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"Dowst, where is the radio connection?" The pilot handed him a wire with a jack plug on the end of it. Rip plugged it into his belt. Now his voice would be heard on the Scorpius. "Calling Scorpius! Calling Scorpius! Foster reporting. We are under attack. Repeat, we are under attack. Over to you." The answer rang in his helmet. "Scorpius to Foster. Hold 'em, Planeteers. We're on our way!"
Commander O'Brine will never have time to get off a message, because he'll be dead before he knows there is danger." The logic of it sent a chill down Rip's spine. The Connie could get the Scorpius with one nuclear blast and then clean up the asteroid at leisure. The Federation would suspect, but it would be unable to prove anything, because there would be no witnesses.
Weakness and a deep desire to sleep almost overcame him, and he knew that he was finished anyway. His wound must be too deep to clot, which meant it would bleed until he bled to death. Whether he warned the Scorpius or not, his end was the same. Back in the cave, he leaned against the wall and asked tiredly, "How is Dominico?" "I am fine, sir. My wound stopped bleeding."
Rip and Koa stepped out and walked a little distance away. Santos and Pederson cast the landing boat adrift and shoved it away from the anchored boat. In a moment fire spurted from the bottom tube, spreading over the dull metal and licking at the feet of the Planeteers. Rip watched the boat rise upward to the great, sleek, dark bulk of the Scorpius.
The pain in his arm was less now, and he knew the cold was setting in. He was getting lightheaded, and, most of all, he wanted to sleep. Well, why not? He slumped a little inside the suit. He awoke with Koa shaking him violently. Rip stood upright and shook his head to clear his vision. "What is it?" "Sir, the Scorpius has returned."
Corporal Nels Pederson spoke up in a soft Stockholm accent. "Never mind, sor. Ve’ll get back at them. Ve alvays do!" While the Scorpius decelerated and started maneuvering for a landing, Rip did some rapid calculations.
What would his next step be? The snapper-boats hadn’t drawn fire, even when a drone was sent over at low speed. The next thing would be to send a piloted boat over slowly enough to take a look. Rip hoped O’Brine would hurry. There was no longer any feeling in his arm below Koa’s safety line. That meant the arm had frozen. He had to get medical attention from the Scorpius pretty soon.
Koa had half turned to shake hands. Suddenly he spun on around, banging his head against the deck. Rip felt a surge of relaxing muscles that had been braced against acceleration. At the same time, silence flooded in on them. Rip murmured "Brennschluss," and the murmur was like a trumpet blast. The Scorpius had reached velocity, and the nuclear drive had cut out.
"Stand easy," Rip told his men. "Nothing to do now but wait. The Scorpius will be back." He set an example by leaning against the thorium crystal in which the cave was located. It was a natural but rather meaningless gesture. With virtually no gravity pulling at them, they could remain standing almost indefinitely, sleeping upright. Rip closed his eyes and relaxed.
Rip saw his meaning instantly, and they raced to the side of the asteroid away from the ship. As they crossed into the dark half, Rip looked back. He couldn't see the cruiser from here. But he looked out into space, across the horizon, and knew that Koa's guess had been right. The distinctive glow of a nuclear drive cruiser was clear among the stars. The Scorpius had returned!
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