A boy came out of the domed building. “Are you the Shannons?” he asked over his space radio.
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.