The intercom boomed over their heads—Joris calling from the bridge.
"Edri—will you and Trehearne step up here? The bad news is starting to come in."
Communications was just abaft the bridge. Joris had relinquished the controls to the Second and was standing in the cramped space behind the operator, listening intently to the thin metallic voice that came from the ultra-wave receiver.
"Channel One—Alert. All ships in Sector M29 ... request radar confirmation on ship believed on course as follows...."
"Port radar base would have got our coordinates at take-off, of course," said Joris. "They're just making sure."
"Listen," said Edri.
The metallic voice finished repeating the coordinates. It went on, "All ships will identify immediately when challenged. All ships will identify...."
"Cruisers," said Edri.
Joris frowned. "They could man at least one in a hurry. I told you we'd need a head start."
He returned to the bridge to inspect the dials and order the generators stepped up.