"Remember," she said, "precisely at zero."
"A-okay."
Gail put the microphone back on its hook. She watched the instruments. Suddenly she tensed. Her voice rose as she spoke to Dr. Spartan.
"Doctor, look!"
She gestured excitedly at the panel.
"Good God in heaven!" Spartan reached out, snatched up the microphone. "Zinder! Zinder, you fool! What have you done? Are you crazy?"
"Hey!" Willy's cry was full of fear, but he was not speaking to Dr. Spartan. He was yelling to no one. "Help me! I'm accelerating—decelerating! Something's gone haywire! I'm starting to re-enter—"
The voice broke off as a crash came from the speaker.
"He hit something!" somebody yelled.
"Hell, he probably fell to the floor," said Axel. "He wouldn't have his harness on now."