Another voice-heard only through the speaker-replied, "I answer for him."
It went on, until the Four were mustered, whereupon the first voice stated, "All present, sir."
"Man the ship."
They mounted a slidewalk, to step off in a large underground room, far out under Santa Barbara Field. There were eight large elevators arranged in a wide circle around the room. Matt and his squad were crowded into one of them and mounted to the surface. Up it went, much higher than had been necessary to enter the test-flight rocket, up and up, close by the huge bulk of the Bolivar.
It stopped and they trotted across the drawbridge into the ship. Inside the airlock stood a space-marines sergeant, gaudy and splendid who kept repeating, "Seventh deck! Down the hatch to your own deck-step lively!" He pointed to the hatch, down which disappeared a narrow, vertical steel ladder.
Matt hitched his jump bag out of his way and lowered himself into the hatch, moving fast to avoid getting his fingers stepped on by the cadet who followed him. He lost track of the decks, but there was a sergeant master-at- arms on each. He got off when he heard, "Third deck!"
He was in a wide, low cylindrical compartment, the deck of which was covered with plastic-foam padding. It ,was marked off in sections, each about seven feet by three and fitted with safety belts.
Matt found an unoccupied section, sat down, and waited. Presently cadets stopped dribbling in, the room was crowded. The master-at-arms called out, "Down, everybody-one to a section." He then counted them by noting that all sections were filled.
A loudspeaker warned, "All hands, prepare for acceleration!" The sergeant told them to strap down and remained standing until all had done so. He then lay down, grasped two handholds, and reported the third deck ready.
"All hands, stand by to raise!" called out the speaker.