He started transmitting. To attract their attention, he first sent the two initial figures that the mysterious friends had used in their messages to him. Then he added his own request. There was no reply.
“I’ll try again,” he told Bud. “If we don’t raise them, we’ll have to plot our own course.”
Tom kept sending the symbols without a break for nearly a minute, but there was no response.
“Bud, give the motors another five-second burst MESSAGES FROM SPACE 189
with the kicker on full. Let’s get farther away from that magnetic field!”
The copilot complied and Tom continued to send. The maneuver completed, Bud asked:
“Any luck at all?”
“None,” Tom replied, and transmitted the formula three more times but without success.
Then, suddenly, a nicker appeared on the oscilloscope!
Tom stopped sending and watched the scope. Another flicker followed the first. Dots and dashes appeared. A symbol formed. Then came figure after figure.
The first three were the same as those Tom had translated before. Now a long string of figures was appearing.
“We have our answer!” Tom cried. “This is the escape route!”
CHAPTER 23
OMINOUS SIGNS
CLUTCHING HIS PAD, Bud copied the symbols quickly but carefully. Tom riffled through the pages as fast as he could, trying to keep up with the message while making a running oral translation.
The strange symbols stopped. With the course heading set, Tom burst into action.
“Give the kicker all she’s got, Bud!” he called.
Bud pulled the kicker lever through its full arc.
Tom waited five ticks of the panel clock. “Now cut in the steering engines,”