o run their machines!

Months slipped by as the ship moved steadily toward the giant planet.
Every piece of equipment seemed to be the answer to perfection. This
voyage had taught them more about mechanics than was covered in a
complete engineering course on earth. It was of a far different kind,
with gravity the basis of all operation. Even the space ship employed
some of the same power, drawn from the nearest heavy body, then
amplified until it reached enormous proportions.[1]

Peter Yarbro was a practical chemist, and spent many hours trying to
analyze the fuel. It was highly inflammable, yet could stand terrific
compression without effect. When it was allowed to expand again, it
reached the flash point immediately, creating enormous amounts of heavy
gas. He believed it might be duplicated from crude oil, properly
refined.

When Dick learned that there was a history of the space ship, in the
metal books, his curiosity was aroused. He could read the language of
the domes slightly, but not enough to study the intricate explanations.
It was through these books that the dome men had learned to control the
ship, and set the course for any desired planet.

Morquil's aid was enlisted, to translate the text, and he learned some
amazing facts. A description of the fuel was given, but the base for
manufacture was unknown, being of natural origin on Jupiter. As Morquil
read farther and explained sections that Dick couldn't understand, the
earthman felt uneasy.

The crew had abandoned all hope of returning to their home planet, the
first time they started from the earth. They didn't understand what it
meant to feel responsible for equipment. They manufactured enough fuel
for two trips, according to the rating of consumption in the books--but
Dick wondered?

The tanks were filled to capacity before the first trip, and hadn't been
tested since. The happy dome people didn't consider that their ancestors
might have been mistaken, or that actual operation might vary from the
original plan.

* * * * *

For the first time in twenty years, the gauges were examined. Barrow and
McCarthy crawled through the dust-coated passage beneath the floor of
the machinery hold. They found a light switch, but the bulbs were so
dust-coated that only a faint glow shed on the surrounding metal. They
sneezed and coughed, as the dust-laden air filled their lungs.

"Darned if you don't get the craziest ideas, Dick.