Franks did not hope that the entire installation could be completed before the signal came, but he was trying to outguess himself by putting some of everything aboard. When and if it came, he would be either completely ready with everything or he at least would have a good start on any one of the number of detectors. If need be, the detecting equipment in the station itself could be removed and used to complete the mobile installation.
Everything was in a complete state of nervous expectancy. Watchers watched, meter readers squinted for the barest wiggle, audio observers listened, trying to filter any kind of man-made note out of the irregular crackle that came in.
And the station announcing equipment was dead quiet, to be used only in case of emergency or to announce the first glimmer of radiation, whether it be material, electrical, kinetic, potential, or wave front.
Long they listened—and then it came.
The station announcing equipment broke forth in a multitude of voices.
"Sound input on radio!"
"Visual indication on scanner plates!"
"Distortion on electrostatic field indicator!"
"Super-electroscopes indicate negative charge!"
"Nothing on the telescope!"