Corbett reporting for manual examination, sir!"

"Stand easy, Corbett," replied Strong, returning the salute. "This is
going to be a rough one. Are you fully prepared?"

"I believe so, sir." Tom's voice wasn't too steady.

A fleeting smile passed over Strong's lips, then he continued. "You'll
take the control-deck examination first. Manning will be next on the
radar bridge and Astro last on the power deck."

"They'll be here according to schedule, sir."

"Very well. Follow me."

Strong walked quickly to the small door in the left wall, Tom staying a
respectful step behind. When they reached the door, the officer pressed
a button in the wall beside it and the door slid open.

"All right, Corbett. Inside." Strong nodded toward the interior of the
room.

The boy stepped in quickly, then stopped in amazement. All around him
was a maze of instruments and controls. And in the center, twin pilot's
chairs.

"Captain Strong!" Tom was so surprised that he could hardly get the
words out. "It's--it's a real control deck!"

Strong smiled. "As real as we can make it, Corbett, without allowing the
building to blast off." He gestured toward the pilot's chairs. "Take
your place and strap in."

"Yes, sir." His eyes still wide with wonder, Tom stepped over to the
indicated chair and Strong followed him, leaning casually against the
other.

He watched the young cadet nervously adjust his seat strap and put a
comforting hand on his shoulder. "Nervous, Corbett?"

"Yes, sir--just a little," replied Tom.

"Don't worry," said Strong. "You should have seen the way I came into
this room fifteen years ago. My cadet officer had to help me into the
control pilot's seat."

Tom managed a fleeting smile.

"Now, Corbett"--Strong's voice became businesslike--"as you know, these
manual tests are the last tests before actually blasting off. In the
past weeks, you cadets have been subjected to every possible
examination, to discover any flaw in your work that might later crop up
in space. This manual operations test of the control board, like
Manning's on the radar bridge and Astro's on the power deck, is designed
to test you under simulated space conditions. If you pass this test,
your next step is real space."

"Yes, sir."

"I warn you, it isn't easy. And if you fail, you personally will wash
out, and if other members of the unit do not get a high enough mark to
average out to a passing grade for all of you, you fail as a unit."