Norman groaned. "When that stuff blows, it'll take this whole end of space with it."
Harald was crouching over his helioflash, working awkwardly at the dials with his heavy gloves.
"I'm trying to get Scorpio," he explained. "Tell them to warn off the freighters. No luck so far. These tubes are about shot. I can get a faint signal, but can't make out anything."
"Keep trying. We've got to warn off the freighters."
"I know. In spite of that faintness, the signal sounds as if it might be from fairly close."
Merrill came up. "I've been exploring," he said. "There's the wreck of a spaceship just over that ridge. Some sort of shaft close by it. I'm going over and look around."
He wandered off across the desolate stretch of rock. Norman watched him go, then turned to Harald. "You'd better follow and watch him. He's ready to crack. I'll take over the helio."
Failles shuffled up as Harald disappeared around a harsh shoulder of volcanic rock.
"Got through yet?" he snapped.
Norman shook his head. "I get a signal but they don't answer. It's too faint to make out."