Jonsek's desk screen tone sounded, and he walked back to it. "Cubemaster."
    "Cronphazz. I'm on level three, quadrant B, airlock two."
    "And...?"
    "We don't have readings from here, either. It's not a problem of the optics to Control. It's probably outside."
    Beyond the outer hull.
    "Recommendation?"
    "On-site survey."
    "Cubemaster?" Halli interjected; Cronphazz had conferenced her into the circuit.
    "Yes?"
    "Is it necessary for my people to actually—"
    "Yes. With the sensor array not functioning, I want them to see the damage with their own eyes. Their assessment is critical."
    "Yes, sir."
    "Cronphazz?"
    "Sir?"
    "Have two of your hull-walkers accompany Halli's people. No thruster packs. I want everybody tethered."
    "Yes, sir."
    "Notify me when they're ready."
    "Yes, sir."
    Jonsek terminated the circuit and turned to Sunndon and Orrina. "I'm sorry..."
    "We understand," the physician said quickly, and he and the progenetrix left the chamber.
    The cubemaster restored the door. "Centin."
    "OPERATING"
    "Give me audio and video of airlock three-B-two. Put it on the wall screen."
    The wall came to life, displaying the hull-walkers, both women, as they nonchalantly pulled on their environmental suits, adjusted the seals, and made ready for their helmets and oxygen packs. Halli's people, a man and a woman, were struggling with the bulky protective gear, not sure where to put their arms and legs.
    Cronphazz helped the novices, and after attaching air packs to all four, he began to place a helmet over the head of the female propulsion expert. "I can't," she protested.
    "It'll be fine," the fifthmaster said. "We'll talk you through it."
    "How? How will I hear you?"
    "There're two speakers in here," he said, pointing to the helmet's interior. "Your mike's right beneath the visor. Here." She looked intently at the device. "The circuit'll be open continuously, so you can talk to us any time."
    "I can't," she said, still impeding Cronphazz's attempts to slip the helmet over her head.
    "You got no choice," he said harshly. "Now put the goddamn thing on before I shove you out there without it."
    The woman finally allowed the helmet to be attached to her suit seal, and her companion proceeded to don his gear with less resistance. When all four crew members were ready, Cronphazz took a hand-held communicator from his uniform pocket.
    "Centin," the cubemaster said, "give me all communications." The central intelligence processor tied Jonsek into the radio transmissions between the fifthmaster and the four people in the environmental suits.
    "We're ready, sir," one of the hull-walkers said.
    "Remember," Cronphazz cautioned Halli's subordinates, "there's no gravity in the moat. Use your grippers."
    The two propulsion experts exchanged a look which Jonsek couldn't see behind their visors; they followed the hull-walkers into the airlock, and Cronphazz sealed them in.
    "Depressurize," one of the hull-walkers said.    More....

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