You're right in position.
Stand where you are."
"Yessir."
Rip turned to Santos. "Stand here, Corporal. Take a sight at Koa to get
your bearings, then hold position."
Santos did so. Now the two lights gave Rip one of the lines he needed. He
called for two more men, and Trudeau and Nunez joined him. "Follow me,"
he directed.
Rip picked up the instrument and carried it to a point ninety degrees
from the line represented by Koa and Santos. He put the instrument down
and zeroed it on Messier 44, the Beehive star cluster in the
constellation Cancer. For the second sighting star he chose Beta Pyxis
as being closest to the line he wanted, made the slight adjustments
necessary to set the line of sight, since Pyxis wasn't exactly on it,
then directed Trudeau into position as he had Koa. Nunez took position
behind the instrument, and Rip had his cross fix.
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.
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