Looking for a novel title: Looking for a novel in which earthlings are chosen by aliens to be the captain of a spaceship. The content is roughly as follows.

[US] Written by Robert Shekry and translated by Hacken Li

The indicator light of the spacecraft's main detector flashed pink, then red. Aji had been napping in front of the console, waiting for Victor to prepare dinner, when he suddenly looked up. "Close to the planet," he shouted over the hiss of leaking air.

Captain Barnett nodded. He used the heat treatment method to make a patch and stuck it on with a snap. On the damaged hull of the Endeavor. The hiss of air leakage reduced to a muffled hum. But it didn't stop completely. There was no leak, and it seemed that this kind of thing had never happened before. Barnett paced. Come over, the planet can already be seen with the naked eye. It is slightly exposed behind a small red sun, casting green light into the dark night of space. The two people looked at the planet in their minds. The idea is exactly the same.

Barnett said, "I wonder if there is anything good up there that is worth taking. "He said with a frown. Aji's white eyebrows raised hopefully. When the two looked at the stars, the instrument had begun to detect its relevant data.

If the "Endeavour" follows the southern trade route of the Galaxy If they fly, they will never be able to discover this planet. There are more and more restrictions on the alliance on that line, and Barnett would rather take a looser route.

The "Endeavour" is registered as a merchant ship. Yes, but the cargo it carried was only a few bottles of high-strength acid used to open safes, and three medium-yield atomic bombs. These cargoes were not in the interest of the authorities. They always wanted to throw the crew into prison. The reason was just that. The old accusations: a murder on the moon, a theft on Omega, a break-in on Samia 2, but the police refused to let go and got to the bottom of it. , so boring.

To make matters worse, the firepower of the "Endeavour" was no match for the new police patrol boats. They had to take a long detour to New Athens, where the uranium mine exploded. There was a general strike.

“There seems to be no profit. "Aji checked the planet information critically and made an evaluation.

"Let's just go around it. Barnett said.

The information displayed on the instrument is really uninteresting: this planet is smaller than the earth, is not marked on the aeronautical map, and has nothing of commercial value except an oxygen atmosphere. Something.

He was about to go around when the heavy metal detector of the spacecraft suddenly became active.

“There is something down there! "Aji said, while quickly reading the data. "Pure, the purity is quite high - right on the surface! ”

He looked at Barnett, who nodded. Feitang headed towards the planet with his head in his hands.

Victor came from behind the ship and came forward from behind Barnett’s shoulder. Look. He had a big, shaved head with a small woolen hat on it. Aji drove the spacecraft in a steep spiral downward, less than half a mile from the surface of the planet.

It was a spaceship that landed on an open space.

"This is a bit interesting. "Barnett said, gesturing for Aji to come closer.

Aji drove the boat down. His movements were extremely quick. His age has greatly exceeded the mandatory retirement age for full-time pilots of the spacecraft, but his movements are still the same. Coordinated and flexible, not affected by age at all, Barnett found him wandering around penniless and hired him. The captain was always willing to help another member of the human race, especially when it was convenient and profitable. So. When it comes to private property, the two men have exactly the same views. They only differ on how to obtain it. Ajie likes to be more daring in his business. It was a bit too much. After approaching the surface of the planet, they all saw the strange spacecraft. It was bigger, shiny, and brand-new. The shape of the hull and the logo on it were very different from ordinary spaceships.

"Ever seen a guy like this before? "Barnet asked.

Aggie's memory is very good, he tried his best to recall,

"It's a bit like the Sephites, but they don't make it so thick. Dun's. You must know that we have flown quite far away, and this ship may even belong to a planet outside the alliance. "

Victor stared at the spaceship in awe. He couldn't even close his thick lips. He sighed loudly, "Such a ship, we can really come in handy. Right, Captain?"

Barnett smiled suddenly, like a crack in the granite. "Victor. "He said, "You simple-minded guy. But one sentence hit the nail on the head. We really put it to use. Go down and have a chat with the captain. ”

Before fastening his seat belt, Victor checked the cryogun. All bullets were loaded and primed for use. After the spacecraft landed, they fired an orange-red and green flare and requested a meeting. But the alien There was no reaction on the spacecraft. Tests showed that the air on this planet was breathable for humans, and the temperature was 72 degrees Fahrenheit. After waiting for a few minutes, the three of them stepped out of the spacecraft, holding the freezing gun tightly under their coats, ready to fire. /p>

The three of them, all with fake smiles on their faces, walked the fifty yards between the two ships.

