Here, sir." The corporal had come in unnoticed with Rip's reference
books.

Rip had plotted orbits before, but never one for actual use. His palms
were wet as he laid it out, using prepared tables. When he had finished he
pointed to a spaceman. "That's it. Will you translate it into analogue
figures for the computer, please?" He assigned to others the task of
figuring out the effect Mercury, the sun, and earth would have on the
orbit, using an assumed speed for the asteroid.

To the chief analyst he gave the job of putting all the data together in
proper form for feeding to the electronic brain.

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.
If there are any corrections, we'll send them to you. That will give you a
check on your own figures."

"Don't worry," Rip assured him. "We'll have plenty of corrections."

Deceleration had been dropping steadily. It ceased altogether, leaving
them weightless. O'Brine's voice came over the speaker. "Get it! Valve
crews take stations at landing boats five and six. The Planeteers will
depart in five minutes. Lieutenant Foster will report to central control
if he cannot be ready in that time."

Santos grinned at Rip. "Here we go, Lieutenant."

Rip's heart would have dropped into his shoes if there had been any
gravity. Only a little excitement showed on his face, though. He waved his
thanks at the analysts and grinned back at Santos.

"Show an exhaust, Corporal. High vack is waiting!"

CHAPTER SIX - RIP'S PERSONAL 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 and
the pistol to his right.

Koa was already fully dressed. He handed Rip the shoulder case that
contained the plotting board. Santos had taken charge of Rip's astrogation
instruments.

A spaceman was waiting with Rip's bubble. At a nod, the spaceman slipped
it on his head. Rip reached up and gave it a quarter turn. The locking
mechanism clamped into place. He turned his belt ventilator control on
full and the space sui