Kemp had done a good job. The star Rip had chosen as a
guide was straight overhead.
He bounced out of the hole, and, as Koa caught him, he told Kemp to go
ahead. "Dominico, here's your chance. Get tools and wire. Find a timer
and connect up the ten-kiloton bomb. Nunez, bring it here while Dominico
gets what he needs."
Kemp was burning his way into the asteroid at a good rate. Every few
moments he pushed another circle or spindle of thorium out of the hole.
Rip directed some of the men to carry them away, to the other side of the
asteroid. He didn't want chunks of thorium flying around from the blast.
The sergeant major had a sudden thought. He cut off his communicator,
motioned to Rip to do the same, then put his helmet against Rip's for
direct communication. He didn't want the others to hear what he had to
say. His voice came like a roar from the bottom of a well. "Lieutenant,
do you suppose there's any chance the blast might break up the asteroid?
Maybe split it in two?"
The same thought had occurred to Rip on the _Scorpius_. His calculations
had showed that the metal would do little more than compress, except
where it melted from the terrific heat of the bomb. That would be only
in and around the shaft.
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