"Didn't think of that," said Channing. "There's one thing, their personal charge doesn't add up to a large quantity of electricity. If we insulate 'em and put 'em in their spacesuits, they'll be all right as long as they don't try to grab anything. They'll be on the up and down for a bit, but the resistance of the spacesuit is high enough to keep 'em from draining all their electrons out at once. I recall the experiments with early Van Der Graf generators at a few million volts--the operator used to sit in the charged sphere because it was one place where he couldn't be hit by man-made lightning. It'll be rough, but it won't kill us. Spacesuits, and have 'em sit in plastic chairs the feet of which are insulated from the floor by china dinner plates. This plastic wall covering that we have in the apartments is a blessing. If it were all bare steel, every room would be a miniature hell. Issue general instructions to that effect. We've been having emergency drills for a long time, now's the time to use the grand collection of elastomer spacesuits. Tell 'em we give 'em an hour to get ready." * * * * * Hellion Murdoch's voice came over the radio at exactly the second of the expiration of his limit. He called Channing and said: "What is your answer, Dr. Channing?" Don squinted down the pilot tube of the meteor spotter and saw the _Hippocrates_ passing. It was gone before he spoke, but the second ship came along, and the pilot tube leaped into line with it. Don checked meters on the crude panel before him, and then pressed the plastic handle of a long lever. There was the crash of a heavy-duty oil switch. That was all. Crackles of electricity flashed back and forth through the Station, and the smell of ozone arose. Electric light filaments leaned over crazily, trying to touch the inner walls of the glass. Panes of glass ran blue for an instant, and the nap of the carpets throughout the Station stood bolt upright. Hair stood on end, touched the plastic helmet dome, discharged, fell to the scalp, raised again and discharged, fell once more, and then repeated this raising and falling, again and again and again. Electric clocks ran crazily, and every bit of electronic equipment on the Station began to act in an unpredictable manner. Then things settled down again as the solar emission charged the Station to equilibrium.