Craig had no choice except to leave. The lock clicked in the door. He hunted up Mary. "I'm going to take a look at the _Andromeda_. Want to come along?" The expression on his face must have revealed what he was thinking. Her answer was quick. "Of course. But what's wrong?" "I don't know. Adam thinks something is wrong but he won't talk." He explained what the old man had said. Her face fell. "I'm afraid you're right. It does sound an awful lot like space sickness. I'm so sorry. He's such a nice old man." "Maybe I'm wrong. We'll go check." * * * * * In the dimly lighted hangar the ship dwarfed them, made them pygmies in comparison to its huge bulk. No guard over the ship had been established by the station. No guard was ever established over the ships that landed here. None was needed. They went slowly around the ship. The stout metal of the hull showed the pitting of meteoric dust that had gotten through the screens. On the bow, pitted and faded but still easily readable, was the word--_Andromeda_. "Were you questioning that this is actually the _Andromeda_?" Mary asked. "Not questioning, just checking." He moved to the slanting ramp that led upward to the lock from which the crew had emerged, stared at it. "It's odd that the lock should be closed." Usually ships in the hangar opened all locks, exchanging their many-times-used air for the cleaner air of the station. They went up the ramp. "If they left a guard, maybe he will open up for us," Craig said. There was no opening in the lock but he knew that an observer inside could detect their presence there. "Open up," he said. "What for?" a voice answered. Craig jumped. The voice seemed to speak from the empty air beside him. "Don't be startled," the voice said. "This is a simple communication mechanism for transmitting voice tones. All space ships have them." "All--" Craig caught himself. He had started to say that no space ship had such a device, that he had never heard of a method of transmitting a voice through a steel hull. "What do you want?" the voice said. "We want to talk." "Talk to Captain Martin." "This is hardly a matter for the captain. There's a party inside. We thought perhaps you would like to join it. Your friends are having themselves a whale of a time. We came to take over the duties of anyone who remained in the ship so you can join them," Craig said, hastily improvising. "And while you are on duty, you would explore the ship! Is that your plan?" "What?" Craig gasped. His first dazed thought was that his mind was being read. "Well, of all things!" Mary said, her voice hot. "Is there something to hide inside the ship?" "Of course not!" For an instant, the voice sounded startled. Then it quickly became the voice of a book salesman, suavely peddling holy literature. "Your commanding officer will have an opportunity to examine the ship, if he wishes!"