Kemp cut a plug, fitted it into the hole, and welded the seams closed.
The tube was sealed. When electric current fired the rocket head, the
thorium carrying the plutonium wedge would be driven forward to meet the
wedge in the back. And, unless Rip had miscalculated the mass of the two
pieces, they would have their nuclear blast. Rip surveyed the crystal
with some anxiety. It looked right.
Dominico already had rigged the timer from the atomic bomb. He connected
the wires. "Do I set it, sir?"
"Load the communicator, the extra bomb parts, the rocket launcher and
rockets, the cutting equipment, my instruments, and the tubes of fuel,"
Rip ordered. "Leave everything else in the cave."
The Planeteers ran to obey. Rip waited until the landing boat was nearly
loaded, then told Dominico to set the timer for five minutes. He wondered
how they would explode the second charge, since they had only the one
timer left, then forgot about it. Time enough to worry when faced with
the problem.
"I'll take the snapper-boat," he stated. "Santos in the gunner's seat.
Koa in charge in the landing boat. Dowst pilot. Let's show an exhaust."
He fitted himself into the tight pilot seat of the snapper-boat while
Santos climbed in behind.
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