"I'll—" The sound of his breathing ceased. We listened intently.

"What happened to him?"

"I'll phone Lunar City." My fingers fumbled at the radio controls and trembled beneath the thick gloves.

I turned the dials that would connect my radio with Lunar City....

Static grated against my ear drums.

Static!


I listened to the harsh, erratic sound and my voice was weak by comparison: "Calling Lunar City."

"Static!" Kane echoed my thoughts. His frown made deep clefts between his eyebrows. "There's no static between inter-lunar radio!"

Verana's voice was small and frightened. "That sounds like the static we hear over the bigger radios when we broadcast to Earth."