"Carol will spot any new wave length," Randall assured.
"What we ought to do," Mortimer proposed impatiently, "is show that thing who's boss."
Then Stewart caught the motion in the corner of his eye as the ship systems officer struck out for the marching file of puppets.
He intercepted the line near the tail end and tried to force his way in between the Solar Plasma Detector and the Magnetometer so he could close in on the OC. But the SPD kicked out with a stiff pedal pad and sent him sprawling in the path of the Magnetometer, which simply strode over him.
The Atmosphere Analyzer nudged him aside with an inflated air pouch and, in its turn, the Radiometer Complex compounded the indignity by planting a motor appendage in his abdomen. Mortimer rose screaming, circled wide around the Micro-organism C&A and the Subordinate Mineral Specimen Collector and raced for the ship.
"This," said Stewart, "may not be as simple as we thought. Evidently some basic inhibitions have faded."
"We can't risk getting in range of one of those larger puppets, especially the OC," Randall agreed.
Abruptly the master robot stabilized, swung sharply to face the horizon and adjusted its parabolic antenna.
"Look!" Stewart pointed. "The thing's transmitting! But it's not properly oriented! It's beaming in the wrong direction!"
"Where's it transmitting to?" Randall asked anxiously.