"_From the rocket fields of the Academy To the far-flung stars of outer s.p.a.ce, We"re s.p.a.ce Cadets training to be Ready for dangers we may face.
Up in the sky, rocketing past, Higher than high, faster than fast, Out into s.p.a.ce, into the sun, Look at her go when we give her the gun.
We are s.p.a.ce Cadets, and we are proud to say Our fight for right will never cease.
Like a cosmic ray, we light the way To interplanet peace!_"
"_Dis_-missed!" roared Walters. Immediately the precise lines of cadets turned into a howling mob of eager boys, everyone seemingly running in a different direction.
"Come on," said Roger. "I"ve got everything set! Let"s get to the station ahead of the mob."
"But what about our gear?" said Tom. "We"ve got to get back to the dorm."
"I had it sent down to the station last night. I got the monorail tickets to Atom City last week, and reserved seats on the _Venus Lark_ two weeks ago! Come on!"
"Only Roger could handle it so sweetly," sighed Astro. "You know, hotshot, sometimes I think you"re useful!"
The three cadets turned and raced across the quadrangle for the nearest slidewalk that would take them to the Academy monorail station and the beginning of their adventure in the jungles of Venus.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
CHAPTER 2
"The situation may be serious and it may not, but I don"t want to take any chances."
Commander Walters sat in his office, high up in the Tower of Galileo, with department heads from the Academy and Solar Guard. Behind him, an entire wall made of clear crystal offered a breath-taking view of the Academy grounds. Before him, their faces showing their concern over a report Walters had just read, Captain Strong, Major Connel, Dr. Joan Dale, and Professor Sykes waited for the commanding officer of the Academy to continue.
"As you know," said Walters, "the resolution pa.s.sed by the Council in establishing the Solar Guard specifically states that it shall be the duty of the Solar Guard to investigate and secure evidence for the Solar Alliance Council of any acts by any person, or group of persons, suspected of overt action against the Solar Const.i.tution or the Universal Bill of Rights. Now, based on the report I"ve just read to you, I would like an opinion from each of you."
"For what purpose, Commander?" asked Joan Dale, the young and pretty astrophysicist.
"To decide whether it would be advisable to have a full and open investigation of this information from the Solar Guard attache on Venus."
"Why waste time talking?" snapped Professor Sykes, the chief of the nucleonics laboratory. "Let"s investigate. That report sounds serious."
Major Connel leveled a beady eye on the little gray-haired man.
"Professor Sykes, an investigation is serious. When it is based on a report like this one, it is doubly serious, and needs straight and careful thinking. We don"t want to hurt innocent people."
Sykes shifted around in his chair and glared at the burly Solar Guard officer. "Don"t try to tell me anything about straight thinking, Connel.
I know more about the Solar Const.i.tution and the rights of our citizens than you"ll know in ten thousand light years!"
"Yeah?" roared Connel. "And with all your brains you"d probably find out these people are nothing more than a harmless bunch of colonists out on a picnic!"
The professor shot out of his chair and waved an angry finger under Connel"s nose. "And that would be a lot more than I"m finding out right now with that contraption of yours!" he shouted.
Connel"s face turned red. "So that"s how you feel about my invention!"
he snapped.
"Yes, that"s the way I feel about your invention!" replied Sykes hotly.
"I know three cadets that could build that gadget in half the time it"s taken you just to figure out the theory!"
Commander Walters, Captain Strong, and Joan Dale were fighting to keep from laughing at the hot exchange between the two veteran s.p.a.cemen.
"They sound like the _Polaris_ unit," Joan whispered to Strong.
Walters stood up. "Gentlemen! Please! We"re here to discuss a report on the activities of a secret organization on Venus. I will have to ask you to keep to the subject at hand. Dr. Dale, do you have any comments on the report?" He turned to the young physicist who was choking off a laugh.
"Well, Commander," she began, still smiling, "the report is rather sketchy. I would like to see more information before any real decision is made."
Walters turned to Strong. "Steve?"
"I think Joan has the right idea, sir," he replied. "While the report indicates that a group of people on Venus are meeting regularly and secretly, and wearing some silly uniform, I think we need more information before ordering a full-scale investigation."
"He"s right, Commander," Connel broke in. "You just can"t walk into an outfit and demand a look at their records, books, and membership index, unless you"re pretty sure you"ll find something."
"Send a man from here," Strong suggested. "If you use anyone out of the Venus office, he might be recognized."
"Good idea," commented Sykes.
Joan nodded. "Sounds reasonable."
"How do you feel about it, Connel?" asked Walters.
Connel, still furious over Sykes"s comment on his spectrum recorder, shot an angry glance at the professor. "I think it"s fine," he said bluntly. "Who"re you going to send?"
Walters paused before answering. He glanced at Strong and then back at Connel. "What about yourself?"
"Me?"
"Why not?" continued Walters. "You know as much about Venus as anyone, and you have a lot of friends there you can trust. Nose around a while, see what you can learn, unofficially."
"But what about my work on the spectrum recorder?" asked Connel.
"That!" snorted Sykes derisively. "Huh, that can be completed any time you want to listen to some plain facts about--"
"I"ll never listen to anything you have to say, you dried-up old neutron chaser!" blasted Connel.
"Of course not," cackled Sykes. "And it"s the same bullheaded stubbornness that"ll keep you from finishing that recorder."
"I"m sorry, gentlemen," said Walters firmly. "I cannot allow personal discussions to interfere with the problem at hand. How about it, Connel?
Will you go to Venus?"
Lou Connel was the oldest line officer in the Solar Guard, having recommended the slightly younger Walters for the post of commandant of s.p.a.ce Academy and the Solar Guard so that he himself could escape a desk job and continue blasting through s.p.a.ce where he had devoted his entire life. While Walters had the authority to order him to accept the a.s.signment, Connel knew that if he begged off because of his work on the recorder, Walters would understand and offer the a.s.signment to Strong.
He paused and then growled, "When do I blast off?"