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Then, as Rip was enjoying the comfort of air during his off-watch hour in the boat compartment, Koa beat an alarm on the door. Rip and the Planeteers got into suits and opened up. "It's Terra base calling on the communicator, sir," Koa reported. "Urgent message, they said, and they want to talk to you personally." Rip hurried to the cave. The communicator indicator light was glowing bright red.
The Planeteers were already aboard, except for Koa, who stood by to cast off the remaining tie line. Rip stepped inside and counted the men. All present. He ordered, "Cast off." As Koa did so and stepped aboard, Rip added, "Pilot, take off. Straight up." The landing boat rose from the asteroid. Rip counted the men again, just to be sure.
He also found that Koa was one of the seventeen pure-blooded Hawaiians left. During the three hours that acceleration kept them from moving around the ship, Rip got a new view of space and of service with the SOS it was the view of a Planeteer who had spent years around the Solar System. "I'm glad they assigned you to me," Rip told Koa frankly.
When I'm clear I'll yell, and you pump the dynamo. Dominico and Kemp stay with Koa. Make sure no one is in the way of the blast." Koa unreeled the wire, moving away from Rip. The lieutenant pushed the igniter into one end of the fuel tube and crimped it tightly with his gloved hand. Koa and the others were as far away as they could get now, the wire stretching between them and Rip.
He picked up the torch and got busy. Rip smiled. The Planeteer was right. He should have thought of it himself, but it was good to see increasing proof that his men were smart as well as tough and disciplined. "Bring up all supplies," he told Koa. "Move the boat over here, too. We won't be able to bury that, but we want it close by." He had an idea for their boat.
"The freighter that found the asteroid landed at Marsport, didn't it?" Koa asked. Getting a nod from Rip, he went on, "Then I know what probably happened. The two things spacemen can't do are breathe high vack and keep their mouths shut. Some of the crew blabbed about the asteroid, probably at the Space Club. That's where they hang out. The Connies hang out there, too.
He said nothing. Rip knew that no more could be done for the Italian at present. "Go back to the cave, Dominico," he ordered. "I can stay with you, sir." "No, Dominico. Thanks for the offer, but we'll get along. Go back to the cave." "Yes, sir." Rip was a little worried. He had heard nothing from Koa since that first exchange. He told Dowst as much. But Koa himself heard and answered.
"We'll get underground as far away from the bomb as we can," Rip said. He surveyed the dark side, which was rapidly growing less dark. "I think the second crater will do. Kemp can square it off on the side toward the blast to give us a vertical wall to hide behind." Koa looked doubtful. "Plenty of radiation left in those holes, sir." Rip grinned mirthlessly.
If you hadn't thought of stalling the cruiser, and if you hadn't stayed behind to give us time, we'd have some casualties, and so would the Connies we captured." "There wasn't anything else I could do," Rip replied. "Come on, Koa. Let's see what the cruiser is doing." They stepped outside. The metal was already cold again. Things didn't stay hot in the vacuum of space.
The Planeteer was right. He should have thought of it himself, but it was good to see increasing proof that his men were smart as well as tough and disciplined. "Bring up all supplies," he told Koa. "Move the boat over here, too. We won’t be able to bury that, but we want it close by." He had an idea for the landing boat. It could maneuver infinitely faster than the big cruiser.
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