"Roger."
But it was not that easy. Finally Sid got Nelly within about twenty feet, and pretty near at zero relative velocity.
"All right, Sid," I said. "Hold it there. I'll push over."
A gentle shove against the side of Telstar was all it took. I got it straight, which was all that counted. My drift was slow, and I was a good five minutes making the twenty-foot crossing. But a handhold came within reach, and I worked my way back into the cabin and climbed in without shutting the hatch.
"Don't try that again," I cautioned him. "This thing weighs ten thousand pounds, and that bird half as much. Even at a couple feet a second, you can crush me to jelly between them, even if you don't burn one or the other of us to a crisp."
"Roger," Sid said, not quite so emotionlessly. "Are we ready to move?"
"What for?" I asked him. "Until we get me some steering fuel, I'm useless."
"I thought we'd abort this mission before we were through," he sneered.
"Not so fast. You've got the same rig on your suit. All we have to do is put your fuel tanks on my suit."
"Are you nuts?" he demanded.