Space Trader (Galactic Axia Adventure) Read Free Page B

personalized training at the Rodar Training Center. My instructor (ok he has a name!), Trooper-First Ace Vmac insists that we practice another mapping and charting routine. I know it’s important and all that, but I want to get out there and do something! All this analysis of rocks in space is driving me crazy. And now he wants me to do another bio-scan of the surface. That makes three times this week for this one rock alone! What does he think is down there, an unknown life form Galactic Axia science has never heard of? Maybe he’s looking for a date with some exotic alien girl!
    I heard from Stan Shane a few days ago. He’s up to his elbows in some sort of hush-hush project on a closed planet somewhere. I have no idea what he’s doing, and even if he told me, I probably wouldn’t understand it anyway. He did say that Ert is helping him, so I know either it’s something very dangerous or very complicated. Whatever it is, he sure is happy. At least he gets to do something important. Me? I’m stuck here analyzing rocks and microbes.
    I know—gripe, gripe, gripe. Mine is not to reason why, mine is but to do or die, or sob and sigh, or wipe my eye, or something along those lines. But it’s every trooper’s right to complain. This just isn’t quite what I’d envisioned when they outlined my “training” missions. The whole galaxy is waiting out there and I want to go see it! Even I know a stupid computer could do a better job of this than I can!
    And that brings up another question—have you heard from Ert? Oh! I hope he doesn’t pick up on that ‘stupid computer’ remark. You know how touchy he is. For a while there, he’d log on and be all chatty, but lately he’s disappeared. Stan didn’t mention anything about him, so I don’t know if it’s just me or what. Last time I spoke to Ert, he mentioned that he’d gotten under the skin of a few people at the Science Institute. His help can be burdensome at times. And I can’t imagine any way that they could keep him from communicating if he wanted to.
    So anyway, that’s it from your lonely son. Tomorrow it looks like we might actually go somewhere if Ace gives me the go-ahead. I’ll try to keep you posted if anything, and I mean ANYTHING actually happens.
    Love, your son, Delmar
    “That sure was informative,” Robert Hassel said with a grin to his wife of many years, Agnes, as he put down the printed letter. They were talking about their son, Delmar Eagleman whom they had adopted after his abusive guardian brother, Dorn, had been killed while a fugitive from the law. Delmar had joined the Galactic Axia Troopers and was now away at Flight Training and Survey School on Rodar, one of primary planets of the Axia. “Our boy is going space-happy.”
    “Don’t be so hard on him, Robert,” Agnes scolded. “Don’t you remember how eager we were at that age?”
    “Of course I can’t,” Robert quipped. “Short term memory loss.”
    “Delmar did have a point about that computer, Ert,” Agnes went on, ignoring her husband’s stab at a joke. “Ert used to drop us a line as well but it’s sure been quiet from that direction.”
    “He probably got in trouble again with Professor Angle,” Robert said. “Delmar might have a point.”
    “From what I know of Ert from our correspondence, that is very likely, but not with the professor,” Agnes said. “It seemed to me that Professor Angle actually encouraged Ert to go out and explore.”
    “Yes, but he has a strange way of exploring,” Robert quipped. “Not to mention how he leaves things afterwards.”
    Agnes could only agree with Robert’s assessment. Boys and computers , she thought. Can’t live with ‘em and ya can’t live without ‘em.
    ∞∞∞
    Ian Cahill reached up to his nav board and punched in the coordinates for the next leg of his rounds. He glanced at the readout on the screen and decided to tweak it a bit. No need to take unnecessary chances , he thought as he vectored his route