Before he closed the helmet, Rip had one last order
to give, along with an unexpected piece of equipment. And, when Dane saw
that, he knew just how desperate Shannon considered their situation to
be. For only on life or death terms would the Astrogator-apprentice have
used Jellico's private key, opened the forbidden arms cabinet, and
withdrawn that blaster.
"If you need it--use this--" Rip's face was very sober.
Ali arose from fastening the extra suit in place. "It's ready--"
He came back into the corridor and Dane clanked out in his place,
settling himself behind the controls. When they saw him there, the inner
hatch closed and he was alone in the bay.
With tantalizing slowness the outer wall of the spacer slid back. His
hands blundering with the metallic claws of the gloves, Dane buckled two
safety belts about him. Then the skeleton flitter moved to the left--out
into the glare of the early day, a light too bright, even through the
shielded viewplates of his helmet.
For some dangerous moments the machine creaked out and down on the landing
cranes, the warning counter on its control panel going into a mad whirl
of color as it tried to record the radiation.
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