Joe reached the bottom of the ladder and turned to look around. To his right was an enormous clear wall which sealed off the landing area from the immense tunnel through which the ships had come. In front of him and to his left was a complex of charcoal-dark structures, lined with silver trim and glinting with many panels of glass. The entire area was powerfully lit by dozens of sources hundreds of feet above him. He was both impressed and intimidated at the same time. As soon as the prisoners had debarked from the _Silver Cloud_, Spelford began giving orders. “Move. This way. Stay in single file.” The line crossed the field and passed through a second airlock. Leaving the field behind, they entered a large manufacturing area. Several dozen men were working feverishly at massive tables and work centers. Sparks from welding areas were visible in the back parts of the area. Flashing lights from many desks lit up the faces of men with intent gazes, whose attention was fixed on close work on numerous small circuit boards. A few workers glanced curiously at the line of prisoners, but they didn’t waste time on a thorough investigation of the newcomers. Spelford and his detail escorted the prisoners through an immense double door, down a wide passageway, and into a large elevator. The elevator could accommodate fifty men easily. When all were inside, Spelford tapped a number into the control pad and the elevator began to descend. It stopped in seconds and the door opened into an area where several corridors came together. Two small elevator doors flanked the one from which the men emerged. The procession entered a dimly-lit corridor that extended for about a hundred yards. Many doors were set into the walls, but none was open. Spelford led the way down the corridor. After covering about two-thirds of the distance, he stopped and slid open a plain, dark portal set into the right side of the passage. He glanced into the room beyond, then stepped back and said, “In here.” The prisoners entered, and the door closed behind the last one. George St. George broke the silence. “We’re not going to be able to absquatulate from these pirate yaps very easily, that’s for sure. Guess we’ll have to make the most of our stay here.” Zip strode into the center of the room and looked around. Indirect lighting provided plenty of illumination. “Clearly a dormitory of some sort,” he observed to no one in particular. Bunk-style beds were spaced around the walls. Through another door was a resting area with tables and chairs. In another room were washing facilities. On one side of the main room was a large window which overlooked the landing area and primary work center of the asteroid. Joe and Mark strode over to the window and looked out. “The rotation of the asteroid provides the equivalent of gravity,” observed Joe. “About what we’re used to on the Moon--about one-sixth Earth. What do you think, Mark?”