Steve felt gratified; it was the first generator saved by the Guardian tactics. And it was worth anything, any cost, any sacrifice to realize that mankind had some control even over mankind's failures. He followed the flight back to Base, found a magazine, and relaxed. * * * * * Steve was awakened from a light sleep by the ringing of the telephone. Blinking and wondering, he answered it; Lois Morehouse said: "Steve, you're wanted here." "Okay, what's up?" "The usual." Steve hung up and pulled himself together. Why they'd want his opinion again he could not understand. It was obvious this time that the Guardians had done a fine job; nothing was lost. All he could think of was the fact that he had gone as an observer and had seen the incident without taking active part in it. That might possibly give the committee a less distorted picture than the recount of a man whose attention was filled with the mechanics of operating against the possible eruption. He was preparing his account as he entered Morehouse's office, but once inside, he saw instantly that there was no committee investigation. Morehouse and Charlemagne were there. Lois was there. And an air of trouble was there also. Morehouse held up a hand. "Hagen, look at that." Steve turned and looked. In the corner, near the galactic model, stood a rack and panel, obviously disconnected from the generator room of a spacecraft. "Go take a good look at it." Steve went. He looked. "Test it!" Steve turned. "I'll have to get my equip--" Morehouse snorted. "Just turn it on and check it!" Steve shrugged. He snapped the master switch and turned the function switch to _test_. He checked the meters, wondering whether they were standardized and reading correctly. But he had no need to concern himself about such a refinement; the servo bridge that balanced the stress of warp against the pressure of normal space and integrated it so that the total volume of warped space remained essentially constant was obviously haywire. Instead of operating with a steady thrust of power--operating on test by balancing the power from a standard electric cell against a standard resistance load--the servo bridge was oscillating. On, off, on, off, on, off, on-- Rapidly like the swinging of the pendulum of a very tiny wall clock, on, off, on, off, on, off, on-- No meters were necessary to check this failure; it was as obviously bad as a flat tire. Steve turned the gear off and faced Morehouse. He waited, for it was so obvious that he needed to make no explanation. Morehouse wanted something-- "Hagen, that was in the ship we just saved." "That way?" asked Steve incredulously. "That way." "That should have been planeted." "We agree." "It's criminal." "We also agree. So," said Morehouse pointedly, "why didn't you clap a restraint on 'em?" "Why didn't I what--?" "You inspected that ship about three hours before it took off."