From a close distance, the alien spacecraft looks even more magnificent. The silver-gray shell is shining, and there are almost no dents where the meteors have touched it. The airtight hatch was open, and a low hum came from inside, indicating that the generator set was charging.

"Is there anyone there?" Victor shouted toward the hatch, his voice causing an empty echo in the spacecraft. No answer. All around were the soft hum of the generators and the rustling of the grass in the breeze.

"Where do you think they all went?" Aggie asked.

"Maybe go out and get some fresh air." Barnett replied, "I guess they didn't expect guests."

Victor sat lazily on the ground, Barney Te and Aji walked around the base of the spacecraft, admiring its propulsion device.

"Can you handle it?" Barnett asked.

"I don't see anything that can't be dealt with." Aji said, "The propulsion device is very ordinary, and the servo system is irrelevant as long as it is an intelligent creature breathing oxygen. The propulsion control systems are all similar. Take your time. You can figure it out."

"Someone is coming," Victor said.

They hurried back to the airtight hatch. Three hundred yards away from the spaceship was a jagged forest. A figure emerged from the trees and was walking towards them.

Aggie and Victor pulled out their freezing guns at the same time.

Barnett's telescope focused on the small figure: rectangular in shape. About two feet tall and one foot wide. The alien was less than two inches thick and didn't even have a head.

Barnett frowned. He had never seen such a weird rectangle. Floating above the tall grass.

He adjusted the camera. It was discovered that the aliens were roughly humanoid. That is, it has limbs. Two lower limbs, almost hidden by the grass, are used for walking, while the other two are stretched stiffly into the air. With great difficulty, Barnett was able to distinguish two small eyes and a mouth in the middle of the rectangle. This thing wasn't wearing any clothes or helmet. "Looks weird," Aggie muttered. Adjusting the caliber of his freezing gun, "He's the only one?"

"I hope so." Barnett said, and also pulled out his freezing gun.

"The distance is about two hundred yards." Aji leveled his weapon, raised his head and asked, "Want to talk to him first before taking action, Captain?"

"What's the matter? It's easy to talk." Barnett asked with a lazy smile on his face, "But you have to let him get closer and don't miss it."

Aji nodded steadily. Target the aliens.

The reason Karen docked on this small and desolate planet was because she wanted to blast away the ground. Blast out tons of Yirol. For the people on the planet Marburg, the mineral Yirol is extremely valuable. It's a pity that he didn't have such good luck. The unused thermal bomb was still in the bag of his body. Serve with a kola nut. There was no mine, so he had no choice but to pull the ballast home intact.

That’s all. He walked out of the woods while thinking. I just hope that I will have better luck next time——

A spaceship docked next to his own spaceship, narrowly. The higher you go, the sharper it gets. Finally, the result is a weird cone shape. Karen was shocked. He had no idea that there were still people living on this extremely small planet.

Several aborigines were guarding the door of the airtight cabin of his spaceship! Karen immediately saw that these creatures were roughly similar to the Marburg people. There is a race in the Marburg Alliance that looks just like that. However, the spaceships of these aborigines are completely different from them. According to rumors. There is also a large civilization system outside the galaxy. Karen's intuition. These aliens are likely to be representatives from that civilization system.

He eagerly stepped forward to meet them.

It’s strange. The alien remained motionless. Why don't you come towards him? He knew they saw him. Because all three aliens were pointing at him.

He walked faster. Karen knew that she knew nothing about their customs. I hope these people don't engage in any lengthy rituals. This deadly planet. Stay here for another hour. He must be exhausted. He is hungry. He also urgently needed a shower...

A cold something threw him backwards. He looked around nervously. Could it be that some unknown characteristic of this planet has occurred?

He moved forward again. Another ice arrow hit him. His outer layer of leather was instantly covered with frost.

The problem is serious. Although the Marburgs are one of the most tenacious species in the galaxy. But there is always a limit. Karen looked around, searching for the source of the problem.

The aliens are shooting at him!

His thinking center was unable to accept the evidence provided by the physical organs for a while. Karen knew such things as murder, and had observed with incredible horror the perversion that remained among the lower animals. besides. Of course, there are also psychological works that study abnormal behavior. Records all premeditated murders in the history of the planet Marburg. How could this happen to me? Karen couldn't believe it.

