"President Bennington! President Bennington!"
Bennington awoke from his fitful nap with a start. The door to his room opened. Phillip Vanderveer stood there looking in, he approached.
Marian Bennington smiled quietly. "This is it!"
Bennington looked at her queerly. His wife. Somehow strangely unimpressed by the solemnity of it all; peculiarly self-serene among all of the importance of the moment. His wife, greeting him with a slightly amused expression. Greatness, of moment or of person seemed a bit remote. Bennington gulped at her and smiled.
"Take it easy Hal," she said. She kissed him gently as he leaned towards the microphone.
"President Bennington speaking."
"This is Paul Grayson riding the Latham Alpha IV beam towards the station. Thank God you're ready!"
"What—?"
"We're fifteen light minutes out from Contact. Huston is fighting to keep the Station alive; Hoagland is trying to kill it!"
"Fighting?"