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bench, while Orthon went to the control panels. These were located? against the outer wall between the two benches, directly opposite the now invisible door though which we had entered the Scout. When we were seated, a small flexible bar fell into place across our middles. This bar was either composed of, or merely covered with, a kind of soft rubberized material. Its purpose was obvious?a simple safety device to prevent falling forward or losing balance. Firkon explained, ?Sometimes, when a ship is thoroughly grounded, a sharp jerk is experienced when breaking contact with Earth. Although this does not very often happen, we are always prepared.? He smiled and added, ?The same principle exactly as the safety belts in your own planes.? It was still difficult to believe that anything so wonderful was actually happening to me. Ever since my first meeting with the Venusian, after he had gone and | was left with an unutterable sense of loss and a longing to go with him, | had hoped and dreamed that one day such a privilege might be mine. Now that it seemed certain we were preparing for a journey into space, | could scarcely contain my joy. Again and again | reminded myself that | must memorize all that | would see and learn, that | might share my experience with others, however inadequately. ?This ship,? Firkon continued, ?was built for a two-man crew, or three at the most. But in an emergency a great many more can be safely crowded into it. However, this is not often necessary. He did not explain further and | wondered if by ?emergency? he could mean a rescue mission should another Scout find itself in trouble. So impressed was | by this firsthand viewing of the amazing results of their scientific knowledge that it was almost impossible to visualize failure of any description. | had to remind myself that, after all, they too were human beings and, no matter how far advanced beyond us, must still be subject to error and vicissitude. | turned my attention to the graphs and charts that covered the walls for about three feet on either side of the door that | could not see, and which stretched from floor to ceiling. They were fascinating, entirely different from anything | had seen on Earth, and | tried to guess their purposes. There were no needles or dials, but flashes of changing colors and intensities. Some of these were like colored lines moving across the face of a particular chart. Some moved up and down, others crisscross, while still others took the forms of different geometric fee figures. The meanings and functions were not explained to me, and | doubt if | could have understood it all, but | noticed that all three of my companions were alert to the changes taking place. | received the impression that the instruments indicated, among other things, direction of travel, the approach of any other object, as well as atmospheric or space conditions. The wall for a distance of about ten feet directly behind the benches on which we sat appeared to be solid and blank, while on those beyond, opposite our point of entry, were other charts somewhat similar, yet differing in certain ways from those | have described. The pilot?s instrument board was unlike anything | could