It was the operator on duty at the plant's communication
center.
"Turn on your TV, skipper," the operator suggested. "We've just had a
news bulletin that an earthquake tremor has been felt over in Medfield.
There's a big plant there that makes rocket nose cones. A mobile TV
crew's been rushed to the scene in a helicopter and they're trying to
pick up the action with a television camera."
"Good night! Another quake?" Bud gasped.
Tom had already rushed to the videophone. Flicking it on, he switched to
a commercial channel. Soon a picture appeared on the screen. It was a
panoramic shot of a landscape, evidently viewed from a hovering
aircraft, with a large industrial plant just below.
A TV commentator's voice was reporting developments. "Few visible signs
of a tremor," he said. "As you can see, the rocket-plant personnel and
the people of Medfield are making desperate attempts to evacuate.
Fortunately, most of them have already left the immediate area."
A few cars and trucks could still be seen speeding along the ribbonlike
roads within view of the hovering television camera.
"Oh--oh!" The commentator's voice broke in again. "Notice that tall
stack just over the plant--see how it's starting to tremble!... It's
beginning to crumble!... This must be it!"
Suddenly the whole scene seemed to explode. Plant buildings collapsed
like toy houses built of cards, while at the same time huge rocks and
trees were uprooted as a yawning crack opened in the ground below.
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