ll toward the asteroid. He said
exultantly, "We're staying out of high vack, Santos. Light off a
propulsion tube. Let's get back to the asteroid."

He pulled a tube from his belt, held it above his head, and thumbed the
striker mechanism. The tube flared, pushing downward on his hand. He held
steady and plummeted feet first toward the rock.

Santos was only a few seconds behind him. Rip saw the corporal's tube
flare and knew that everything was all right, at least for the moment,
even though the asteroid was still a long way down.

He looked upward at the Connie cruiser and saw that it was moving. Its
exhaust increased in length and deepened slightly in color as Rip watched,
his forehead creased in a frown. What was the Connie up to?

Then he saw side jets flare out from the projecting control tubes and knew
the ship was maneuvering. Rip realized suddenly that the cruiser was going
to pick up the crippled assault boat.

He hadn't expected such a humane move after his first meeting with the
Connie cruiser when the commander had been willing to sacrifice his own
men. This time, however, there was a difference, he saw. The commander
would lose nothing by picking up the assault boat, and he would save a few
men. Rip supposed that manpower meant something, even to Consops.

His propulsion tube reached brennschluss, and for a few moments he
watched, checking his speed and direction. Then, before he lit off another
tube, he checked his chronometer. The illuminated dial registered 2301.
They had just four minutes to get to the asteroid!

He spoke swiftly. "Waste no time in lighting off, Santos. That nuclear
charge goes in four minutes!"

The Filipino corporal said merely, "Yessir."

Rip pulled a tube from his belt, held it overhead, and triggered it. His
flight through space speeded up but he wasn't at all sure they would make
it. He turned up his helmet communicator to full power and called, "Koa,
can you hear me?"

The sergeant-major's reply was faint in his helmet. "I hear you weakly. Do
you hear me?"

"Same way," Rip replied. "Get this, Koa. Don't fail to explode that charge
at twenty-three-oh-five. Can you see us?"

The reply was very slightly stronger. "I will explode the charge as
ordered, Lieutenant. We can see a pair of rocket exhausts, but no boats.
Is that you?"

"Yes. We're coming in on propulsion tubes."

Koa waited for a long moment, then: "Sir, what if you're not with us by
twenty-three-oh-five?"