Chapter Eighteen
The Cadets' training continued rapidly. Most of their third year was
spent in simulators. Now what they had learned in the classrooms was
put to practical use.
2 This year, too, they went into space for the first time. Their custom
made space suit that would serve them for the rest of the time they
were in Service, being transferred from ship to ship with them, was
donned for the first time. It took practice backing into the unit,
fitting your
wings into place, then closing the chest, pulling up the trousers and
sealing them in place, then, mounting your helmet! It had to all be
done in less than a minute, but after a while it became easy. There was
rarely an emergency that you had to don your suit that fast, but it was
good to know how.
3 This was the last year they could participate in sports. The Inner
Service Trophy had been in The Academy display room for two years. It
would stay there a third.
4 North had some trouble with his studies. It seemed to be simple
things, that sometimes threw him off. But with Morn's help, he
continued to advance, making a name for himself, even in Academy. When
a Cadet became sick with Colony Four Fever, his quick action kept it
from spreading, and exposed a vaccine failure that could have been
disastrous!
5 Morn was proud of his friend, but North had the worst luck that any
Cadet could have. His fifth and final year nearly proved fatal.
6 The Cadets were on their final deep space mission. They were to go
down to a newly formed planet and set up observation equipment for the
scientific station they had put into orbit. They would beam down
without a receiving station, which wasn't unusual. It was a party of
seven, an Instructor, North and Morn, and four other Cadets.
7 The Instructor, Morn and his party went down first. North and his
Cadets then stepped into the chamber and followed. Then, everything
went wrong. Instead of materializ-