"Not yet."
"I don't think I've got enough pressure left to hold it, now. It's
sprung a little, and I can't get it to conform over the rivet heads."
There was a splatter of static.
"Damn!" Major Winship said, "they should have made these things more
flexible."
"Still coming out."
"Best I can do." Major Winship stepped back. The sheet began slowly
to slide downward, then it fell away completely and lay limply on the
floor.
"Come on in," he said dryly.
* * * * *
With the four of them inside, it was somewhat cramped. Most of the
five hundred square feet was filled with equipment. Electrical cables
trailed loosely along the walls and were festooned from the ceiling,
radiating from the connections to the outside solar cells. The living
space was more restricted than in a submarine, with the bunks jutting
out from the walls about six feet from the floor.
Lt. Chandler mounted one of the bunks to give them more room. "Well,"
he said wryly, "it doesn't smell as bad now."
"Oops," said Major Winship. "Just a second. They're coming in." He
switched over to the emergency channel. It was General Finogenov.
"Major Winship! Hello! Hello, hello, hello. You A Okay?"
"This is Major Winship."
"Oh! Excellent, very good. Any damage, Major?"
"Little leak. You?"
"Came through without damage." General Finogenov paused a moment. When
no comment was forthcoming, he continued: "Perhaps we built a bit more
strongly, Major."
"You did this deliberately," Major Winship said testily.
"No, no. Oh, no, no, no, no. Major Winship, please believe me. I very
much regret this. Very much so. I am very distressed. Depressed. After
repeatedly assuring you there was no danger of a quake--and then to
have something like this happen. Oh, this is very embarrassing to me.
Is there anything at all we can do?"
"Just leave us alone, thank you," Major Winship said and cut off the
communication.
"What'd they say?" Capt. Wilkins asked.
"Larry, General Finogenov said he was very embarrassed by this."
"That's nice," Lt. Chandler said.
"I'll be damned surprised," Major Winship said, "if they got any
seismic data out of that shot.... Well, to hell with them, let's get
this leak fixed. Skip, can you get the calking compound?"
"Larry, where's the inventory?"
"Les has got it."
Lt. Chandler got down from the bunk and Capt. Wilkins mounted.
"Larry," Major Winship said, "why don't you get Earth?"
"Okay."
Capt. Wilkins got down from the bunk and Capt. Lawler ascended.
"Got the inventory sheet, Les?"
"Right here."
Squeezed in front of the massive transmitter, Capt. Wilkins had
energized the circuits. There was a puzzled look on his face. He leaned
his helmet against the speaker and then shook his head sadly. "We can't
hear anything without any air."
Major Winship looked at the microphone. "Well, I'll just report and--"
He started to pick up the microphone and reconsidered. "Yes," he said.
"That's right, isn't it."
Capt. Wilkins flicked off the transmitter. "Some days you don't mine at
all," he said.
"Les, have you found it?"
"It's around here somewhere. Supposed to be back here."
"Well, _find_ it."