"I have a vacancy now for the position of communications technician," he said, almost politely.

The communications technicians up there in orbit kept trying to get some answer out of Fuchs, but he refused to speak to them.

The distant communications technician said something to someone at her end, moved out of view of the pickup.

Two orderlies and a communications technician were still on duty.

Shepherd stood and motioned for the energetic communications technician to lead the way.

Suddenly one of the communications technicians jumped up from her station.

"Put me in contact with them," Cliff said, looking over at the communications technician.

"Get me some reports," Gerard said sharply to the communications technician.

It took two tries before the phone's little screen on the desk lit up and showed the face of a communications technician.

"Captain," the communications technician said, turning from his board, "the Enterprise is coming up on our port side."