Chapter 4

“You mean Captain Strong has been recalled to the Academy?” gasped Roger.

“That’s right,” replied Tom. “He had a talk with Governor Hardy last night and this morning he took the jet liner back to Earth. Special orders from Commander Walters.”

“Well, blast my jets!” exclaimed Astro. “Wonder what’s up?”

“I don’t know,” said Tom. “But it must be something more important than the Roald project for him to pull out now!”

“It might have something to do with the project, Tom,” suggested Roger.

Tom shook his head. “Maybe, but it just isn’t like Captain Strong not to say anything to us before he left. I wouldn’t have known about it if one of the enlisted guardsmen hadn’t asked me if we were going with him.”

Astro and Roger looked at each other. “You mean,” asked Roger, “Captain Strong didn’t tell you he was going?”

“That’s just it!” replied Tom. “We’ve been traveling all over space together screening the applicants, and then Captain Strong just leaves when we start the final screening.”

The three cadets were seated in a snack shop in Luna City on the Moon, sipping hot tea and eating spaceburgers. For six weeks they had been interviewing the applicants for the new satellite colony and were getting near the end. Their task had gone fairly smoothly except for some difficulty on Mars when Strong and the cadets had rejected scores of applicants with shady backgrounds; criminals and gamblers; spacemen who had had their space papers picked up for violation of the space code, and men who had been dismissed from the enlisted Solar Guard for serious misconduct. But now, finally, the quotas of all the colonies and planets but Luna City on the Moon had been filled. Soon the expedition would blast off for Roald.

“Well,” said Tom, sipping the last of his tea, “we have a heavy day ahead of us tomorrow. I guess we’d better get back to the Polaris and sack in.”

“Yeah,” agreed Astro, tossing some credits on the counter and following Tom and Roger out into the street. They walked past the shops, their blue cadet uniforms reflecting the garish colors of the nuanium signs in the shop windows. At the first corner they hailed a jet cab and were soon speeding out of the city toward the municipal spaceport.

The boys didn’t talk much on the way out, each wondering why Captain Strong was recalled on such short notice, and why he had left without saying good-by to them. They knew they would see him in a few days when the processing of the Luna City applicants was over and they would return to Space Academy, but the relationship between the cadets and the Solar Guard captain had developed into a deeper association than just a cadet crew and officer supervisor. They were friends--spacemates! And the boys sensed trouble ahead when they arrived at the Luna City spaceport. They stood in the shadow of the Polaris and stared into the sky to watch the globe that was Earth revolve in the depths of space. The outline of the Western Hemisphere, flanked by the shimmering Atlantic and Pacific oceans, could be seen clearly. It was a breath-taking view of a world that had given birth to all the men who now took the travel from one world to another for granted.

“Gosh,” said Tom, staring at the magnificent sight. “I see the Earth like that every time we blast off from Luna. I should be used to it by now, but--” he stopped suddenly and sighed.

“I know what you mean, Tom,” said Astro. “It’s the same with me. Gets me right here,” and he put his hand to his heart.

“You don’t know your anatomy yet, pal,” drawled Roger. “Move your hand down a couple of inches. Things only get you in the stomach.”

“Oh, is that a fact?” growled the big Venusian. Suddenly, without any apparent effort, he picked up the blond cadet and held him high in the air. “Which way shall I drop him, Tom? On his head or the seat of his pants? Seems to me it won’t make much difference.”

Tom laughed at the spectacle of Roger flailing the air helplessly, then suddenly stopped and grabbed Astro by the arm. “Wait, Astro,” he called. “Look! There’s someone in the ship!”

“What?” cried Astro, dropping Roger and turning to the Polaris. The three cadets saw light gleaming from the control-deck viewport.

“Well, I’ll be a space monkey!” exclaimed Roger. “Who could it be?”

“I don’t know,” replied Tom. “Governor Hardy is at the Luna City Hotel, and Captain Strong is the only one besides us who has the light key to open the air lock!”

“Well, what’re we waiting for!” said Roger. “Let’s find out what’s going on!”

The three cadets climbed into the ship and raced up the companionway to the control deck.

“No one here,” announced Roger as he stepped through the hatch. He turned to Astro. “You were the last one out of the ship. Are you sure you locked it up?”

