Beth： 〃Harry…〃
Ted： 〃You know； Hal； perhaps we should be identified by our full titles and institutional affiliations…〃
Harry： 〃…What's wrong with alphabetical order…〃
Barnes： 〃…That's it！ Forget it！ No tape！〃
Edmunds： 〃Tape is off； sir。〃
Barnes： 〃Jesus Christ。〃
He turned away from the group； shaking his helmeted head。 He flipped up the metal plate； exposed the two buttons； and pushed one。 A yellow light blinked 〃READY。〃
〃Everybody stay on internal air；〃 Barnes said。
＇＇72＇＇ They all continued to breathe from their tanks； in case the interior gases in the spacecraft were toxic。
〃Everybody ready？〃
〃Ready。〃
Barnes pushed the button marked 〃OPEN。〃
A sign flashed： ADJUSTING ATMOSPHERE。 Then； with a rumble； the door slid open sideways； just like an airplane door。 For a moment Norman could see nothing but blackness beyond。 They moved forward cautiously； shone their lights through the open door； saw girders； a plex of metal tubes。
〃Check the air； Beth。〃
Beth pulled the plunger on a small gas monitor in her hand。 The readout screen glowed。
〃Helium； oxygen； trace CO2 and water vapor。 The right proportions。 It's pressurized atmosphere。〃
〃The ship adjusted its own atmosphere？〃
〃Looks like it。〃
〃Okay。 One at a time。〃
Barnes removed his helmet first； breathed the air。 〃It seems okay。 Metallic； a slight tingle； but okay。〃 He took a few deep breaths； then nodded。 The others removed their helmets； set them on the deck。
〃That's better。〃
〃Shall we go？〃
〃Why not？〃
There was a brief hesitation； and then Beth stepped through quickly： 〃Ladies first。〃
The others followed her。 Norman glanced back； saw all their yellow helmets lying on the floor。 Edmunds； holding the video camera to her eye； said； 〃Go ahead； Dr。 Johnson。〃 Norman turned； and stepped into the spacecraft。
INTERIOR
They stood on a catwalk five feet wide； suspended high in the air。 Norman shone his flashlight down： the beam glowed through forty feet of darkness before it splashed on the lower hull。 Surrounding them； dimly visible in the darkness； was a dense network of struts and girders。
Beth said； 〃It's like being in an oil refinery。〃 She shone her light on one steel beam。 Stenciled was 〃AVR…09。〃 All the stenciling was in English。
〃Most of what you see is structural；〃 Barnes said。 〃Cross…stress bracing for the outer hull。 Gives tremendous support along all axes。 The ship is very ruggedly built； as we suspected。 Designed to take extraordinary stresses。 There's probably another hull further in。〃 Norman was reminded that Barnes had once been an aeronautical engineer。
〃Not only that；〃 Harry said； shining his light on the outer hull。 〃Look at this…a layer of lead。〃
〃Radiation shield？〃
〃Must be。 It's six inches thick。〃
〃So this ship was built to handle a lot of radiation。〃
〃A hell of a lot；〃 Harry said。
There was a haze in the ship； and a faintly oily feel to the air。 The metal girders seemed to be coated in oil； but when Norman touched them； the oil didn't e off on his fingers。 He realized that the metal itself had an unusual texture： it was slick and slightly soft to the touch； almost rubbery。
〃Interesting；〃 Ted said。 〃Some kind of new material。 We associate strength with hardness； but this metal…if it is metal…is both strong and soft。 Materials technology has obviously advanced since our day。〃
〃Obviously；〃 Harry said。
〃Well； it makes sense；〃 Ted said。 〃If you think of America fifty years ago as pared with today； one of the biggest changes is the great variety of plastics and ceramics we have now that were not even imagined back then。 。。。〃 Ted continued to talk； his voice echoing in the cavernous darkness。 ＇＇74＇＇ But Norman could hear the tension in his voice。 Ted's whistling in the dark； he thought。
They moved deeper into the ship。 Norman felt dizzy to be so high in the gloom。 They came to a branchpoint in the catwalk。 It was hard to see with all the pipes and struts…like being in a forest of metal。
〃Which way？〃
Barnes had a wrist pass； it glowed green。 〃Go right。〃 They followed the network of catwalks for ten minutes more。 Gradually Norman could see that Barnes was right： there was a central cylinder constructed within the outer cylinder； and held away from it by a dense arrangement of girders and supports。 A spacecraft within a spacecraft。
〃Why would they build the ship like this？〃
〃You'd have to ask them。〃
〃The reasons must have been pelling；〃 Barnes said。 〃The power requirements for a double hull； with so much lead shielding 。。。 hard to imagine the engine you'd need to make something this big fly。〃
After three or four minutes； they arrived at the door on the inner hull。 It looked like the outer door。
〃Breathers back on？〃
〃I don't know。 Can we risk it？〃
Without waiting； Beth flipped up the panel of buttons； pressed 〃OPEN；〃 and the door rumbled open。 More darkness beyond。 They stepped through。 Norman felt softness underfoot； he shined his light down on beige carpeting。
Their flashlights crisscrossed the room； revealing a large； contoured beige console with three high…backed； padded seats。 The room was clearly built for human beings。
〃Must be the bridge or the cockpit。〃
But the curved consoles were pletely blank。 There was no instrumentation of any kind。 And the seats were empty。 They swung their beams back and forth in the darkness。 〃Looks like a mockup； rather than the real thing。〃
〃It can't be a mockup。〃
〃Well； it looks like one。〃
Norman ran his hand over the smooth contours of the console。 It was nicely molded； pleasant to feel。 Norman ＇＇75＇＇ pressed the surface； felt it bend to his touch。 Rubbery again。 〃Another new material。〃
Norman's flashlight showed a few artifacts。 Taped to the far end of the console was a handmarked sign on a three…by…five filing card： It said； 〃GO BABY GO！〃 Nearby was a small plastic statuette of a cute animal that looked like a purple squirrel。 The base said； 〃Lucky Lemontina。〃 Whatever that meant。
〃These seats leather？〃
〃Looks like it。〃
〃Where are the damned controls？〃
Norman continued to poke at the blank console； and suddenly the beige console surface took on depth； and appeared to contain instruments； screens。 All the instrumentation was somehow within the surface of the console； like an optical illusion； or a hologram。 Norman read the lettering above the instruments： 〃Pos Thrusters〃 。。。 〃F3 Piston Booster〃 。。。 〃Glider〃 。。。 〃Sieves〃 。。。
〃More new technology；〃 Ted said。 〃Reminiscent of liquid crystals； but far superior。 Some kind of advanced optoelectronics。〃
Suddenly all the console screens glowed red； and there was a beeping sound。 Startled； Norman jumped back； the control panel was ing to life。
〃Watch it； everybody！〃
A single bright lightning flash of intense white light filled the room； leaving a harsh afterimage。
〃Oh God 。。。〃
Another flash…and another…and then the ceiling lights came on； evenly illuminating the room。 Norman saw startled； frightened faces。 He sighed； exhaling slowly。 〃Jesus 。。。〃
〃How the hell did that happen？〃 Barnes said。
〃It was me；〃 Beth said。 〃I pushed this button。〃
〃Let's not go around pushing buttons； if you don't mind；〃 Barnes said irritably。
〃It was marked 'ROOM LIGHTS。' It seemed an appropriate thing to do。〃
〃Let's try to stay together on this；〃 Barnes said。