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“What, sir?” the officer said, staring up from a screen

“A helicopter,” Ching said, “heading from sea toward land”

“It didn’t show up on the sensors,” the officer said “Are you sure you saw it through the fog?”

“Yes,” Ching said loudly, “I saw it”

He walked over to the screen and stared at the radar returns

“What’s happening?” he asked a few seconds later

The electronics officer was short and slim He looked like a jockey in a fancy unifored with bloodshot red fro at the radar

“Sir,” he said finally, “I’ interet a clear return, then it jua hide-and-seek”

“The i noted

“It grows, then diminishes to a pinprick,” the officer said “Then jumps across the screen”

Ching stared out theagain; they were drawing closer to the Oregon “They’re ja us”

“I can detect that,” the officer said

“Then what is it?” Ching asked

The officer thought for a minute “I read in a translated science journal about an experi Instead of nals, as onequipnals froths”

“So this syste said incredulously