"Can you reach Terra?" Tabor's face was knit into a perplexed maze of wrinkles.
"I might, if the thing doesn't grow too fast."
Tabor nodded. "If you get through to Terra, you'll live a little longer at least."
"What do you mean—a little longer?"
Tabor's face seemed to fill the screen and his eyes caught and held Dirk. "Don't you see? Even if you get out of the ship on Terra, the thing will follow. There'll be no stopping it. Eventually, it will engulf the whole earth."
"No!" Dirk's voice was a hoarse whisper. "No!"
"There will be nothing to stop it there. It will have all the oxygen it needs. I didn't know you were taking off. I'd have warned you. It's my fault." Tabor's voice trailed away and again the visor went blank.
"No," Dirk said softly. "It's my fault. All my fault. Not only have I failed dad, but now I'm going to destroy Terra." He stared at the slime as it inched with increasing speed across the cabin. The sucking, bubbling noise was quite dear now.
With an effort, Dirk pulled his eyes away from the Thing and looked through the visi-shield. Dead ahead lay the disc that was Terra—his home—a chance at life. To the left was the glimmering white brilliance of the sun.