"Whoa!" Millie finally managed to stem the flow. "We're not stuck--not just stuck here in orbit any longer, waiting to see what's going on on Earth," she said softly, "or what they're going to do about us 'mad scientists.' Mike and Ishie started this whole thing when one of their experiments turned out to be a space drive, and the boys are working real hard on getting a drive unit set up capable of taking our whole complex out into space. But they need somebody to tell the captain ... uh ... properly ... as soon as he's awake that is ... uh ... you know what I mean." "Whoa, yourself, girl. What's this--space drive?" "Well, they didn't find out themselves until after it had wiped out Thule Base--nearly ten hours after that, in fact. That magneto-ionic thing the Sacred Cow's been talking about--they invented that real quick to cover up. You see ... oh, it's too complicated. "Look, we've got a real _space_ drive. We can go to the moon or Mars--or Pluto if we want to. And we've got to let Nails know real quick that he can get us out of here--and without making him mad that we wrecked Thule Base. But really, after the way those Security goons acted, maybe he won't be mad if you handle it right. How about it?" The hangover was disappearing magically. But this flow of information was nearly as bad. A space drive? Bessie knew she couldn't evaluate one way or the other on that. That would be Nails' problem. But they were in a pickle, and it would be up to her to see that Nails didn't waste too much time evaluating things. Those Security men had been prepared to play real rough, and more of them were on their way up. "Where is Nails?" "The boys put him to bed. In his quarters. He got a dose of the same stuff that put you out. He ought to be coming to almost any time now. And probably mad about the whole thing." Instantly, Bessie was on her feet, flinging on clothes, and out down the corridor toward Nails' private stateroom. * * * * * It had been thirty-two hours since Major--General--whatever it was Elbertson--had been defeated on the bridge for the final time. He and his men were now securely locked in one of the empty labs. The paralysis effect of the needle gun had probably worn off. Mike hadn't checked to find out. Bessie and her relief operators were watching the prisoners through a video display on the Sacred Cow's console, and would report anything unusual that went on to Captain Andersen. Mike, Ishie, Millie, Paul and Tombu had completed the new Confusor drive units, and they were nearly installed. More time would be taken arranging the engineering quarters so that the installation of her control panel and the units themselves would be completed. This part, Mike didn't like too well. It meant re-arranging his already carefully arranged units, and considerable re-wiring without interfering with any of the basic functions of the wheel.