Another ice arrow pierced his body, and Karen still stood still. He tried his best to convince himself. This really happened.

He doesn't understand. Why. Any form of life. Its sense of coordination is enough to control a spacecraft. But he can do such things as espionage.

Also, they didn’t even recognize him. Karen turned sharply and ran towards the woods. But it's too late. The three aliens opened fire in unison. The projectile grazed the grass beside him. A streak of frost was left. The blades of grass snapped. The surface of his skin was covered with a thick layer of frost. Marburgs are not built to withstand the cold. Now, the biting chill seeped directly into his internal organs.

But he still couldn't believe it.

Just when Karen was about to run into the woods, he was hit by two blows. He could feel his internal organs struggling. Try to conserve body heat. How he wanted to live.

Then. Darkness enveloped him.

"These aliens are so stupid." Aji put away his gun. Express your own opinions.

"It's stupid, but it's really strong." Barnett said, "There are no creatures that live on oxygen that have been beaten as well as him." He patted the silver-gray spaceship shell, his face bursting with laughter. With a proud smile, "We named it 'Struggle II'."

"Three cheers for the captain!" Victor was extremely excited.

"Save your energy. You'll need it later." Barnett looked at the sky and said. "There are still about four hours of daylight. Victor, move the food, oxygen reserves and tools from the Endeavor 1 to the new ship. Dismantle the reactor of the old ship. When we are free one day, we will come back to rescue our old buddy. Sunset Before taking off."

Victor hurriedly prepared, while Barnett and Aji got into the new spacecraft. The back half of the "Struggle 2" hull is crammed full of things: generator sets, engines, converters, servo systems, fuel tanks, air reserve tanks, etc. Further forward is a huge cargo hold that almost occupies the entire front half of the spacecraft. It is filled with all kinds of nuts of different shapes and colors. The size is also different, the small one is only two inches in diameter. It's as big as two human heads. Apart from the cargo hold, there are only two cabins left in the bow. ．

The first cabin is definitely the crew cabin. There is no other place to stay. But it's completely empty here. There is no decompression chamber for deceleration, and there are no tables and chairs. Nothing. There was just a polished metal floor. There are several small openings in the walls and ceiling. Purpose unknown.

Next to this cabin is the cockpit. It's so small that it can barely accommodate one person. Under the bubble-shaped observation window is an instrument panel packed with instruments.

"It's all up to you." Barnett said. "Let's see how good you are."

Aji nodded and couldn't find a chair. I had no choice but to squat in front of the dashboard and start studying the various instruments arranged in front of me.

Victor spent several hours and finally moved all his reserves to "Struggle II". Aji didn't touch anything during this period. He just wanted to figure out which switches controlled which actions. This required analyzing the size, color, shape and position of various instruments. Even the neurological thinking patterns of aliens are similar to humans. These are all very difficult tasks. Does the auxiliary boost system operate from left to right? If not, he must try his best to forget the coordinated movements he is familiar with. In the eyes of alien designers. Does red also represent danger? If so, the big switch must be used to dump fuel. But the meaning of red may also refer to high-temperature fuel. In this case, the big switch may be used to control the flow of energy.

He could only speculate to this point: the purpose of this big switch must be to order the reactor to overload when a foreign enemy attacks.

Aji wrote this down. Continue to study various control switches. He wasn't too worried. The reason is. A spaceship is so strong that destroying it from the inside is nearly impossible. Also, he was annoyed that he had found the pattern.

Barnett's head poked through the doorway. There is also Victor in the back. "Are you okay?"

Aji looked at the control panel, "I think so." He lightly touched a hand control lever, this. It should be controlling the airtight hatch. "

He pulled the hand control lever. Victor and Barnett were waiting. Although the room was extremely cold, they were sweating all over.

There was a burst of well-lubricated metal. There was a sound of turning. The air-tight hatch was locked.

Aji grinned and blew his fingers for good luck. "This is the air conditioner. "He flipped a switch.

A wisp of yellow smoke emitted from the ceiling. "The air conditioner is not clean. "Aggie muttered, turning the dial. Victor coughed.

"Close it. "Barnett said.

The smoke became thicker, and puffs of smoke came out. The two rooms were immediately filled with smoke.

"Turn it off quickly!"

