You're due in the
examination hall in a few minutes."
"It's no good, Tom, I just can't understand that stuff." Astro turned
and faced his unit-mates, his voice charged with sudden emotion. "Just
fifteen minutes on the power deck of anything with rockets in her and
I'll run her from here to the next galaxy. I--I can't explain it, but
when I look at those motors, I can read 'em like you read an astrogation
chart, Roger, or you the gauges on the control deck, Tom. But I just
can't get those ratios out of a book. I gotta put my hands on those
motors--touch 'em--I mean really _touch 'em_--then I know what to do!"
As suddenly as he had started, he stopped and turned, leaving Tom and
Roger staring at him, startled by this unusual outburst.
"Cadets--stand _to!_" roared a voice from the doorway.
The three cadets snapped to attention and faced the entrance.
"Take it easy, Earthworms!" said Tony Richards. A tall cadet with
closely cut black hair and a lazy, smiling face stood in the doorway.
"Lay off, Richards," said Tom. "We haven't time for gags now. Astro's
going to take his power-deck manual in a few minutes and we're cramming
with him."
"O.K.--O.K.--don't blow your jets," said Richards. "I just wanted to see
if there were any bets on which unit would cop honors in the manuals
this afternoon."
"I suppose you think your Unit 77-K will finish on top?" drawled Roger.
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