“The ship was locked, Cadet Manning!” said a voice in back of them. The three cadets whirled around to face a tall, wiry man with dark hair, dressed in civilian clothes and holding a cup of coffee. He smiled at the three startled cadets and casually drained the cup. “I opened her,” he continued in a deep voice. “Governor Hardy gave me the key.”

“Who are you?” asked Tom, almost indignant at the man’s self-assurance. And then he stopped, frowning, “Say, haven’t I seen you before?”

“You’re right, Tom,” cried Astro. “I’ve seen him too!”

“Who are you, mister?” demanded Roger.

The man turned back to the messroom just off the control deck, put the coffee cup down on the table, and returned to face the three cadets. “My name is Paul Vidac. I’m the new lieutenant governor of Roald.”

“You’re what?” gasped Tom.

“You’re space happy!” exclaimed Roger. “Your application was refused. Captain Strong rejected it himself.”

“Fortunately for the project of Roald,” said Vidac with a half-smile playing at his lips, “Captain Strong has been taken off the Roald project.” He paused and lounged against the bulkhead to announce, “I have replaced him.”

“You couldn’t replace Captain Strong digging a hole in the ground, mister!” snapped Roger sarcastically.

“You might have taken over his work, but you couldn’t touch him with an atomic blaster,” growled Astro. “Captain Strong is--”

“Wait, fellows,” said Tom. “Let’s find out what this is all about.”

“That’s all right, Corbett,” Vidac broke in. “I appreciate your allegiance. I wouldn’t like anyone who would accept another person in place of a friend without putting up a beef.” His voice was as smooth as the purr of a cat.

“How could you have replaced him, mister?” asked Tom, with just a little more self-control than Roger or Astro had shown.

“Very simple,” said Vidac. “Governor Hardy has the final say on all applications, as you know. He has unquestioned authority to appoint, approve, and select anyone he wants. In view of my experience, Governor Hardy was delighted to have me join the Roald expedition.”

The three cadets looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally Tom walked over and stuck out his hand. “We’re glad to have you aboard, sir.” He managed a smile.

Reluctantly Roger and Astro followed suit.

“Thank you, boys,” said Vidac with a smile. “I’m sure we’ll learn to work together smoothly in these last few days. There are a few changes to be made of course. But it really doesn’t matter. You’ll be finished with the screening soon.”

“What kind of changes, sir?” asked Tom.

“Oh, just routine,” answered Vidac. “Instead of you seeing the applicants first, I will speak with each one briefly before sending them on to you.”

“What’s the matter with the way we’ve been doing it?” asked Roger with a slight edge to his voice that did not go unnoticed. Vidac looked at the cadet. His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were hard.

“I think, Cadet Manning,” purred Vidac, “that it will be better for you not to question me, or any of my practices. A Space Cadet’s first rule is to take orders, not to question them.”

Tom was thinking quickly. It was obvious that Vidac had gone straight to Governor Hardy and had prevailed on him to review his application. Tom could see how Vidac’s background would impress the governor. He remembered that there wasn’t any real evidence against Vidac. In fact, Tom thought, it was only because Vidac’s background was so superior to most of the applicants that he had aroused suspicion at all. Now, with Captain Strong recalled to the Academy, it was only natural for the governor to get the best man for the job. Tom was ready to admit that Vidac’s background certainly spoke for itself.

He looked at the man and grinned. “I’ll tell you honestly, sir. When Captain Strong refused your application, it was because--well--”

Vidac was watching Tom shrewdly. “Well?” he asked quietly.

“It was because we couldn’t understand how a man like you would want to bury yourself on a satellite for seven years when you could get most any kind of job you would want, right here in the Alliance.”

Vidac hesitated just a second, and then his face broke into a broad grin. “You know, Corbett, you’re right! Absolutely right! I can see where you three boys have done a fine job for the governor.” He slapped Astro on the back and threw his arm around Tom’s shoulder, speaking to them in a suddenly confidential tone. “As a matter of fact, I was offered the directorship of the Galactic space lanes only last week,” he said. “Do you know why I refused it?”

Tom shook his head.

“Because I’m a spaceman, just like yourselves.” He looked at Astro. “Cadet Astro, would you take a job with an outfit and give up space to sit behind a desk eight hours a day?”