'll have to take your people to a safe distance. They can come back
even after a blast, of course. There's no concussion in vacuum, and
the fireball won't reach here. It's principally an anti-personnel
weapon. But you must not be within the lethal radius of radiation."

"The hell we can come back!" Avis cried.

[Illustration]

"I beg your pardon?" Hulse said.

"You imbecile! Don't you know Central Control here is cryotronic?"

Hulse did not flicker an eyelid. "So it is," he said expressionlessly.
"I had forgotten."

* * * * *

Blades mastered his own shock enough to grate: "Well, we sure haven't.
If that thing goes off, the gamma burst will kick up so many minority
carriers in the transistors that the _p_-type crystals will act
_n_-type, and the _n_-type act _p_-type, for a whole couple of
microseconds. Every one of 'em will flip simultaneously! The
computers' memory and program data systems will be scrambled beyond
hope of reorganization."

"Magnetic pulse, too," Chung said. "The fireball plasma will be full
of inhomogeneities moving at several per cent of light speed. Their
electromagnetic output, hitting our magnetic core units, will turn
them from super to ordinary conduction. Same effect, total computer
amnesia. We haven't got enough shielding against it. Your TIMM systems
can take that kind of a beating. Ours can't!"

"Very regrettable," Hulse said. "You'd have to reprogram everything--"

"Reprogram what?" Avis retorted. Tears started forth in her eyes.
"We've told you what sort of stuff our chemical plant is handling. We
can't shut it down on that short notice. It'll run wild. There'll be
sodium explosions, hydrogen and organic combustion, n-n-nothing left
here but wreckage!"

Hulse didn't unbend a centimeter. "I offer my most sincere apologies.
If actual harm does occur, I'm sure the government will indemnify you.
And, of course, my command will furnish what supplies may be needed
for the _Pallas Castle_ to transport you to the nearest Commission
base. At the moment, though, you can do nothing but evacuate and hope
we will be able to intercept the missile."

Blades knotted his fists. A sudden comprehension rushed up in him and
he bellowed, "There isn't going to be an interception! This wasn't an
accident!"

Hulse backed a step and drew himself even straighter. "Don't get
overwrought," he advised.

"You louse-bitten, egg-sucking, bloated faggot-porter! How stupid d