Tom Swift and the Visitor From Planet X

MP3 Audio CD. Tom Swift and the Visitor From Planet X

CHAPTER I

THE EARTHQUAKE


"Tom, we're having a problem with the gyro-stabilizer," said Mark Faber,
gray-haired president of the Faber Electronics Company. "Hope you can
find out what's wrong."

The eighteen-year-old inventor accepted the challenge with a smile.
"I'll be glad to try, sir," he replied.

Bud Barclay, a dark-haired young flier and Tom Swift Jr.'s closest
friend, chuckled. "If anyone can get the bugs out of your new invention,
genius boy here will do it!"

The two boys followed Mr. Faber and his engineers to a wooden building
which was tightly guarded. Inside, a secret rocket-telemetering device
was mounted on its test stand.

"As you know, Tom," Mr. Faber began, "the usual conditions of rocket
flight will be--"

He broke off with a gasp of astonishment as the whole building suddenly
began to shake.

"Good grief!" Bud exclaimed. "This isn't part of your testing routine,
is it?"

His question was drowned out by cries of alarm and the sound of cracking
glass. The walls and roof were shuddering and creaking, and the concrete
floor was heaving under their feet.