The port filled up, as the globe swelled rapidly. The Pilot hurried toward the board, reaching for the controls. All at once the ship jerked. The nose lifted and the ship shot out into space, away from the moon, turning at an oblique angle. The men were thrown to the floor by the sudden change in course. They got to their feet again, speechless, staring at each other. The Pilot gazed down at the board. "It wasn't me! I didn't touch a thing. I didn't even get to it." The ship was gaining speed each moment. Kramer hesitated. "Maybe you better switch it back to manual." The Pilot closed the switch. He took hold of the steering controls and moved them experimentally. "Nothing." He turned around. "Nothing. It doesn't respond." No one spoke. "You can see what has happened," Kramer said calmly. "The old man won't let go of it, now that he has it. I was afraid of this when I saw the wiring changes. Everything in this ship is centrally controlled, even the cooling system, the hatches, the garbage release. We're helpless." "Nonsense." Gross strode to the board. He took hold of the wheel and turned it. The ship continued on its course, moving away from the moon, leaving it behind. "Release!" Kramer said into the microphone. "Let go of the controls! We'll take it back. Release." "No good," the Pilot said. "Nothing." He spun the useless wheel. "It's dead, completely dead." "And we're still heading out," Winter said, grinning foolishly. "We'll be going through the first-line defense belt in a few minutes. If they don't shoot us down--" "We better radio back." The Pilot clicked the radio to _send_. "I'll contact the main bases, one of the observation stations." "Better get the defense belt, at the speed we're going. We'll be into it in a minute." "And after that," Kramer said, "we'll be in outer space. He's moving us toward outspace velocity. Is this ship equipped with baths?" "Baths?" Gross said. "The sleep tanks. For space-drive. We may need them if we go much faster." "But good God, where are we going?" Gross said. "Where--where's he taking us?" * * * * * The Pilot obtained contact. "This is Dwight, on ship," he said. "We're entering the defense zone at high velocity. Don't fire on us." "Turn back," the impersonal voice came through the speaker. "You're not allowed in the defense zone." "We can't. We've lost control." "Lost control?" "This is an experimental ship." Gross took the radio. "This is Commander Gross, Security. We're being carried into outer space. There's nothing we can do. Is there any way that we can be removed from this ship?" A hesitation. "We have some fast pursuit ships that could pick you up if you wanted to jump. The chances are good they'd find you. Do you have space flares?" "We do," the Pilot said. "Let's try it." "Abandon ship?" Kramer said. "If we leave now we'll never see it again." "What else can we do? We're gaining speed all the time. Do you propose that we stay here?"