"Carey Rockwell - Tom Corbett Space Cadet 04 - The Space Pioneers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rockwell Carey)

"Think it might be something to do with our assignments?" asked Astro.
"Never can tell, Astro," said Tom. "And there's only one way to find out. That's to get to
Commander Walters' office on the double!"
Without another word the cadets hurried to the slide-stairs, each of them hungry for
excitement. Already having participated in three outstanding adventures, the cadet
members of the Polaris unit were eager to begin a fourth.


CHAPTER 2

тАЬThere'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.тАЭ
"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 nearby couch. "Governor Hardy will explain