A quarter of a mile away they stopped and entered a glassed-in control room fitted with a number of desks and extensive banks of electronic equipment. "This almost looks like a good sized computer setup," said Jorden admiringly. "We use computers extensively, but this equipment is merely the recording and control apparatus for the synthetic environment established in the test pit. Please step this way." The control room was empty now, but during a test it was occupied by a dozen technicians. It was a highly unorthodox procedure to show a prospective colonist the test pit setup before examination, but Ashby still had hopes of shunting Jorden aside without wasting the facilities on a useless test. They moved to an observation post and Ashby directed Jorden's attention to the observation lenses. "We cleaned out here this afternoon," he said. "A Captain of the Service last occupied the pit." Jorden looked up inquiringly. "Did he--?" "No. He didn't make it. Tomorrow morning you will be given a preconditioning which will set up the basic situation that you have traveled to Serrengia and are now established there in the colony. We will begin the test at a period of some length after establishment there, when difficulties begin to pile up. Other members of the party will be laboratory staff people who will provide specific, guiding stimuli to determine your reaction to them." "Are they there constantly, night and day?" "No. When you are asleep their day's work is over and they go home." "What if I wake up and find the whole setup is a phony?" "You won't. We have control beams constantly focussed upon the persons being tested. These are used to keep him asleep when desirable, and to control him to the extent of preventing him doing physical harm to himself or others." "Is that necessary?" said Jorden dubiously. "Why should anyone wish to do harm?" "The Captain, whom we released today, was pushed to the point of suicide," said Ashby. "We find it _quite_ necessary to assure ourselves of adequate control at all times." "How can you set up the illusion of distance and a whole new world in such a comparatively small area?" "It _is_ illusion, a great deal of it. Some is induced along with the initial preconditioning, other features are done mechanically, but when you are there you will have no doubt whatever that you are a colonist on the planet Serrengia. You will act accordingly, and respond to the stimuli exactly as if you had been transported to the actual planet. In this way, we are sure of finding colonists who will not blow up when they face the real situation." "How many have you found so far?" "None." Jorden was shaken for a moment, but he smiled then and said, "You have found one. Put my name down on the books."