Tom Corbett Space Cadet

by Carey Rockwell

  "I realize that, Tom," said Roger. "But I don't know how long I can—"

  Jeff Marshall suddenly appeared in the doorway of their quarters. "Professor Sykes wants to see us right away, fellows," he announced. "And watch your temper, Roger. Just do the best you can, and the professor will leave you alone."

  "You said it," agreed Tom. "Nothing in the universe talks as loudly as hard work. Let's all show him."

  The three cadets followed the enlisted spaceman out of the room and headed toward Sykes's quarters. Tom's thoughts were confused. He wasn't sure of his feelings any more. So much had happened since their departure from Space Academy. Then, suddenly, he realized that he hadn't sent his second report to Captain Strong. He wasn't even sure whether his first report had gotten through. He turned to Astro and remarked casually, "I wonder what Captain Strong is doing right now?"

  "I don't know," replied Astro. "But I sure wish he was here!"

  "Say it again, spaceboy," growled Roger. "Say it again!"

  At that moment over fifty-five billion miles away, in his office high in the Tower of Galileo, Commander Walters was talking with Captain Steve Strong and Dr. Joan Dale. The stern-faced, gray-haired commander of Space Academy frowned as he read a report Joan Dale had just given him.

  "Are you sure of this, Joan?" he asked.

  "I'm positive, Commander," replied the beautiful young doctor of astrophysics. "The tests are conclusive. There is uranium on Roald!"

  "But I don't understand why it wasn't discovered before this?" mused Strong. "It's been nearly a year since the first exploratory expedition out to Roald."

  "Samplings of the soil of Roald were taken from all sections of the satellite, Steve," replied Joan. "On-the-spot tests were made by the scientists of course, but there were no indications of uranium then. But cadets majoring in planetary geology tested the soil samples as part of their training. Several of them reported uranium findings. And I checked all their examinations carefully, besides making further tests of my own. That report is the result." She indicated the paper on Walters' desk.

  "But you say the deposit is probably a large one," Walters protested. "How could it have been missed?"

  "Not necessarily large, sir," said Joan, "but certainly of the purest quality."

  Walters looked up at Strong. "Well, Steve?"

  "Joan told me about it, sir," said Strong. "And since an investigation is probably the next step, I came over, hoping you'd let me go along." He paused and looked at Joan.

  "Steve would also like to see his crew of Space Cadets." Joan smiled. "He hasn't received a report from them yet, and I think he's worried they might be involved in some mischief!"

  "No report, eh?" asked Walters.

  "No, sir," replied Steve. "I thought one would be waiting for me when I got back from Pluto. But there wasn't any."

  "Ummmh!" mused Walters. He looked at his calendar. "About time for them to send in a second report too. Tell you what, Steve. They might be having a tough time setting up things out there on Roald. Suppose you get things organized to investigate the uranium report. And if no word comes in from the cadets by the end of the week, then you can blast off."

  "Thank you, sir," said Strong. "Will you excuse me, sir? I'd like to get to work right away."

  At Walters' nod, Strong saluted briskly and left the office. Walters turned to Joan.

  "You know, I don't think he's half as interested in finding a big uranium deposit as he is in seeing those boys!"

  * * * * *

  In four separate soundproof cubicles in a small office in the Administration Building on Roald, the three space cadets and Jeff Marshall racked their brains to remember simple equations and formulas, knowledge learned years ago but long-since forgotten, for the more complicated subjects of space, time, and rocket travel. Now, trying to recall simple arithmetic and other elementary studies, the cadets and Marshall worked eighteen hours a day. Speaking directly into soundscribers and filling what seemed to be miles of audio tape, the four spacemen attempted to build a comprehensive library of a hundred carefully selected subjects for the children of Roald. Professor Sykes listened to the study spools as they were completed. He listened carefully, reviewed their work, edited it, and made notes for follow-up comment. Then, at the end of the day, he would hold a final meeting with them, outline what he wanted the next day, and reject spools that he felt were not satisfactory. For older children's studies, the three cadets and Jeff had divided their work into four classifications. Roger covered electronics, astrophysics, astrogation, and allied fields. Astro took charge of rockets, missiles, power machinery, and applied uses of atomic energy. Jeff's work was biological, bacteriological, mineralogical, and geological. Tom covered social studies, government, economy, and history.

