" He
looked at his chronometer, and his pulse stopped. It was 22:58! They
had just eight minutes before the sun caught them forever, atomic blast
or no!
And the Connie cruiser was still overhead, with no friendly cruisers in
sight. He looked up, white-faced. Not only was the Connie still there,
but its main air lock was sliding open to disclose a new danger.
In the opening, ready to launch, an assault boat waited. The assault
boats were something only the Connies used. They were about four times
the size of a snapper-boat, less maneuverable but more powerful. They
carried twenty men and a pair of guided missiles with atomic warheads!
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The Rocketeers
Rip ran for the snapper-boat, feet moving as rapidly as lack of gravity
would permit. He called instructions. "Santos! Turn the launcher over to
Pederson and come with me. Koa, take over. Start throwing rockets at that
boat, and don't stop until you run out of ammunition."
He reached the snapper-boat and squeezed in, Santos close behind him. As
he strapped himself into the seat he called, "Koa! Get this, and get it
straight. At twenty-three-oh-five, fire the bomb. Fire it whether I'm
back or not."
Koa replied, "Got it, sir.
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