 Who will likely be in charge of all future decisions for Superior?
Radio messages stated simply that Superior had seceded from Earth. So then it was up to Cort: either find a way to anchor Superior, or spend the rest of his days on the smallest—and the nuttiest—planet in the galaxy! The state police converged on the former site of Superior from several directions. Communicating by radiophone across the vast pit, they confirmed that the town undoubtedly was missing. The train's schedule called for it to pass through but not stop at Superior at 11:58. A National Guard officer volunteered to take a jeep down into the pit, having found a spot that seemed navigable. The Pentagon and the Atomic Energy Commission denied that they had been conducting secret experiments. A United Airlines pilot found Superior early on the morning of November 1. The object loomed out of a cloudbank at twelve thousand feet and Studley changed course to avoid it. A few minutes later he had relayed a message from Superior, formerly of Ohio, addressed to whom it might concern: It said that Superior had seceded from Earth. One other radio message came from Superior, now airborne, on that first day. Don Cort had been dozing in what passed for the club car on the Buckeye Cannonball when the train braked to a stop. Don made his way up to the locomotive and found a bigger knot of people gathered in front of the cowcatcher. He didn't have to stand on tiptoe any more than he had to sit on the edge of his seat during the exciting part of a movie, but the situation seemed to call for it.
 Professor Garet and Mayor Civek
 Alis Garet and Don Cort  Vincent Grande and Don Cort  Professor Garet and Mayor Civek  Mayor Civek and Ed Clark