An alien spy, disguised as an Earth engineer, infiltrates a spaceport to steal a revolutionary spaceship equipped with a teleportation drive. The ship, named _Skyjumper_, can transport itself across vast distances in an instant, a technology that could turn the tide of war in favor of the Valdorians against Earth. The spy, Torlyn Khy, observes the ship's final preparations and plans his heist. He believes that the Earthmen are incompetent and that their society lacks the efficiency of Valdor. As night falls, he activates his invisibility device and approaches the ship, confident in his ability to evade the guards. Upon entering the ship, he encounters an engineer, Harris, who is making last-minute adjustments. A brief struggle ensues, during which Torlyn knocks Harris unconscious and locks him in the airlock. Time is of the essence, and Torlyn rushes to the control room to input the coordinates for Valdor. Despite the unexpected delay, he successfully activates the hyperkinetic generator. However, unbeknownst to him, Harris had made an adjustment to the generator that alters its function. When Torlyn presses the activator button, instead of teleporting the entire ship, he inadvertently projects the interior of the ship into space, leaving the hull behind. As the guards outside realize something is amiss, Harris explains the situation, revealing that the spy is now stranded in the vacuum of space without air. The story concludes with the grim realization that Torlyn Khy's mission has failed spectacularly, leaving him to face the consequences of his overconfidence and the unforeseen adjustments made by the engineer.
By Randall Garrett · First published 1965 · Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Thriller