 What would have happened had Major Polk never reported Captain Walsh for sleeping on Boiler Watch at the Academy?
Perhaps there was method in Colonel Walsh's madness—murder-madness—when he ordered Major Polk to scan the planet for a guy named Joe. The rest was gravy, and Colonel Walsh wasn't going to let me get by with gravy. If Walsh really wanted to know the reasons for the revolt, I could give them to him in one word: Walsh. It had been going on for six months now and we'd lost at least a thousand men from Space II. And I thought about Colonel Leonard Walsh and how he was supposed to be quelling that revolt. My orders said I was to report to Captain Bransten immediately upon arrival.
 Captain Walsh would have never sent Major Polk on the mission.
 Major Polk would have outranked Captain Walsh in the military.  Major Polk and Captain Walsh would have never worked together like they do now.  Captain Walsh and Major Polk would still have the same feelings toward each other.  Captain Walsh would have never sent Major Polk on the mission.