"About 5,000 ships," answered an operator at the positronic console.

The ship wasn't answering to emergency rudder and engine settings.

"A better ship than the ones that were chasing me," she answered.

No sooner had he given the order, he got a reply that the ship wouldn't answer to the helm.

And they were stuck down here, and the ship hadn't answered their last call.

"I think so," the ship answered after a bit.

The ship will see to your needs and answer any questions you might have.

And then Drake realized that the ship had answered.

Other ships, as sad as she, answered her outside on the river.

"They give no indication of any such technology," answered the ship, "and it is incompatible with known physics."