Stand by for Mars!
CHAPTER 8
The campus of Space Academy was quiet that evening. Only a few cadetswere still out on the quadrangle, lounging around in the open beforereturning to their quarters for bed-check.
On the forty-second floor of the dormitory building, two thirds of thenewly formed _Polaris_ unit, Tom and Astro, were in heated argument.
"All right, all right, so the guy is brilliant," said Astro. "But whocan live with him? Not even himself!"
"Maybe he is a little difficult," replied Tom, "but somehow, we've gotto adjust to him!"
"How about him adjusting to us? It's two against one!" Astro shambled tothe window and looked out moodily. "Besides, he's putting in for atransfer and there's nothing we can do about it!"
"Maybe he won't now--not after that little speech Captain Strong madethis afternoon."
"If he doesn't, then, blast it, I will!"
"Aw, now take it easy, Astro!"
"Take it easy, nothing!" Astro was building up a big head of steam."Where is that space crawler right now?"
"I don't know. He never came back. Wasn't even down at mess tonight."
"There, that's just what I mean!" Astro turned to Tom to press hispoint. "It's close to bed-check and he isn't in quarters yet. If theMP's catch him outside after hours, the whole unit will be logged andthere goes our chance of blasting off tomorrow!"
"But there's still time, Astro," replied Tom lamely.
"Not much there isn't. It just shows you what he thinks of the unit! Hejust doesn't care!" Astro paced the floor angrily. "There's only onething to do! He gets his transfer--or we do! Or--" he paused and lookedat Tom meaningfully, "or I do."
"You're not thinking, Astro," argued Tom. "How will that look on yourrecord? Every time there's a trip into deep space, they yank out yourfile to see how you operate under pressure with other guys. When theysee that you asked for a transfer from your unit, that's it!"
"Yeah--yeah--I know--incompatible--but honest, Tom--"
The curly-haired cadet felt his big friend weaken and he pressed hisadvantage.
"It isn't every day that a unit gets a ship right after finishing groundmanuals. Captain Strong said he waited for four months after manualsbefore getting his first hop into space."
"Yeah--but what do you think it's going to be like out in space withManning making sour cracks all the time?"
Tom hesitated before answering his Venusian friend. He was fully awarethat Roger was going to play a lone hand. And that they would neverreally have unity among them until some drastic measure was taken. Afterall, Tom thought, some guys don't have good hearts, or eyes, a defect toprevent them from becoming spacemen. Roger is just mixed up inside. Andthe handicap is just as real as if he had a physical flaw.
"Well, what do you want to do?" asked Tom finally.
"Go see Captain Strong. Give it to him straight. Tell him we want atransfer."
"But tomorrow we blast off. We might not have another chance for months!Certainly not until we get a new astrogator."
"I'd rather wait and have a guy on the radar bridge I know isn't goingto pull something behind my back," said Astro, "than blast off tomorrowwith Manning aboard."
Again Tom hesitated. He knew what Astro was saying was the truth. Life,so far, at the Academy had been tough enough, but with mutual dependenceand security even more important out in space, the danger of theirconstant friction was obvious.
"O.K.," he relented, "if that's the way you really want it. Come on.We'll go see Captain Strong now."
"You go," said Astro. "You know how I feel. Whatever you say goes for metoo."
"Are you sure you want to do it?" asked Tom. He knew what such a requestwould mean. A black mark against Roger for being rejected by hisunit-mates and a black mark against Astro and himself for not being ableto adjust. Regardless of who was right and who was wrong, there wouldalways be a mark on their records.
"Look, Tom," said Astro, "if I thought it was only me I'd keep my mouthshut. But you'd let Manning get away with murder because you wouldn'twant to be the one to get him into trouble."
"No, I wouldn't," said Tom. "I think Roger would make a fine spaceman;he's certainly smart enough, and a good unit-mate if he'd only snap outof it. But I can't let him or anyone else stop me from becoming aspaceman or a member of the Solar Guard."
"Then you'll go see Captain Strong?"
"Yes," said Tom. If he had been in doubt before, now that he had madethe decision, he felt relieved. He slipped on his space boots and stoodup. The two boys looked at each other, each realizing the question inthe other's mind.
