Kit.

"Something wrong, sir?" asked Tom.

"I don't know, Tom," replied Strong, a worried frown on his face.
"Commander Walters seemed excited."

"Does it have anything to do with the race?" asked Roger.

"In a way it does," replied Strong. "I'm leaving on special assignment.
I'm not sure, but I think you three will have to monitor the race by
yourselves."

* * * * *

Major Connel sat to one side of Commander Walters' desk, a scowl on his
heavy, fleshy face. The commander paced back and forth in front of the
desk, and Captain Strong stood at the office window staring blankly down
on the dark quadrangle below. The door opened and the three officers
turned quickly to see Dr. Joan Dale enter, carrying several papers in
her hand.

"Well, Joan?" asked Walters.

"I'm afraid that the reports are true, sir," Dr. Dale said. "There are
positive signs of decreasing pressure in the artificial atmosphere
around the settlements on Titan. The pressure is dropping and yet there
is no indication that the force screen, holding back the real methane
ammonia atmosphere of Titan, is not functioning properly."