< p>"I can't see it!" Aji pushed the switch but accidentally hit a button below, and the generator set roared.

Blue sparks flew up to the wall. .

Aggie staggered away from the dashboard and suddenly collapsed to the ground. Vito had already fled to the door leading to the cargo bay, trying to smash the door open with brute force. Nite covered his mouth with his hand and rushed to the dashboard, fiddling with the switches.

As a result, the spacecraft spun around. It makes people dizzy.

Victor fell on the deck. He continued to knock weakly on the door.

Barnett couldn't open his eyes, so he could only fumble around and poke at the instrument panel.

Suddenly, the generator set stopped running. Then Barnett felt a cool breeze blowing on his face. He wiped his tearful eyes hard and looked up.

What luck, I bumped randomly and hit the right one. The vents in the ceiling are closed. The yellow smoke then cuts off. By chance he opened the air hatch again. The cold night air from the planet outside blew away the poisonous fog in the cabin. Soon it was possible to breathe in the spaceship.

Victor stood up shivering. Aji didn't move. Barnett had no choice but to perform artificial respiration for the old pilot, cursing softly while doing so. at last. Aji's eyelids finally trembled. My chest also started to rise and fall together. After a few minutes. He sat up and shook his head.

"What the hell is this?" Victor asked.

"I'm afraid," Barnett said. "This is the kind of air our alien friends breathe."

Aji shook his head repeatedly. "Impossible. Captain. He was still here before, walking around in such an oxygen world without even wearing a helmet."

"What kind of air is needed? There are huge differences between people." "That's cool." Barnett pointed out, "Let's be honest, that friend's physique is very different from ours."

"That's not great," Aggie said. The three people looked at each other in silence. An ominous whisper came from the silence.

“What sound?” Victor screamed strangely. Pull out the freezing gun.

"Shut up!" Barnett yelled.

A few people listened attentively. Barnett tried to distinguish the sound, he could feel it. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

It came from far away, like metal hitting another non-metallic object.

Three people looked out from the hatch. Outside. The setting sun is sending out its last rays of light. They saw it under the setting sun. The main cabin door of "Struggle No. 1" opened. The sound came from inside the spacecraft.

"Impossible!" Aggie said, "The bastard who froze to death——"

"Not dead yet." Barnett took over.

“That’s too bad.” Aji groaned.

"It's too bad."

Victor still raised his freezing gun, "Captain, how about I sneak over quietly——"

Barnett shook his head, "He would never let you come ten feet closer to the airtight hatch. No, let me think about it, what's on the ship that he could use? A reactor?"

"Union The poles are all removed, and they are here with me, Captain," answered Victor.

"Okay. Then he can-"

"Acid." Aji suddenly interrupted. That's a powerful guy. But I don't think he would be of much use with that thing. "

"No chance at all. Barnett said, "We have a new boat." Let's stay here and not go anywhere. You, fly it quickly. "

Aji looked at the instrument panel. He had almost understood it half an hour ago. But now, this thing has turned into a cunning death trap. There are invisible hidden lines all over it. If it is touched at the slightest moment, it will be destroyed. Then came one after another.

The spaceship is used for travel, and at the same time, various control devices must adjust the environment to adapt to the survival of aliens. Provide him with all kinds of necessities.

The problem is that for them, the necessities of life for aliens can be fatal.

"I wonder what he came from. Came from my planet. "Aji said distressedly. If we understand the alien's living environment, we can deduce the situation of his spacecraft.

Now they only know that this person breathes a yellow poisonous gas.< /p>

"It will be taken care of. Barnett said without any confidence, "Just figure out the propulsion device." Don't touch the others yet. "

Aggie turned around and faced the dashboard.

Barnett really wished he knew what the aliens were doing. What tricks they had. In the dusk. He stared at his old boat and listened carefully to the sound coming from inside. The sound was unclear and incomprehensible. Karen only knew that it was the sound of metal colliding with non-metal. He is actually still alive. There is a saying in his own tribe, "The Marburg people cannot die unless they are beaten to death." "Didn't he come back to life? - At least he is alive now.

He staggered around and finally sat up, leaning on a tree trunk. There is only one red sun on this planet. Now the sun has It was almost falling to the horizon. The surroundings were full of poisonous gases like chlorine. He immediately started to check and found that the yellow gas that supported his life was still damaged, but he could still hold on for a long time. For a while.

