The pilotless snapper-boat made another slow run, then put on speed
and flashed back to the group of boats near the cruiser. Another boat
detached itself from the squadron and moved toward the asteroid.
Rip wished for a communicator powerful enough to reach the _Scorpius_,
but he knew it was useless to try with his helmet circuit. The carrier
waves of the snapper-boats were on the same frequency, and they would
smother the faint signal from his bubble.
But the boats might be able to hear if they got close enough! He had a
swift memory of the communications circuits. The pilots were plugged into
their boat communicators. If a boat got near enough, he could turn up his
bubble to full volume and yell. Not only would the boat pilot hear him,
but also his voice would go through the pilot's circuit and be heard in
the ship!
Rip grabbed Koa's arm. "Let's move away from the cave a little farther."
The two of them stepped away from the cave and stood in full view as the
snapper-boat moved cautiously down toward the asteroid. Rip planned what
he would say. "Commander O'Brine, this is Foster!"
No, that wouldn't do. Connies would know that Kevin O'Brine commanded the
_Scorpius_, and if they had taken over the Planeteers on the asteroid,
they would also have learned Rip's name.
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