The big twenty-inch Cassegrain showed nothing at all, and Hendall returned to the bridge scratching his head. Nothing on the spotting 'scope and nothing on the big instrument. That intermittent spot was large enough to mean a huge meteor. But wait. At their speed, it should have retrogressed in the celestial globe unless it was so huge and so far away--but Sol didn't appear on the globe and it was big and far away, bigger by far. Nothing short of a planet at less-than-planetary distances would do this. Not even a visible change in the position of the spot. "Therefore," thought Hendall, "this is no astral body that makes this spot!" * * * * * Hendall went to a cabinet and withdrew a cable with a plug on either end. He plugged one end into the test plug on the meteor spotter and the opposite end into a speaker. A low humming emanated from the speaker in synchronism with the flashing of the celestial globe. It hit a responsive chord. Hendall went to the main communication microphone and spoke. His voice went all over the _Empress of Kolain_ from pilot room and cargo spaces to swimming pool and infirmary. "Attention!" he said in a formal tone. "Attention to official orders!" Dancers stopped in midstep. Swimmers paused and then made their way to the edges of the pool and sat with their feet dangling in the warm water. Diners sat with their forks poised foolishly. "Official orders!" That meant an emergency. Hendall continued: "I believe that something never before tried is being attempted. I am forced against my better knowledge to believe that some agency is trying to make contact with us; a spaceship in flight! This is unknown in the annals of space flying and is, therefore, indicative of something important. It would not have been tried without preparations unless an emergency exists. "However, the requirements of an officer of space do not include a knowledge of code because of the lack of communication with the planets while in space. Therefore, I request that any person with a working knowledge of International Morse will please present himself to the nearest officer." Minutes passed. Minutes during which the flashing lights continued. Then the door of the bridge opened and Third Officer Jones entered with a thirteen-year-old boy at his heels. The youngster's eyes went wide at the sight of the instruments on the bridge, and he looked around in amazed interest. "This is Freddy Thomas," said Jones. "He knows code!" "Go to it, Mr. Thomas," said Hendall. The boy swelled visibly. You could almost hear him thinking: "He called me 'mister'!" Then he went to the table by the speaker and reached for pencil and paper. "It's code all right," he said. Then Freddy winked at Jones. "He has a lousy fist!" Freddy Thomas began to write. "--course and head for Terra direct"--the beam faded for seconds--"Venusian fever and you will be quarantined.