He called for Dowst, then carried the instrument to the center of the cross formed by the four men. Using the instrument, he rechecked the lines from the center out. They were within a hair or two of being exactly on, and a slight error wouldn't hurt anyway. He knew he would have to correct with rocket blasts once the asteroid was in the new orbit.
"X marks the spot," he told Dowst. He put his toe on the place where the cross lines met.
Dowst took a spike from his belt and made an X in the metal ground.
"All set," Rip announced. "You four men can move now. Let's have the cutting equipment over here, Koa."
The Planeteers were all waiting for instructions now. In a few moments the equipment was ready, fuel and oxygen bottles attached.
"Who's the champion torchman?" Rip asked.
Koa replied, "Kemp is, sir."
Kemp, one of the two American privates, took the torch and waited for orders. "We need a hole six feet across and twenty feet deep," Rip told him. "Go to it."
"How about direction, sir?" Kemp asked.
"Straight down. We'll take a bearing on an overhead star when you're in a few feet."