The answers to his circuit problems were seething in his brain. Tom felt so confident that he brushed aside his diagrams and calculations and began rigging a breadboard model.
“With a tetrode transistor in the oscillator, replacing a reflex klystron,” Tom thought, “I’ll bet I can step up my absorption frequency high enough to produce visible light at the wave terminal. And I can get color on this new system simply by modulating the wave-terminal frequencies.”
GALLEY SPOOK 69
By five o’clock his model was taking shape and his workbench was littered with electronic components. Next morning was Saturday, but Tom returned to the plant, set for a weekend of hard work. In midafternoon he paused for a snack.
A few minutes later Dr. Grimsey dropped into the lab. The bearded scientist looked exhausted and heavy-eyed, and his face was flushed.
“I have a problem here, Tom, on the ion-drive generator for the robots,” he said.
Tom glanced over Dr. Grimsey’s calculations and suggested a new solution.
“Say, do you feel all right?” Tom exclaimed as the elderly man leaned somewhat unsteadily against the workbench.
“Yes, quite all right. A bit tired.” Grimsey removed his spectacles. His left hand, with the large mole, passed wearily over his eyes.
“You’ve been working too hard,” Tom said. “Why not sit down and have a sandwich?”
“Thank you, but I … I don’t believe I …” Dr. Grimsey’s voice trailed off weakly.
The next instant his eyes glazed. He swayed and would have fallen if Tom had not caught him!
“Good grief!” Tom muttered. “The poor guy’s burning up with fever!” He settled the scientist onto a lab stool with his head slumped over the workbench, then phoned for the infirmary’s ambulance, which took him away.