his head, eyes staring into space, Tom
asked, "What happens now?"

Sprawled on his bunk, Astro didn't answer right away. He merely gulped
and swallowed hard.

"I--I don't know," he finally stammered. "I just don't know."

"What'll you do?"

"It's back to the hold of a Venusport freighter, I guess. I don't know."
Astro paused and looked at Tom. "What'll you do?"

"Go home," said Tom simply. "Go home and--and find a job."

"Ever think about the enlisted Solar Guard? Look at McKenny--"

"Yeah--but--"

"I know how you feel," sighed Astro. "Being in the enlisted section--is
like--well, being a passenger--almost."

The door was suddenly flung open.

"Haul off them bunks, you blasted Earthworms!"

McKenny stood in the doorway in his usual aggressive pose, and Tom and
Astro hit the floor together to stand at attention.

"Where's the other cadet?"

"He went with Captain Strong, sir," answered Tom.

"Oh?" said Mike. And in a surprisingly soft tone he added, "You two
pulled green slips, eh?"

"Yes, sir," they replied together.

"Well, I don't know how you did it, but congratulations. You passed the
classification tests. Both of you."

Tom just looked at the scarlet-clad, stumpy warrant officer. He couldn't
believe his ears. Suddenly he felt as if he had been lifted off his
feet. And then he realized that he _was_ off his feet. Astro was holding
him over his head. Then he dumped him in his bunk as easily as if he
had been a child. And at the same time, the big Venusian let out a loud,
long, earsplitting yell.

McKenny matched him with his bull-like roar.

"Plug that foghorn, you blasted Earthworm. You'll have the whole Academy
in here thinking there's a murder."

By this time Tom was on his feet again, standing in front of McKenny.

"You mean, we made it? We're really in? We're cadets?"

"That's right." McKenny looked at a clip board in his hand and read,
"Cadet Corbett, Tom. Qualified for control deck. Cadet Astro. Power
deck."

Astro took a deep breath and started another yell, but before he could
let go, McKenny clamped a big hand over his mouth.

"You bellow like that again and I'll make meteor dust out of you!"

Astro gulped and then matched Tom's grin with one that spread from ear
to ear.

"What happened to Philip Morgan?" asked Tom.

"What color slip did he have?"

"Blue."

"Anything besides green washed out," replied Mike quickly. "Now let's
see, you have a replacement for Morgan in th