Atomic jets, still useful for short range runs and for close maneuvering, nudged the ship gently into motion, which is a relative thing in deep space. In this case, relative to—
What?...
By instrument only, the Venture IV groped blindly toward the unknown object. By instrument only was it possible to gauge the approach. Proximity needles wavered wildly, then settled down to indicate swiftly diminishing distance, as if the alien object were matching velocity with the Venture IV on a collision course.
At such speeds, collision was possible. Charters began to worry silently. Dubiously he eyed his crew, picked men, all volunteers eager to challenge the unknown. But the unknown was still unknown, and responding almost too eagerly.
"Could it be another spaceship?" asked Braun, voicing the thought in every mind.
Charters just looked at him. "From—there?"
"From anywhere?" Braun persisted. "Who knows about curves or orbits out here?"
Topping, the astrophysicist, smiled grimly. "Who knows about anything here? It wasn't till the mid-Twentieth Century that we even knew M31 was as big as our own galaxy and twice as far away as had been thought. Or guessed at the truth behind the Doppler shift."
"But a spaceship ... out here!" scoffed Charters.
Topping shrugged. "It could be. It could even be one of ours. From the future, perhaps. We've done some weird doubling about in the space-time continuum, remember."