Inside the space suit, his footsteps were distant crunchings—eerie misfits in this noiseless dead world! Still there was no indication of life from the building ahead. He noted that it was flush against the cliff wall. Was there a cave behind?
A sudden craving for neoin filled him. He cursed and went forward more grimly. If this was the source of the drug, he must destroy it.
The door was unlocked. He hesitated, then stepped inside cautiously. He glanced back once. The snow was still falling.
His light revealed a small room. It was bare, except for a few tins of food and some motor parts. He frowned, wondering. Had he stumbled onto an innocent government post?
There was a door leading back. Then his guess was right—this was a cave. He tried the door. It opened smoothly; and he followed his light in.
There was a corridor. He paused for a moment, an instinctive fear bringing cold goose pimples. Something was here—something terribly alien, and terribly deadly. He waited, his heart pounding viciously.
But nothing happened. Slowly he moved forward. On his right was a door. He reached to open it, but a strange reluctance made him leave it for the time being and continue on. The corridor ended in stairs, going down.
He started down, his knees weak. Before he reached the bottom, he saw what was below, the floor of the great underground room was covered with a gray powder.
Neoin!