Bronsen roared and leaped to his feet. "You old fool," he bellowed. "Technically, theoretically and mechanically, there wasn't one indication that it wasn't going to be a completely successful launching procedure. You know that as well as anyone! Ask the men around you. They handled the final application, the mechanics, the construction, the blast off. Ask any one of them. Every single one of them will tell you the same thing. There was no reason why the ship should have crashed! Every item had been checked, double checked and re-checked again. The instruments indicated everything was functioning perfectly at blast off. If you didn't have such a twisted inverted opinion of everything...." Mars leaned forward, his body now trembling, "Don't you go calling me names, you swell-headed pup!" Reed pounded his desk violently. "Mars! Bronsen!" he shouted impatiently. "This is hardly the time for name-calling and airing personal gripes. We're here to find a good reason for spending more money on this project. We're not children in a schoolyard, arguing over a piece of candy, although that's exactly what it's beginning to sound like. Frankly, I'm of the opinion that with so much internal fighting going on, nothing could possibly come of spending more. It would be a waste of both finances and time." Bronsen slowly sat down again, his trembling hands clenched into tight fists. "That's one item you don't have to worry about," he growled. "Kenton is completely finished as far as I'm concerned. He's out. Fired." Mars' face fell in shocked surprise. Reed tore the cigar from his mouth and glared at Bronsen. "No one is being fired, Bronsen. You've been a good leader, in my opinion, as well as a friend, but I do the firing around here." Bronsen glowered and reddened under the unexpected rebuttal but said nothing. "You are young yet," Reed continued. "You've got brains, imagination, leadership and ability. Wouldn't be where you are if you didn't. There's just one thing lacking, and Mars is the one that has it. Experience. And with that experience goes well-used caution. You've got the go-ahead, but he has the wisdom. Temperance and drive. That's Mars and you. You've got each other. Why don't you just learn how to work with and use each other?" Bronsen remained in baleful silence. Mars glared at the younger man and sneered contemptuously. "That young pup never will know what the word caution means. He's so eager to get his name up...." Bronsen rose to his feet, his grey eyes flashing in hate. Reed slammed his cigar into the ashtray and threw up his hands. "That's it! It's the last straw! I'm through playing referee for two snarling dogs. The project is closed, finished! If and when somebody can come up with a decent reason why it should be opened again, we'll consider it then. Until that time, consider the project non-existent and return to your regular jobs. And cut out the bickering and fighting--or you are both fired!"