Звездный десант

           Buttheothernineteentimesheturnsyoudownanddecidesthatyouarejustwhattheyhavebeenneedingtofield-testsurvivalequipmentonTitan."Headdedmeditatively,"It’schillyonTitan.Andit’samazinghowoftenexperimentalequipmentfailstowork.Havetohaverealfieldtests,though—laboratoriesjustnevergetalltheanswers."

           "Icanqualifyforelectronics,"Carlsaidfirmly,"iftherearejobsopeninit."

           "So?Andhowaboutyou,bub?"

           Ihesitated—andsuddenlyrealizedthat,ifIdidn’ttakeaswingatit,IwouldwonderallmylifewhetherIwasanythingbuttheboss’sson.

           "I’mgoingtochanceit."

           "Well,youcan’tsayIdidn’ttry.Gotyourbirthcertificateswithyou?Andlet’sseeyourI.D.’s."

           Tenminuteslater,stillnotswornin,wewereonthetopfloorbeingproddedandpokedandfluoroscoped.Idecidedthattheideaofaphysicalexaminationisthat,ifyouaren’till,thentheydotheirdarnedesttomakeyouill.Iftheattemptfails,you’rein.

           Iaskedoneofthedoctorswhatpercentageofthevictimsflunkedthephysical.Helookedstartled."Why,weneverfailanyone.Thelawdoesn’tpermitusto."

           "Huh?Imean,Excuseme,Doctor?Thenwhat’sthepointofthisgoose-fleshparade?"

           "Why,thepurposeis,"heanswered,haulingoffandhittingmeinthekneewithahammer(Ikickedhim,butnothard),"tofindoutwhatdutiesyouarephysicallyabletoperform.