Nadia's features glowed on the screen. "Bridge calling." She flashed
him a smile. "I'll be on the observation deck when I've finished my
trick on the bridge, Mr. Murdock." The instrument went dead.
Gavin muttered something under his breath. He caught Jerome Fitz, the
master mechanic, eyeing him with a grin and cursed the fat Terran
roundly.
"Come here, Fitz."
"Yes sir." The master mechanic left his work and approached.
"What the hell is this little death?"
Fitz scratched his head. "I've been through it twenty-seven times," he
confessed, "and I don't rightly know, sir."
"Don't know? What kind of answer is that? What do you do here in the
engine room?"
Again the fat Terran shook his head. "Beggin' your pardon, sir, but
we're not in the engine room, then."
"What?"
"No, sir. We go to our fo'c'sles. Everybody. Crew and officers. The
_Nova_ switches onto the robot pilot...." He hesitated.
"And then?" urged Gavin, impatiently. "What happens then? Speak up,
man."