"Perhaps some other type of phenomenon was manifested? A feeling you'd been split in half, maybe." "That did happen." "Describe it." "It was more than just being split in half. I felt like I was suddenly hundreds of selves. I could see other replicas of 'me' all around." Nordsen nodded, thoughtfully. "That was what we call the 'Infinite Fission' syndrome. All those other 'you's' were personality matrices of yourself in alternate worlds. Did you notice anything else?" Lance nodded, grudgingly. * * * * * "What?" "Look, colonel. If I answer your questions, will you answer mine?" "Any reasonable ones, yes. That's what we're here for." "Well, there was the disturbing thing about the _Cosmos XII_, itself. I saw images of the ship riding along beside me, out there in the hype. Where nothing material could possibly exist. Where not even light could reflect back, or any other wave propagation." Lance shook his head, recalling the experience. "What could have caused a hallucination like that?" "It was no hallucination, Lance. It was real and has happened before. We can rest you easy on that point." Colonel Nordsen removed tobacco from a pouch, stuffed his pipe, lit up. Bluish smoke formed a halo about him. "Lance, the Space Service has been sending ships through hyperspace for nearly two years now. Only recently did anybody notice something was seriously wrong with the pilots who came back. Up until then ... oh, a pilot might act a little queer for a day or two. But who wouldn't, cooped up alone in a steel projectile for four weeks? We thought very little of it." "Uh huh," was Lance Cooper's only comment. Nordsen transferred his pipe to his hand. "But eventually, even the Space Service gets around to putting two and two together on the slipstick. The incidents kept piling up. A pilot comes back from Epsilon Eridani, for example, and insists on giving everybody left-handed salutes. Another has taken a scout ship to 61 Cygni. He insists at the Officers Club that Colonel Sagen here has a nickname of 'Old Hard-Head'. Nobody else on the base is aware of any such thing. Then, still another pilot--" "Wait a minute!" Lance interrupted. "Hasn't he?" "Hasn't what? I don't follow you." "Colonel Sagen. Hasn't he got that nickname? I mean, it was a term of respect and liking, of course. But--" "No," said Nordsen. "No?" Lance echoed, disbelieving. "Since when?" "Not since _ever_, major. Not on this particular track." "Colonel Nordsen, you're losing me." "Patience, please. I was about to tell you that still another pilot lands on our base, and he wears a blue tie. Claims the Space Service has always worn blue ties." "I take it back," said Lance. "I'm a pilot and all pilots are slowly going nuts." Then, it occurred to him to evince more interest or they might ship him back to the brig sooner than expected. "A blue tie, huh?"