The big man spoke of that unimaginable distance almost casually. "Somewhere in the Andromeda Galaxy - our nearest neighbor, you know, among the spiral nebulas.
She has been exploring likely planets for our new colonial project there, you see, and she'll be waiting for us at the site she has picked for our first installation."
"Andromeda!" Forester shivered and smiled again, at another vanishing phantom of awe.
"That's a long way for colonists to go."
"But the distance is no barrier to us," White objected heartily.
"The only difficulty is that the humanoid units can't operate there - rhodomagnetic beams can't reach successfully so far.
We first settlers will have to exist without any humanoid service."
"No great hardship." Forester frowned at a momentary sense of wildly illogical delight, which turned unreal as he tried to examine it. Impulsively he said,
"I think I'd like to stay there."
"You're going to," White assured him.
"That's why we had Ironsmith leave you under the grid so long - to receive special training for your job out there."
Forester caught his breath, waiting.
"Our first installation, on the site Jane has picked, is going to be a new rhodomagnetic grid," the big man explained.
"The beginning of a separate humanoid service for the Andromedan pioneers.
The first relay sections will have to be assembled and tested without mechanical aid, of course, and you've been chosen to do that delicate bit of rhodomagnetic engineering."
Forester wondered why his body tried to stiffen, and why he almost shook his head.
He could recall a time when he had disliked the humanoids and even mistrusted Frank Ironsmith, but now, even though his recollection of past events seemed clear enough, all the misguided emotions which must have driven him to his unfortunate past actions were fading from awareness, even as he fumbled vaguely for them, like the irrelevant stuff of some unlikely dream.
Once, a preposterous notion tried to haunt him, he would have been reluctant to help import the humanoids to serve the virgin planets of another island universe.
His leanly youthful shoulders tossed that unwelcome thought lightly away, however, and his smooth face erased the fleeting trouble of his frown. For why shouldn't the wise benevolence of the Prime Directive be extended as far as men could go?
How could the colonists care for themselves, without mechanicals?
Some gifted few, of course, might be able to provide for all their needs with telurgy - but what of all the rest?
"Ready?" The former foe of the machines nodded restlessly toward the waiting cruiser.
"Jane will be waiting."
Forester hesitated, glancing back at the motionless humanoid in the room behind, poised alertly to serve and obey.
He knew it would be useless to him on those distant worlds until the new palladium relays were working, but at least he wanted it with him until the time to go.
"Come along," he commanded.
Obediently it came, and he turned with a bright expectation on his face to go aboard with White.