Hardy began to pace back and forth in front of Walters' desk, waving his
hands as he warmed up to his subject. "Tonight, on a special combined
audioceiver and teleceiver broadcast to all parts of the Solar Alliance,
the president of the Solar Council will ask for volunteers--men who will
take man's first step through deep space to the stars. It is a step,
which, in the thousands of years ahead, will eventually lead to a
civilization of Earthmen throughout all space!"

Tom, Roger, and Astro sat in silent awe as they listened to the plans
for man to reach toward the stars. Spacemen by nature and adventurers in
spirit, they were united in the belief that some day Earthmen would set
foot on all the stars and never stop until they had seen the last sun,
the last world, the last unexplored corner of the cosmos.

"The colonists," continued Hardy, "will come from all over the system.
One thousand of them--the strongest and sturdiest men out of the
billions that inhabit the planets around us; one thousand, to live on
Roald for a period of seven years."

Tom, his eyes bright, asked, "Won't everybody want to go, sir?"

Walters and Hardy smiled. "We expect a rush, Corbett," answered Walters.
"You three and Captain Strong have been selected to aid in screening the
applicants."

"Will there be any special tests, sir?" asked Strong. "I have to agree
with Corbett that just about everyone will want to go."

"Yes, Strong," said Hardy. "Everyone _will_ want to go. In fact, we
estimate that there will be literally millions of applicants!"