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"I've got to see for myself"

"Good luck," Gunn murmured, and then he quickly turned away andfrom the moon pool

Pitt and Giordino settled into the side-by-side, aircraftstyle ar the top half of the sphere closed against the watertight O-ring and tightened the clamps

Giordino began going through the predive checklist "Power?"

"Power on," affirmed Pitt

"Raho?"

"Are we co in, Rudi?"

Loud and clear," Gunn answered

"Oxygen "Twenty-one-point-five percent"

When they finished, Giordino said, "Ready when you are, Sounder"

"You're cleared for takeoff, Deep Rover," Stewart replied in his usual ironic tone "Bring back a lobster for dinner"

Two divers stood by in full gear as the platfored around the Deep Rover and soon enveloped the sphere Pitt looked up into the shiures leaning over the balconies The entire coraphers and crew turned out for the dive, hovering around Gunn and listening to the reports from the sub Pitt felt like a fish on display in an aquarium

When they were fully subed, the divers moved in and unhitched the subave an

"Okay" sign Pitt smiled and answered with a "Thumbs up," and then pointed ahead

The handgrips on the end of the auided the manipulators, while the armrests themselves controlled the four sters Pitt took a Deep breath and controled the rover as if he were a helicopter pilot A slight pressure on his elbows and she rose off the cradle Then he pushed his arms forward and the horizontal stablizers eased her ahead