"But, I can't! Open the lock for me."
"I can't open it, you fool! Someone has jammed the controls!"
"Ah--" Captain Martin said. The single sound had all the overtones of a
prayer.
Craig got to his feet, wobbled up the gangway in time to hear the last
of the conversation. He caught Captain Martin's arm. "We've got to get
out of the hangar," he whispered. "If we don't--" He whispered what
was going to happen next.
The captain stared at him from bewildered eyes.
A vast throb came from the ship.
"He's warming up the drive!" the captain said. "You're right. Where's
the general?"
* * * * *
The _Andromeda_ went out of the hangar without waiting for the vast
doors to be opened. There was no time to wait for that, nor would the
request to open the doors have been obeyed even if it could have been
transmitted. There was a tremendous, thundering screech of tortured
metal as she tore the doors down. Then, with Adam March at the
controls, she mounted to the sky.
The thing in the air behind him was thrown completely off-balance by
the unexpected takeoff. It did not know what to do, consultation with
its comrades was necessary before action could be taken. The Sorodrome
spun back out of the control room.
Only minutes, perhaps less than minutes, were needed for the Sorodromes
to agree on what had to be done.