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arted appearing again。 The Big Dipper； the pole star； the other constellations。 The stars started slowly wheeling up from the imaginary eastern horizion。
There didn't seem to be anything dangerous。。。 Then it happened。 The red star Antares rose； the jewel of the southern constellation of Scorpio。 Antares's light seemed to intensify； there was the smell of ozone in the air。
Rockson's eyes widened in horror as he saw a stream of laser…red light shoot out from the star and start tracking across the round room； searing a smoking line of white…hot destruction in the empty seats it was traversing。 The star…beam kept moving； the stream of laser death was heading his way。
Just as the ray of death reached him； Rona had wrenched his seat free。 Rockson turned it on its side； placing himself under the laser beam from Antares。 Rona jumped aside just in time also。
The seat behind where Rock had just been was seared in half as if a blowtorch had been applied to it。
Mightily Rockson struggled with his bindings； smashing his awkwardly immobilized body again and again against the other bolted…down seats。 At last the sturdy metal of the chair gave way to the immense power of the Warrior from the Surface； and he shook off the pieces and together with Rona started making the rounds of the other Freefighters； managing to free most of them before the star； which had set for a brief time； rose again in the 〃southeast。〃
Again the false Antares started its randomly programmed death…ray crisscross of the seats。 Backs of chairs； seared in half； flopped to the floor smoking hot。
It got worse。 A second and a third star； blue…white Sirius and flickering Vega； also started sending out the concentrated thin beams of laser heat。 The crisscrossing beams were sure to hit one of them。 Those that had been helped free valiantly risked their own lives to unbind their panions； ignoring the personal danger。
McCaughlin and Archer didn't need any help tearing their chairs out of the floor once that strategy was broached to them。 And they straightened up and their massive thighs and rippling sinews broke their perches to fragments。 Archer even succeeded in jerking his wrists so violently that the chains holding them tore open。
〃Hit the floor； keep under the cover of the chairs； and work yourselves up the aisles to the door；〃 Rock ordered。
Rockson realized that there was a way to quickly remove the encumbering chains on their ankles and wrists。 But it was an insanely desperate way。 Still； if they were careful； and quick。。。
〃Freefighters； hold up your chains as accurately as you can figure when the beams of light sweep by。 The laser can free us as well as kill。〃
To demonstrate； Rockson observed the killing beam of Vega as it slid hissing across the third row。 He rushed over and held his chain at a precise position … he hoped … success！ The chain was so hot from transmitted heat that he winced in pain； but it was severed。 The dangling pieces were not a real problem； the important thing was he could use his hands unencumbered。
Chen tried it next； and then the others。 In a short while； with a lot of skill and luck； they had managed to unshackle themselves。
In every scene of horror there is a edic element。 Archer looked like a big rolling grizzly as he fell to the floor and lifted his legs wide to the cutting heat of a beam from Sirius。 He succeeded nicely。 The big mountain man was more dexterous … when he had to be … than he looked。
Rockson thought that they had all had succeeded in cutting their chains without casualty。 Then there was a cry of agony。 Danik had been clipped by the beam of death as he did his chains free。 〃I … I'm okay；〃 he winced。
〃Good man；〃 Rock said； and he meant it。 Danik was shaping up。 He was no longer a wimpy； fearful mole of a man。 He was one of them。 Rock told him as much； and Danik smiled in the flickering death light。 〃Thank you。〃
Chen crawled over and ministered some salve to the burned…off inch of Danik's shoulder。 And applied the Plasti…seal； Century City's bined antiseptic and healing bandage； that he had secreted。
Rockson believed that once the deadly star…beams had crossed every chair in the auditorium； the rays would cease。 And he was correct。 The stars stayed on； however； and they were able to see by their bined light。 See enough to make their way to the door they had entered by。
There was no handle； and there was no seam wide enough to even get the thin blade of Rock's balisong knife into。 But there was a code…punch panel； the kind that requires a numerical code in order to make the door open。
The punch…code control was hexagonal； made of cold steel。 In the artificial starlight Rockson's keen mutant eyes noted that there were buttons at each corner of the metal hexagon。 And one button in the middle。 He read the sign next to the device。
Open door by punching in the smaller magic number in the center and then punch in the appropriate numbers 1 through 13 on each of the points of the hexagon。 Reading across each line adds up to the larger sacred number。 CAUTION； improper numbers will result in activation of the planetarium's cremation cycle and the planetarium will be heated to a temperature of 451 degrees within ten seconds。
Rockson frowned。 〃Any ideas； gang？ Danik； you should know。 You live here。〃
Danik flustered； 〃But…but each of us has our life specialty。 We do not study Liberal Arts … we do not have the well…rounded curriculum that you free men have。 I am a waterworks engineer。 Aside from nursery school； all my education has been about engineering。 No magic numbers。 That is a historian's knowledge。 Stafford is a historian。 I've not heard of sacred numbers； not once in all my life in Eden。〃
〃Chen；〃 Rock whispered； 〃have any idea how to solve this thing。〃
〃Well； there were some things I studied about magic squares in ancient China。 The ancients were fond of mathematical puzzles。 But they are all based upon a set of sacred concepts。 The concept is the key。 Unless we know the concept behind the code； we can't chance a try。〃
〃Everyone think。 I've got to be sure of the numbers； or we will be burned alive。〃
〃I don't know much math … but I think I've got the concept；〃 said Rona。 〃I've been fascinated by dismal Eden City … no friezes； no borders； ledges； parapets； nothing in the way of adornment on any of the architecture。 And there is only one geometric shape aside from the cube。 That shape is the seven…sided polygon。 I think the smaller magic number might be seven。 I counted the steps from the dock to the shore。 Seven。 And the steps from the ground to the entrance to Government Building is twenty…one。 Try seven as the central magic number and twenty…one as the number that is the total of each line。 Punch in seven in the middle； and starting at the top corner of the septagon … that's a seven…sided polygon … try thirteen； then six then eleven； then one； then eight； then three。 Of course； the numbers around the edge could be different…they just have to add up to twenty…one。〃
〃My God； how do you know this； Rona 。 。 。〃
〃It isn't mystically arrived it。 I noticed the number of steps in the city； and the shapes of the few buildings that weren't cubical。 And I asked a gua