Rip and MacFife hurried to the side where they were connected to the Connie. Rip looked down along the length of the ship. The valve connection was in the middle of each ship, at the point of greatest diameter. From that point each ship grew more slender.
MacFife pointed to the Connie's nose. Projecting from it like great horns were the ship's steering[pg 235] tubes. Unlike the Federation cruiser which blasted steam through internal tubes that did not project, the Connie used chemical fuel.
"Watch," MacFife said.
There were similar tubes on the Connie's stern, Rip knew. He wondered what they had to do with the plan.
MacFife walked to a wall communicator. "Follow instructions."
He turned to Rip. "Remember, lad. The Sagittarius is on the other side of the Connie, about to do the same thing."
Rip waited in silence, wondering.
Then the voice horn called, "Valve closed!"
A second voice yelled, "Blast!"
A tremor jarred its way through the entire ship, making the deck throb under Rip's feet. He saw that the ship's nose had swung away from the Connie. What in space—