Man of Many Minds Read online

  Chapter 4

  The cadets were all keyed up about graduation, now so near, and most ofthem were cramming at every opportunity on the subjects in which theyfelt themselves deficient. Such tenseness is natural before any finalexaminations, but in their case more so than it would have been in anordinary school or university.

  For not until the final marks were posted from these last examinations,plus their marks for the entire five years, would any of them--exceptHanlon, of course--know for a surety that he would be graduated andbecome a permanent member of the Inter-Stellar Corps. And how intenselyeach of them wanted to belong!

  Four days had now passed since George Hanlon's fateful interview withthe Commandant of Cadets, and its unexpected outcome. He could hardlybelieve, even yet, that he was now actually a member of the unknownSecret Service of the Corps.

  Only the great inner joy he knew at the recovery of his once-adored dad,and the complete dismissal of all those black hatreds, gave proof thatit wasn't all a fantastic dream.

  Hanlon hadn't experienced anything unusual in the cadet routine, and wasgrowing more and more nervous as to just what was to happen to him. Hestill shivered every time he thought of that coming, dreaded ordeal. Andall this waiting, this worrying, this wondering when--it wasn't makinglife any easier. If only they would get it over and done with!

  But he strove to compose himself for it as best he could, and it was ameasure of his inherent stability that he never let his comrades, evenhis roommate, see how apprehensive he was.

  Now the day had come for the first of their finals. Hanlon never worriedabout exams, for he had always been near the top of his class. Now,especially, since he was already graduated and a Senior Lieutenant, hecould have taken things easily. But pride in his scholarship made himanxious as always to do his best.

  Their first examination was History, one of Hanlon's pet subjects, forhe loved this story of Mankind, his ups and downs and gradual growth.

  When the examination papers were handed out and he noted the firstquestion he smiled. If only they were all that easy.

  _"Give briefly a resume of the events leading up to the formation of the Inter-Stellar Corps."_

  Hanlon uncapped his writo, and began:

  "In the middle of the Twentieth Century the various governments of Earthwere all tending toward either a totalitarian or a welfare-form state.More and more power became vested in the Executive branch; more and morecitizens were either working directly for government, or were supportedby relief funds. Business was, to an increasingly greater extent,stifled by over-control. Public debts became a staggering load, andworkers had less and less of their income available for living needs.

  "When atomic energy was first released by the United States, in the formof a bomb during a war, the military took complete control of it.Neither private nor industrial scientists or technicians were allowed toexperiment with possibilities of getting power directly from atomicfission.

  "In 1958 a young man named Travis Burkett was elected to the UnitedStates Congress from California. During his four terms as member of theLower House he became increasingly well-known as possessor of one of thefinest minds in public life. In 1966 he was advanced to the Senate, andsoon became its leading member.

  "In 1976 (prophetic year) he ran for President on the simple platform of'give the country back to the people'. His ideas and views so fired theminds and hopes of the citizens of America, regimented and ground downby the cancerous growth of bureaucracy, that even most of thebureaucrats and reliefers joined to elect him by one of the greatestpluralities ever polled.

  "During his two terms of office, with the help of a Cabinet of men whobelieved as he did, he fulfilled his promises. The tremendous power ofthe Executive was gradually returned to the Legislative, where itbelonged. Unnecessary, over-lapping, and duplicated bureaus and agencieswere reduced to the minimum. Only persons actually in need weresupported from the public purse. Where almost 80% of the citizenry hadbeen working for or supported by government when he took office, lessthan 15% were doing so when he retired.

  "Tax restrictions and governmental meddling in industry and businesswere reduced save for a few necessary safe-guards of minimum-wage andmaximum-safety laws. With these restrictions removed, and with controlof so many vital sciences and technologies taken away from the military,inventions took an accelerated up-swing.

  "The peoples of other countries, fired by the realization of what couldbe done, staged revolutions, happily largely bloodless, and soon,working through the United Nations Council, a United World governmentbecame an actuality, and Burkett one of its first presidents.

  "An American named John Snyder had, years before, secretly worked out asimple and inexpensive method of obtaining practically unlimited powerdirectly from atomic fission. Now he could legally bring this to thepublic, and soon homes, public transportation and industry were usinghis power method.

  "Snyder attracted to him a group of gifted scientists and technicians.These now turned their attention to space flight and Man, theInsatiable, began stretching out greedy hands to the Stars.

  "They put a robot rocket on the Moon in less than two years. Their thirdrocket carried two scientists who did not make the return trip--theystayed to study and to learn. Five years later the first ship landed onMars, and within a decade that planet was largely colonized. So, twoyears later, was Venus. Another fifteen years saw colonization of mostof the moons of the outer planets.

  "For, using new techniques and inventions learned from many experiments,the moons and planets were given air, water and warmth as needed.Android robots, developed by Varney, one of Snyder's scientists, helpedgreatly in this work, especially one young female android who was a truegenius.

  "Then Man reached the Stars ... and the planets of those distant suns.It was here that the now-aged Snyder proved himself again one of thegreatest humanitarians ever to have lived. He promulgated the rulingthat is still in force:

  _"'Man must never colonize any planet having inhabitants intelligent enough to show cultural activity and growth'._

  "Controlling all means of transportation between planets as he did,because he held all the basic patents, Snyder was able to enforce thatruling. To do so, he organized the 'Snyder Patrol', which later wastaken over by the Federated Planets when that organization was formed,and became today's Inter-Stellar Corps.

  "Today there are fifty-seven planets colonized by former inhabitants ofTellus or their descendants from colonized planets. These each havetheir own sovereignty and chosen form of government, but are united in aloosely-knit Federation which is solely a Court of Arbitration forInter-Planetary affairs. The I-S C is the Federation's Investigation andEnforcement branch, not a governing or military patrol."

