"That's about the way it would be," Charters agreed weakly. "If that is an alien ship out there, what else could we do?"
"We could try for contact. Communicate with them, somehow."
"Morse code?" asked Braun bitterly.
"There were humans in other parts of our own galaxy. Some of them intelligent and highly civilized. We set up communications with them."
"There was a common basis with them," argued Braun. "And we found some non-human intelligent races. Communications didn't do so well with them, and the Venture IV is no warship. We came here to windowshop, not to buy, and not to take over anything by force. We're not equipped for a row."
Charters broke in. "Topping is right. We'll try to set up communication. With a modulated light beam."
"Go ahead and try," said Braun. "I'll stand by, just in case of trouble. And when your idea fails, we can start talking sense."
Charters and Topping left him at the controls and joined Tal Roberts in the communications office. Braun waited.
When they returned, he could tell by the faces that their plan had fallen through.
"Struck a snag?" he asked amiably.