I dropped the contact, found another, who leaped to the panel,
detonated the remainder of the flight of six missiles. Then I withdrew.
I would have a few minutes' stay of execution now.
I was ten miles from shore. The capsule had its own power plant. I
started it up, switched on the external viewer. I saw dark sea, the
glint of star-light on the choppy surface, in the distance a glow on
the horizon that would be Key West. I plugged the course into the
pilot, then leaned back and felt outward with my mind for the next
attacker.