The problem was that he still couldn't recognize the situation and accept the reality. His ship was parked a few hundred yards away, the hull of the ship shining brightly in the setting sun, and it was peaceful for a while.

Karen believed that there were no aliens at all, and that all this was just made up by his own imagination. Now he only had to walk back to his spaceship...

He saw: an alien carrying a cargo drill After entering his spacecraft, the airtight hatch closed shortly after.

It’s true, it’s all true. He tried his best to turn his consciousness around. Force yourself to face reality. The most urgent needs are food and air. His outer leather was dry and cracked and had to be cleaned with nutrient solution. But food, air and cleaning agents were all stored on the stolen spacecraft. Now he only has a red Lira nut left in his hand, and there is a thermal bomb in his body bag.

If there is a way to open the vertical fruit. Eat it and he will regain some strength. But how can he open it?

Every aspect of his life requires machines, and his survival is completely dependent on these machines. If you think about it carefully, it is really shocking. Now I have to find a way on my own. Solve the simplest, most common, everyday little things. This kind of thing usually does not cause the operator to worry about it. The spacecraft was completed automatically, without him even having to think about it,

Jian Lun noticed. The aliens apparently abandoned their own ship. Why? Doesn't matter. What's important is that out there in the wilderness, he doesn't have to wait until tomorrow to die. His only chance of survival is to enter an alien spacecraft.

He walked slowly through the grass, feeling dizzy from time to time. Only then did he allow himself to stop for a moment. He kept checking his spaceship. If aliens came out to hunt him down now, it would be all over. Fortunately nothing happened. Time goes by so slowly

It's so slow. It seems like it will never end. at last. He finally touched the alien spacecraft. Sneaked in quietly.

It is dusk. With the help of dim light. He found the ship to be old and dilapidated. The ship's walls were already thin, and they were repeatedly patched. All parts were too old and too worn.

He now understood why those people wanted to rob his ship.

Another wave of dizziness struck. His body was giving him a serious warning.

The first is food. He took the kola nut out of the bag. It was round, about four inches in diameter, and the shell was two inches thick. This nut is a staple food for Marburg astronauts. It is rich in energy and can be stored almost permanently in a sealed state.

He found an iron rod, put the nut against the wall, and hit the nut with the stick. The stick hit the nut. It made a hollow, drum-like sound. The nut didn't move at all.

I wonder if the aliens will hear it, so Karen has no choice but to take the risk. He steadied himself and started knocking hard one after another. Fifteen minutes later. Karen was exhausted, and the iron rod in her hand was almost bent into a ruler shape.

The nut didn’t move at all.

He couldn't open this nut. Unless there is a fruit opener. The Xing is standard on any Marburg ship. No one would consider opening a nut any other way.

This is proof: without the machine he is useless. It's so terrible.

He raised the iron rod. One final punch. With his limbs stiff, he dropped the stick and began to check the ship's inventory. The frozen leather was becoming more and more intrusive. The leather is slowly hardening into an airtight cuticle. Once it is completely hardened, he will be unable to move.

Whatever position he was in at that time, he would remain in the same position in the future, either sitting or standing, until he died of suffocation. Karen firmly pushed away the despair and thought hard. Skin is the priority, more so than food. On his own spaceship. He will wash and soak. Let the outer layer of leather soften and eventually cure without problems. But it is doubtful whether the aliens would bring suitable cleaning agents.

There is only one other way: peel off the outer leather layer. The inner layer can only last a few days, but at least he can move.

He dragged his stiff limbs and looked for the changing device. Then he realized that aliens didn't even have this most basic tool. He still had to rely on himself.

He picked up the iron rod, bent it into a hook shape, inserted the tip of the hook into the outer leather, hooked it, and pulled it up with all his strength.

The outer skin refuses to yield.

He squeezed his body into the narrow gap between a generator and the ship wall and got stuck. Then use a hook to hook the skin from another angle and pull it outward. Unfortunately, the arms are not long enough and cannot exert sufficient strength. The strong, sturdy outer leather remains firmly in place.

He then changed a dozen different positions, but none of them worked. Without mechanical assistance, he could barely straighten his body.

He threw down the iron rod feebly. Nothing can be done, nothing can be accomplished. At this moment, he suddenly remembered that there was a thermal bomb in the bag.

