"I don't see anyone in there," said Gregson. "You?" "Looks empty to me," commented Beveridge. "Empty! Impossible!" said Lasseux vehemently. "Empty spaceships do not pilot themselves across the void to Earth. Empty spaceships do not complicatedly moor themselves outside a space satellite's airlock. Empty spaceships...." "That's enough, Lasseux," growled the Russian. "Whether it makes sense or no, that spaceship's empty." "Let's find the hatch," suggested Lal. "Perhaps there's someone injured inside, out of the line of sight." The five Earthmen covered the surface of the ship, looking for an exterior hatch control. Beveridge found it first--a narrow lever extruding a few inches from the skin of the alien vessel. He called to the others, then yanked down on the lever. The hatch pivoted back, opening into an airlock. There was the usual moment of Alphonse-Gaston as the five crewmen jockeyed for position, none willing to let any of the others get ahead of him on anything. Then Lasseux slipped through and into the alien spaceship, followed by Gregson and Beveridge almost simultaneously, and then Golovunoff and Lal. The ship _was_ empty. There was not the slightest sign of life. The five men roamed through the vessel, noting the utterly alien control-panel, the strange furnishings, the peculiar fixtures and appurtenances. But the ship was void of life. Finally they returned to the Wheel and, puzzled, discussed the situation. "It makes no sense," objected Lasseux. The small Frenchman was plainly obsessed with the inconsistency of the thing. "The ship crosses the interstellar void ... alone? Can remote control extend so far?" "Looks like it did," said Gregson. "Impossible!" Lasseux sputtered. "In any case," said Beveridge, "we have a prize--a gift from the stars. An alien spaceship, free and without strings of any kind. We should notify Earth of our find." "Do you suppose," said Lal, "that the pilot of that ship may be around yet?" "Huh?" From Gregson and Beveridge at the same time. "What I mean is, suppose that pilot is not like you and me--suppose, that is, that he is invisible? Perhaps he is still aboard his ship, and we passed over him unknowing? Or perhaps he has come right in here with us and listens to our very words?" Gregson shuddered. "You've got a wild imagination, Lal. But we have enough problems on our hands without worrying about ghosts from outer space." "I said not ghosts--" "Enough," boomed Golovunoff. "We can continue this silly quarrel indefinitely. Let us assume, since we see no one and nothing aboard the ship, that it arrived empty. And therefore that it is ours for study." "Do empty ships moor themselves to airlock hatches?" asked the Frenchman sarcastically. "I tell you Lal's right--there must have been intelligence guiding that ship!"