Chapter Six - Rip's Personal Planet
Rip rechecked his space suit before putting on his helmet. The air seal was intact and his heating and ventilating units worked. He slapped his knee pouches to make sure the space knife was handy to his left hand and the pistol to his right.
Koa was already fully dressed. He handed Rip the shoulder case that contained the plotting board. Santos had taken charge of Rip's astrogation instruments.
A spaceman was waiting with Rip's bubble. At a nod, the spaceman slipped it on his head. Rip reached up and gave it a quarter turn. The locking mechanism clamped into place. He turned his belt ventilator control on full and the space suit puffed out. When it was fully inflated he watched the pressure gauge. It was steady. No leaks in suit or helmet. He let the pressure go down to normal.
Koa's voice buzzed in his ears. "Hear me, sir?"
Rip turned the volume of his communicator down a little and spoke in a normal voice. "I hear you. Am I clear?"
"Yessir. All men dressed and ready."
Rip made a final check. He counted his men, then[pg 075] personally inspected their suits. The boats were next. They were typical landing craft, shaped like rectangular boxes. There was no need for streamlining in the vacuum of space. They were not pressurized. Only men in space suits rode in the ungainly boxes.