Ric was fighting the controls, fighting the unbelievable pressure that threatened to black him out. He caught a glimpse of Phobos behind them, bursting apart in a blinding holocaust. Gradually, with alternate rocket thrusts, he managed to stop their wild spin. Then, dazedly, they turned to look.
The scene behind them now was like something on a slow-motion film. Almost lazily Phobos was expanding, as a ghastly bluish radiance enveloped the area. Then Ric came alert, as spinning, disintegrating fragments larger than their ship began hurling about them.
He blasted away, and minutes later they were looking back at the deadly area. Only a vast powdery haze occupied the former orbit of Phobos. Soon even this haze would disappear as the infinitesimal particles drew together. A few larger fragments were falling toward Mars now, where doubtless they would take up individual orbits about the planet.
Ric set his course, and on full rocket blast they headed for Earth. Tal was worried, as he scanned the visi-panel.
"Ric ... just before Gorak rushed out of the room ... when he touched that row of buttons...."
"Yes, I know. I'm sure that released the bombs. He already had the sights set for Luna!"
Hours later Earth came into view, became rapidly larger in their visi-panel. They could see Luna, far to the left. And a moment later, part of Earth's Fleet was seen blasting out to meet them. A voice stabbed through their radio.
"Hello, hello! Commander Graham of Patrol ship Terra speaking. We've had you in our magniview for the past ten minutes. As you carry no insignia, you will go into a drift immediately and announce yourself!"
Ric did so gladly. Then, briefly, he explained what had happened. He chuckled as the Commander's amazed voice came back to him.
"We observed the disruption of Phobos! You came from there? What about those spore-bombs?"