"This is Scott."
The voice was neutral. Cold. He could not identify it. But the
earphone was minute.
"Scott! Listen. I'm standing right above you. I'm on the surface,
looking down into the bunker entrance."
"Yes."
"Can you see me?"
"Yes."
"Through the view sight? You have the sight trained on me?"
"Yes."
Hendricks pondered. A circle of claws waited quietly around him,
gray-metal bodies on all sides of him. "Is everything all right in the
bunker? Nothing unusual has happened?"
"Everything is all right."
"Will you come up to the surface? I want to see you for a moment."
Hendricks took a deep breath. "Come up here with me. I want to talk to
you."
"Come down."
"I'm giving you an order."
Silence.
"Are you coming?" Hendricks listened. There was no response. "I order
you to come to the surface."
"Come down."