, all their conversation was taped, and some of this was
recovered from the crash and played back at the investigation.

"--and get this," Ed was saying, "my kid had his fifth birthday just
last week, and I've got him working through quadratic equations already.
You've got to go some to beat that one."

"Doesn't mean a thing," said Joe. "You know how these infant brain boxes
burn out. Better take him fishing and forget that stuff for a while.
Hey--what the devil's going on? You got a truck driver in the control
room? I just saw you out the port and it looks like you're right on top
of us!"

"Jeez, I dunno. It's been like that ever since we cleared Lunaport.
Sometimes I think this guy Cummins trained in a truck the way he--Hell,
he's comin' up on the wrong side of the Wheel! I relayed the orders to
go to the east turret. Acknowledged them himself--"

"Ed! I can see you outside the port--we're going to hit!"

The words were ripped by the shattering, grinding roar of colliding
metal. Then a moment later the blast of an exploding fuel tank.

"Ed!"

"Joe--yeah, I'm here. Lights gone. Emergency power still on. Take the
emergency band if you've still got a rig. I'll stand by--"

Joe switched over without comment and called Space Command Base on the
emergency channel, which was always monitored. "Wheel just rammed by
_Griseda_," he said. "Possible loss of orbital velocity. Extent of
damage unknown."

Lieutenant James, on duty at the Base, had just returned from a three
day leave and was scarcely settled in the routine of his post once more.
He glanced automatically at the radar tracking screen and his face paled
at the sight of the irregular figure there, slightly out of the
centering circle. It was no gag.

"You're dropping," he said. "Orbital velocity must be down. Can you
correct?"

"I haven't been able to contact the bridge," said Joe. "Alert all
Command and have crash point computed. Stand by."

It developed that the bridge was entirely gone, along with a full thirty
percent of the station. Captain West had been spared, however, being on
inspection in the other sector of the station. He came on at once as Joe
McCauley managed to get the communication lines repatched.

"Emergency red!" he called. "All stations report!"

One by one, the surviving crew chiefs reported conditions in their
sectors. And when they were finished, they all knew their chance of
survival was microscopic. Captain West ordered: "Commun