No one did. No one seemed to notice his arrival at all, which produced a peculiar sense of disappointment for Spence.
He reached the end of the brightly lit tube and entered the hold where dozens of men labored to position all the stores and baggage and lock them into place within huge cargo frames. He threaded his way through the confusion and started toward the head of the ship and the passenger quarters.
A few yellow-suited maintenance men moved along the ship's central gangways trailing black-and-green striped hoses and wagons with odd-looking metallic boxes with flashing lights which emitted chirps and clicks as they slid along the floorplates. Spence also saw the royal blue jumpsuits of the transport's crew, who were standing at their stations or talking quietly to one another as the yellowsuits fiddled efficiently around them.
He found an open gallery of seats with their safety webs hanging loosely draped over the headrests as if giant spiders had been busy during the night. He walked across the compartment and came to stand before an observation port to look out upon the space station he had just left. The activity in the docking bay had intensified in the few minutes since he arrived. He could see through the huge observation bubble into the docking bay where some thirty or so cadets had gathered and were waiting to board. A great many others had come to see them off, and a host of yellowsuits were dashing here and there in last-minute preparations.
"So! You are anxious to go to Marx, yes?"
He turned to greet the hulking form of Kalnikov, the captain of the transport. The burly giant crossed the gallery in two strides and shoved out a great meaty paw which squashed Spence's as the two shook hands. Kalnikov looked like the classic Russian weight lifter-broad shoulders above a sinewy back, thick arms, and fists that could probably crush stones. His voice rumbled out from deep within his barrel chest.
"Yes," Spence began to confess, "I was just-"
Before he could finish the man slapped him on the back with a bone-jarring blow.
"Haw! I was that way my first time, too! It is a delicious feeling! Enjoy!"
"Thank you," Spence replied when he regained his breath. The stout Russian turned and pounded away; Spence could hear his voice shaking the floorplates ax he bellowed his delight at being space-bound once more. He heard a snatch of song ax it boomed out in the corridor:
"God of shining galaxies
Lead me from this place.
Lord of starfields fly with me, Beyond the edge of space..,"
Spence couldn't help smiling. He could feel the hum of electricity starting to flow and tingle on his skin; he was as excited as any green cadet. For the first time in many days he felt alive.
Kalnikov's voice echoed down the gangway. "Welcome, my friends! Come along! We are going to enjoy this journey! Come along!"
For a moment Spence entertained an absurd image of God, the Creator of the universe, as a big Russian pilot, calling his cadets to join him in a fantastic flight of discovery.
"All right," murmured Spence to himself. "I'm ready. Lead on. …
WHAT DO YOU MEAN!" Hocking screeched.
"We… that is, he… never showed up," Tickler stammered. "How could he not show up? He never left the lab. That's what you said. Millen watched him the whole time, you said." "Not all the time, no," said Kurt slowly, very much aware of the danger he was in at that moment. "He went to the commixsary for a few minutes."
"You were not to let him out of your sight!" "It couldn't be helped… "
"Oh? And why not?" Hocking demanded. Color had risen to his cheeks, staining his pale flesh with a crimson tinge in the low light of his quarters. Snaky veins stood out on his forehead, and he appeared as if he might burst with rage and frustration.
"I watched him until he got in line at the commissary and then went back to wait. I couldn't let him see me watching him, could I?"
"Ortu will hear about this! I will not keep this from him.
This time you'll have to face him yourselves. Unless-" "Unless?" Tickler leaped at the first sign of hope that they might somehow avert the wrath of the shadowy and severe Ortu. "Unless you find him immediately. You have four hours." "We can't search the whole station in four hours," Millen whined.
"You'll find a way," hissed Hocking. "I want him found.
Quickly. Do you hear me? Or else Ortu will deal with you." "We'll find him," promised Tickler.
Without waiting for Hocking to change his mind both men hurried away to begin their search. They donned pressure suits and made their way back across the construction site. Once back inside the station they hung their suits on the racks and stepped into the tram.
"It's all your fault!" muttered Tickler thickly.
"My fault!" Kurt glared at his companion. "I watched him as you instructed. You told me to search his quarters as soon as I got a chance-with him in the commissary I had a perfect chance, 'What have we here!" wasn't going anywhere He told me he'd be right back He "Oh! Oh! You scared me" cried Ari as the lights went on and .. PV, invited me to go along with him."
"You should have gone-the search could have waited." "Where were you? You could have followed him yourself." "Obviously we wouldn't be in this mess now if I had!" "Something's happened to him, I tell you. I saw him waiting in line at the commissary."
"Shut up! I don't want to hear -any more! All that matters now is that we have to find him-and fast!" "Where should we begin?"
"I don't know. He could be anyplace by now."
"I told you we should have gone to Hocking at once-as soon as he didn't show up for the session," Millen moaned.
"What difference does it make now what you told me? We could not risk making Reston suspicious. He knows something is going on. He's hiding somewhere."
"Well, he can't have gone far."
"He's on the station somewhere, and we have only four hours to find him. Wait a minute! I have an idea! I know where to start looking!"
The tram whizzed away on its magnetic cushion began their frenzied search of Gotham. as the two. …
ARI FELT STRANGE IN Spence's rooms. She had never been to his quarters, or even the lab. Now everything she saw seemed heavy with the presence of him. She was afraid to touch anything lest she somehow disturb his memory.
She shook the feeling off. "He's only gone on a trip," she told herself. "He hasn't died."
But the eerie morbidity still lingered like a chill in the small room.
He could have at least made his bed, she thought. She bent to the task, but drew her hand back from touching the blankets. No, leave it as it is. Leave everything as he left it.
The funeral atmosphere of the room was about to stifle her and she wanted only to get away. She found the model of the space station in the pocket of his jumpsuit, where he said it would be. She fished it out, replaced the jumpsuit and left the room, stepping back into the darkened lab. she found herself in the grasp of Tickler. Kurt stood at the portal with his hand at the access plate.
"I did not mean to startle you, miss. I thought you might be a prowler."
Ari gasped and blushed. "I… I was looking for Dr. Reston."
"Are you a friend of his?" Tickler still held her arm tightly.
"Yes, are you his assistant?"