“Breathing the same air,” says Hall. “One’s blood’s too alkaline, the other, too – – acid.”
Both the baby and Jackson are drinking on the monitor.
“Yes,” says Hall. “Yes!” He reaches over to the console and presses a few buttons. “Dutton – I’m turning off the oxygen. Breathe fast and hard.”
Dutton springs up on the monitor. “No!” says Dutton. “Jeremy, don’t let – – “
Hall cuts the intercom, stretches for a button. Stone reaches out. Hall grabs Stone’s arm.
“No!” says Stone. “The air in that room – – “
“Air doesn’t matter!” says Hall. “Blood does. That’s the answer.”
Stone hesitates, then releases Hall’s hand.
Dutton is muted, but shouting on the TV monitor.
“I need thirty seconds to run a growth program,” says Hall.
“He could die in thirty seconds,” says Stone. “Besides, Leavitt checked all the growth programs.”
Hall is typing on the computer.
“She might’ve missed something,” says Hall. “Epileptics blank out. I want to see how the growth of Andromeda is affected by blood chemistry. The pH — Damn!” Hall makes a typo.
On the computer display:
ERROR MADE ON INPUT
ERASE ERASE ERASE
REPROGRAM ADP
“You do it,” says Hall to Stone. Stone slides in front of the computer terminal. He starts typing in the computer instructions.