Finally a little red globe appeared on the viewer, and they were approaching Katherine Two.
They followed Krotzer's bearings and they saw his ship and near it the bubble. Nobody responded when they fired flares.
The Ranger touched down. DiCredico took Bailey, Regan, and the medic Fry out with him. Conditions were similar to earth, and they wore no space suits.
They swished through red waist-high growths like spongy fern.
"There's his ship," said Fry. "It doesn't look in bad shape."
"Can't tell," said DiCredico. "Funny things happen."
They reached the ship and paused by it. It appeared unharmed. A body lay near it, burned in two.
Matt turned to the skipper. "It looks like—like a heater did it. Do you suppose these things have something like that?"
"Funny things happen," said DiCredico. "Anyway, he's dead. Let's get on to Krotzer."
They saw that Krotzer had half-opaqued his bubble. They would have to come in close enough to see and be seen through it for him to know they were there. Nobody saw any indication of life or motion outside it.