  Resting as comfortably as possible, each of the four spacemen would sit and think. And when he had gone as far back as he could in his memory of formal education and acquired knowledge, he would begin to talk into the soundscriber. Of all the spools, Tom's were edited the least. And Professor Sykes had unbent enough to compliment the curly-haired cadet for his lucid thinking and acute memory. Astro's work needed the most editing. The giant Venusian found it difficult to explain what he did when he repaired atomic power plants, or how he could look at a piece of machinery and know instinctively when it was out of order. He worked twice as hard as the others, simply because Sykes made him do everything over.

  On the other hand, Roger sailed along as smoothly as a jet boat. His grasp of the fundamentals in his field made it easy for him to fill the study spools with important information. Jeff, too, found it easy to explain the growth of plants, the function of bacteria, the formation of planet crusts, and other allied subjects.

  So, day after day, Tom, Astro, Roger, and Jeff Marshall spent their waking hours in the cubicles searching their minds for every last precious drop of knowledge they could impart to the children of Roald.

  Vidac's warning to Professor Sykes to keep an eye on Roger had been forgotten by everyone in the concerted effort to do a good job. And when the cadets and Jeff left their work one night after a loud argument between the professor and Roger over the best way to explain the theory of captive planets, they thought nothing of it. The argument hadn't been unusual. It had happened many times on the same score. Professor Sykes was prone to favor dry, factual explanations. And the cadets believed some of the theories needed explanations in terms a youngster could understand. Sykes did not object to this method, but was wary of losing facts and clarity in the method of instruction. In this particular case, Roger had given in to Sykes, but only after a heated argument. And when they went back to their quarters, there was none of the usual discussion. They were too tired. They fell asleep as soon as their heads touched their pillows.

  The next morning, still groggy, their heads filled with facts and figures, buzzing with dates and explanations, they returned to their cubicles for more of the same. Sykes met them at the office door.

  "Well, Manning!" he snapped. "You still insist you know more, and can teach better than I, eh?" He glowered at the cadet.

  "I don't understand, sir," said Roger.

  "You don't, eh?" screamed Sykes. "You came back here last night and changed that spool to your liking!"

  "I did what?" asked Roger, incredulous. Only a few moments before he could hardly drag himself from his bunk. The idea of returning to the office before the required time was incredible. "I'm sorry, sir," he said, "but I only got out of bed a few minutes ago."

  Ed Bush and several colonists suddenly appeared and Sykes whirled around to face them.

  "Well! What do you want?" he demanded.

  "Governor Vidac said we could pick up some of the spools that were ready," said Bush.

  "Well, there isn't anything ready now," growled Sykes. "When I'm finished, I'll let Vidac know." He turned back to Roger.

  "Well, Manning? What have you got to say for yourself?"

  "I don't know what you're talking about, sir!" answered Rog
er.

  "Cadet Manning," shouted Sykes, "do you remember our conversation last night on the subject of circular motion of captive planets around a sun star?"

  "Yes, sir," said Roger.

  "And do you recall your childish manner of explaining it?" sneered Sykes.

  "Now just a minute, sir," said Roger, "I might be wrong—but—"

  "Quiet!" The professor was screaming now. He turned around and inserted a study spool in a soundscriber. Turning it on he waited, glaring at Roger. The blond-haired cadet's voice came over the machine's loud-speaker clearly and precisely.

  "… the idea of motion of one satellite around a mother planet, or planet around a sun star, can best be explained by the use of a rock tied to the end of a rope. If you swing the rope around your head, the rock will maintain a steady position, following a measured orbit. The planets, and their captive satellites, work on the same principle, with the gravity of the mother planet substituted for the rope, and the satellite for the rock…"

  Sykes stopped the machine, turned, and glared at Roger. "Do you deny that that is your voice?"

