reactors were taken apart and specially designed compression heads were
put on the atomic motors.

The entire corps of Space Cadets had been given a special three-day
holiday to see the trials, and the Academy buildings were decorated with
multicolored flags and pennants. A festive atmosphere surrounded the
vast Solar Guard installation.

But in his office in the Tower of Galileo, Captain Strong paced the
floor, a worried frown on his face. He stepped around his desk and
picked up a paper to re-read it for the tenth time. He shook his head
and flipped open the key of his desk intercom, connecting him with the
enlisted spaceman in the next office.

"Find Kit Barnard, spaceman!" Strong called. "And give him an oral
message. _Personal._ Tell him I said he can't use his reactor unit
unless he changes it to more standard operational design." Strong paused
and glanced at the paper again. "As it stands now, his reactor will not
be approved for the trials," he continued. "Tell him he has until
midnight tonight to submit new specifications."

As Strong closed the intercom key abruptly, the three members of the
_Polaris_ unit stepped into his office and saluted smartly. Strong
looked up. "Hello, boys. Sit down." He waved them to nearby chairs and
turned back to his desk. The drawn expression of their unit commander
did not go unnoticed.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" asked Tom tentatively.

"Nothing much," replied Strong wearily. He indicated the sheaf of papers