couldn't sleep. And
Mother's looked after him so long, she just had to know what was wrong.
They went downstairs and she poured him a stiff drink. Then in return,
Dad poured out his troubled soul to her. And Lance--"

"Yes, Carolyn?"

"The most probable reason why some hype-pilots never quite make it back
to our world is that the men involved--"

"The men? You mean, the pilots?"

"No, the brass. They haven't told the pilots about the fissioning of
anything that gets into hyperspace--"

Carolyn's breath gave out in a sudden gasp. Her eyes moved away alarmed,
and Lance's own glance turned simultaneously. He saw Colonel "Hard-Head"
Sagen and two other officers coming across the area.

[Illustration]

Time had run out on them.

"Carolyn," Lance said, hurriedly. "I've gabbed with quite a few vets of
hyperspace. At the Club and in my training, both. Sure, a man feels like
he's been crammed into a concrete mixer when he's burning up light-years
in a hyper ship. But after a while, I'm told, even your brains get used
to being bounced around." Lance took the girl's hands and squeezed them
between his. "So let's not worry, huh?"

Carolyn started to say something in rebuttal, but her father and his
aides were already upon them.

Colonel Sagen was a tall thin man of erect military carriage. His
features were crisscrossed with radiation scars and his voice boomed out
like a military drum. Yet when one got to know him, he wasn't so gruff.
On the base, he commanded two thousand military personnel and half that
many scientists and techs: a tough job, and one that he was giving his
best.

After returning Major Lance Cooper's brisk salute, the colonel unbent
and gave his prospective son-in-law a hardy handshake.

"Lance, I hope you'll be able to keep more of a rein on this little
space-filly of mine, than I've been able to. She was determined to see
you off."

"I was glad to see her, colonel."

The colonel smiled. "Can't think of a man on this base I'd rather turn
Carolyn over to."

"Thank you, sir," said Lance.

"Been counting the minutes to take-off, I suppose?"

"He's hardly had a chance to, Dad," Carolyn broke in. "What with me in
his hair!"

One of the colonel's aides glanced at his watch, then opened up a brief
case and took out a sealed envelope. The colonel relieved him of it and
handed it to Lance.

"Your flight orders, Lance. Got the preset tapes installed and checked?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, you sho