recreation room. Apparently the weapon used
against them killed only living things and left everything else intact.
22 North had left The Voice on the ship for safety reasons. "I think
these people were deliberately attacked," he reported, "probably for
the atomic materials in their installation. For everything in that line
is gone."
23 The installation is intact, and with a little modification would
make a good colony. I would sure like to drop a couple of pods, or even
one. The Goddens have lightened their load. That gives them a tactical
advantage if they want to get nasty."
24 "It sure would help our crowding," agreed The Voice, "if we drop a
pod and let The Goddens have that while our people occupy the
installation, itself. The same population balance can be maintained.
But what if whatever attacked these people comes back?"
25 "I don't think they left," North announced. "Remember the debris
orbiting? I think our little friends, here, may have been expecting
such a visit and left a nasty little surprise in case it happened. I
think anyone we left here would be reasonably safe."
26 "I will discuss it with The Lord God," The Voice announced. The Lord
God agreed.
27 They took their time setting up the colony. Those remaining in their
ships wanted time to spread out and settle themselves before the
journey continued.
28 Six months later the Fleet again moved out. For weeks they went from
system to system still finding very little, but the matter to the
systems began to increase, and they were encouraged. Larger and larger
planetoids began to appear and more and more heavy elements.
29 "We might have the luck," North prayed, "of finding a heavy mass
planet with leap crystals. However, the only planets they found were
gaseous giants and even with improvement in living conditions things on
the ship were getting difficult.