at, but there was no time for academic speculation on such matters. The Ganymeans had to be told about what had happened and the Shapieron could not be contacted by ordinary means while it was in flight and under main drive. The only chance was to catch it at Ganymede.
The message from The Giant #146;s Star was hastily transmitted to UNSA Operational Command Headquarters at Galveston, beamed up to an orbiting communications station and relayed out over the laser link to Jupiter Five. Hours passed while Hunt, Danchekker, Maddson, Caldwell and everyone else at Houston waited anxiously for something to come in through the open channel to Galveston. At last the screen came to life. The message on it read:
Shapieron left here seventeen minutes before your transmission came in. Last seen accelerating flat-out for deep space. All contact now broken. Sorry.
There was nothing more that anybody could do.
'At least,' Hunt said as he turned wearily from the screen toward the circle of dejected faces in Caldwell #146;s office, 'it #146;s nice to know that it will all have been worth it when they get there. At least they won #146;t have any nasty surprises waiting at the end of this voyage.' He turned back and gazed wistfully at the screen once more, then added: 'I suppose it would have been even nicer if they knew it too.'
