Stand by for Mars! · Chapter
Atom City explained
The Polaris crew enjoys their first leave in Atom City, meeting a wistful Mr.
What happens
The Polaris crew enjoys their first leave in Atom City, meeting a wistful Mr. Bernard who shares his unfulfilled dream of becoming a spaceman. Roger's strange behavior at dinner puzzles Tom. After arriving in the dazzling crystal city, the cadets check into the Mars Hotel, explore the sights, and encounter a belligerent passenger captain. Their leave is cut short by Captain Strong, who orders them back to the Academy for emergency space maneuvers.
Themes in this chapter
Ambition and Dreams
Mr. Bernard's unfulfilled dream of becoming a spaceman contrasts with the cadets' active pursuit of their space careers, highlighting the theme of ambition and the pain of lost opportunities.
Friendship and Loyalty
Tom's concern for Roger's strange behavior and the crew's unified front against Captain James demonstrate the bonds of friendship and loyalty among the Polaris crew.
Characters to notice
- Tom Corbett
Ponders Roger's strange behavior toward Mr. Bernard; leads the group in Atom City; receives the recall order from Captain Strong.
- Roger Manning
Acts rudely toward Mr. Bernard, cutting him off; flirts with the hotel clerk; gets into a verbal fight with Captain James; excited about the upcoming deep-space hop.
- Astro
Enjoys the leave; physically restrains Roger at the hotel; stands up to Captain James; eager for the space maneuvers.
- Mr. Bernard
A wealthy businessman who regrets his failed dream of becoming a spaceman due to a bad heart; shares a meal with the cadets.
- Steve Strong
Contacts the cadets via teleceiver to recall them to the Academy for special maneuvers.
- Al James
A passenger captain who insults the Space Cadets and is confronted by Roger and Astro.
Key passages
“Couldn’t take the acceleration, boys. Bad heart. I send out more than five hundred cargoes a year, to all parts of the solar system; but myself, I’ve never been more than a mile off the surface of the earth.”
Mr. Bernard explains that a heart condition prevented him from becoming a spaceman, despite his thriving interplanetary shipping business.
Reveals Bernard's personal regret and the theme of unfulfilled dreams.
“Listen,” he said. “Listen!” Then he slumped back in his chair and closed his eyes. “Lemme sleep, Corbett. Lemme sleep, I tell you.””
Roger evades Tom's question about his rude behavior toward Mr. Bernard, pretending to sleep.
Highlights Roger's secretiveness and Tom's growing suspicion.
“Sorry, boys,” came the voice from the teleceiver. “But that’s it. You’ve got to return to the Academy immediately. The whole cadet corps has been ordered into space for special maneuvers. We blast off tomorrow morning at six hundred.”
Captain Strong orders the cadets back to the Academy for urgent space maneuvers, cutting short their leave.
Sets up the next major plot event—the crew's first deep-space mission.