ght to his new life.

Ever since Jon Builker, the space explorer, returning from the first
successful flight to a distant galaxy, came through his home town near
New Chicago twelve years before, Tom had wanted to be a spaceman.
Through high school and the New Chicago Primary Space School where he
had taken his first flight above Earth's atmosphere, he had waited for
the day when he would pass his entrance exams and be accepted as a cadet
candidate in Space Academy. For no reason at all, a lump rose in his
throat, as the slidewalk rounded a curve and he saw for the first time,
the gleaming white magnificence of the Tower of Galileo. He recognized
it immediately from the hundreds of books he had read about the Academy
and stared wordlessly.

"Sure is pretty, isn't it?" asked Astro, his voice strangely husky.

"Yeah," breathed Tom in reply. "It sure is." He could only stare at the
shimmering tower ahead.

"It's all I've ever wanted to do," said Tom at length. "Just get out
there and--be _free_!"

"I know what you mean. It's the greatest feeling in the world."

"You say that as if you've already been up there."

Astro grinned. "Yup. Used to be an enlisted space sailor. Bucked rockets
in an old freighter on the Luna City--Venusport run."

"Well, what are you doing here?" Tom was amazed and impressed.

"Simple. I want to be an officer. I want to get into the Solar Guard and
handle the power-push in one of those cruisers."

Tom's eyes glowed with renewed admiration for his new friend. "I've been
out four or five times but only in jet boats five hundred miles out.
Nothing like a jump to Luna City or Venusport."

By now the slidewalk had carried them past the base of the Tower of
Galileo to a large building facing the Academy quadrangle and the spell
was broken by McKenny's bull-throated roar.

"Haul off, you blasted polliwogs!"

As the boys jumped off the slidewalk, a cadet, dressed in the vivid blue
that Tom recognized as the official dress of the Senior Cadet Corps,
walked up to McKenny and spoke to him quietly. The warrant officer
turned back to the waiting group and gave rapid orders.

"By twos, follow Cadet Herbert inside and he'll assign you to your
quarters. Shower, shave if you have to and can find anything to shave,
and dress in the uniform that'll be supplied you. Be ready to take the
Academy oath at"--he paused and glanced at the senior cadet who held up
three fingers--"fifteen hundred hours. That's t