The Right Stuff Page #4

between Vaseline and putty.

All their windows fell out.

Compliments of Pancho's, Scotty.

The real test wasn't Mach 2.

I guess that demon lives out

at about 2.3 on your Mach meter.

Yeah, but Mach 2 was the magic number.

Like 60 homers, like batting.400,

like the four-minute mile.

The press likes a nice round number.

After that, they don't care,

until the next magic number.

You need more than speed records.

You need coverage.

Coverage?

You mean them root weevils

that crawl around popping off cameras?

Those root weevils write history.

Let them write the history,

and let the pilots fly the planes.

Pilots.

You know what really makes

your rocket ships go up?

The aerodynamics would take

so long to explain to you that...

Funding.

That's what makes your ships go up.

I'll tell you something.

And you guys, too.

No bucks, no Buck Rogers.

Whoever gets the funding

gets the technology.

Whoever gets the technology stays on top.

Flyboy, let's dance.

I'll drink to that.

He'll be going after Crossfield soon,

won't he?

No, he won't.

He'll be going after that demon

that lives in the thin air.

You got any Beemans?

Even before you hit Mach 2,

she'll be unforgiving on you.

So take it easy.

Wring her out a little bit this time.

You got any gum?

Yeah, I got me a stick.

Loan me some. I'll pay you back later.

- Fair enough.

- Thank you.

Okay, drop her.

All right, here we go again.

Drop!

Number 3 coming on.

Got seven seconds on 150 right now.

I've got you in sight, Chuck.

Going out of sight...

now!

Mach 1.

Number 4.

Here goes Mach 2.

2. 1.

Sorry, Scotty.

You got her now, buddy.

You can ease it back.

Bring it on in.

I'm pushing the envelope.

See where that demon lives.

Come in, Chuck.

Say again. Over.

Do you read? Over.

Damn! He's uncorked it!

Mayday! Mayday!

Alert all ground crews.

Talk to me!

Mayday! Mayday! Alert the ground crews.

Come in!

Do you read me? Over.

I'm fighting bad here.

I'm down to 25,000 over Tehachapi.

I don't know if I can make it

back to base or not.

What happened?

Think I must have bust the canopy

with my head.

I'm getting okay now.

We sure chased that old demon this time.

That's as fast as a man can go.

What's next, Ridley?

It's called Sputnik.

We know. Sit down.

And as I was saying...

whoever controls

the high ground of space...

will control the world.

The Roman Empire controlled

the world because it could build roads.

Later, the British Empire was dominant

because it had ships.

In the air stage, we were powerful

because we had the airplane.

Now the Communists have established

a foothold in outer space.

Soon they'll have space platforms

to drop nuclear bombs on us...

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