"But I don't want to make the big hop. I don't want to go--" Her voice went into silence as Captain Martin fell into step beside them. The Captain's face was utterly blank. He walked like a man in a deep daze, like a zombie, like a man in a trance. Once his eyes flicked toward the wall. Following the direction in which the captain had glanced, Craig caught the vague outline of a door covering an alcove. Craig shuddered. Now he understood one reason why Captain Martin might be walking like a man in a trance. But were there other reasons? It was obvious that the Sorodromes had almost perfect control over the captain and the crew. They moved down the ramps. Members of the crew met them, saluted, continued with their duties. Men from the station were carrying supplies into the huge ship. They approached the main lock. Craig Randall felt his flesh crawl as he saw the section of the wall that hid Filo of the Sorodromes. What if Filo was watching them? Craig kept his eyes fixed on the opposite wall. He was walking like a man in a trance himself, and he knew it. He held his breath, waiting for the challenge of the voice from the air. It did not come. They passed the hidden alcove; they passed through the lock; they were on the ramp outside. Craig's suddenly furious breathing shook his lean frame to the bones. The bustle of the hangar was around them. "Where will I get clearance?" Captain Martin muttered. "Over there," Craig said, pointing. They moved down the ramp. Craig stopped breathing again as a voice from the ship's intercom system shouted from the lock behind them. "ATTENTION, ALL HANDS." The voice was an excellent imitation of Captain Martin. It spoke with crisp authority and with sureness. It was a commanding voice. It caught the attention of its hearers. Captain Martin seemed to freeze on the ramp. Suddenly sensing what was about to happen, Craig Randall also froze. The voice came again. "Attention, all hands! Attention, all Pluto Station men on board the _Andromeda_! A dangerous situation has been discovered in the drive room of the ship. You are hereby directed to clear the _Andromeda_ instantly. A delay of a few seconds may mean the difference between life and death." The voice gained in volume, became more commanding. "ALL HANDS CLEAR THE SHIP INSTANTLY!" * * * * * In the seconds that elapsed while the voice was rolling from the ship's communication system, Craig grasped what was going to happen next, and what he was going to have to do about it. Captain Martin spun back toward the open lock. With all his strength, Craig slugged the captain on the side of the jaw. The blow knocked Martin sideways and down to the ramp.