I could've got out of it, but they needed me badly. As
much as I like you, baby, I had to go along to give the boys a break and
..."
"_Cadet Manning!_" An infuriated roar echoed in the small chamber.
"Yeah, whaddaya wan--" growled Roger, turning to see who had interrupted
him. He suddenly gulped and turned pale. "Ohhhhhhhhh--good-by, baby!" He
flipped the switch and stood up.
"Uh--ah--good morning, Major Connel," he stammered.
"What's going on here, Manning?" barked Connel.
"I--was--talking, sir," replied Roger.
"So I heard! But talking to whom?"
"To whom, sir?"
"That's what I said, Manning." Connel's voice dropped to a deep
sarcastic purr. "To whom?"
"I was--ah--talking to Earth, sir."
"Official business, I presume?"
"You mean--official--like here on the station, sir?"
"Official, like here on the station, Manning," replied Connel in almost
a kindly tone.
"No, sir."
"You failed to make your quarter-hour check to the traffic-control
center, I believe?"
"Yes, sir," gulped Roger. The full realization of what he had done was
beginning to dawn on him.
"And you've tampered with vital station equipment for your own personal
use," added Connel.
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