"Wilson, you're out there with a crew of our top-flight infrawave engineers, physicists, and theorists, along with about eight billion dollars' worth of experimental gear. You're flying that responsibility into the teeth of an enemy."
"Admiral, I'm taking a calculated risk."
"If you manage to get back," snapped the admiral angrily, "you'll.... Oh, hell! It'll be better for you if you don't, that's all."
The detector dome came on again, and at the same time came the first faint failing whimper of a response from the reliable magnetic mass detectors. Wilson eyed the small celestial globe, saw that its angle-attack was that of the lifeship, and shouted into the phone:
"Admiral, we've got 'em on the magnetics! I'll be seein' you later."
He hung up the telephone on the admiral's shout of dismay....
Viggon Sarri snarled something to Regin Naylo and the second officer went below to snarl something at the engineering crew. They went to work shorting out the safeties and cutting out paths of attenuation.
Viggon Sarri read the detector with a set face and said, "Linus, we're barely keeping pace. Losing, if anything."
Linus Brein said, "You've got a half dozen one-man fighters aboard."