The Space Pioneers | Page 7

of the loan. He will repay the Solar Alliance by
returning one-fourth of his profits over a period of seven years. Each
colonist will be required to remain on the satellite for that seven-year
period. After that, should he leave, he would be required to sell all his
rights and property on Roald."
"And the farmers, sir," asked Tom, "and all the rest. Will they all be
treated the same way?"
"Exactly the same, according to their individual abilities. Of course we
wouldn't take a man who had been a shoemaker and advance him the
capital to become a farmer."
"Will the quota of one thousand colonists include women and
children?" asked Astro.
"No, but allowances have been made for them. One thousand colonists
means one thousand men who can produce. However, a man may take
his family," Hardy went on, adding, "providing, of course, that he
doesn't mean twenty-three children, aunts, uncles, and so forth."
The three cadets looked at each other dumfounded. The very idea of the
project was staggering, and as Strong, Hardy, and Commander Walters
began to discuss the details of the screening system, they turned to each
other excitedly.
"This is the greatest thing that's happened since Jon Builker made his
trip into deep space!" whispered Tom.
"Yeah," nodded Astro, "but I'm scared."
"About what?" asked Roger.
"Having the responsibility of saying No to a feller that wants to go."

The big cadet seemed to be worried and Tom attempted to explain what
the job would really be.
"It's not a question of saying an outright No," said Tom. "You just ask
the applicant about his experience with motors and reactors to see if he
really knows his stuff."
Astro seemed to accept Tom's explanation, but he still seemed
concerned as they all turned to Commander Walters, who had finished
the discussion around the desk and was giving Captain Strong his
orders.
"You and the cadets, along with Governor Hardy, will blast off tonight
and go to Venusport for the first screenings." He faced the cadets. "You
three boys have a tremendous responsibility. In many cases your
decisions might mean the difference between success or failure in this
mission. See that you make good decisions, and when you've made
them, stick by them. You will be under the direct supervision of
Captain Strong and Governor Hardy. This is quite different from your
previous assignments, but I have faith in you. See that you handle
yourselves like spacemen."
The three cadets saluted sharply, and after shaking hands with their
commander, left the room.
Later that evening, their gear packed, the three members of the Polaris
unit were checked out of the Academy by the dormitory officer and
were soon being whisked along on a slidewalk to the Academy
spaceport. As they neared the spacious concrete field, where the mighty
fleet of the Solar Guard was based, they could see the rows of rocket
cruisers, destroyers, scouts, and various types of merchant space craft,
and in the center, on a launching platform, the silhouette of the rocket
cruiser Polaris stood out boldly against the pale evening sky. Resting
on her directional fins, her nose pointed skyward, her gleaming hull
reflecting the last rays of the setting sun, the ship was a powerful
projectile ready to blast off for distant worlds.
[Illustration: Her nose pointed skyward, the Polaris was ready to blast

off]
Reaching the Polaris, the three cadets scrambled through the air lock
into the spaceship and prepared for blast-off.
On the control deck, Tom began the involved check of the control panel.
One by one, he tested the dials, gauges, and indicators on the
instrument panel that was the brains of the mighty ship.
On the radar bridge, above the control deck, Roger adjusted the sights
of the precious astrogation prism and took a checking sight on the Pole
Star to make sure the instrument was in true alignment. Then turning to
the radar scanner, the all-seeing eye of the ship, he began a slow,
deliberate tracking of each circuit in the maze of wiring.
And below on the power deck, Astro, stripped to the waist, a leather
belt filled with the rocketman's wrenches and tools slung around his
hips, tuned up the mighty atomic engines. He took longer than usual,
making sure the lead baffling around the reactor units and the reaction
chamber was secure, before firing the initial mass.
Finally Tom's voice crackled over the intercom, "Control deck to all
stations. Check in!"
"Radar bridge, aye!" came Roger's reply. "Ready for blast-off!"
"Power deck, aye!" said Astro, his booming voice echoing through the
ship. "Ready for blast-off!"
"Control deck, ready for blast-off," said Tom, and then turned to the
logbook and jotted down the time in the ship's journal. The astral
chronometer over the control board