CHAPTER 2
Space Academy, U.S.A.!
This was the dream and goal of every boy in the thrilling year 2354,when mankind had reached out beyond the bounds of Earth and hadconquered space, colonizing planets and blazing trails to distant worldsdeep in the black void of the outer universe. To support theever-growing need for trained spacemen to man the rocket ships thatlinked the planets and distant satellite outposts, the Solar Alliance,the government of the solar system, had erected Space Academy. It wasthere that the most promising boys were trained to become members of theSolar Guard to patrol the space lanes and keep peace in the universe.
Organized into tight, hard-hitting units of three, the Academy cadetswere trained to work together under the most severe conditions. Theirwaking hours were spent in one of two places; in powerful rocketcruisers, blasting through space on endless training missions, or at theAcademy in classrooms and lecture halls, where they studied everythingfrom the theory of space flight to the application of space laws. A veryimportant course of study was the theory of government. For, above allelse, the Solar Alliance was a government of the people. And to assurethe survival and continuance of that democratic system, the officers ofthe Solar Guard functioned as the watchdogs of the space democracy,entrusted with the vital mission of making sure the government reflectedthe will of the people.
As a practical approach to this course, the Academy officials hadestablished a Cadet Council for the settlement of disputes andinfractions of rules by the cadets. It was to this cadet governing bodythat the fight between the _Polaris_ and the _Capella_ units wasreferred by Major Connel.
The Academy had buzzed with talk since the fight, and sides were drawnhard and fast. Both units were extremely popular and the arguments ragedthrough the dormitories as to which unit was at fault.
Meanwhile, the Cadet Council decided to have a full trial to give eachunit a fair chance to defend itself against the charges. A judge andjury were selected and lawyers appointed for each side. Finally a datewas set for the trial.
During this time, Tom, Roger, and Astro were confined to their quarters.They did not talk much, each conscious of the fact that should the CadetCouncil decide against them, they might be expelled from the Academy.The same was true about the _Capella_ unit, of course, but the Councilmight decide the _Polaris_ had instigated the whole affair. Roger wasparticularly silent, since his actions in obtaining the study spoolshad started the whole chain of disastrous events.
The boys did not know which cadet would be appointed to defend themuntil late the following afternoon when there was a knock on the door,and a small, thin cadet, wearing a thick pair of eyeglasses that gavehim a decided owllike look, entered the room.
"Alfie Higgins!" cried Tom.
"The Brain!" yelled Astro.
"Glad to see you, pal!" shouted Roger.
The three cadets surrounded little Alfie and pommeled him playfully intheir joy at seeing another cadet. Alfie merely looked at them gravely.
"Hello, Tom, Roger, Astro," he said somberly.
"What are you doing here?" asked Tom. "We're not allowed visitors."
"I'm not a visitor, Tom," replied the little cadet. "I'm your defenselawyer." He glanced at Roger and Astro. "I hope that will besatisfactory to you."
"Satisfactory!" exclaimed Tom. "Alfie, we couldn't ask for anyonebetter."
"That's right, Brain," said Roger. "You're the boy for us."
Astro grunted his approval. "Yeah."
"Well, in that case," said Alfie, opening his brief case, "I wouldsuggest that we get right down to the facts. The trial is tomorrow."
"All right, Alfie, we're ready," said Tom. "I suppose you want to hearthe whole thing."
"If you don't mind," said Alfie, adjusting his eyeglasses. "You start,Roger."
Sitting around the room, relaxed, yet concerned, the four cadetsdiscussed the details of the case. Alfie took copious notes,occasionally interrupting Tom or Roger or Astro to ask a pointedquestion.
They talked for nearly four hours before Alfie was finally satisfiedthat he knew all the facts. He left them with the same somber attitudehe had when he first arrived, and when the boys were alone, they eachfelt a chill of fear. The full meaning of a defense lawyer hit them.They were in serious trouble. After a few moments of silence, Tom roseand went into the bathroom to take a shower. Astro flopped on his backin his bunk and went to sleep. Roger began throwing darts idly at his"solar system" over his bunk. It was a map of his own design depictingthe planets revolving around the sun, only each planet was representedby a picture of a girl, and his own grinning countenance was the sun. Hewas known to have made dates by throwing a dart at the map blindly andtaking out the girl whose picture he had hit.
When Tom returned a few minutes later, he looked at his unit mates andshook his head. Never, in all the adventures they had shared or all thetough situations they had been in, had either Roger or Astro given up asthey seemed to be doing now.
"And," thought Tom miserably, "with good reason too! I feel like tossingin the sponge myself."
* * * * *
The huge Space Academy gymnasium had been converted into a temporarycourtroom, and at ten A.M. the following day the cavernous chamber waspacked with all the cadets who could get off duty, in addition to aliberal sprinkling of Solar Guard officers and instructors who werekeenly interested in their pupils' handling of orderly democraticprocedure.
