Wilson nodded. "I know. But I can't help thinking how rough it must
be."
"Why?"
"To take her first space flight and get involved in a blowup."
"It will be an experience she'll never forget, but it shouldn't be too
hard on her. It isn't as though she were completely alone, you know."
"No, I suppose not. She probably got out with anywhere from two to
eight others. A lot of those were--well, not real spacemen, but at
least they were regular space trippers. I--"
A detector alarm rang and everybody jumped to the alert. Edwards
barked an order and one of the flight-techs darted off toward the
launching deck. There was no point in stopping the whole flight, for
any detection of matter would be investigated by one-man scooters. If
a lifeship should be found, an infrawave call would bring the search
flight hurrying back.
This was not it. The flight-tech reported a small clutter of pebbles
and frozen gas. Probably a comet on its long, cold, dead swing near
aphelion.
And the search went on....
Charles Andrews snorted angrily and growled, "It's damned inefficient,
that's all I have to say."