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There was still the system run to make but snap-out was behind them. Rip gave a deep sigh and buried his head in his hands. With a throb of fear Dane unhooked his safety belt and hurried over to him. When he clutched at Shannon's shoulder the Astrogator-apprentice's head rolled limply. Was Rip down with the illness too? But the other muttered and opened his eyes. "Does your head ache?"
"But how no Eysie came on board no Salarik either, except for the cub who showed us what they thought of catnip." Rip shrugged. "How would I know how they did " he was beginning when Dane cut in: "If they didn't know about our immunity the Queen might stay in Hyper and never come out there wouldn't be anyone to set the snap-out." "Right enough.
But if the Captain collapsed the whole responsibility for the snap-out would fall directly on Shannon. An infinitesimal error would condemn them to almost hopeless wandering perhaps for ever. Dane and Ali relieved Rip of all duty but that which kept him chained in Wilcox's chair before the computers. He went over and over the data of the course the Astrogator had set.
Rip's voice hoarsened into a croak, calling out the data. Dane, though he had had basic theory, was completely lost before Shannon had finished the first set of co-ordinates. But Jellico replied, hands playing across the pilot's board. "Stand-by for snap-out " the croak went down to the engines where Ali now held Stotz's post. "Engines ready!"
The voice came back, thinned by its journey from the Queen's interior. "Ought-five-nine " That was Jellico. Dane found himself suddenly unable to watch. He shut his eyes and braced himself against the vertigo of snap-out. It came and he whirled sickeningly through unstable space. Then he was sitting in the laced Com-tech's seat looking at Rip. Runnels of sweat streaked Shannon's brown face.
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