Varon took a small metal tool from his pocket. He pointed the
instrument at the edge of the grille and pressed a button. There was a
humming noise. Varon pointed the tool at the grille and moved his
arm round slowly in a circle. After a few seconds, he reached up and
carefully lifted the grille away from the air vent.
He took the box with the crystal in it from his pocket and placed it
carefully inside the vent. He put the grille back in place. He used the
instrument again. In a few seconds, the grille was firmly fixed back to
the wall.
There was no door in the room. But this did not trouble Varon. He
pointed the metal tool at the wall between the visual display screen
and the bunk. He pressed the button. Nothing happened. Then he
turned round and pointed at the other wall. He pressed the button
again and this time there was a soft sliding noise. Part of the wall slid
to one side. Varon had opened the door.
The corridor outside the room was long and dark, but there was a
light at one end. Very quietly, Varon moved down the corridor towards
the light. The light was coming from an open door. Varon stopped at
the side of the door and carefully looked inside. It was the control
room of the spaceship.
There was someone standing inside, near the open door. Quickly,
Varon moved back and stood against the metal wall of the corridor.
A woman's voice said. 'It was a mistake to bring him up here to the
ship.'
'Mistakes are made by humans. I do not make mistakes,' said a
quiet voice. Varon knew the voice immediately. It was Omega's voice.
'You have made a mistake,' the woman repeated angrily. She said
6
each word sharply and coldly.
Varon very slowly moved back towards the open door. He looked
carefully into the control room. He saw Omega standing in front of the
controls of the spaceship. The woman was standing looking at Omega
angrily. She was young, about twenty-five, and she had long, bright
red hair.
'You must send this man back to Zeron immediately,' said the
woman.
'I cannot do harm to a human being,' Omega replied quietly. 'If I
send the man back to Zeron, he will be killed by the guards. I cannot
send him back.'
Varon smiled. He did not want to go back to Zeron. 'But you must
obey my orders,' said the woman. 'That is correct,' said Omega.
'Then I order you to send this man back to Zeron.'
Omega stood quietly at the controls of the spaceship. He did not
do anything.
'Obey my order immediately!' shouted the woman. 'Teleport this
man back to Zeron.'
'I do not understand your order,' said Omega quietly.
'It is a simple order,' said the woman angrily. 'Send him back to
Zeron.'
The woman now turned towards the robot. Varon could see she
was very angry. Her eyes were bright and hard. She had raised her
arms and her hands were tightly closed.
'Your order is not simple. It does not make sense. I cannot obey it.'
Omega's voice was quiet and soft.
'Why not?'
7
'Varon is a human being. That is correct?' said Omega.
The woman agreed.
'I cannot harm a human being. If I send him back to Zeron, he will
die. Therefore I cannot send him back. I cannot obey your order.'
'Good,' thought Varon to himself. He did not want to go back to
Zeron to die. But he did want to go back to Earth. And this spaceship
could take him there. He had to find a way to get control of the
spaceship. Varon started to move back away from the open door.
'Stay where you are,' said a man's voice behind him. 'Do not move.'
Varon felt cold metal touch the back of his neck. He knew that the
man was pointing a laser gun at his head. He stood very still.