Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
When the spinning slowed and then stopped, the Connie probably had decided that now was the time for a final try. "Where is the communicator?" Rip asked the sergeant major. "One of the Connies has it." "Get it. I'll notify Terra base of what happened." Koa found the Connie with the communicator, tested it to be sure the prisoner hadn't sabotaged it, and brought it to Rip.
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 squadroom right now.
But it was not a bluff. He knew instinctively that the Connie commander meant it. Instantly he unplugged the radio connection from his belt and spoke urgently. "Koa, get everyone under cover in the cave. Hurry! Collect all the Connies and take them with you." Then he plugged in again. "Commander, I must have time to think this over." "You have one minute."
Rip shook hands solemnly with the grinning Scotchman. It would be a long time before Consops tried piracy again. "We'll be back at our family fight again tomorrow," MacFife said, "but today we celebrate together. Ah, lad, this is pure joy to me. I've had a score to settle with yon Connies for years. Now I've done it." He put an arm around Rip's shoulders.
Four left, and they were getting close! Santos scored a direct hit on the nose of the nearest one, but its momentum drove it within a few yards of the asteroid. Five space-suited figures erupted from it, holding hand propulsion units, tubes of rocket fuel used for hand combat in empty space. The Connies lit off their propulsion tubes and drove feet first for the asteroid.
Rip watched tensely as the boats fought to regain their course. He knew asteroid, cruiser, and boats were speeding toward the sun at close to 50 miles a second, and the drag was getting terrific. The Connies knew it too. There was an exultant yell from the Planeteers as two of the boats gave up and turned back, using full power to regain the safety of the mother ship.
"I’m not sure the Connies worry about their men, but it’s worth the try. We can capture some of them if they split up to search the asteroid. But we won’t be able to sneak up on them all." "We have an advantage," Rip reminded them. "We’ve been on the asteroid longer. We know our way around, and we’re used to space-walking.
The bubbles were equipped with lights, but they were seldom used. He outlined his plan swiftly. Both Santos and Dowst acknowledged. Koa reported in. "We’re after two more Connies near the wreck of the landing boat, sir." "Be careful. Pederson, go help Koa. Nunez, how are things at the cave?" "Nunez reporting, sir. Two Connies in sight, but they haven’t seen us yet."
One team was coming almost directly toward them. The other team was slanting away from them and would soon be out of sight behind the thorium crystals in which the cave was located. Fortunately, the Connies were going away from the cave. A Connie from the near-by team swung his beam back and forth, and it cut space over their heads. Rip saw a few low pyramids of thorium a few rods away.
A cut with a space knife let air out of the suit and created at least a partial vacuum. If it also cut flesh, the vacuum let the blood pressure force out blood and tissue to turn a minor wound into an ugly one. They would have to bring this spaceflap with the Connies to a quick end, Rip thought. He had to get his men into air, somehow, to take a look at their wounds.
Word Of The Day