"It was like this. The static interference is still going on. The audio wouldn't bring in voice at all. But as I was twisting the dials, I got this power wave from Lunar III, Joe Marlowe's station. It had a--a sort of cadence. I began putting down the things it sounded like, and--and that's what come out." Chandler, peering over his comrade's shoulder, said, "Well, hell's bells, are you all nuts? It must be a code of some sort. Sparks, we use several numerical codes, don't we?" "Yes." Meekly. "But that ain't one of them, Lieutenant. That don't fit no code in the reg book." Mallory continued to stare at the message. It was long, and undeniably confusing. It read: 83.7-152-232.12-167.64-31.02-16-184-167.64-9.02-1-126.92-144.27- 186.31-50.95-16-175-47.9-16-14.008-4.002-39.944-50.95-173.04-19- 16-10.25-69.87-14.008-16-184-232.12-186.31-39.944-127.61-14.008- 20.183-184-19-186.31-118.70-16-1-74.91-127.61-14.008-74.91-28.06- 32.06-181.4-14.008-140.13-138-92-20.183-184-39.944-222.-32.06- 138.92-162.46-26.97-126.92-140.13-40.08-10.82-26.97-32.06-31.02- 88.92-14.008-16-184-16-14.008-6.94-79.916-39.944-40.08-195.23- 39.944-114.76-150.43-126.92-232.12-114.76-127.61-14.008-32.06- 126.92-19-88.92-140.92-16-127.61-12-47.9-16-14.008-16-19-20.183- 184-78.96-52.01-16.721-225.97-88.92-- "--and there it began all over again," said Sparks. "The same sequence. I agree, it's a code. But what good is a code when we ain't got the key to it. It ain't a simple word substitution cryptogram or a five-by-five. I studied them in the Academy, and tried them all before I brought this to the Captain. In other words, it ain't no good to us unless we've got the clue--and we ain't got the clue!" * * * * * Mallory said, "Billy said this was a message from New Fresno?" "Well, he was wrong, as usual." Determinedly. "It come from Earth's moon. I know Joe Marlowe's fingers when I hear 'em. Damn, we was classmates for three years. Before I got crazy and gave up chemistry for key-pushing--" "Chemistry!" Mallory started. "Did you say chemistry? Did you and Marlowe study chemistry together?" "Yeah. Why?" "Why! Because that's the answer. Marlowe is nobody's fool. He knew you were the radioman aboard the _Libra_, prepared a special code, the key to which would lie in your brain as the 'memory of auld lang syne'--Bud, look at these figures again. You notice the number '16' appearing over and over? Even in that thick skull of yours, '16' suggests--?" "Oxygen," declared Chandler promptly. "The atomic weight of oxygen." "And eighty-three point seven? Forty-seven, nine?" "Krypton. And--let's see--titanium?"