Chapter 2

“There’s no doubt that the success or failure of this project will influence the thinking of the Solar Alliance with regard to further expansion, Governor Hardy,” said Commander Walters to the man sitting stiffly in front of him. “And my congratulations on your appointment to head the expedition.”

A tall, lean man with iron-gray hair, the commander of Space Academy, sat behind his desk, back ramrod straight in his black-and-gold senior officer’s uniform, and casually toyed with a paper cutter on his desk as he spoke to Christopher Hardy, a short, thin man with a balding head and sharp features.

“Thank you, Commander,” replied Hardy, in a thin, reedy voice. “It’s a great honor and I certainly don’t foresee anything that can prevent the expedition from being a complete success. We have the best equipment and, I hope, we’ll have the finest men.”

The soft chime of a muted bell interrupted Walters as he was about to reply. He opened the switch to the interoffice teleceiver behind his desk, then watched the image of his aide appear on the teleceiver screen.

“What is it, Bill?” asked Walters.

“Polaris unit reporting for orders, sir,” replied the enlisted guardsman. “Cadets Corbett, Manning, and Astro.”

“Very well, send them in,” said Walters. Switching off the teleceiver, he turned back to Governor Hardy. “Ever hear of the Polaris unit, sir?” he asked.

Hardy paused, rubbing his chin before answering. “No, can’t say that I have.” He smiled. “From the look on your face, I see I should know about them, though.”

Walters smiled back. “I’ll just say this about them. Of all the cadet units trained here at the Academy in the last twenty years, these three lads are just about perfection. Just the material you’ll need on your initial operation.”

Governor Hardy raised his hand in mock protest. “Please! No brain trusts!”

“Well, they have the brains all right.” Walters laughed. “But they have something else, an instinctive ability to do the right thing at the right time and that indefinable something that makes them true men of space, rather than ordinary ground hogs simply transplanted into space.”

As the commander spoke, the massive door to his office rolled back and Tom, Roger, and Astro stepped in briskly, coming to stiff attention in front of the desk.

“Polaris unit reporting for duty, sir,” said Tom. “Cadets Corbett, Manning, and Astro.”

“At ease,” said Walters.

The three boys relaxed and glanced quickly at the governor who had watched their entrance with interest. Walters came around in front of the desk and gestured toward Hardy.

“Boys, I want you to meet Governor Hardy.”

The three cadets nodded respectfully. They knew all about the governor’s achievements in establishing the first colony on Ganymede, and his success with the first exploratory expedition to outer space.

“Sit down, boys,” said Walters, indicating a near-by couch. “Governor Hardy will explain things from here on in. Where is Captain Strong?”

“He said he’d be along in a few moments, sir,” replied Roger.

“Well,” said Walters, turning to Hardy, “no sense in beginning without Steve. Only have to repeat yourself.” He turned to Astro but not before he saw a grimace of annoyance cloud the governor’s face. “How are you making out with your classroom studies, Astro?”

“Uh--ah--” stammered the giant Venusian, “I’m doing all right, sir,” he managed finally.

Walters suppressed a smile and turned to Hardy.

“One of the most important aspects of our training methods here at the Academy, Governor,” began Walters, returning to his desk, “is for the cadet to learn to depend on his unit mates. Take Astro, for instance.”

The two men glanced at the big cadet who shuffled his feet in embarrassment at being the center of attention.

“Astro,” continued Walters, “is rather shaky in the field of theory and abstract-scientific concepts. Yet he is capable of handling practically any situation on the power deck of a spaceship. He literally thinks with his hands.”

“Most commendable,” commented Hardy dryly. “But I should think it would be difficult if he ever came face to face with a situation where his hands were bound.” There was the lightest touch of sarcasm in his voice.

“I assure you, Governor,” said Walters, “that wouldn’t stop him either. But my point is this: Since a cadet unit is assembled only after careful study of their individual psychograph personality charts and is passed and failed as a unit, even though a boy like Cadet Astro might make a failing grade, his unit mates, Cadets Manning and Corbett, can pull him through by making higher passing marks. You see, an average is taken for all three and they pass or fail as a unit.”

