“Eh? … oh, rest. No, no, I can’t bear to lie idle in a hospital bed. That’s why I insisted on going home last night. I’m sure I’ll regain my strength faster on the job.”
Tom was doubtful, but said, “Well, that’s great. Felix and Arv are still in bad shape, so I guess you and I will have to get the probe gear ready. Let’s go take a look at those robots.”
Dr. Grimsey, who was a lone-wolf type of scientist, had been assigned to a lab of his own at the rear of the building. It was there that he had been working on the ion-propulsion mechanism which would enable the camera-carrying robots to move freely about the Orb. The robots themselves, however, were under construction in a large central workshop area.
Tom and the elderly scientist examined the parts Arv and Felix had been working on. Then Tom suggested looking at the ion-drive generator which had been troubling Dr. Grimsey before he fell ill. But Grimsey, who seemed vague and unsettled, asked that Tom wait until later.
Tom grinned apologetically. “Okay. I didn’t mean to rush things. Take it easy and let me know if you need any help on the job.”
Tom hurried to his own laboratory and resumed work on the TV camera gear.
Late in the day Hank Sterling dropped in, looking puzzled.
INVITATION TO DANGER 111
“Say, skipper, do you have the blueprints Arv made for those cybernetic controls?”
Tom frowned. “No. Can’t you find them?”
Hank shook his head. “We’ve turned the place upside down, but they’ve disappeared-just when we need them in production. Arv probably stashed them in some out-of-the-way spot.”