George poised his finger over the transmitting key. “This will set forces in motion that can never be recalled. What we do here this morning is going to cause a lot of Gerns⁠—or Ragnarok people⁠—to die.”

“It will be the Gerns who die,” he said. “Send the signal.”

“Like you, I believe the same thing,” George said. “I have to believe it because that’s the way I want it to be. I hope we’re right. It’s something we’ll never know.”

He began depressing the key.

A boy was given the job of operating the key and the signal went out daily until the freezing of winter stopped the waterwheel that powered the generator.

The sending of the signals was resumed when spring came and the prospecting parties continued their vain search for metals.