Dirk Nanometers regarded the neutrino with wan confusion. "And
what sector did you say you were from?" he sniffed.
     "Sector Tentween," squeaked the neutrino, "three klicks beyond the
outer rim!"
     "And there's fighting out there?"
     "All up and down the Belt! You haven't heard anything about it up
here because of the temporal shielding!"
     "Okay. Thanks. Get a gamma ray from the third compartment, and
join the others."
     Drysdale still stood at attention. "For chrissake," Dirk snapped,
"don't just stand there like a chunk of andesite! Start getting teams
together!"
     "At once, sir!" Drysdale snapped his hand to his cap, and left. Dirk
touched the contact. "Penny," he called, "get in here."
     In three tenths of a second, Penny appeared with a highball. Her
newcloned flesh prosthesis sparkled like rippling gold. "Anything else,
boss?" she cooed.
     "Not right now, thanks."
     Grinning, Penny stepped into the incinerator, and vanished in a
flash.