Adventures in the Far Future & Tales of Outer Space — page 188: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“Rubberneck, this is Thumbtack. Rubberneck, Rubberneck, Thumbtack calling. Do you hear me? Is something wrong? Rubberneck, this is Thumbtack. Give us a count, over.” Goodrich spat, wiped his mouth, and plugged in his mike. “Thumbtack Control, Rubberneck,” he said. “Do you hear me now?” “| hear you fine now. Is everything O.K.?” “O.K. now,” Goodrich said. He paused. “We were sick,” he said reluctantly. “Roger.” There was a long pause. “Did you know you were off course? We have you about twenty minutes ahead of schedule and thirty degrees off course. Also too high. We've been trying to get you for twenty minutes, since we got your first track.” “Roger, wait.” Goodrich turned to McKay. The navigator Shook his head negatively and pointed at the forward view screen. The coast of California stood clear and sharp ahead of them, but New Mexico was still only a thin line on the horizon. Goodrich nodded. “Get a fix,” he said. He clicked the mike switch. “Thumbtack, Rubberneck. There must be a mistake. We’re just coming up over the visual horizon now, on course as nearly as we can tell.” “Roger. Well, we have a good track on you, | don’t see how we could be mistaken—” the voice broke off. “Just a minute,” it said presently. “I think we’re getting another track now ... that’s it, we’ve got you O.K. now, right on course. The first track was a bogey.” There was another pause. “Mr. Welsh wants to talk to you now.” Welsh was the project engineer. For several minutes Goodrich answered his technical questions about the operation of the rocket. They were almost over the station now, the Earth Spinning westward beneath them. In their two-hour orbit, CORniclooo SS CO