"Thank you, sir," said Roger, "and I think I can speak for Tom and Astro when I say that seeing you here with over a hundred men, and all this equipment, ready to start searching for us in that desert—well, it makes us feel pretty proud to be members of an outfit where the skipper feels that way about his crew!"
"What happens now, sir?" asked Tom.
"Aside from getting a well-deserved liberty, it's back to the old grind at the Academy. The Polaris is at the spaceport at Marsopolis, waiting for us." He paused and eyed the three cadets with a smile. "I guess the routine at Space Academy will seem a little dull now, after what you've been through."
"Captain Strong," said Astro formally, "I know I speak for Tom and Roger when I say that routine is all we want for a long time to come!"
"Amen!" added Tom and Roger in unison.
"Very well," said Strong. "Polaris unit—Staaaaand TO!"
The three boys snapped to attention.
"You are hereby ordered to report aboard the Polaris at fifteen hundred hours and stand by to raise ship!"
He returned their salutes, turned sharply and walked from the room.
Outside, Steve Strong leaned against the wall and stared through the crystal shell of the atmosphere station into the endless desert.