"You heard, Ensign?" asked Jerry. "Did he do exactly as I told him to?"
"Sir!" protested the doctor.
"I mean no offense," said Jerry. "But if your words left my mind too free, too human somehow, the alien would sense it. And a ruse like this one might not work on a second attempt, once the alien had been apprised of our intent."
"He did, sir," said Bob. "Word for word, as you told it to him."
"Good," Jerry said. "Thank you, Doctor. And good night."
"Uh—yes," said the man, finally realizing he was being peremptorily dismissed after coming all the way across the town from his warm bed in the black morning hours. "Good night to you, sir."
He fumbled his way out the door, and Jana, after a glance at Bob, shut it after him. Bob stood beside the control board, waiting as Jerry once more adjusted the helmet upon his head and lay back on the couch.
"All right?" he called to the tech, as Jana, now walking nervously on tiptoe, though there'd been no injunction against noise, hurried to Bob's side and took his arm.
"Ready, sir," Bob said, keeping his voice steady.