#19 Rocky Jones, Space Ranger - Silver Needle in the Sky: Chapter III

Rocky declares that the Ophecians have violated the exchange agreement in keeping Dr. Tyson as a hostage. Tyson, hearing how things are going, secretly slips a pill into his mouth. The Ophecians lock Rocky and the others in the conference room, sealing it with a 3-hour time-lock. As the Ophecians get set to leave, Darganto tries to reassert his leadership over Atlasande. When Atlasande refuses, Darganto launches an initiative to make Atlansande look bad. He and Griff duck into a mechanical room and shut off the oxygen supply for the station. On the way to the Ophecian ship, Tyson collapses. They think he is dead and leave him behind. Times passes. Soon, everyone in the conference room becomes short of breath. Rocky quickly surmises that the air supply is not working. They will be dead by the time the 3-hour lock opens unless they can get to the control valve. Looking at the vent cover, Rocky forms a plan. He borrows Vena's lipstick tube to use as a screwdriver and then sends Bobby down the duct-works. He is small enough to fit through the 18-inch square opening. At the far end Bobby is stopped by another cover. Winky shouts for him to "use his head" to solve the problem. He does just that - he butts the cover off and restores oxygen flow. He grabs some pliers from a nearby toolbox to force open the time lock. Everyone is distressed to have lost Dr. Tyson. As they carry his body toward their ship, however, he wakes up. He used a suspended animation pill that his lab has been developing. He radios Secretary Drake to award special citations to the Orbit Jet crew, especially Bobby.

Richard Crane - Rocky Jones,
Scotty Beckett – Winky,
Sally Mansfield - Vena Ray,
Robert Lyden – Bobby,
Charles Meredith - Secretary of Space Drake,
Harry Lauter – Atlasande,
Patsy Parsons - Queen Cleolanta,
Dayton Lummis - Dr. Hillary Tyson,
Rand Brooks - Ranger Andrews,
Rudolph Anders - Dr. Loran,
Mickey Simpson – Magni,
Lane Bradford – Duveen,
Dean Cromer – Darganto,
Cliff Ferre – Marshall,
Kenneth MacDonald – Ortho,
Leonard Penn – Griff,