"Aye, aye, skipper!" Astro was irrepressible.
"Yes, sir!" Roger's voice was soft but Tom recognized the biting edge to the last word.
Turning away from the controls, he faced Captain Strong who had been watching quietly.
"Polaris space-borne at nine hundred thirty-three hours, Captain Strong. All stations operating efficiently."
"Very competent job, Corbett," nodded Strong in approval. "You handled the ship as if you'd been doing it for years."
"Thank you, sir."
"We'll just cruise for a while on this orbit so you boys can get the feel of the ship and of space." The Solar Guard officer took Tom's place in the command pilot's chair. "You knock off for a while. Go up to the radar bridge and have a look around. I'll take over here."
"Yes, sir." Tom turned and had to restrain himself from racing up the ladder to the radar bridge. When he climbed through the hatch to Roger's station, he found his unit-mate tilted back in his chair, staring through the crystal blister over his head.
"Hiya, spaceboy," smiled Roger. He indicated the blister. "Take a look at the wide, deep and high."
Tom looked up and saw the deep blackness that was space.