hardened space major.

"All right," said Walters. He turned back and told Troy he was free, but
that he was not to leave the restricted area. And he was only permitted
to work on less critical projects. "Do you have anything to say?"
Walters asked.

Troy smiled at them and shook his head. "No, sir. That's fine with me,"
he said. "And I'll keep my eye open for the real saboteur--"

"That won't be necessary!" snapped Connel. "We're capable of handling
our own detective work."

Troy grinned again. "Very well, sir," he said.

Connel dismissed the guards and the foreman walked out of the office a
free man.

Connel and Walters turned to discussing the installation of the
receivers on Mars, with Connel lauding young Lieutenant Slick highly.
"That boy deserves a promotion in rank," he stated.

Walters nodded. "I'll put his name on the list at the end of the year,"
he said. "If he has done everything you say he has, he deserves it."

Steve Strong stood to one side, waiting impatiently for the two older
men to finish their conversation before asking about Tom Corbett. At the
same time, he was a little fearful of bringing up the subject of the
_Polaris_ unit, in the face of what Astro and Roger had just done. It
was not an easy thing to do, but at the first opportunity he broke into
the conversation with a direct question to Connel.

"Major, is there any doubt in your mind about Corbett's disappearance
being an accident or do you--"

Connel cut him off. "Do I think he's AWOL?"

Strong nodded silently.

"Steve," said Connel patiently, "I know how you feel about those three
boys, but tell me, how long can this go on? They constantly take off on
their own, without authorization--"

"But they usually have a good reason," Strong interrupted quickly.

"Then why don't they give us the reason first?" Connel shot back.

"What Lou is trying to say," interjected Walters quietly, "is that
Corbett, Manning, and Astro have time and time again committed us to
take action, to get them out of situations that they initiated. It's
time they were stopped! They are only one unit in this Academy, not the
whole works."

"Then I guess you mean"--Strong hesitated, a lump in his throat--"it
will be the end of the unit when they get back?"

"If they get back," snapped Connel, "I intend to see that all three
receive solid disciplinary action."

"Very well, Major," said Strong. He rose and addressed the commander. "I
request permissio