Then he saw side jets flare out from the projecting control tubes and knew the ship was maneuvering. Rip realized suddenly that the cruiser was going to pick up the crippled assault boat.
He hadn't expected such a humane move after his first meeting with the Connie cruiser when the commander had been willing to sacrifice his own men. This time, however, there was a difference, he saw. The commander would lose nothing by picking up the assault boat, and he would save a few men. Rip supposed that manpower meant something, even to Consops.
His propulsion tube reached brennschluss, and for a few moments he watched, checking his speed and direction. Then, before he lit off another tube, he checked his chronometer. The illuminated dial registered 2301. They had just four minutes to get to the asteroid!
He spoke swiftly. "Waste no time in lighting off, Santos. That nuclear charge goes in four minutes!"
The Filipino corporal said merely, "Yessir."
Rip pulled a tube from his belt, held it overhead, and triggered it. His flight through space speeded up but he wasn't at all sure they would make it. He turned up his helmet communicator to full power and called, "Koa, can you hear me?"
The sergeant-major's reply was faint in his helmet.[pg 201] "I hear you weakly. Do you hear me?"
"Same way," Rip replied. "Get this, Koa. Don't fail to explode that charge at twenty-three-oh-five. Can you see us?"
The reply was very slightly stronger. "I will explode the charge as ordered, Lieutenant. We can see a pair of rocket exhausts, but no boats. Is that you?"
"Yes. We're coming in on propulsion tubes."