reasing
frequency by message transmissions from an increasingly alarmed Sector
Headquarters. Most messages were addressed to Bullard, and were bravely
designed to disguise the senders' hysteria, while at the same time
urging Bullard on to more magnificent efforts. A few messages, fairly
representative of the state of affairs as time wore on reflected an
increasing suspicion on the part of Sector Headquarters that Quemos and
Bullard, although certainly tops in their fields, were not tops enough.

SEC HDQ
BULLARD, COM. RLY.
43.4SC

PRESIDENT WOULD LIKE ESTIMATE OF WHEN DOOR WILL BE OPENED. YOU
SURE YOU CAN HANDLE? EMPHASIZE THAT POLITICAL SITUATION NOW
GETTING TOUCHY. REPEAT TOUCHY. R'THAGNA BAR CALLING ON PRESIDENT
TODAY TO MAKE DEMAND THAT SEED BE PLANTED ON TIME. SURE YOU
DON'T NEED MORE HELP?

CMD GENERAL

CMD GENERAL

NO HELP NEEDED. MAKING PROGRESS, ASSURE PRESIDENT. TODAY FOUND
OUT METAL IN MECHANISM IS VERY HARD. IN CONSTANT RADIO TOUCH
WITH FROMER. PASSENGER IMPATIENT BUT QUIETER. SLEEPS MORE NOW.
THIS SIGNIFICANT? QUEMOS DEVELOPING THEORY OF MECHANISM. SAYS
WILL TAKE TIME TO WORK OUT. HOW MUCH TIME WE HAVE? WHEN MUST
SEED BE PLANTED?

BULLARD

SEC. HDQ.
BULLARD, COM. RLY.
43.4SC

MUST HAVE ESTIMATE WHEN DOOR OPENS. THIS AN ORDER. AMBASSADOR
THREATENING WAR. CAN'T GIVE DEADLINE OF SEED PLANTING TIME SINCE
SUBJECT VERY TABOO. OUR BIOLOGISTS SAY R'THAGNA BAR SLEEPY
SIGNIFICANT. MAY BE PRELUDE TO SEEDING TIME. TELL ABOUT QUEMOS
THEORY IN NEXT COMMUNICATION. WILL EVALUATE HERE. NICE TO KNOW
METAL IS HARD. KEEP UP GOOD WORK. PRESSURE HERE TO SEND YOU
HELP. PRESIDENT SAYS WHOLE FEDERATION PRAYING FOR DOOR TO BE
FIXED. SAYS TO HURRY UP.

CMD GENERAL

CMD GENERAL

NO ESTIMATE POSSIBLE. QUEMOS THEORY ALMOST COMPLETE. STATES THAT
MECHANISM BUILT ON PRINCIPLE OF WORM GEAR. REPEAT. WORM GEAR.
TODAY INSTRUCTED FROMER'S CREW TO JIGGLE MOVING PARTS OF
MECHANISM AT RANDOM. PARTS WOULD NOT JIGGLE. FROMER STATES THAT
R'THAGNA BAR SLEEPS ALL TIME AND COLOR CHANGES TO BLUE AND RED
ON STOMACH. THIS SIGNIFICANT?

BULLARD

SEC HDQ
BULLARD, COM. RLY
43.4SC

IMPORTANT YOU AMPLIFY LAST MESSAGE. RED AND BLUE ON STOMACH