CHAPTER ON E<br >The Crew - (i)<br > The information banks were nearly full and had<br >already started theft retransmissions for analysis over<br >a million miles away， to be then forwarded on from<br >a Nymph-Ship to the main Nest. Even with their<br >own speed home， aided by the most convenient of<br >time-warps， all their data would have been processed<br >long before they finally docked.<br > The whole craft hummed quietly as it completed<br >its penultimate orbit. The full crew was on alert for<br >these last few hours， moving busily about their duties;<br >manning the controls， feeding the information banks，<br >recharging the power-rods， discharging waste，<br >preparing the stock for their last milking. Time enough<br >to rest， suspend animation， when the machine was<br >set on course for home.<br > Earlier visual examination of the planet below had<br >shown the extent of the devastation. Fires raged out<br >of control， seas steamed and rivers boiled， vast areas<br >of land were blackened and pitted， cities lay in ruins<br >and the amount of smoke and cloud needed the strong<br >auto-rays to pierce their density and show a clearer<br >picture on the monitors. The pollution sensors were<br ><br >