Hartley stared at him. "Then it was that white stuff. Man, you've hit on something. There have been a few reports about this kind of untroubled ecstasy reaction but nobody ever spotted that powder. We're going back!"
When the asteroid was back in position again they dropped to the surface. Cramer started up but Hartley held him back in his seat. "This time I do pull rank. I'm going out myself."
Cramer shrugged. "I'm in too good a mood to offer the slightest protest."
"Your mood's why I'm going." He put on his suit and went into the rear chamber. A few minutes later he disappeared outside.
"Everything okay?" Cramer radioed.
"Sure thing. I'll be right back. This stuff flakes off like mica, easy to handle when you know the angles of the fault lines."
A few minutes later he was on board again. "You sure were fast!" Cramer exclaimed.
"Get the comp-decomp going and don't chew so much fat."
"Okay." He activated the self-compensating cycle and watched his superior through the glass. There it was again, a few specks from the specimen box. He, too, had forgotten the standard operating procedure! Then later, as Hartley took off his helmet, a swarm of them ascended like angry midges to the ceiling. In a few seconds the Captain was laughing more relaxedly than Cramer had ever seen him laugh before.
When Hartley came into the cockpit he exclaimed, "Wonderful! There's something like mica in these rocks and the powder's all over in the schists." He went to a corner and pulled some things out of an equipment cabinet but his back blocked Cramer's view. Still facing away, he headed back into the exit chamber. "Go out again," he said.