Back at the spaceport, Harry Proctor was busy stripping down the engine for its long overdue service. Normally they had periods of enforced rest due to the difficulties in procuring work, but just lately there had been no problem in getting orders, just in finding the time to fulfil them. Jean had been lucky to find them at a time when they had a gap between delivering cargo to New Terra and their next contract, which was to take a cargo from New Caledonia back to Earth, they were due to start this in just two weeks from now. He was wondering whether they would get back in time to complete the contract, had he known of the latest developments he would have not bothered even thinking about it, he would have been far too worried about his friends.