Matt never found out how Uncle Bodie got over his disability. An announcer, mounted in the common room, summoned him to report to compartment B-121. He got there, after a few wrong turns, and found another youngster cadet just coming out. "What's it for?" he asked.
"Go on in," the other told him. "Orientation."
Matt went in and found an officer seated at a desk. "Cadet Dodson, sir, reporting as ordered."
The officer looked up and smiled. "Sit down, Dodson, Lieutenant Wong is my name. I'm your coach."
"My coach, sir?"
"Your tutor, your supervisor, anything you care to call it. It's my business to see that you and a dozen more like you study what you need to study. Think of me as standing behind you with a black snake whip." He grinned.
Matt grinned back. He began to like Mr. Wong.
Wong picked up a sheaf of papers. "I've got your record here-let's lay out a course of study. I see you type, use a slide rule and differential calculator, and can take shorthand-those are all good. Do you know any outer languages? By the way, don't bother to talk Basic; I speak north
American English fairly well. How long have you spoken Basic?"
"Er, I don't know any outer languages, sir. I had Basic in high school, but I don't really think in it. I have to watch what I'm saying."