"Well," said Ted, "I just wanted to tell you. I was going to go out there again some day and look around, but since then I've been too busy. Ever since you sent that story out, space has been full of messages…
governmental stuff, messages from scientists and cranks. Don't give a man no time to himself at all.”
As the radio man walked back to his shack, Gary looked toward the laboratory. Two space-suited figures were coming out of the main lock.
"That's Caroline and Kingsley," said Herb. "They've been up there to talk to the Engineers again. Got stuck on something. Wanted the Engineers to explain it to them.”
"Looks to me like it's about finished," said Gary. "Caroline told me she didn't know just how much longer it would take, but she had hopes of getting it into working order in another day or two. Tommy's gone without sleep the last twenty hours, working to get his ship in tip-top shape.
They've gone over the thing from control panel to rocket tubes.”
"What I'd like to know," said Herb, irritably, "is just how we're going to use the ship in getting out to where the Engineers are.”
"Those are instructions," said Gary. "Instructions from the Engineers. We don't dare do anything around here unless they say it's all right.”
The space-suited figures were coming rapidly down the path to the space-field. Gary hailed them as they came nearer. "Find out what was wrong?" he asked.
Kingsley's voiced boomed at him. "Several things wrong," he declared. "This ought to put it in working shape.”