Rip grinned back. "Nunez," he called. "How are things at the cave?"
"Sir, this is Nunez. Two Connies were prowling around, but they didn't see the entrance. Then, a[pg 135] minute ago, they turned and hurried away."
Rip considered. "Koa. How many Connies have you?"
"Four, sir."
With the five he and Dowst had taken, that meant four still at large, and from Nunez's report, some Connie yelling had been going on. The four certainly knew by this time there were Federal men on the asteroid. Unless something were done quickly the four Connies would be shooting at them from the darkness. He ordered, "All Planeteers. Kill your belt lights."
The lights on the Connies they had just taken still glowed. Dowst was putting a patch on the Connie Rip had stabbed. He waited until the private had finished, then said, "Turn out the Connie lights, too."
If he could get in touch with the Connies, he could tell them they were finished. But using the snapper-boat radios was out, because the enemy cruiser would hear. The cruiser couldn't hear the helmet communicators, though, because they carried only a short distance. The cruiser was close enough so that a helmet communicator turned on full volume might barely be heard, although it was unlikely.
He couldn't stick his head in a Connie helmet, but he could talk to a Connie by direct communication and have him give instructions.
There was complete darkness with all belt lights[pg 136] out, but he groped his way to the Connie Dowst had been patching, felt for his helmet, and put his own against it. He yelled, "Do you hear me?"
"Yes." Then, "Why did you patch me?"