Out in space, the starlight was bright and clean. The four men in the Avenger's control room glued their eyes on the side view screens. They felt their spirits lift out of the black nightmare that still covered the forward screen. They were silent, loving the stars and planets shining back at them, untouched by the evil that blotted out Terra.
"It's wonderful, man," said McTavish at Jon's shoulder.
McPartland nodded. He was surprised somehow to find the control room unchanged. Reynolds still sat before his calculators. Clemens stood beside the intra-ship, headphones clamped over his ears.
The Lieutenant-Commander shuddered with every lurch of the ship. "Those torpedoes, Sir," he muttered anxiously. "One would blow this ship apart."
"Don't worry, Mister," the Engineer reassured him, "we'll get rid of half of them on the moon." He added to McPartland: "We're launching them from Ray Station Six."
"Good! You'd better get down there, Mister McTavish. We'll be heading in for the moon—but quick!"
"Yes, Sir." The Engineer left the control room.
As he passed through the door, McPartland heard the even voice of Lieutenant Parek on the intra-ship: "Course plotted, Sir. Ready to proceed."
"Proceed," the Captain ordered. "Full speed ahead."