Or why I wanted the radar deck instead of the control deck. I
didn't want to have to make a decision! My father had to make a decision
once. As skipper and pilot of the ship he decided to save a crewman's
life. He died saving a bum, a no good space-crawling rat!"
Tom and Astro sat stupefied at Roger's bitter tirade. He turned away
from them and gave a short laugh.
"I've lived with only one idea in my head since I was big enough to know
why other kids had fathers to play ball with them and I didn't. To get
into the Academy, get the training and then get out and cash in! Other
kids had fathers. All I had was a lousy hunk of gold, worth exactly five
hundred credits! A Solar Medal. And my mother! Trying to scrape by on a
lousy pension that was only enough to keep us going, but not enough to
get me the extra things other kids had. It couldn't bring back my
father!"
"That night--in Galaxy Hall, when you were crying--?" asked Tom.
"So eavesdropping is one of your talents too, eh, Corbett?" asked Roger
sarcastically.
"Now, wait a minute, Roger," said Astro, getting up.
"Stay out of this, Astro!" snapped Roger. He paused and looked back at
Tom. "Remember that night on the monorail going into Atom City? That man
Bernard who bought dinner for us? He was a boyhood friend of my
father's. He didn't recognize me, and I didn't tell him who I was
because I didn't want you space creeps to know that much about me.
Pages:
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206