Part 17 (2/2)
”Camouflaged!” said Zip.
”Whoever made this wondrous thing,” commented George, ”apparently had a reason for wanting to be hidden. Let's make sure we can still get back in. Can you open the door we just came out of?”
”No need to worry. I'm not about to close a door behind me for good until I know I can open it again.” He took the small iron plate and used it to jam the door open. From the inside, the door was transparent; from the outside, it looked like the surface of the iron asteroid. Its hinges were completely hidden. ”Now let's see what's out here.”
For the first time, the two men gazed outward. The Milky Way blazed above and to the right, its countless stars bright enough to cast slight shadows behind the two men.
”I never tire of seeing that view,” said George. ”I've missed it, just in the few days we've been inside.”
”Yes, it's inspiring,” answered Zip, but he was already in motion, walking and scanning the ground on both sides of him. George followed.
Their asteroid boots gripped the surface of the asteroid.
”What are you looking for, Zip?”
”Evidence of the pirates. I've got a plan for escaping them, but our exit point here can't be too close to their entrance.”
”We've walked a dozen miles through the asteroid from their headquarters-they can't be too close.”
”I'm sure you're right, but there may be other entrances. We found one, didn't we?”
”Even if there were other entrances, they're bound to be as invisible to the eye as the one we just came out of.”
”Right again, I'm sure, George, but I don't want to take any chances.
Our escape depends on our being unseen-at least for most of the time.
Then I want to be seen.”
”What do you mean, Zip? I- ” George suddenly stopped talking, almost as if his communicator had been turned off. Zip looked over.
”What's wrong, George?” Through his helmet, George's eyes were opened wide and his mouth was agape. ”What is it?” Zip repeated.
”We, we, we're not in the Asteroid Belt,” George stammered. ”Look, there's the Belt over there.” He raised his hand and pointed. The slow rotation of the asteroid that gave it its slight gravity had brought the Belt into view over the horizon. Motionless on the asteroid's surface, Zip and George were slowly moving into the dawn. A pale sun far away was coming into view, and a golden line of light began to grow over the 45-mile-long chunk of almost pure iron. The s.p.a.cesuits'
faceplates automatically darkened slightly. The sunlight came through a scattering of asteroids...o...b..ting at least a thousand miles away.
”He's moved the asteroid. He knows more about it than I gave him credit for,” Zip said grimly. ”My plan will still work, but the situation has changed. Now we have to hurry. Let's go back.”
Back inside the hangar, Zip called a meeting of the fourteen men and explained his plan for escape.
”Sounds good, Zip,” affirmed Mark, and Joe agreed.
”What about food and water?” asked one of the miners.
”What's left?” responded Zip. ”How many days can we go if we ration even more strictly?”
”About five until the food runs out, and there's about a gallon of water for each man left.”
”We can do it. No choice anyway. Let's get some sleep and start things rolling first thing tomorrow.”
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