"A piece of neutronium, of high velocity, accelerated by the gravity of Bolus, plus opposite velocities. That would have done it," Miss Kanton said.
They were speaking quickly, their keen minds suddenly tearing the veil from the problem with a scientific hunger.
"That's that, then," Alpha sighed as if it had been too easy.
"Wrong," Miss Kanton's dupe interposed. "Look at these meters!"
The other three went to her side. The meters were jumping crazily from maximum to minimum, their needles bent and twisted. Another type was rapidly clicking off numerals on its way down to zero. Miss Kanton tapped it.
"That's the fuel tanks," she said.
"They're draining somewhere!" Alpha said.
"Down, naturally!" the girl-dupe said. "The engine room covers the whole underground floor! If—"
"If the sparks from the engines touch that fuel—!" Beta cried. He turned to the door and ran from the room with the others on his heels.
The elevator dropped them to the lower floor. The corridor was filled knee-deep with a pale, bluish fluid—explosive fuel! It poured like a blue waterfall down the steps leading to the engines. Alpha opened the doors of the elevator and the syrupy liquid flooded in upon him. He waded into it and to the steps where he stumbled to the lower floor. The others were right behind him.