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This was the talk of old space hands, who had given the high vacuum of empty space a personality, calling it "high vack," or "Old Man Nothing." With understandable fatalism, they believed or said they believed that when high vacuum really wanted you, there was nothing you could do. Rip had come across an interesting bit of word knowledge.
Vack worms were a spaceman’s equivalent of "the blues." "Not exactly, sir. I happened to overhear the doctor talking today. You’re due for a leave in a week." "That’s good news!" Rip exclaimed. "You’re not unhappy about it, are you?" Koa shrugged. "We were all hoping we’d be together on our next assignment. The gang liked serving under you.
"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.
"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.
The Irishman thrust out his hand. "Stay out of high vack, Foster. Too bad you didn't join us instead of the Planeteers. I might have made a decent officer out of you." Rip grinned. "That's a real compliment, sir. I might return it by saying that you have the makings of a Planeteer officer yourself." O'Brine chuckled. "All right. Let's declare a truce, Planeteer. We'll meet again.
Barris spoke as though to himself, but Rip turned red as his hair. "Funny how fast a man ages in space," the Planeteer major remarked. "Take Foster. A few weeks ago he was just a cadet, a raw recruit who had never met high vack. Now he's talking like the grandfather of all space. I don't know how the Special Order Squadrons ever got along before he became an officer."
The communicator paused, then continued. "One thing more, Foster. The Connies know how badly we want that asteroid, but they also know we don’t want it enough to start a war. Got that?" "Got it," Rip stated wryly. "I got it good. Thanks for the warning, Terra base. Foster off." "Terra base off. Stay out of high vack." Fine advice, if it could be taken.
"Show an exhaust, Corporal. High vack is waiting!" Rip rechecked his space suit before putting on his helmet. The air seal was intact and his heating and ventilating units worked. He slapped his knee pouches to make sure the space knife was handy to his left hand and the pistol to his right. Koa was already fully dressed. He handed Rip the shoulder case that contained the plotting board.
Also, one of the Connies got badly cut, another had some broken bones, and a third one bled into high vack when Koa cracked his bubble." The doctor answered Rip's question. "Your men are all right. We put the one with the cracked bubble into high compression for a while, just to relieve his pain a little. The other one didn't bleed much. He's back in the squad room right now.
"Show an exhaust, Corporal. High vack is waiting!" Rip's Planet Rip rechecked his space suit before putting on his helmet. The air seal was intact, and his heating and ventilating units worked. He slapped his knee pouches to make sure the space knife was handy to his left hand, the pistol to his right. Koa was already fully dressed.
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