Adventures in the Far Future & Tales of Outer Space — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

Suppose they might not know we're here?” “Well, no. If it’s a satellite, they’re probably crammed with radar and optical gear, so it isn’t very likely they’d miss us. Just because we can’t see anything happening on the outside, that doesn’t mean they aren’t busy on the inside. They could be tracking and photographing every move we make, and we’d never know it.” “Still you’d think they’d make some sort of signal, try to establish contact.” “Why? Have we?” Goodrich blinked. “By golly, that’s right,” he said. “We've been so busy watching them, we never thought of it.” He thought for a moment. “We could use the bow landing light for a blinker, | suppose. Either of you fellows know the international code for ‘identify yourselves’?” “QRA, | think,” Brown said. “Interrogatory.” Goodrich manipulated the landing light switch several times. They watched the shadowy sphere for a reply. There was none. “Maybe the landing light’s not working,” McKay said. “Turn her on for a minute, I'll swing the ship and see if we get a reflection off Bertha.” The sphere suddenly brightened in the bow screen, dimmed again as they swung past, and then brightened again as McKay centered the beam. It was closer, about seven or eight hundred yards, Goodrich guessed. He worked the switch again, spelling out “QRA?” very Slowly. There was no response. “Maybe she’s derelict,” Brown said. “You see those little circles? I’m pretty sure those are direct view ports, but | don’t see any lights behind them.” “Could be,” Goodrich said. “On the other hand, those circles could be television cameras. And maybe they just don’t want to talk to us. They may want to keep us ” CORniclooo SS CO