As the cadet judge opened the proceedings, Commander Walters, MajorConnel, Captain Strong, and Lieutenant Wolchek, unit commander of the_Capella_ crew, watched intently from their seats in the back of thegym. Up forward, at two small tables immediately in front of theCouncil's platform, the _Polaris_ and _Capella_ units sat rigidly, whiletheir defense lawyers arranged papers and data on the table for quickreference. Little Alfie Higgins didn't say a word to Tom, Roger, orAstro, merely studied his opponent, Cadet Benjy Edwards, who was actingas attorney for the _Capella_ unit. Edwards, a beefy boy with a floridface, looked across the chamber and sneered at Tom. The young cadetrepressed a quick shudder of anger. There was bad blood between the two.Once, Tom had found Edwards bullying a helpless group of Earthwormcadets, forcing them to march and exercise under a broiling Martian sunfor no reason at all, and Tom had put a stop to it. Edwards had takenevery opportunity to get back at Tom, and now he had his best chance.
From the beginning, the trial was argued bitterly. Though the issueswere clear-cut--illegal possession of the study spools, out on thequadrangle after hours, and fighting--Edwards tried to accuse the_Polaris_ unit of irrelevant infractions. But Alfie Higgins was hisequal. From the beginning, he admitted that the _Polaris_ unit wasguilty of the first charge, but made a strong claim that they had morethan made up for the infraction by risking censure to return the spoolsto their rightful owners. In addition, he forced Tony Richards to admitthat he had accepted Roger's apology. The Council agreed to drop thatcharge and to hold the second charge in abeyance, since both unitsseemed to have had good reason for being out after hours. Benjy Edwardsscowled but could find no reason to object to the Council's decision.Alfie, on the other hand, broke into a smile for the first time thatmorning. He turned to the Council and announced that the only point ofissue was the fight and who struck the first blow.
In the back of the room, Connel turned to Strong. "I, personally, amgoing to sign the pass for a week's leave for Alfie when this is over,"he said. "I never saw such a ding-blasted brain in operation in all mylife."
"He really slipped one over on Benjy Edwards all right," mutteredStrong, his voice tinged with pride.
In front of the Council platform, Alfie turned to the judge.
"I would like to call to the stand, if the court please," he said in aclear voice, "Cadet Tom Corbett."
Tom walked to the chair, was sworn in, and sat down, facing Alfie.
"Cadet Corbett," Higgins paused, and then asked almost casually, "didyou strike the first blow?"
"No," replied Tom.
> "Dismissed," said Higgins suddenly. "Call Roger Manning to the stand,please."
Roger rose, and passing Tom on the way back, took his place on the standand repeated the oath.
Alfie looked at Roger calmly and in a clear voice asked, "Cadet Manning,did you strike the first blow?"
"No."
"Dismissed," said Alfie. "Please call Cadet Astro to the stand."
The cadet audience began to murmur and sit forward tensely.
"What the devil is he doing?" growled Connel.
Strong grinned. "Blast me if I know, Lou," he said. "But wait and see.I'll bet you ten credits it's a lulu."
Astro was sworn in and Alfie waited for the room to become quiet.
"Cadet Astro," he said finally, "you have heard the other members of the_Polaris_ unit state, under solemn oath, that they did not strike thefirst blow. Now, I ask you to consider carefully your answer. Did you,Cadet Astro"--Alfie paused dramatically, and nearly shouted the finalpart of the question--"strike the first blow?"
"No!" bellowed Astro.
"Dismissed," said Alfie quickly, turning to the Council. "Gentlemen," hesaid, "he did not strike the first blow, nor did Cadet Corbett, norCadet Manning. And I will not insist that the three members of the_Capella_ unit be asked the same question, since I concede that they arethree impeccable gentlemen who could _not_ strike the first blow in acommon fight."
As the audience in the courtroom burst into a roar, Benjy Edwards jumpedto his feet.
"Your honor," he appealed, "I insist that the _Capella_ unit be allowedto take the stand and deny the charge--"
"Your honor," interrupted Alfie, "the _Polaris_ unit makes no charge.They freely admit that the _Capella_ unit could not, I repeat, sir,could not have struck the first blow. And the _Polaris_ unit--"
"Your honor--!" cried Edwards. "I insist."
The cadet judge rapped his gavel. "_Polaris_ counsel will speak."
"Thank you, your honor. I just wanted to say that the members of the_Polaris_ unit defer to the _Capella_ unit. I submit, your honor, thatit was nothing more than a misunderstanding and that both sides shouldbe punished or freed."
"Is that all?" asked the cadet judge.
"Yes, sir," said Alfie.
"Counsel for the _Capella_ unit may speak now. Do you insist on havingyour defendants brought to the stand to swear they did not start thefight?"
"Your honor--" began Benjy. But Alfie had already planted the seed.There were shouts of "Give it to both of them" from the gym.
Red-faced, Edwards held up his hand and appealed for quiet. "Yourhonor," he began at last, "after consultation with the members of the_Capella_ unit, they have directed me to state that they are willing toabide by the suggestion of the _Polaris_ counsel."
As the cadets in the courtroom roared their approval, the cadet judgeconsulted quickly with the members of the Council. A decision wasreached quickly. A verdict of conduct unbecoming cadets was broughtagainst both units, with orders for a strong reprimand to be placed ontheir individual official records. In addition, each unit was deniedleaves and week-end passes from the Academy until the end of the term,four weeks away. All spare time was to be spent on guard duty.
"You are to report to Chief Warrant Officer Timothy Rush for furtherorders on all time not actually accountable for in Academy schedules,"concluded the cadet judge. "Dismissed."
The case was closed with a loud roar of approval from the entire cadetaudience, who had seen justice done and democracy in action. Tom, Astro,and Roger looked at each other and smiled. They were still SpaceCadets.