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They were in no-weight. Rip grabbed for a hand cord that hung from the wall and hauled himself out into the engine control room. The deputy commander was at his post, waiting tensely for orders. Rip thrust against a bulkhead with one foot and floated to his side. "I need two landing boats, sir," he requested. "One stays on the asteroid with us." "Take numbers five and six.
You walk that way and turn on your belt light. I'll tell you which way to move." He adjusted his sighting rings while the sergeant major glided away. Moving around on a no-weight world was more like skating than walking. A regular walk would have lifted Koa into space with every step. Of course, the asteroid had some gravity, but so little that it hardly mattered.
The spaceman was jerked from his post and the two came to a stop against the ceiling. Koa’s voice echoed through the ship. "Sorry. I’m not used to no-weight. Didn’t mean to grab you. Here, I’ll help you back to your post." He whirled the helpless spaceman like a bag of feathers and slung him through the air.
You walk that way and turn on your belt light. I’ll tell you which way to move." He adjusted his sighting rings while the sergeant-major glided away. Moving around on a no-weight world was more like skating than walking. A regular walk would have lifted Koa into space with every step. Of course the asteroid had some gravity, but it was so slight that it didn’t count.
He got an emergency message that had been waiting for him. Seconds later he fought his way frantically through no-weight to the control-room again. "Jamison! Bell!" he cried desperately. "We've got a broadcast due in twenty minutes! I lost track of time! We're sponsored on four continents and we damwell have to put on a show! What the devil! Why didn't somebody "
We are going into no-weight. Prepare to stay in no-weight indefinitely. Rotation stops in two minutes." Rip realized why the order was given. The Scorpius could not maneuver while in a gravity spin, and O'Brine wanted to be free to take action if necessary. The voice horn came on again. "Now get it again. The ship may maneuver suddenly. Prepare for acceleration or deceleration without warning.
"Sir, landing boats are being launched!" "Bring out the prisoners," Rip ordered. "Line them up. Planeteers fall in behind them." The landing boats, with snapper-boats in watchful attendance, blasted down to the surface of the asteroid. Spacemen jumped out, awkward at first on the no-weight surface. An officer glided to meet Rip, and he had a pistol in his hand. "It’s all right," Rip told him.
One minute to no-weight." Rip gave quick orders. "Get lines around the equipment and prepare to haul it. I'll get landing boats assigned, and we can load. Then prepare space packs. Lay out suits and bubbles. We want to be ready to go the moment we get the word." Lines were taken from a locker and secured to the equipment. As the Planeteers worked, the ship's spinning slowed and stopped.
The landing boats, with snapper-boats in watchful attendance, blasted down to the surface of the asteroid. Spacemen jumped out, awkward at first on the no-weight surface. An officer glided to meet Rip, and he had a pistol in his hand. "It's all right," Rip told him. "The Connies are our prisoners. You won't need guns." The spaceman snapped, "You're under arrest." Rip stared incredulously.
The spaceman was jerked from his post, and the two came to a stop against the ceiling. Koa's voice echoed through the ship. "Sorry. I'm not used to no-weight. Didn't mean to grab you. Here, I'll help you back to your post." He whirled the helpless spaceman like a bag of feathers and slung him through the air.
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