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It would have taken all spacemen present about ten days to complete the job by regular methods, but the electronic computer produced the answer in three minutes. "Thanks a million, Chief," Rip said. "I’ll be calling on you again before this is over." He tucked the sheets into his pocket. "Any time, Lieutenant. We’ll keep rechecking the figures as we go along.
The whole community of starworlds is already aware of the illegal resuscitation of one of the pioneer spacemen, and of course there is great interest." He paused. "You, yourself, have done nothing unlawful. You cannot very well be sent back to sleep, and undoubtedly the council will want to hear you. I am curious as to what you will say." "About Sako?" said Kieran. "About them?"
Now, with the lake polluted by industry and with the gradual influx of shiftless spacemen, the Cosmos had been given over to the most basic, simple need of its new patrons rocket juice! The large room that Loring entered still retained some of the features of its more genteel beginnings, but the huge blaring teleceiver screen was filled with the pouting face of a popular singer.
Commander O'Brine stepped through, his square jaw outthrust and his face flushed with anger. He bellowed, "Where's Foster?" His voice was so loud that Rip heard him even through the bubble. He stepped out of the boat and faced the irate commander. O'Brine ordered, "Get him out of that suit." Two spacemen jumped forward. One twisted Rip's bubble free and lifted it off.
Gloomily the four young spacemen turned away from the ramp and headed for the control tower to hear the latest reports from the ships already underway. There were only a few more ships scheduled to blast off, and the cadets had already inspected them. "Wait a minute," said Tom, stopping suddenly. "The fuel tanks are on the portside of the ship, and the feeders are on the starboard.
"Just one more word, Manning," growled Astro, "and I'll take a deep breath and blow you away!" "One more word out of either of you," roared Connel, "and I'll throw you both in the brig with Mason and Loring!" Suddenly he glared at the five spacemen. "Who's on prisoner watch today?" he asked. The four cadets and Mr. Shinny looked at each other then at Roger. "Uhhh I am, sir," Roger confessed.
How much time until zero blast-off on the satellite?" Tom glanced at the clock. "Less than two minutes, sir!" "All right," said Connel over the intercom, "everybody to the control deck if you want to see Junior do his stuff!" In a moment the six spacemen were gathered around the magnascope waiting for the final act of their great effort.
Now, put out a cable from your nose tube. I'll take ye in tow first." He cut the communicator off and met Rip's grin. The two spacemen had figured out the one way to repay the Connie for his attempts on the asteroid. They couldn't fire on him, but they could fake an accident that would cripple him and cost Consops millions of dollars in salvage fees. Nor would Consops refuse to pay.
The Connie suspected a trick, and he had no idea of what it might be. Rip looked him over with interest. This was the man who had been willing to burn his own spacemen back at the asteroid belt. Galliene saw Rip’s black uniform and hurried to shake his hand. "So this is the young lieutenant who is responsible! Lieutenant, today the spacemen honor the Planeteers because of you.
Connies and Feds, mostly Planeteers but sometimes spacemen, were constantly skirmishing. They fought over property, over control of ports on distant planets and moons, and over space salvage. Often there was bloodshed. Sometimes there were pitched battles between groups of platoon size. But at that point, the struggle ended.
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