  Roger shook his head. "It's my voice all right but—"

  "And do you deny that last night, before we left, it was decided that my explanation would be used?"

  Roger's face reddened. "No, sir," he said tightly.

  "Then how do you explain that your voice with your explanation is now on the master spool?" screamed Sykes.

  "I—I—can't explain it, sir," said Roger, fighting to control his temper.

  "I can!" snapped Sykes. "You sneaked back in here last night and substituted your original recording—the one I threw out!"

  "But he couldn't have done that, Professor," interjected Tom. "He was asleep all night!"

  "Were you awake all night, Corbett?" asked Sykes coldly.

  "No, sir," replied Tom.

  "Then you couldn't possibly know if he was sleeping or down here recording, could you?"

  "No, sir," said Tom quietly.

  "Cadet Manning, this is the most disgusting, disgraceful performance I've ever seen by a Space Cadet!"

  "Then you're calling me a liar, sir," said Roger quietly, "when I deny that I did it."

  "Can you explain it?" demanded Sykes.

  Roger shook his head and remained silent.

  "Get out!" screamed Sykes. "Vidac warned me about you! Go on! Get out! I won't work with a liar and a cheat!"

  Before anyone could stop him, Roger leaped forward and stood in front of Sykes, grabbing him by the front of his uniform. "I've had enough of your insults and accusations!" he shouted. "If you weren't an old man, I'd drag you out of that Solar Guard uniform and beat your ears off! You're so crazy, you make everyone around you nuts! If you have any complaints about my work, put them in writing and give them to the governor!"

  He turned and stalked out of the office.

  "Roger, wait!" called Tom, rushing after his unit mate with Astro at his heels.

  The colonists began to whisper to each other excitedly, but Ed Bush merely stood in the doorway and smiled!

  CHAPTER 14

  "That's right," sneered Winters. "Professor Sykes has disappeared and Vidac wants to talk to you!"

  The burly spaceman stood in the open door of the cadets' quarters, legs spread apart, hands on the paralo-ray guns strapped to his side. Tom, Roger, and Astro eyed the man sleepily.

  "Say that again," said Tom.

  "I said Vidac wants to talk to you!" Winters shouted. "Now pile out of those bunks before I pull you out!"

  Astro sat up and looked at Winters. His voice rumbled menacingly. "I'll give you five seconds to get out of here," he said quietly. "And if you don't, I'll ram those ray guns down your throat! One—two—three—"

  Winters tried to match Astro's withering gaze and finally backed out the doorway. "Vidac wants to see you on the double, and that means, double!" He disappeared from view.

  Tom and Roger were already out of their bunks and pulling on their uniforms.

  "What do you think?" asked Roger, looking at Tom.

  "I don't know, Roger," said Tom, "but I don't like the looks of it."

  Astro jumped lightly to the floor. "I kinda wish Winters had tried something," he said with a smile. "I need a little early-morning exercise."

  "Good thing he didn't," commented Roger dryly. "We're in enough trouble without you mauling one of Vidac's pet boys."

  Tom listened halfheartedly to the chatter of his unit mates. He was thinking ahead to their meeting with Vidac. Since Roger's argument with the professor, they had continued their work, but under a severe strain. They had finally finished the series of study spools the night before, and Tom felt sure that Vidac had waited until the work was finished before he called them on the carpet. And then, too, there was the disappearance of Professor Sykes that Winters had mentioned. The young cadet felt there was trouble ahead.

  A few moments later the three cadets presented themselves to Vidac in his office in the Administration Building.

  The lieutenant governor was seated behind his desk and appeared to be very tired. Tom saluted smartly and stepped forward.

  "Polaris unit reporting, sir," said Tom.

  "Where is Professor Sykes?" demanded Vidac abruptly without even acknowledging the salute.

  "Why, I—I don't know, sir," replied Tom.

  "How about you, Manning? Astro?" asked Vidac, turning to the other cadets. "You have anything to say?"

  "We only heard about it ten minutes ago, sir," volunteered Roger.

  "I'll bet!" snapped Vidac. He got up and stepped around his desk to face the cadets. "You three were the last ones to be seen with the professor. What happened last night?"

