Zhao Chen's words appeared in a video window before every aircrew member and every man of the ground crews, issuing this order upon the instant.
The senior colonel at his side watched him with interest.
He had guessed naturally enough that this was Zhao Chen's new officer lighting his three fires.[1]
He must establish his authority.
Only he had never supposed the man would be so hasty about it.
A new superior set down into a post commonly chooses to go on step by step, and draw closer to his people first.
To come straight in with a show of severity may very easily work the contrary effect.
In truth Zhao Chen too would rather have gone step by step; indeed he had no wish to manage these people at all.
But he knew what was shortly to happen.
This starship was to sail out as bait, and would very soon come under the enemy's attack.
And before that he must have this force of his in his own grip.
So he could only choose to cut the tangled hemp through with a sharp knife.
Soon the sound of footsteps came from every hangar.
More and more of them began to gather together.
All the aircrew, which is to say the interstellar fighter pilots, and the ground crews besides.
Near ten thousand men in all.
The sight of ten thousand men assembled together was a splendid one.
Every squadron, every ground-crew team standing each in its own place,
forming so many little squares.
And the ten minutes Zhao Chen had chosen were in fact very finely judged.
For that is the Alliance's time for assembly under an urgent military alarm.
A standard time, and the very item every soldier must pass to graduate from a military academy.
Soon the ten minutes were up.
Zhao Chen at his end used the authority that was his and took control of the watching robot within that hangar.
"Time is up. Scan every man present."
The cameras overhead very soon swept across those assembled there.
Because Zhao Chen had kept the communications window open throughout, these ten thousand and more could not all see this new superior of theirs with their own eyes, but could see him through the video window, and hear his voice besides.
And now the robot gave its report.
"Flight Squadron One: three hundred and seven due, three hundred and four present, three absent. Absent: the leader of Flight Squadron One, Cao Bing…"
"Flight Squadron Two…"
"Ground Crew Team One…"
Soon the list of the absent was reckoned up, one by one.
Some half a minute from first to last.
And within that half minute, one man came sauntering in late besides.
He walked in through the great door behind Zhao Chen, both hands in his pockets.
And as though he had not seen Zhao Chen at all, went straight toward his own unit.
"All absent men, assemble before me." Zhao Chen sent an urgent order to every one of the absent.
And before that man who had strolled past Zhao Chen with his hands in his pockets, a red window sprang up.
'Squadron One leader Cao Bing: as you did not complete assembly within the appointed time, you are judged absent. Report at once before the flight group leader.'
Because it was announced aloud besides, those near enough could all hear it.
And as ill luck would have it, Flight Squadron One, by reason of where its place lay, stood very near Zhao Chen indeed.
So the soldiers of Flight Squadron One all heard that voice as well.
As for this Cao Bing, he did not turn around.
But a cold snort of his could be heard.
And the next instant Zhao Chen's voice sounded upon the communications channel.
"Within one minute, any absent man not standing before me. Will be expelled from this starship's order of battle, without exception."
At those words, every man present was dumbfounded.
Even the senior colonel at Zhao Chen's side was dumbfounded.
He had never in the world supposed this Zhao Chen would be so decided!
And that squadron leader named Cao Bing wore a look just then that shifted between dark and light.
He did not know whether this man called Zhao Chen was merely trying to frighten them.
And already there was a sound of footsteps at hand.
Those who had come late were every one of them running to assemble before Zhao Chen.
Of ten thousand and more, near a hundred had been late.
Some of them perhaps merely too slack in the ordinary way, and unprepared for so sudden an assembly.
And some of them deliberate,
such as this Cao Bing's sort.
In the end Cao Bing did turn around, and stood among the ranks of the latecomers with a gloomy face.
The minute was soon up as well.
But just then another figure came walking over, at his leisure, as through his own garden, with a cigarette between his lips besides.
"Beg pardon; I walked a little slow." The man raised his head, and there was challenge in his eyes.
Zhao Chen looked at the man before him without a change of countenance.
Then, before them all, and upon the live picture besides,
he called up a file of personal particulars,
which was this very man's.
Deputy leader of the Fifth Flight Squadron, Lu Gaoqiang, rank of second lieutenant.
"Deputy leader of the Fifth Flight Squadron Lu Gaoqiang, for failing to obey orders. Every post and standing of his is now revoked; he is to be removed from Red Rose No. 1[2] at once."
So saying, Zhao Chen worked upon this Lu Gaoqiang's particulars outright.
Lu Gaoqiang stared a moment, and then a red window put itself out before him.
'Soldier Lu Gaoqiang: for failing to carry out a superior's order, every post is now revoked. You are to leave Red Rose No. 1 at once, within one hour. And await the further handling of the Alliance's proper departments.'
Lu Gaoqiang was utterly dumbfounded.
He looked at Zhao Chen, and said indignantly as he came: "Hey! Have you got it wrong? I was only a little late, and you strip me of my post? Do you know what my standing is, do you know what family stands behind me? You dare lay a hand on me—"
Lu Gaoqiang came up before Zhao Chen, and as he spoke he leveled a finger at him besides.
Zhao Chen raised a hand without the least ceremony and snapped Lu Gaoqiang's finger outright.
A scream carried all about them.
"Answering back to a superior: one degree added to the offense." Zhao Chen looked at Lu Gaoqiang, who knelt upon the ground clutching his finger and howling.
"Someone, throw him out." Zhao Chen looked at several soldiers beside him.
Those soldiers at once took Lu Gaoqiang up in their arms.
Though they did not truly throw him out, but set him down outside the hangar.
Lu Gaoqiang's screams and his curses came in without ceasing.
"All the rest of the latecomers. The penalty is ten laps of No. 1 hangar. Rest when you have run them," Zhao Chen said icily.
Ten laps?
Hearing that penalty,
no few of them drew a cold breath.
Though to fly an interstellar fighter calls of itself for a strong constitution, and the bodily quality of these men was all very strong.
Yet it must be understood.
That one lap of No. 1 hangar is a full ten kilometers.
Ten laps of it is a hundred kilometers.
And even for soldiers of so strong a make, to run out that hundred kilometers is to be left with half a life in them.
"I protest. A moment late, and a hundred kilometers for it!" At this Cao Bing could not keep from stepping out, and stared at Zhao Chen.
"Your protest does not stand. So long as you are a soldier, time at any moment whatever is of the first importance. As a squadron leader you should be clear on that. And I am your superior; never mind penalizing you a hundred kilometers. Had I ordered you to run a hundred kilometers, you would have had to do it. Unless you would rather be like that fellow. And get out," Zhao Chen retorted without ceremony.
The look on Cao Bing's face shifted between dark and light.
In the end he could not hold it in. "Your grade is higher than ours. A soldier's duty is to obey orders. But here, likewise, the strong are held in honor. How am I to know whether you have the ability to be our group leader!"
The corner of Zhao Chen's mouth lifted slightly as he looked at the man.
"Very good. I like your temper. Then let us have a match, and welcome. If I win, you need not run. But if you lose. The penalty is two hundred kilometers."