The Space Pioneers | Page 3

grades.
The slidewalk moved smoothly and easily toward the gleaming Tower
of Galileo, the largest and most imposing of the structures of Space
Academy. Made entirely of clear crystal mined on Titan, satellite of
Saturn, the Tower rose over the smaller buildings like a giant
shimmering jewel. Housing the administration offices of the Solar
Guard and the Space Academy staff, it also contained Galaxy Hall, the
museum of space, which attracted thousands of visitors from every part
of the Solar Alliance.
Tom Corbett, his eyes caressing the magnificent gleaming Tower,
remembered the first time he had seen it. While it hadn't been so long
in months or years since becoming a Space Cadet, it seemed as though
he had been at the Academy all of his life and that it was his home. In
the struggle to develop into a well-knit dependable rocket team,
composed of an astrogator, power-deck cadet, and a command cadet,
Tom had assumed the leadership of the unit, and the relationship
between Astro, Roger Manning, and himself had ripened until they
were more like brothers than three young men who had grown up
millions of miles apart.
As they rode toward the Tower, the three cadets could see the
green-clad first-year Earthworms getting their first taste of cadet
life--hours of close-order formations and drills. The nearer they came to
the Tower, the more intense and colorful became the activity as the
crisscrossing slidewalks carried enlisted guardsmen in their red
uniforms, and the officers of the Solar Guard in magnificent black and
gold, across the quadrangle to the various dormitories, laboratories,

lecture rooms, mess halls, and research rooms. Space Academy was a
beehive of activity, with the education of thousands of cadets and the
operational mechanics of the Solar Guard going on incessantly, day and
night, never stopping in its avowed task of defending the liberties of the
planets, safeguarding the freedom of space, and upholding the cause of
peace throughout the universe.
As their slidewalk glided over the quadrangle, Roger suddenly turned
to his unit mates. "Think we might get assigned to that radar project
they're setting up on the Moon?" he asked. "I have a few ideas--"
Tom laughed. "He can't wait until he gets his hands on that new
scanner Dr. Dale just finished, Astro," he said with a wink.
The big Venusian snorted. "Can you imagine the ego of that guy? Dr.
Dale spends almost a year building that thing, with the help of the
leading electronic scientists in the Alliance, and he can't wait to tell
them about a few of his ideas!"
"I didn't mean that," complained Roger. "All I said was--"
"You don't have to say a word, hot-shot," interrupted Astro. "I can read
your thoughts as though they were flashed on a stereo screen!"
"Oh, yeah!" growled Roger. "You should be that telepathic for your
exams. Why didn't you read my thoughts when I beat my brains out
trying to explain that thrust problem the other night?" He turned to Tom,
shrugging his shoulders in mock despair. "Honestly, Tom, if I didn't
know that he was the best power jockey in the Academy, I'd say he was
the dumbest thing to leave Venus, including the dinosaurs in the
Academy Zoo!"
With a hamlike hand Astro suddenly grabbed for Roger's neck, but the
wiry cadet dashed along the slidewalk out of reach and the big
Venusian rumbled after him. Tom roared with laughter.
As he started to follow his unit mates, one of the passengers on the
slidewalk grabbed Tom by the arm and he turned to see Mike

McKenny, Chief Warrant Officer in the enlisted Solar Guard and the
first instructor the Polaris unit had met on their arrival at the Academy.
"Corbett!" demanded McKenny. "Are those two space crawlers still
acting like monkeys out of their cages?"
Tom laughed and shook hands with the elderly spaceman. "Yes, sir," he
said. "But you could hardly call Astro a monkey!"
"More along the lines of a Venusian gorilla, if you ask me!" snorted
McKenny. The short, squat spaceman's eyes twinkled. "I've been
hearing some mighty fine things about you three space bongos, Tommy.
It's a wonder the Solar Guard didn't give you a unit citation for aiding
in the capture of Coxine, the pirate!"
"Thanks, Mike. Coming from you that compliment really means
something!"
"Just be sure you keep those two space lunatics in their proper cages,"
said Mike, indicating Roger and Astro, who at the moment were racing
back and forth along the slidewalk bumping passengers left and right,
"and you'll all be heroes someday."
"Yes, sir," said Tom. He glanced up, and noticing that he was in front
of the Tower building, hopped to the walkway, waving a cheery
good-by to Mike. "Blast over to our mess and have dinner