United States or Vatican City ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Such help was always given, because no commander could be sure when he might need help himself. "I agree," the Connie commander said with obvious reluctance. "You may send a boat." MacFife's Scotch burr broke in. "Federation SCN Aquila to Consolidation Sixteen. Mister, my instruments are off scale, too. I'll just send them along to ye, and ye can check them while ye're doing the Sagittarius!"
Valve Eight was some distance away. Rip decided a cross ramp would be faster than the moving track. He swung the spack to his shoulder and made his legs go. Seconds were ticking off, and he had an idea that the SCN Scorpius would make space on time, whether or not he arrived.
Such help was always given, because no commander could be sure when he might need help himself. "I agree," the Connie commander said with obvious reluctance. "You may send a boat." MacFife’s Scotch burr broke in. "Federation SCN Aquila to Consolidation Sixteen. Mister, my instruments are off scale, too. I’ll just send them along to ye and ye can check them while ye’re doing the Sagittarius!"
And so it happened that the spacemen of the SCN Scorpius turned their valves, threw their controls and disengaged their boron control rods, and the great cruiser flashed into space, while the deputy commander and the safety officer were completely tangled with a very flustered and unhappy new Planeteer lieutenant. Sergeant-major Koa and his men had made it before the valve closed.
At the same moment, the Aquila flashed above the horizon, also decelerating. The Connie was caught squarely. A suave voice spoke on the universal band. "This is Federation SCN Sagittarius, calling the Consolidation cruiser near the asteroid. Please reply." Rip waited anxiously. The Connie would hear, because every control room monitored the universal band.
The newer nuclear drive cruisers had no need to stop. Their atomic piles needed new neutron sources only once in a few years. The voice horn in the rocket cabin sounded. "The SCN Scorpius is passing Valve Two, landing at Valve Eight." "I thought that ship was with Squadron One on Mercury," Rip recalled. "Wonder why they pulled it back here?"
The newer nuclear drive cruisers had no need to stop. Their atomic piles needed new neutron sources only once every few years, and they carried thousands of tons of methane, compressed into solid form, for their reaction mass. The voice horn in the rocket cabin sounded. "The SCN Scorpius is passing Valve Two, landing at Valve Eight."
Subject officer will report to commander, SCN Scorpius, with detachment of nine men. Senior noncommissioned officer and second in command, Koa, A.P., Sergeant Major, SOS. Serial two-nine-four-one. Commander of Scorpius will transport detachment to coordinates given in basic cruiser astro-course; deliver orders to detachment en route. Take required steps for maximum security.
And at the same moment, the Aquila flashed above the horizon, also decelerating. The Connie was caught squarely. A suave voice spoke on the universal band. "This is Federation SCN Sagittarius, calling the Consolidation cruiser near the asteroid. Please reply." Rip waited anxiously. The Connie would hear, because every control room monitored the universal band.
And so it happened that the spacemen of the SCN Scorpius turned their valves, threw their controls and disengaged their boron control rods, and the great cruiser flashed into space while the deputy commander and the safety officer were completely tangled with a very flustered and unhappy new Planeteer lieutenant. Sergeant Major Koa and his men had made it before the valve closed.
Word Of The Day