Eddie didn't look like much--certainly nothing like $13,456.12 worth of components paid for out of the General's contingency fund. Speed had been the primary consideration in rebuilding Eddie. The exterior case was unpainted, and rather inexpertly held together with metal screws. There were no knobs on the front panel controls. The vocader grill was open; the input microphone simply rested on the workbench beside the case. The entire assembly measured about three feet long, two feet deep and eighteen inches high. "O.K., what do I do now?" rasped the General. "Just start talking--into the mike." General Sanders took a sheaf of papers from his briefcase. He glared at Smith: "You get the hell out of here! This is classified information!" Dr. Smith smiled mockingly. On his way out of the room, he paused. "The circuits will stay open--take as long as you wish." Feeling like a combination of fool and Benedict Arnold, General Sanders cleared his throat and began to read: "The North American X-15 is one of several projects now nearing the hardware stage that will take living men as well as instruments into the fourth environment of military activity, that of space. "As soon as the satellite project completes preliminary exploration of the massive high energy spectrometer, the X-15's system should be ready to fly within two years. X-15s A, B, and C will explore 3000 mph, 50 mi. up; 4500 mph, 100 mi. up; and 6000 mph and over, 150 mi. up and out...." General Sanders jerked open his tie. His tanned bald head was damp with sweat. He glanced around the empty workroom, set his jaw stubbornly and continued: "Meanwhile, tests are in progress with a pilot model of X-15 to work out an entirely new vehicle system slow enough to maintain laminar flow in the boundary layer and fast enough to maintain control effectiveness at near sea-level environment. Unlike the ICBM which need only remain lethal for a few seconds, both the X-15 and its personnel must return to fly again...." For three hours, General Sanders read steadily from his file material. During the last half hour, his voice grew husky, his throat dry and raw. When he finished, he went to the door and shouted: "All right, Smith.... Come in here and put this damn thing to work!" Smith came in and informed him imperturbably: "Not so fast, General! Eddie will still require a great deal more information." "More? Dammit, I covered everything!" "Everything you know about the X-15," Dr. Smith agreed, "but Eddie is now venturing into a new field and must have more than technical electronics and avionics data. He needs complete reports on the progress of the search to date, as well as the weather, topography, economy, history and current happenings in the entire peripheral area. I have built a supplemental circuit to accommodate this sort of material...." General Sanders groaned. "How the hell do I get into these things?"