“C’mon, Ox. Quit screwing around and put me on.”

Ox’s smooth, mellow voice came back over the wireless; I could hear the smile in it.

“Aw, James, you can trust me. You’re standing right here beside me. I’ll just go ahead and activate the disintegration array, and then you and I will go down to the mess for a beer. Over and out, good knowing ya.”

I punched the send button again.

“No, Ox. You’re gonna put me on the horn first and then after I’ve verified that I made it back in one piece you can activate the beam. Jonas just self-confirmed his password and now I’m gonna do the same.”

“Alright, alright, here ya are.”

A second passed, then I heard my own voice.

“Hey, it’s me. Everything seems ok, the pass phrase is Wassily Kandinsky. Here’s Ox.”

It was the phrase I chose before the teleporter pulled an exact copy of my molecular structure up to the ship. I told Ox it was all clear. Jonas looked nervous and fidgety but I felt fine. I wondered if I felt this way every time.

I sat down to wait for the beam.