  "We finished the study spools and left him in the office, sir," said Tom. "Then we went for a swim in the pool and had a bite to eat before hitting the sack. That's all."

  "Did anyone see you in the pool?" asked Vidac.

  "I doubt it, sir. We didn't notice anyone around," said Astro. "It was pretty late."

  "Did anyone see you at the mess hall when you went to get a bite?" pursued Vidac. "Surely there must be someone who can substantiate your story."

  The three cadets looked at each other. "I guess not, sir," said Roger. "It was pretty late. After midnight."

  Vidac eyed them curiously. "And you're sure you saw no one, and that no one saw you?"

  "We can't be sure that no one saw us, sir," said Tom, "but I doubt it. As Roger said, it was after midnight."

  Vidac whirled and sat down again. He pressed a small button on his desk and waited, silently considering the cadets, his eyes cool and level. The door opened and Governor Hardy walked in, followed by several men.

  Tom suddenly realized that it was the first time they had seen the governor in nearly six weeks.

  "Have you found Professor Sykes?" he demanded.

  Vidac shook his head, then turned to the other men. Tom, with a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, recognized them as the colonists who had been with Ed Bush when Roger had his last argument with the professor.

  "Did you hear Cadet Manning threaten Professor Sykes?" asked Vidac.

  "Yes, sir," replied one of the colonists.

  "What did he say?" asked Vidac. "Repeat it for Governor Hardy."

  The colonist quoted Roger's threat almost word for word and Tom noted grimly that the witness made the most of the fact that he and Astro had followed Roger out of the office after the argument. The implication was clear that they were part of the threat.

  Vidac then turned to Ed Bush. "Bush, did you see the cadets last night?"

  "Yes, sir," said Bush.

  "Where?" demanded Vidac.

  "Leaving the swimming pool with the professor."

  "With the pro—!" exclaimed Tom.

  "Shut up, Corbett!" barked Vidac, and then turned to Astro. "Did you say you went swimming alone?"

  "We did!" exclaimed the Venusian. "We left the professor at the office. We did not see him again after that. He did
not go swimming with us."

  Vidac turned to Winters. "Did you see the cadets last night, Winters?"

  "Yes, sir," replied the spaceman. "I had the graveyard watch and I was in the galley having a cup of coffee. I saw the cadets enter the galley just as I was leaving."

  "Were they alone?" asked Vidac.

  "No, sir," said Winters. "Professor Sykes was with them."

  "That's a lie!" shouted Roger. "We were alone!"

  Vidac merely looked at Roger and then turned back to Winters. "Then what happened?"

  "Well," said Winters, "they got into an argument, the cadets and Sykes. It was about the movement of a captive planet, or something like that. Anyway, there was a scuffle, and all of a sudden the big cadet"—he indicated Astro—"picked up the professor and carried him out of the galley. The other two followed."

  "Didn't the professor put up a fight?" asked Vidac.

  "Oh, yes, sir," said Winters. "But he didn't have a chance against the three cadets."

  "Why didn't you do something about it?" Governor Hardy suddenly broke in.

  "I tried, sir," replied Winters calmly. "I ran after them, but they all piled into a converted jet boat and blasted out of there."

  "Then what did you do?" asked Vidac.

  "That's when I came to get you, sir," said Winters. "And we started looking for them." Winters paused. "Ah—pardon me, sir, but can I go now? I've been up all night and I'm pretty tired."

  Vidac nodded and Winters left the room.

  "You mean you've been up all night looking for the cadets?" asked Hardy. "Weren't they in their quarters?"

  "No, sir," replied Vidac and turned to the cadets. "Well," he demanded, "what have you got to say for yourselves?"

  The three cadets were silent.

  "I must warn you," continued Vidac, "this is a serious matter and anything you say may be used against you. But on the other hand, if you speak freely and are willing to co-operate, I will do what I can to lessen your punishment."

  Hardy suddenly stepped forward and slammed his fist on Vidac's desk. "None of that! There'll be no favors to criminals!" He turned to the cadets angrily.