“Nothing in there looked like any kind of craft I’ve seen. Not a wing, jet or window among ‘em. I’m not sure we’ll have the first clue what we’re looking at.”
“Now that the immediate crisis is under control,” Spratt said, looking up from the plans he was studying, “A little snooping is a definite part of the plan. We know that the moon we’re orbiting is a good source of raw materials—oxygen, iron, that sort of thing—but raw materials are difficult to extract and refine. It might save us some trouble if we can find materials in the tower that are more ready to use.”
“Speaking of which,” Captain Carter said, looking at Lamont, “Chief Santana told me last night that you had an interesting idea.”
The newspaperman reflected on the conversation he’d had with Amila and Phobos in the observation deck after his return from the tower. “Right,” he replied. “I suggested that it might be worth looking at some of the vessels that are parked in the docking bay. They’re strange enough, and goodness knows if we can make heads or tails out of any of them. But if we could sort out how to use even one of them…”
“It would make a big difference in the repair effort,” Ed finished, pushing his thick glasses up on the bridge of his nose. “It’s got to be worth a try.”
“How many vessels did you see there?” Carter asked.
“Three or four,” Lamont answered, frowning as he gulped down the cold dregs of his instant coffee. “That’s assuming that all of the things in there are transportation devices. It’s not immediately obvious.”
Abigail looked up from her work, slipping a headphone off one ear. “And that may not be all of them,” she added. “Judging from the map in the elevator, we may not have seen every landing bay.”
“I don’t know,” Lazarus said, folding his arms. “Nothing in there looked like any kind of craft I’ve seen. Not a wing, jet or window among ‘em. I’m not sure we’ll have the first clue what we’re looking at.”
“We’ll need a team of engineers and scientists who can look beneath the surface appearance of things,” Spratt agreed. “Folks from diverse fields. Physics, mathematics, anthropology…”
“Archeology?” Lamont asked.
The others turned their eyes to him questioningly.
Carter took a deep breath. “An archeologist might be able to identify functions for things that are otherwise unrecognizable. It’s a useful skill set in this situation.”
“You realize what he’s getting at,” Ed pointed out. “Yes, we have one crew member who under normal circumstances would be perfect for this job—that’s why he was on the original expedition. But I guess that’s a tough break for us.”
Lamont rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You’re most likely right,” he agreed. “But I may as well pay a visit to the old boy and see if he’s found any of his marbles.”