it all the data you can," Somers said. "Fuel, oxygen, water,
food--that sort of thing. Then tell it we want to return to Earth.
Alive," he added.

"It'll love that," Watkins said. "It'll get such pleasure out of
rejecting our problem as unsolvable. Or better yet--insufficient data.
In that way, it can hint that a solution is possible, but just outside
our reach. It can keep us hoping."

Somers and Rajcik followed him to the cargo hold. The computer,
activated now, hummed softly. Lights flashed swiftly over its panels,
blue and white and red.

Watkins punched buttons and turned dials for fifteen minutes, then moved
back.

"Watch for the red light on top," he said. "That means the problem is
rejected."

"Don't say it," Rajcik warned quickly.

Watkins laughed. "Superstitious little fellow, aren't you?"

"But not incompetent," Rajcik said, smiling.

"Can't you two quit it?" Somers demanded, and both men turned startedly
to face him.

"Behold!" Rajcik said. "The sleeper has awakened."

"After a fashion," said Watkins, snickering.

Somers suddenly felt that if death or rescue did not come quickly, they
would kill each other, or drive each other crazy.

"Look!" Rajcik said.

* * * * *

A light on the computer's panel was flashing green.

"Must be a mistake," said Watkins. "Green means the problem is solvable
within the conditions set down."

"Solvable!" Rajcik said.

"But it's impossible," Watkins argued. "It's fooling us, leading us
on--"

"Don't be superstitious," Rajcik mocked. "How soon do we get the
solution?"

"It's coming now." Watkins pointed to a paper tape inching out of a slot
in the machine's face. "But there must be something wrong!"

They watched as, millimeter by millimeter, the tape crept out. The
computer hummed, its lights flashing green. Then the hum stopped. The
green lights blazed once more and faded.

"What happened?" Rajcik wanted to know.

"It's finished," Watkins said.

"Pick it up! Read it!"

"You read it. You won't get _me_ to play its game."

Rajcik laughed nervously and rubbed his hands together, but didn't move.
Both men turned to Somers.

"Captain, it's your responsibility."

"Go ahead, Captain!"

Somers looked with loathing at his engineer and navigator. _His_
responsibility, everything was _his_ responsibility. Would they never
leave him alone?

He went up to the machine, pulled the tape free, read it with slow
deliberati