"I know we're going to be sent to the prison asteroid and we deserve it," said Loring.
"I'd like to say something," he began haltingly, "if I can?"
"Go ahead," said Connel.
"Well," said Loring, "it's hard to say this, but Mason and myself, well—" He paused. "I don't know what happened to us on the first trip out here, Major, but when we saw that satellite, and the copper, something just went wrong inside. One thing led to another, and before we knew it, we were in so deep we couldn't get out."
The faces around the table were stony, expressionless.
"Nobody deserves less consideration than me and Mason. And—well, you know yourself, sir, that we were pretty good spacemen at one time. You picked us for the first trip out to Tara with you."
Connel nodded.