human
It was too late for me to send any sort of a birthday present to Martha; besides, what could I get her out here? Anyway, I got the idea that what a wonderful birthday present it would be if I could get Martha a private satellite. Not one of those prefabricated ones, but a natural, real one. The more I thought about it the better the idea sounded. Then I realized that I had everything here; a million asteroids to choose from, and I could slip one of the gravity generators in the middle of it. And I could hitch the drive from the smashed tug to it, and install a sub-space energizer. Except for an atmosphere generator it would be equipped enough for a start. I could finish equipping it later. So I got an asteroid and took a sub-space energizer and a gravity generator from supply--they are expendable--and got the drive off the wrecked tug. I installed them on the rock.
gpt
We can recover those major items. Maybe it'll go easier with you, Willy. If you can show us where this rock is--
human
I can't. I sent it off yesterday.
gpt
Just how and when did you determine the rock should be sent?
human
I--I got a course tape,
gpt
Don't you know, said Goil in an all-too-quiet, ominous voice,
human
Well, said Willy warming up to the subject a little,
gpt
I rigged up a timing unit. When it left here, it was on the taped course for Earth. Then it went into sub-space. From the computations I got, I set another timer that will kick it back into normal space at the right time, and in an orbit around Earth.
human
You damned fool! You dangerous idiot! You've got just enough knowledge to be able to do something like that, but not enough sense to know it is hopeless and idiotic! I've heard enough. Now, get out of here!