"No!" said Tom decisively. "It's better for everyone. Even Roger. Hemight find two other guys that will fit him better." He walked from theroom.
The halls were silent as he strode toward the slidestairs that wouldtake him to the nineteenth floor and Captain Strong's quarters. Passingone room after another, he glanced in and saw other units studying,preparing for bed, or just sitting around talking. There weren't manyunits left. The tests had taken a toll of the Earthworms. But those thatremained were solidly built. Already friendships had taken deep root.Tom found himself wishing he had become a member of another unit. Wherethe comradeship was taken for granted in other units, he was about tomake a request to dissolve his because of friction.
Completely discouraged, Tom stepped on the slidestairs and started down.
As he left the dormitory floors, the noise of young cadet life was soonlost and he passed floors containing offices and apartments of theadministration staff of the Solar Guard.
As he drew level with the floor that was Galaxy Hall, he glanced at thelighted plaque and for the hundredth time reread the inscription--
" ... to the brave men who sacrificed their lives in the conquest ofspace, this Galaxy Hall is dedicated...."
Something moved in the darkness of the hall. Tom strained his eyes for acloser look and just managed to distinguish the figure of a cadetstanding before the wreckage of the _Space Queen_. Funny, thought Tom.Why should anyone be wandering around the hall at this time of night?And then, as the floor slipped past, the figure turned slightly and wasilluminated by the dim light that came from the slidestairs. Tomrecognized the sharp features and close-cropped blond hair of RogerManning!
_Roger was still standing in front of the_ Space Queen!]
Quickly changing over to the slidestairs going up, Tom slipped back tothe hall floor and stepped off. Roger was still standing in front of the_Space Queen_!
Tom started to speak, but stopped when he saw Roger take out ahandkerchief and dab at his eyes.
The movements of the other boy were crystal-clear to Tom. Roger wascrying! Standing in front of the _Space Queen_ and crying!
He kept watching as Roger put away the handkerchief, saluted sharply andturned toward the slidestairs. Ducking behind a glass case that held thefirst space suit ever used, Tom held his breath as Roger passed him. Hecould hear Roger mumble.
"They got you--but they won't get me with any of that glory stuff!"
Tom waited, heart racing, trying to figure out what Roger meant, and whyhe was here alone in Galaxy Hall. Finally the blond cadet disappeared upthe moving stair.
Tom didn't go to see Captain Strong. Instead, he returned to his room.
"So quick?" asked Astro.
Tom shook his head. "Where's Roger?" he asked.
"In the shower." Astro gestured to the bathroom, where Tom could hearthe sound of running water. "What made you change your mind about seeingCaptain Strong?" asked Astro.
"I think we've misjudged Roger, Astro," said Tom slowly. And thenrelated what he had seen and heard.
"Well, blast my jets!" exclaimed Astro, when Tom had finished. "What'sbehind it, do you think?"
"I don't know, Astro. But I'm convinced that any guy that'll visitGalaxy Hall by himself late at night--and _cry_--well, he couldn't beentirely off base, regardless of what he does."
Astro studied his work-hardened palms.
"You wanta keep it this way for a w
hile?" he asked. "I mean, forgetabout talking to Captain Strong?"
"Roger's the best astrogator and radar man in the Academy, Astro.There's something bothering him. But I'm willing to bet that whatever itis, Roger will work it out. And if we're really unit-mates, then wewon't sell him out now, when he may need us most."
"That's it, then," said Astro. "I'll kill him with kindness. Come on.Let's turn in. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow!"
The two boys began to prepare for bed. Roger came out of the showerwearing pajamas.
"All excited, spacemen?" he drawled, leaning against the wall, brushinghis short hair.
"About as excited as we can get, Roger," smiled Tom.
"Yeah, you space-blasting jerk!" growled Astro good-naturedly. "Turnout the lights before I introduce you to my space boot."
Roger eyed the two cadets quizzically, puzzled by the strange good humorof both boys. He shrugged his shoulders, flipped out the light andcrawled into bed.
But if he could have seen the satisfied smile of Tom Corbett, Rogerwould have been even more puzzled.
"We'll just kill him with kindness," thought Tom, and fell fast asleep.