"I know, I know," muttered the general morosely. "Damned atomics not worth inventing. Nothing you can do with them, always too touchy." He glowered at the darkness overhead. "On the other hand we can take off and blow this rock apart from a safe distance." "And lose all hope of finding her?" taunted Docchi. "We're losing her anyway," commented Vogel sourly. "You're getting way from the perspective. It's not as bad as that," counselled Docchi. "Now that you know where the difficulty is you can always build other computers and this time furnish them with auxiliary senses. Or maybe give them the facts of elementary astronomy." "Now why didn't I think of that?" said Vogel disgustedly. "You don't need me here, do you, General? If not I'd like to go back to my ship." The general grunted consent and the engineer left, lurching under the massive gravity. "There's even another solution though it may not appeal to you," said Docchi cautiously. "I can't believe Nona is altogether unique. There must be others like her, so-called 'born mechanics' whose understanding of machinery is a form of intelligence we haven't suspected. Look hard and you may find them, perhaps in the most unlikely or unlovely bodies." It didn't show but inwardly he was smiling. He was harassing them effectively from this end. Hope was sometimes the most demoralizing agent. General Judd growled wearily. "If I thought you knew where she is----" Docchi stiffened, glowing involuntarily. "Forget the dramatics, General," said Cameron with distaste. "Resistance we'd have had in any event. He's responsible merely for making it more effective." He frowned heavily, continuing. "At the moment what he's trying to do is obvious. He needn't bother tearing down our morale though--it's already collapsed. I can't think of a thing we can do that will help us." He wished the medicouncilor had been able to land; he needed further instructions. His own role wasn't clear and he kept thinking, thinking.... He should stop thinking. Of course the ship that carried the medicouncilor couldn't actually touch on the asteroid--there were too many important people aboard and they couldn't risk being taken out of the system. Still, the medicouncilor _might_ have spared a few minutes to discuss things with him. He knew what he ought to do. The sun was high in the center of the dome. Sun? It was much more like a very bright star. It cast no shadows; it was the lights in the dome that did. They flickered and with monotonous regularity went out again. Each time the general swore constantly and emotionlessly until service was restored. A guard approached, walking warily behind his captive. He saluted negligently. "I think I've found her, sir." Cameron looked at the girl. "I don't think you have. And it seems to me you were unnecessarily rough." The guard smirked with bland insolence. "Orders, sir." "Whose orders?"