"And Manning," asked Strong. "What about Manning?"
"One of the hardest, brightest minds I've come across in the Academy. He has a brain like a steel trap. He never misses."
"Then, do you think he's acting up because Corbett is the nominal head of the unit? Does he feel that he should be the command cadet in the control deck instead of Corbett?"
"No," replied Dr. Dale. "Not at all. I'm sure he intentionally missed problems about control deck and command in his classification test. He concentrated on astrogation, communications and signal radar. He wanted to be assigned to the radar deck. And he turned in the best paper I've ever read from a cadet to get the post."
Strong threw up his hands. "Then what is it? Here we have a unit, on paper at least, that could be number one. A good combination of brains, experience and knowledge. Everything that's needed. And what is the result? Friction!"
Suddenly a buzzer sounded, and on Steve Strong's desk a small teleceiver screen glowed into life. Gradually the stern face of Commander Walters emerged.
"Sorry to disturb you, Steve. Can you spare me a minute?"
"Of course, Commander," replied Strong. "Is anything wrong?"
"Very wrong, Steve. I've been looking over the daily performance reports on Unit 42-D."
"Dr. Dale and I have just been discussing that situation, sir." A relieved expression passed over the commander's face.