“Then they are forced, more or less, to depend on each other?” asked Hardy.

“Yes. In the beginning of their training. Later on, the cadets learn for themselves that it is better for all of them to work together.”

Once again the bell in back of Walters’ desk chimed and he turned to speak on the teleceiver to his aide.

“Captain Strong is here, sir,” repeated the enlisted man.

“Send him right in,” said Walters. Seconds later the door slid back and Steve Strong entered and saluted.

After the introductions were completed and the Solar Guard captain had taken a seat with his cadet unit, Commander Walters immediately launched into the purpose of the meeting.

“Steve,” he began, “Governor Hardy here has been appointed by the Solar Council to head one of the most important projects yet attempted by the Alliance.”

The cadets edged to the front of the couch and listened intently for what the commander was about to say.

“But perhaps I had better let the governor tell you about it himself,” concluded Walters abruptly and settled back in his chair.

Captain Strong and the cadets swung around to face the governor, who rose and looked at each of them steadily before speaking.

“Commander Walters stressed the fact that this was an important project,” he said finally. “No one can say how important it will be for the future. It might mean the beginning of an entirely new era in the development of mankind.” He paused again. “The Solar Alliance has decided to establish a new colony,” he announced. “The first colony of its kind outside the solar system in deep space!”

“A star colony!” gasped Strong.

The cadets muttered excitedly among themselves.

“The decision,” continued the governor, “has been made only after much debate in the Solar Council Chamber. There have been many arguments pro and con. A week ago a secret vote was taken, and the project was approved. We are going to establish a Solar Alliance colony on a newly discovered satellite in orbit around the sun star Wolf 359, a satellite that has been named Roald.”

“Wolf 359!” exclaimed Roger. “That’s more than thirteen light years away--” He was stopped by Tom’s hand clamped across his mouth.

Governor Hardy looked at Roger and smiled. “Yes, Wolf 359 is pretty far away, especially for a colony. But preliminary expeditions have investigated and found the satellite suitable for habitation, with fertile soil and an atmosphere similar to our own. With the aid of a few atmosphere booster stations, it should be as easy for a colonist to live there as he would on Venus--or any tropical planet.”

“Where are you going to get the colonists, sir?” asked Strong.

Hardy began to pace back and forth in front of Walters’ desk, waving his hands as he warmed up to his subject. “Tonight, on a special combined audioceiver and teleceiver broadcast to all parts of the Solar Alliance, the president of the Solar Council will ask for volunteers--men who will take man’s first step through deep space to the stars. It is a step, which, in the thousands of years ahead, will eventually lead to a civilization of Earthmen throughout all space!”

Tom, Roger, and Astro sat in silent awe as they listened to the plans for man to reach toward the stars. Spacemen by nature and adventurers in spirit, they were united in the belief that some day Earthmen would set foot on all the stars and never stop until they had seen the last sun, the last world, the last unexplored corner of the cosmos.

“The colonists,” continued Hardy, “will come from all over the system. One thousand of them--the strongest and sturdiest men out of the billions that inhabit the planets around us; one thousand, to live on Roald for a period of seven years.”

Tom, his eyes bright, asked, “Won’t everybody want to go, sir?”

Walters and Hardy smiled. “We expect a rush, Corbett,” answered Walters. “You three and Captain Strong have been selected to aid in screening the applicants.”

“Will there be any special tests, sir?” asked Strong. “I have to agree with Corbett that just about everyone will want to go.”

“Yes, Strong,” said Hardy. “Everyone will want to go. In fact, we estimate that there will be literally millions of applicants!”

Roger emitted a long, low whistle. “It’ll take years to screen all of them, sir.”

Hardy smiled. “Not really, Manning. The psychographs will eliminate the hundreds of thousands of misfits, the men who will want to go for selfish reasons, who are running away from the past, or are dissatisfied with their lack of success in life and embittered because of failure. We can expect many criminal types. Those will be eliminated easily. We have set a specific quota from each of the satellites, planets, and asteroid colonies. I have already established the stations for the preliminary screening. We will screen the remainder until we have the required thousand.”