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those that are holding us back today. Once again they stressed that gravity must be overcome as a first principle on the way to space travel. At this point, aman who appeared to be about my age entered from a door in the left corner of the room, smiling in a friendly way. Although | had noticed a ladder in that corner which | presumed must lead to an upper deck of the ship, | had a ee ee 2 tet seen no door until be entered through it. Upon his appearance the two girls excused themselves and left through the doorway leading into the control room. Shortly, Ilmuth, the Martian, returned. She had changed from her lovely gown to a pilot?s suit of the same style as that worn by the men. The color was light tan with bands of darker brown at top and bottom of the waist belt. | was delighted when she asked if | would like to accompany her to the pilot?s compartment. Firkon joined us and as we three climbed the ladder to the next deck, | noticed Orthon leave through the control room where we had first entered after landing on the mother ship. The elder man and Ramu, the Saturnian, remained in the lounge. As we walked along the upper deck corridor, Firkon said, ?Each of these large ships carries many pilots, who work in shifts of four, two men and two women. Kalna and Ilmuth are pilots on this Venusian ship.? The corridor, like all parts of the craft | had seen, was pleasantly lighted from some invisible source, and led upward and forward into a small room at the end afabe eee of the large ship. As we entered this room, a young man who was bent over a chart of some sort looked up, nodded and smiled, but no introductions were made. | presumed he must be Ilmuth?s pilot companion. ?This seems a good moment,? said Firkon, ?to explain a little more about this ship. It is a carrier for twelve Scouts such as the one in which we arrived. Actually, the interior is not nearly as large as one would guess from its outward size. This is due to much of our mechanical devices being installed between walls.? ?This particular ship,? Ilmuth added, ?has four walls or skins. Some have more and some less, depending on their size and the purpose for which they are built.? As | looked at the number of strange instruments within this room, | was curious to know what ?mechanical devices? lay between the walls. Firkon said, ?1 will explain as fully as possible in the few moments available. The entire section of the ship through which we first entered is given over to storage space for the Scouts, except for a large machine shop in which any necessary repairs can be made. In spite of the great skill and care that go into the original construction, parts do break and materials do wear. Much is required of any craft that travels space. MY FIRST LOOK AT OUTER SPACE