No Moving Parts

By MURRAY F. YACO
ILLUSTRATED by GRAYAM
Hansen was sitting at the control board in the single building on Communications Relay Station 43.4SC, when the emergency light flashed on for the first time in two hundred years.
With textbook-recommended swiftness, he located the position of the ship sending the call, identified the ship and the name of its captain, and made contact.
“This is Hansen on 43.4SC. Put me through to Captain Fromer.”
“Fromer here,” said an incredible deep voice, “what the devil do you want?”
“What do I want?” asked the astonished Hansen. “It was you, sir, who sent the emergency call.”
“I did no such thing,” said Fromer with great certainty.
“But the light flashed—”
“How long have you been out of school?” Fromer asked.
“Almost a year, sir, but that doesn’t change the fact that—”