  Hanlon had finished that question and the second, which asked for thedates of the war between the colonists of Mars and those of the Joviansatellites. He was resting his eyes by glancing unseeingly about theroom momentarily before starting the third question, when he heard theloud, angry voice of the instructor in charge.

  "Cadet Hanlon, on your feet, sir! Just how, Mister, do you think you canget away with cheating at a final examination?"

  Hanlon's head jerked up and his face went dead-white as the blooddrained from it. He stumbled to his feet and, conscious of the amazedexpressions of his classmates, looked up at the teacher.

  "Bu ... but I don't understand, sir. I wasn't cheating."

  "Don't lie to me!" the voice was a whiplash. "I distinctly saw youlooking at Cadet Fox's paper. The idea of any cadet, this close tograduation, trying such a contemptible thing!"

  Hanlon's bewilderment was changing to anger at such an unjustaccusation, when suddenly a thought struck him ...

  _This was it!_

  Cheating at examinations always meant expulsion and disgrace.

  He had all he could do to keep from betraying himself as he probedquickly toward the mind on the rostrum. Now he perceived the feeling ofcommiseration which the stern, hot eyes of the
apparently outragedinstructor did not reveal.

  Hanlon remembered his father's instructions to "play it up big". He madehimself glare back at the teacher, and his blue eyes took on thehardness of glacial ice.

  "You're making a colossal mistake, sir," his voice was louder andangrier than it should ever have been. "If our regular instructor wasgiving this exam he'd never make such an accusation. I've led this classin grades all through school. And not by cheating, either."

  "Lower your voice, Mister, and don't talk back!" But Hanlon'smind-probing was receiving approbation now. "I saw you cheating, and Iknow what I saw. Do you want to resign, or will you force me to take youto the commandant?"

  "I don't know who you are, but you're a stupid fool!" Hanlon apparentlylost all control of himself, and his voice and red face showed the angerhe was simulating so well. "If you think you're going to frame me out ofthis class and out of graduating, you're a confounded idiot! Ask any ofthese chaps here--they all know I'm not a cheat."

  But the cadets, though puzzled and dismayed, were far too clever to getmixed up in this unexpected brawl. They all sat, eyes lowered but facesstraight ahead, arms folded across their chests, having no part in it atall.

  The examining instructor, a man much larger and heavier than Hanlon'sfive feet eleven inches and one hundred and seventy-five pounds, rusheddown from the platform. He grabbed at the cadet's arms, but Hanlonswivelled away, then stepped back in and struck at the officer.

  That was mutiny! It was unthinkable for a cadet to strike an officer,under any circumstances or provocation.

  The teacher, however, snared the cadet in a neo-judo hold that noneophyte, however skilled or strong could break. He dragged thestruggling Hanlon up to the rostrum and, with his elbow, activated theintercom.

  "Ask the commandant to come to room 12-B. A cadet, caught cheating atexaminations, has mutinied."

  Still holding the struggling, angry Hanlon, the instructor-officerexcoriated his victim for such breach of cadet honor. Hanlon, meanwhile,yelled insults and oaths. He twisted and squirmed as though trying toescape, although he had quickly realized he was now being held in aloose though apparently-valid grip he could have broken easily had he sodesired.

  Yet during all this Hanlon was receiving from the officer's mind thedistinct impression that the latter hated what he was doing, yet wasapproving the way the new SS man was playing his part. Further, Hanlonsensed he was being welcomed into the fellowship of those unknown SS mento whom he was now brother.

  Soon Admiral Rogers, followed by two hulking space marines, came runninginto the room.

  "What's going on here?" he barked.

  Quickly the teacher repeated his charges, while Hanlon yelled denialsand vituperations at the moronic imbecile who dared accuse him of suchtreachery.

  "I'm ashamed of you, Hanlon!" the admiral said coldly. "We had highhopes for you, as I told you when I interviewed you about your initialassignment."

  "Then why don't you listen to me instead of taking the word of thisslime-snake who calls himself an instructor? Bah! He oughta be diggingditches!"

  "That'll do!" Disgust showed on the admiral's face as he gestured to themarines, who jumped forward and grabbed Hanlon's arms, twisting thembehind his back and handcuffing them.

  "George Hanlon, you are hereby officially dismissed from theInter-Stellar Corps' Cadet School!"

  So saying, Admiral Rogers ripped all identifying symbols from Hanlon'suniform, then turned again to the marines. "Take him outside theReservation."

  They hauled Hanlon, still shrieking and cursing, out of the room, out ofthe building, across the park, and to the gate of the Corps' property.

  There his handcuffs were removed, and the sneering marines literally andnot-too-gently booted him into the street, where he sprawled facedownward in a muddy puddle.

  Hanlon pulled himself erect, apparently mad clear through. He shook hisfist at the grinning marines gathered just inside the gate. He cursedthem fluently with every foul oath and name he could remember everhaving heard. Innately clean of speech and thought, this swearing nearlygagged him. But he was "putting on a good act."

  They stood his insults for some time, but when he began to get toopersonal, a couple of them started toward him, their mocking laughtergone. To "make his act better," Hanlon now pretended to be frightened,cowardly, and accompanied by the jeers of the civilian on-lookers whohad quickly congregated to see what all the rumpus was about, he fleddown the city street away from the Reservation.

  At first opportunity, after he had outdistanced his pursuers, Hanlonducked into an alley. He ran down this until he spotted the back door ofa little cafe, and dodged inside. There, in the washroom, he cleanedhimself as best he could.

  Again somewhat presentable, he left by the front door and rode theslideways to a section of the city where he could buy some good but nottoo expensive clothing.

  Now inconspicuously dressed, he got a hotel room, then went to the bankwhere he bought some shares of stock, arranged for insurance, and renteda deposit box.