Jupe glanced up. “The loft’s coming down!”

It was sagging, ripping out from the rocket’s sides.

The guys leaned away, and with a hot whoosh of air, the loft crashed down past them.

“Close call!” Jupe said, relieved, as the Investigators started down again.

But the groaning and ripping sounds increased above them.

Jupe looked up again, and what he saw made his stomach hollow with fear. “The whole ship’s collapsing!” he cried.

Gripping the rail, the investigators raced down the staircase. It swayed back and forth like a cobra. Suddenly it gave a mighty jerk.

“Jump!” Pete bellowed.

The guys leaped to the floor. With a crash the staircase fell down in a splintered heap. The guys tore for the doorway as dust and a hail of debris sprayed outward. Coughing, they dashed out into the clean, warm air.

Stunned Oracle workers had gathered to watch the tall silver ship collapse in on itself. They rushed over to the Investigators.

“You were in there?” one asked, astounded.

Before they could answer, Silas Ek called their names. The crowd around them parted.

“Are you all right?” Ek asked as he strode up to them. His face was pale with worry.

The guys gave a once-over to their bones and muscles.

“It’s okay. We’re fine,” Pete announced, and the gathering applauded.

Jupe turned to Ek. “Obviously the rocket was rigged to self-destruct, but why did it do it while we were inside?”

“It was supposed to fall apart on camera,” Ek explained. “Not on you fellows. We’re really very sorry.” Relief showed on his face as he explained to the guys what he thought had happened. He touched an on/off switch embedded in the wood post of the low fence. “Our stunt people had threaded aircraft cables through the studs of the rocket’s walls. This switch turned on a winch. It tightened the cables until they sheared off all the nails holding the walls together. Then, one by one, pieces of the ship fell in — but they were supposed to do it in the movie.”

“Who flipped the switch?” Jupe asked.

Ek frowned. “Probably someone who didn’t realize that the switch was connected to the rocket.”

Jupiter pointed to the sign above the switchbox, which clearly spelled out its purpose. “Hard to believe someone could be so stupid.”

“It happens, ”Ek said. “People get tired… or careless… or they’re just fooling around. Don’t worry — Oracle will be happy to pay any medical expenses.”

Jupiter sighed. “All we’ve got is a few scratches.”

Ek wasn’t going to admit that someone had it in for the Investigators, Jupe thought, and maybe Ek was right. Maybe it was an accident.

“You’ll be happy to know you were right about my video monitors,” Ek said, changing the subject.

“There was a virus in the system that affected the scan control.”

“Thought so,” Jupe said grumpily.

Just then the cleanup crew arrived and went to work on the rocket’s rubble. The Investigators glanced around. Now that the excitement was over, the crowd was wandering off to their jobs.

In the midst of the throng Jupe spotted the back of a green jacket. Could it be the guy who’d shoved the microwave cart at him in Rome’s apartment?

Instantly he yelled, “Wait!” and raced away after the guy.

“What’s going on?” Silas Ek shouted after Jupe.

“We’ll be back!” Bob assured Ek, and he and Pete took off after Jupe, although they couldn’t see who or what Jupe was chasing.

The guy in the green Windbreaker glanced back over his shoulder and spotted Jupiter. His eyes narrowed angrily, and he dashed away around a building.

Jupe was puffing, but he put on a burst of speed to catch the guy. Just then a rack of clown costumes was pushed across the sidewalk. Eyes on the green jacket, Jupe never saw the rack.

Jupe and the clown suits collided.

“Yo, Mr. Graceful!” Bob hooted.

Bob and Pete glided to a stop next to Jupe lying on the ground. Jupe pulled ruffled collars off his face and peaked hats from his chest. He propped himself up on his elbows, his head spinning.

“Jupe, you’ve got to quit clowning around!” Pete said “Get it? Ha — ha!”

Jupiter was in no mood for jokes. He swore. “I almost had him!”

“Who?” Bob asked. “Greenjacket!”

“He’s here at Oracle?” Pete said, surprised. “Who’s here?” Silas Ek asked. Jupiter hauled himself up on his feet and told Ek about their experiences with the man in the green jacket. “Maybe he’s the one who threw the switch. He almost creamed me yesterday with a microwave cart!”

“But you didn’t see his face yesterday,” Ek said. “Correct?” Jupe had to nod.

“Then how can you be sure this man is the same one? And how am I supposed to know who he is? Most of our employees and visitors dress casually, and we’re a big company. There could be fifty men here today wearing green jackets. And quite honestly, if someone were chasing me, I might run too!”

Silas Ek was being logical again, Jupe thought, and the Investigators were getting nowhere fast.

“Okay,” Jupiter said, trying a different tack, “Let’s talk about Norton Rome. What was the guy doing in Rome’s apartment?”

Silas Ek took a deep breath. As Jupe had noted earlier, Norton Rome’s name seemed to make Ek nervous.

“What are you, anyway?” Ek asked. “Detectives?”

“As a matter of fact,” Jupe said, “we are!” He handed Ek a Three Investigators business card.

Ek read the card and flicked it with his thumb. “So you’re investigating Nort?”

“His disks infected our system with a computer virus. Now you’ve got a virus. We’re worried it might’ve spread all over!”

“Yes,” Ek said thoughtfully, “I can see you’re worried. But I can tell you with certainty that our virus has gone nowhere else. You’d best concentrate on whom you’ve infected.”

The security chief pulled out his wallet, and a slip of paper fell from his pocket. Jupe picked it up while Ek slid the Investigators’ card in with a stack of others in his wallet.

Jupe started to hand the paper to Ek. Then he spotted three words: WELCOME TO CHAO$!

“Give that to me!” Ek demanded, and grabbed the paper back.

Jupe didn’t need the paper to complete the message. WELCOME TO CHAO$! PAY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS, OR YOU AND YOUR DATA WILL BE ERASED!

Jupiter stared at the angry Silas Ek. Suddenly all the weird and violent events made sense!

Bob stared at Jupiter. “what’s up, Jupe?”

“Guys,” Jupiter said slowly, “I know what the connection is between our virus and Oracle’s virus.”

“What?” Bob demanded.

Jupiter explained, “You remember that message on our PC… the one that demanded five mil? Well, it wasn’t meant for us — it was meant for Oracle!” He faced the security chief. “And Mr. Ek is nervous every time we ask about Norton Rome because it’s Rome’s message. Norton Rome is blackmailing Oracle for five million dollars!”

Silas Ek glowered. “That’s ridiculous, young man.” Jupe shook his head. “Then why’d you go looking for Rome at his apartment?”

“What makes you think I did?” Ek snapped. “The apartment manager described you,” Jupe said. “Look, sir, I’ve read about programmers blackmailing their employers, and that’s what Rome’s got to be doing to Oracle. He wants five million or his virus will wipe out your computer system. We probably have the same virus you do. Rome must’ve transferred it and the threat to our game disks, but I don’t know why.”

“Maybe it was an accident,” Bob said. “It’s easy to copy something and not know it. I’ve done it and not noticed for days!”

Jupe asked the security chief, “What’s Rome promising in return if you pay the blackmail money?”