“It’s the one way we could have a chance to leave here without a ship of our own,” he said. “By luring a Gern cruiser here and then taking it away from them.”

George shook his head. “A hyperspace transmitter might be built, given enough years of time. But it would be useless without power. It would take a generator of such size that we’d have to melt down every gun, knife, axe, every piece of steel and iron we have. And then we’d be five hundred pounds short. On top of that, we’d have to have at least three hundred pounds more of copper for additional wire.”

“I didn’t realize it would take such a large generator,” he said after a silence. “I was sure we could have a transmitter.”

“Get me the metal and we can,” George said. He sighed restlessly and there was almost hatred in his eyes as he looked at the enclosing walls of the cave. “You’re not the only one who would like to leave our prison. Get me eight hundred pounds of copper and iron and I’ll make the transmitter, some way.”