As Stan turned to the radio it suddenly burst into life. An unfamiliar voice said, "Hello? Is there someone aboard the harvester?"

Stan sat down at the instrument panel. "Yes, there is someone here."

"I thought as much. This is Potter, captain of the Bio-Pharm ship Lancet. You are trespassing on Neo-Pharm territory. Identify yourself at once!"

"I am Dr. Stanley Myakovsky," Stan said. There are only three of us here—myself, a woman, and an android. We are all that is left of a survey expedition sent to inspect the hive on AR-32."

"I knew you were here, Doctor," Potter said. That says it all, I think."

"Maybe you don't know everything, Captain," Stan said. "Our ship was damaged during the recent storm. We require help badly."

"I understand," Potter said. "I am sending men to pick you up. Be prepared to leave the harvester. That is all for now."

Stan put down the microphone and turned to Gill. "He says he's sending help. I suppose you can guess what kind of help Potter is going to offer." Gill didn't answer. He was watching through one of the view panels as the Lancet's primaries flared briefly and the great ship dropped slowly and majestically down through the sky in a shining glitter of landing jets. The big ship settled effortlessly on AR-32's plain. Soon after the landing, there was a sparkle of bright lines along the ground, and then something almost transparent that looked like the ghost of a wall erected itself around the Lancet.

"I see you have your force field up," Stan said. "A wise precaution, I can assure you."

"We're able to throw some protection around your ship, too," Potter said. "My men are coming now."

A bay door in the Lancets side cracked open, then let down to the ground, forming a landing ramp. Stan watched a dozen men come running down the ramp. Carrying bulky weapons, they were masked and shielded, and wearing full space armor.

"You waste no time, do you, Captain?" Stan said.

"You're damned right," Potter said. "The sooner I get you people out of the harvester the better."

"One way or another," Stan said mildly.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," Stan muttered. "But it looks to me like your men are running into a little difficulty."