NO MOVING PARTS
By MURRAY F. YACO
ILLUSTRATED by GRAYAM
We call them trouble-shooters. They called ’em Gypsies. Either way, they were hep to that whole bit about....Hansen was sitting at the control board in the singlebuilding on Communications Relay Station 43.4SC, when theemergency light flashed on for the first time in two hundredyears.
With textbook-recommended swiftness, he located the positionof the ship sending[Pg 7]the call, identified the ship and the name of its captain,and made contact.
“This is Hansen on 43.4SC. Put me through to CaptainFromer.”
“Fromer here,” said an incredible deep voice,“what the devil do you want?”
“What do I want?” asked the astonished Hansen.“It was you, sir, who sent the emergency call.”
“I did no such thing,” said Fromer with greatcertainty.
“But the light flashed—”
“How long have you been out of school?” Fromerasked.
“Almost a year, sir, but that doesn’t change thefact that—”
“That you’re imagining things and thatyou’ve been sitting on that asteroid hoping thatsomething would happen to break the monotony. Now leave methe hell alone or I’ll put you on report.”
“Now look here,” Hansen began, practicallybeside himself with frustration, “I saw that emergencylight go on. Maybe it was activated automatically whensomething went out of order on your ship.”
“I don’t allow emergencies on the EuclidQueen,” said Fromer with growing anger. “Now, ifyou don’t—”
Hansen spared himself the[Pg 8]indignity of being cut off. He broke contact himself. Hesighed, reached for a book entitled Emergency ProcedureRules, and settled back in his chair.
Fifteen minutes later the emergency light flashed on for thesecond time in two hundred years. With its red glowilluminating his freckled excited face, Hansen triumphantlyplaced another call to the Euclid Queen.
“This is Hansen on 43.4SC. Let me speak to CaptainFromer, please.”
“Er—the Captain has asked me to contact you.I’m the navigator. I was just about to call you. Wehave a small problem that—”
“I’ll speak to the Captain,” Hansenrepeated grimly.
“Now see here. I’m perfectly capable of handlingthis situation. Actually, it’s hardly even anemergency. You were, it seems, signaled automaticallywhen—”
“If you’ll check your emergencyprocedures,” Hansen said, holding his thumb in theRule Book, “you’ll note that the Relay StationAttendant contacts the Captain personally during allemergencies. Of course, if you want to violate—”
“Look, old man,” said the navigator, nowsounding on the verge of tears, “try to realize thespot I’m in. Fromer has ordered me to handle thisthing without his assistance. He seems to feel that you havea grudge of some kind—”
“If you don’t put me in touch with CaptainFromer in five minutes, I’ll put through a call toSector Headquarters.” Hansen signaled off contact. Ifhe knew nothing else about the situation, he knew that hehad the upper hand.
Five minutes later Capta