a machine that's got its own ways of working. But
a machine that ain't been activated has not got any personality. So you
don't mind starting it up to turn it off later."

He opened the adjustment-cover and turned something on. The standby
light glowed. Closely observed, it was not a completely steady glow.
There were the faintest possible variations of brightness. But there was
no impression of life.

Graves said:

"Why doesn't it flicker like the others?"

"No habits," said the sergeant. "No experience. It's like a newborn
baby. It'll get to have personality after it's worked a while. But not
now."

He went across the shop again. He moved out a heavy case, and twisted
the release, and eased out a communicator of the same type--Mark IV--as
Betsy back in the Communications room. Howell went to help him. Graves
tried to assist. Lecky moved other things out of the way. They were
highly eminent scientists, and Metech Sergeant Bellews was merely a
non-commissioned officer in the armed forces. But he happened to have
specialized information they had not. Quite without condescension they
accepted his authority in his own field, and therefore his equality. As
civilians they had no rank to maintain, and they disagreed with each
other--and would disagree with the sergeant--only when they knew why.
Which was one of the reasons why they were eminent scientists.

Sergeant Bellews brought out yet another box. He unrolled cables. He
selected machines whose flickering lights seemed to bespeak eagerness to
be of use. He coupled them to the newly unboxed machines, whose lights
were vaguely steady.

"Training cables," he said over his shoulder. "You get one machine
working right, and you hook it with another, and the new machine kinda
learns from the old one. Kinda! But it ain't as good as real experience.
Not at first."

* * * * *

Presently the lights of the newly energized machines began to waver in
somewhat the manner of the ready-for-operation ones. But they did not
give so clear an impression of personality.

"Look!" said Sergeant Bellews abruptly. "I got to check with you. The
more I think, the more worried I get."

"You begin to believe the broadcasts come from the future?" demanded
Graves. "And it worries you? But they do not speak of Mahon units--"

"I don't care where they come from," said the sergeant. "I'm worryin'
about what they are! The guy in the broadcast--not knowing Mahon