rgest and most imposing of the structures of Space
Academy. Made entirely of clear crystal mined on Titan, satellite of
Saturn, the Tower rose over the smaller buildings like a giant
shimmering jewel. Housing the administration offices of the Solar Guard
and the Space Academy staff, it also contained Galaxy Hall, the museum
of space, which attracted thousands of visitors from every part of the
Solar Alliance.

Tom Corbett, his eyes caressing the magnificent gleaming Tower,
remembered the first time he had seen it. While it hadn't been so long
in months or years since becoming a Space Cadet, it seemed as though he
had been at the Academy all of his life and that it was his home. In the
struggle to develop into a well-knit dependable rocket team, composed of
an astrogator, power-deck cadet, and a command cadet, Tom had assumed
the leadership of the unit, and the relationship between Astro, Roger
Manning, and himself had ripened until they were more like brothers than
three young men who had grown up millions of miles apart.

As they rode toward the Tower, the three cadets could see the green-clad
first-year Earthworms getting their first taste of cadet life--hours of
close-order formations and drills. The nearer they came to the Tower,
the more intense and colorful became the activity as the crisscrossing
slidewalks carried enlisted guardsmen in their red uniforms, and the
officers of the Solar Guard in magnificent black and gold, across the
quadrangle to the various dormitories, laboratories, lecture rooms, mess
halls, and research rooms. Space Academy was a beehive of activity, with
the education of thousands of cadets and the operational mechanics of
the Solar Guard going on incessantly, day and night, never stopping in
its avowed task of defending the liberties of the planets, safeguarding
the freedom of space, and upholding the cause of peace throughout the
universe.

As their slidewalk glided over the quadrangle, Roger suddenly turned to
his unit mates. "Think we might get assigned to that radar project
they're setting up on the Moon?" he asked. "I have a few ideas--"

Tom laughed. "He can't wait until he gets his hands on that new scanner
Dr. Dale just finished, Astro," he said with a wink.

The big Venusian snorted. "Can you imagine the ego of that guy? Dr. Dale
spends almost a year building that thing, with the help of the leading
electronic scientists in the Alliance, and _he_ can't wait to _tell_
them abou