There is still a part of his consciousness that remains in its original state. He had never known it existed before. It was this part of his consciousness that whispered to him: There was a simple way to get rid of all the troubles. He could tuck a heat bomb under the hull of a spaceship when the aliens weren't looking. Such a small bomb can only shake the spacecraft up to twenty or thirty feet at most, and it is impossible to cause other damage.

But those aliens are bound to die.

Karen was horrified to the extreme: How could he have such an idea? Every inch of his skin was imprinted with the moral values ??of the Marburg people, which had already penetrated into the bone marrow - under no circumstances should he act in any way. Reason is an excuse to deprive an intelligent creature of its life.

Any reason!

“But is this fair?” The primitive consciousness whispered, “These aliens can only be regarded as viruses. Getting rid of them would be a great thing for the universe. You are still alive after being rescued. Secondly, don't think of it as murder, it's just sterilization."

He took the bomb out of the bag, weighed it, and threw it away hastily. "No!" he said to himself, but it wasn't. Very firm.

Unwilling to think about it any more, relying on his tired and almost stiff legs that could not move, he began to search around the alien spacecraft to see if he could find anything that could save his life.

Aji squatted and squeezed into the cockpit. Use a marker to mark various switches on the dashboard. He was so tired and his lungs hurt. Worked all night without even a wink. It was already dark outside, and a cold wind whipped the hull of the "Struggle 2". The lights were on in the spaceship, but it was freezing cold. Aji even didn't want to touch those temperature control levers again.

Victor walked into the crew cabin. The heavy cargo box on his back made him stagger.

"Barnett?" Aggie shouted.

"He'll be right over," Victor replied.

The captain wanted to move all their equipment to the front of the spacecraft to make it more convenient to use, but the crew cabin was too small, and their things had already filled most of the cabin.

Victor looked around, trying to find a place to put the box. He found a door on one of the bulkheads. As soon as he pressed the button on the door, the door slid gently and neatly into the ceiling, revealing a closet-sized room. Victor concluded that this was the best place to put things. Crushed red tiles were scattered on the floor. Nut shells, Victor ignored them and just pulled the goods into the closet.

The ceiling of the small room immediately began to fall, and Victor screamed so loudly that it could be heard outside the spacecraft. He jumped up, but his head hit the ceiling, his face fell to the ground, and he fainted.

Aji rushed out from the cockpit. Barnett jumped into the crew cabin as early as possible, grabbed Vicza's legs and pulled him out. But Victor is too heavy. The captain couldn't stand on the smooth metal floor and couldn't exert his strength.

Aji didn’t even think about it, and he erected the container. Temporarily hold up against the ceiling.

Barnett and Aggie worked together to grab Victor's legs and drag them outward. Pulling it out just in time, the heavy cargo box was crushed to pieces as if it were made of cork.

The ceiling of the small room continued to press down along a longitudinal axis, which was very well lubricated, and silently squeezed the crushed cargo box into a six-inch-thick board. The control mechanism made a soft click. The ceiling silently fell back to its original position.

Victor sat up and rubbed his head, "Captain," he said sadly, "let's go back to our own ship."

Aggie also felt sorry for this adventure. Having doubts, he looked at the fatal little room. Now it's back to its original state. It looked like a small closet, and crushed red nut shells were scattered on the floor.

"This ship is a mess." He said worriedly, "Maybe Victor is right."

"Then, what should I do with this ship? Do you want to throw it away?" Barnett asked.

Aggie moved uncomfortably and nodded. "The trouble is," he didn't dare to look at the captain's face as he spoke, "we don't know what it will do. It's too dangerous, captain."

"It's not clear that you are ready to give up. What's that?" Barnett asked sharply. "The hull alone is worth a lot of money. Have you seen its engine? There's nothing stopping it from the planet. It can't even touch the paint."

"It's a good thing, but what if it kills us? It’s not worth that much,” Aggie retorted.

Victor nodded vigorously. Barnett glared at the two men.

"Listen carefully." Barnett said. "We will never give up on this ship. It's not a broomstick. It's an alien spacecraft. The equipment inside is alien. Let's keep your hands off these things now. Don't touch anything. Until it's launched. Into the dock. Do you understand?"

Aggie wanted to talk about the closet that would turn into a hydraulic press, which in his opinion was not a good sign. But looking at Barnett's face, he decided it was best to keep his mouth shut.