"Hey! What's going on down there?"

Conroy swore silently. It was the other guard!

He straightened up and surreptitiously pocketed the vibro-key, remaining inside the cell with the door open. He waited for the other guard to approach.

"What happened here?" the guard said, running up with a drawn pistol.

"I didn't do anything," Conroy said. "He just keeled over like that." He shrugged innocently.

The second guard frowned and reholstered his pistol in order to bend over his fallen companion. That was just what Conroy had been waiting for. He jerked up the stun gun and fired.

And nothing happened.

The gun's charge was gone!

"Hey!" At the sound of the click, the second guard snapped his head up and went for his gun.

Conroy hurled the useless stunner straight between the bars of the cell. The butt of the gun struck the guard between the eyes, and he dropped to the floor on top of his companion.

Acting quickly, Conroy threw open the door of the cell and scooped up the ray pistols of the two guards. Then, shoving them both within the cell, he locked them in with the vibro-key. He smiled. So far, so good. He turned to run back toward the Exec's office.

There was no one there. He eased the outer door, gun in hand. Everything looked normal enough, in the outer office. Hiding the ray pistol in his tunic, he strode boldly out.

The blonde at the desk said: "Why, yes, sir. The Captain and the other main officers left here several minutes ago."

"Was anyone with them?"

"Ah—yes, there was," she said. "Lieutenant Bayliss Kent and some other junior officers."

Conroy nodded. That was as expected. "Did they say where they were going?"

"There seems to be something wrong with the atomic furnace at Number Nineteen Thrust Tube. I heard them say they were going down to check it."

"Thanks."

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