The Planeteers knew what to do now, and the work went rapidly. Rip kept an eye on his chronometer. According to the message from Terra base, he had about fifteen minutes before the Consops cruiser arrived.
"We have one advantage we didn't have back in the asteroid belt," he remarked to Koa. "Back there they could have landed anywhere on the rock. Now they have to stick to the dark side. Snapper-boats could last on the sun side, but men in ordinary space suits couldn't."
"That's good," Koa agreed. "We have only one side to defend. Why don't we put the rocket launcher right in the middle of the dark side?"
"Go ahead. And have all men check their pistols and knives. We don't know what's likely to happen when that Connie flames in."
Rip walked over to the communicator and plugged his suit into the circuit. "This is the asteroid calling[pg 182] Terra base. Over."
"This is Terra base. Go ahead, Foster. How are you doing?"
"If you need anything cooked, send it to us," Rip replied. "We have heat enough to cook anything, including tungsten alloy." He explained briefly what action they had taken.
A new voice came on the communicator. "Foster, this is Colonel Stevens."
Rip responded swiftly, "Yes, sir!" Stevens was the top Planeteer, commanding officer of all the Special Order Squadrons.
"We've piped this circuit into every channel in the system," the colonel said. "Every Planeteer in the Squadrons is listening, and rooting for you. Is there anything we can do?"