. Dodging and feinting, Tom warded off the harpoon's thrust and yanked the shaft hard, bringing his right fist up into the man's solar plexus. The air went out of his lungs with a whoosh, and he collapsed gasping on the deck.
Beside him, Tom could see Bud and Hank Sterling giving a good account of themselves. Chow had two crew members by their heads and was knocking them fiercely together.
Just then a light exploded in Tom's head and he felt himself falling forward. Dazedly he rolled onto his back. Poised over him, a knife upraised to strike, was Sandor, his eyes cold as ice.
As Tom struggled to clear his head, Chow's familiar face suddenly appeared behind the Brun-garian agent. Grabbing Sander's knife arm, Chow hurled him backward with tremendous force against the railing.
"Good work, Chow," said Tom, getting to his feet. "You saved my life! Come on. Let's go over the side while we have a chance." He motioned to Bud and Hank.
The four quickly slipped over the ship's rail and into the Sea Hound, which Arv Hanson had kept alongside. As Tom closed the hatch, he heard the whaler's captain calling for depth charges.
"Arv, take her down-fast!" Tom shouted. "We're going to be depth-bombed!"
The Hound streaked rapidly for the safety of the deep ocean - but not rapidly enough. Tom and his friends heard a tremendous whoom as the first charge exploded nearby. Then he was thrown against the bulkhead. Everything went black!
CHAPTER II
A RUINED REACTOR
IT was some time before Tom regained consciousness. He sat up on the cabin floor and looked around him, his head throbbing.
"What about the others?" Tom thought. "Bud!" He called, struggling to his feet.
A moan from across the cabin brought the young inventor to his chum's side.
"I'm okay, Tom - I guess." Bud groaned. "Just shaken up. How bad is the damage?"
"I'm not sure yet," Tom answered.
The place was a shambles. Everything loose or movable had been tossed around. The scene was illuminated only by the dim light from the battery-powered emergency lights-which meant that the main power was off.
"We must be resting on the bottom," Tom said. "There's apparently no damage to the Sea Hound itself, but you can see for yourself the main power is off. Come on. Let's find out if anybody is injured."
A quick check of the crew revealed that they had been extremely lucky. Aside from a few assorted cuts and sprains, there were no major injuries.
The seacopter might be another story. Without power it could not move.
"We'd better hunt for the source of the trouble," Tom urged.
Bud said, "I wonder what happened to the whale."
"Probably got tossed around, but is probably okay. I'm more worried about us."
After an hour spent poring over blueprints and examining the complex wiring and plumbing of the Sea Hound's, atomic power system, Tom exclaimed, "Here's our trouble, Bud! This is why we're sitting here with no juice."
He pointed to an intricate section of the piping and valves on the side of the reactor nearest the outer shell of the craft.
"Those feedback valves have been buckled by the shock wave of the depth charge. My guess is that the jam-up raised pressure to the danger point, which automatically caused the system to shut down."
"What are our chances of releasing the pressure, skipper?" Bud asked anxiously.
"Not too good, I'm afraid," Tom replied ruefully. "In fact, it looks just about impossible, I'd say, unless we can dismantle that whole section of the ship-which we can't."
Hank and Arv, who had entered the power room while Tom was talking, looked bleak at the prospect.
"Tom, there must be something we can do," said Bud.
"I have an idea," the young inventor told him. "I think it'll work, but we must check a few things first."
He bent over the vessel's wiring diagrams and began making quick calculations. Finally Tom straightened up with a sigh of relief.
"This ought to get us out of the spot we're in," he said. "I wasn't too sure at first, so I wanted to check the wiring.
"Instead of trying to unjam these valves, we're going to by-pass them. Our navigational computer is okay. We'll just rewire the reactor controls so the navigational computer turns it on and off. We'll be taking a chance, of course, because there won't be any automatic safety shut-off. But we should be able to make port this way."
"I knew we could count on genius boy here," Bud said gleefully. "Well, let's get to work."
With power restored, another problem became evident: the communications computer had been damaged.
"But at least we can move," Hank spoke up.
As the Sea Hound limped toward Manila, the nearest large port, Tom discussed their encounter with the whaler.
"You know, Bud, the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that the vial we're looking for was attached to the harpoon head that was shot into the whale."
Bud nodded. "You mean that's the reason the signal quit just as the critter escaped?"
"I don't think it quit. My pencil radio wasn't functioning. Needs a new battery, I guess. Bud, I believe the captain figured that the whale was the safest place to hide the vial, and he'd retrieve it after we'd gone. No wonder he was mad when that harpoon line broke!"
Bud chuckled. "He outsmarted himself."
"One thing that made me suspicious of those men," Tom went on, "was their old ship and its outdated equipment. Modern whale hunters use an exploding harpoon head which kills the whale. I doubt that this old tub is used for whaling any more."
Bud nodded in agreement. "The ship flew a neutral flag, but I'll bet the crew was in the pay of the Brungarians."
"Yes," said Tom. "They must have thought that pretending to hunt whales would be a good cover for escaping with the vial."
The sun was halfway down the afternoon sky when the Sea Hound finally made its entry into Manila Bay. Tom, Bud, Arv, and Hank made a careful examination of the crippled craft. Then, leaving Chow on guard, they hurried off to buy the needed replacement parts. The brief tropical dusk had already fallen by the time they returned.
"Where's Chow?" Queried Bud as they came down the dock.
Tom frowned. "I'm afraid something has happened to him!" He exclaimed.
The two boys raced below deck. Chow was gone, and the communications computer had been damaged still further.
"Who could have done this?" Bud moaned, viewing the wreckage in the craft's computer room.
"My guess is that the whaler radioed the Brun-garian government about its encounter with us. They probably have a network of agents combing the Pacific for us just in case we escaped the depth charges," Tom said, trying to conceal his anxiety. "But the shambles here is the least of it. What's happened to Chow?"
