ter."

To the officers, however, Adams went into more detail. "Considering the
enormous amounts of supplies carried; the scope, quantity, and quality
of the safety devices employed; it is improbable that we are the first
survivors of a subspace catastrophe to set course for a planet."

After some argument, the officers agreed.

[Illustration]

"While I cannot as yet detect it, classify it, or evaluate it, we are
carrying an extremely heavy charge of an unknown nature; the residuum of
a field of force which is possibly more or less analogous to the
electromagnetic field. This residuum either is or is not dischargeable
to an object of planetary mass; and I'm virtually certain that it is.
The discharge may be anything from an imperceptible flow up to one of
such violence as to volatilize the craft carrying it. From the facts:
One, that in the absence of that field the subspace radio will function
normally; and Two, that no subspace-radio messages have ever been
received from survivors; the conclusion seems inescapable that the
discharge of this unknown field is in fact of extreme violence."

"Good God!" Deston exclaimed. "Oh ... _that_ was what you meant by
'fantastic precautions,' back there?"

"Precisely."

"But what can we _do_ about it?"

"I don't know. I ... simply ... do ... not ... know." Adams lost himself
in thought for over a minute. "This is all _so_ new ... I know _so_
little ... and am working with such _pitifully_ inadequate
instrumentation--However, we have months of time yet, and if I am unable
to arrive at a conclusion before arrival--I don't mean a rigorous
analysis, of course, but merely a stop-gap, empirical, pragmatic
solution--we will simply remain in orbit around that sun until I do."

IV.

The _Procyon_ bored on through space, at one unchanging gravity of
acceleration. It may not seem, at first glance, that one gravity would
result in any very high velocity; but when it is maintained steadily for
days and weeks and months, it builds up to a very respectable speed. Nor
was there any question of power, for the _Procyon_'s atomics did not
drive the ship, but merely energized the "Chaytors"--the Chaytor Effect
engines that tapped the energy of the expanding universe itself.

Thus, in less than six months, the _Procyon_ had attained a velocity
almost half that of light. At the estimated mid-point of the flight the
spaceship, still at one gravity of drive, was turned end-for-end; so
that f