Larson snapped, "Forget the audio! Give me a bearing, and let's be
getting on course. That may be the only planet in the system, and I
don't want to lose it."
His arms pumped and his big hands pawed at the controls as he brought
the inertialess drive into manual manipulations.
For the next few, tense hours we stalked the planet at a discreetly low
velocity. When his navigation problem was complete and we were on a
slow approach orbit, Mac began playing with the communication rig again.
The ship's intercom was cut in, and we had to chase people out as
excitement mounted over our discovery. Finally, when his elbow had been
jostled once too often, Larson ordered the control room cleared of all
hands but Hulbert and me.