Звездный десант

           "Pilot?"

           "Ifpossible."

           "Youlooklikeone.Well,seeMissRojas."

           Sheleft,withthankstohimandasee-you-latertous;heturnedhisattentiontous,sizedusupwithatotalabsenceofthepleasurehehadshowninlittleCarmen."So?"hesaid."Forwhat?Laborbattalions?"

           "Oh,no!"Isaid."I’mgoingtobeapilot."

           Hestaredatmeandsimplyturnedhiseyesaway."You?"

           "I’minterestedintheResearchandDevelopmentCorps,"Carlsaidsoberly,"especiallyelectronics.Iunderstandthechancesareprettygood."

           "Theyareifyoucancutit,"theFleetSergeantsaidgrimly,"andnotifyoudon’thavewhatittakes,bothinpreparationandability.Look,boys,haveyouanyideawhytheyhavemeouthereinfront?"

           Ididn’tunderstandhim.Carlsaid,"Why?"

           "Becausethegovernmentdoesn’tcareonebucketofswillwhetheryoujoinornot!Becauseithasbecomestylish,withsomepeople—toomanypeople—toserveatermandearnafranchiseandbeabletoweararibboninyourlapelwhichsaysthatyou’reavet’ran...whetheryou’veeverseencombatornot.ButifyouwanttoserveandIcan’ttalkyououtofit,thenwehavetotakeyou,becausethat’syourconstitutionalright.Itsaysthateverybody,maleorfemale,shallhavehisbornrighttopayhisserviceandassumefullcitizenshipbutthefactsarethatwearegettinghardpushedtofindthingsforallthevolunteerstodothataren’tjustglorifiedK.P.Youcan’tallberealmilitarymen;wedon’tneedthatmanyandmostofthevolunteersaren’tnumber-onesoldiermaterialanyhow.