"Cadet Manning reporting for manual examination, sir." Roger brought up
his arm in a crisp salute to Captain Strong, who returned it casually.
"Stand easy, Manning," replied Strong. "Do you recognize this room?"
"Yes, sir. It's a mock-up of a radar bridge."
"A workable mock-up, cadet!" Strong was vaguely irritated by Roger's
nonchalance in accepting a situation that Tom had marveled at. "You will
take your manuals here!"
"Yes, sir."
"On these tests you will be timed for both efficiency and speed and
you'll use all the tables, charts and astrogation equipment that you'd
find in a spaceship. Your problems are purely mathematical. There are no
decisions to make. Just use your head."
Strong handed Roger several sheets of paper containing written problems.
Roger shuffled them around in his fingers, giving each a quick glance.
"You may begin any time you are ready, Manning," said Strong.
"I'm ready now, sir," replied Roger calmly. He turned to the swivel
chair located between the huge communications board, the adjustable
chart table and the astrogation prism. Directly in front of him was the
huge radar scanner, and to one side and overhead was a tube mounted on a
swivel joint that looked like a small telescope, but which was actually
an astrogation prism for taking sights on the celestial bodies in space.
Roger concentrated on the first problem.
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