---

---

General Finogenov notified Major Winship that the underground blast was scheduled for the following morning.

Major Winship, after receiving the message, discussed precautions with the three other Americans.

Next morning, before the sunlight exploded, the four of them donned their space suits and went and sat outside the dome, waiting. The sun rose with its bright, silent clap of radiance. Black pools of shadows lay in harsh contrast, their edges drawn with geometric precision.

Major Winship attempted unsuccessfully to communicate with Base Gagarin. "Will you please request the general to keep us informed on the progress of the countdown?"

"Is Pinov," came the reply. "Help?"

"Nyet," said Major Winship, exhausting his Russian. "Count down. Progress. When—boom?"

"Is Pinov," came the reply.

"Boom! Boom!" said Major Winship in exasperation.

"Boom!" said Pinov happily.

"When?"

"Boom—boom!" said Pinov.

"Oh, nuts." Major Winship cut out the circuit. "They've got Pinov on emergency watch this morning," he explained to the other Americans. "The one that doesn't speak English."

"He's done it deliberately," said Capt. Wilkins, the eldest of the four Americans. "How are we going to know when it's over?"

No one bothered to respond. They sat for a while in silence while the shadows evaporated. One by one they clicked on their cooling systems.

Ultimately, Lt. Chandler said, "This is a little ridiculous. I'm going to switch over to their channel. Rap if you want me." He sat transfixed for several minutes. "Ah, it's all Russian. Jabbering away. I can't tell a thing that's going on."

In the airless void of the moon, the blast itself would be silent. A moth's wing of dust would, perhaps, rise and settle beyond the horizon: no more.

"Static?"

"Nope."

"We'll get static on these things."

A small infinity seemed to pass very slowly.

Major Winship shifted restlessly. "My reefer's gone on the fritz." Perspiration was trickling down his face.

"Let's all go in," said the fourth American, Capt. Lawler. "It's probably over by now."

"I'll try again," Major Winship said and switched to the emergency channel. "Base Gagarin? Base Gagarin?"

"Is Pinov. Help?"

"Nyet."

"Pinov's still there," Major Winship said.

"Tell him, 'Help'," said Capt. Wilkins, "so he'll get somebody we can talk to."

"I'll see them all in hell, first," Major Winship said.

Five minutes later, the perspiration was rivers across his face. "This is it," he said. "I'm going in."

"Let's all—"

"No. I've got to cool off."

"Hell, Charlie, I feel stupid sitting out here," Capt. Lawler said. "The shot probably went off an hour ago."

"The static level hasn't gone up much, if at all."

"Maybe," Lt. Chandler said, "it's buried too deep."

"Maybe so," Major Winship said. "But we can't have the dome fall down around all our ears." He stood. "Whew! You guys stay put."

---

He crossed with the floating moon-motion to the airlock and entered, closing the door behind him. The darkness slowly filled with air, and the temperature inside the suit declined steadily. At the proper moment of pressure, the inner lock slid open and Major Winship stepped into the illuminated central area. His foot was lifted for the second step when the floor beneath him rose and fell gently, pitching him forward, off balance. He stumbled against the table and ended up seated beside the radio equipment. The ground moved again.

"Charlie! Charlie!"

"I'm okay," Major Winship answered. "Okay! Okay!"

"It's—"

There was additional surface movement. The movement ceased.

"Hey, Les, how's it look?" Capt. Wilkins asked.

"Okay from this side. Charlie, you still okay?"

"Okay," Major Winship said. "We told them this might happen," he added bitterly.

There was a wait during which everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

"I guess it's over," said Major Winship, getting to his feet. "Wait a bit more, there may be an after-shock." He switched once again to the emergency channel.

"Is Pinov," came the supremely relaxed voice. "Help?"

Major Winship whinnied in disgust. "Nyet!" he snarled. To the other Americans: "Our comrades seem unconcerned."

"Tough."

They began to get the static for the first time. It crackled and snapped in their speakers. They made sounds of disapproval at each other. For a minute or two, static blanked out the communications completely. It then abated to something in excess of normal.

"Well," Lt. Chandler commented, "even though we didn't build this thing to withstand a moonquake, it seems to have stood up all right."

"I guess I was just—" Major Winship began. "Oh, hell! We're losing pressure. Where's the markers?"

"By the lug cabinet."

"Got 'em," Major Winship said a moment later.

He peeled back a marker and let it fall. Air currents whisked it away and plastered it against a riveted seam of the dome. It pulsed as though it were breathing and then it ruptured.

Major Winship moved quickly to cut out the emergency air supply which had cut in automatically with the pressure drop. "You guys wait. It's on your right side, midway up. I'll try to sheet it."

He moved for the plastic sheeting.

"We've lost about three feet of calk out here," Capt. Lawler said. "I can see more ripping loose. You're losing pressure fast at this rate."

Major Winship pressed the sheeting over the leak. "How's that?"

"Not yet."

"I don't think I've got enough pressure left to hold it, now. It's sprung a little, and I can't get it to conform over the rivet heads."

There was a splatter of static.

"Damn!" Major Winship said, "they should have made these things more flexible."

"Still coming out."

"Best I can do." Major Winship stepped back. The sheet began slowly to slide downward, then it fell away completely and lay limply on the floor.

"Come on in," he said dryly.

---

With the four of them inside, it was somewhat cramped. Most of the five hundred square feet was filled with equipment. Electrical cables trailed loosely along the walls and were festooned from the ceiling, radiating from the connections to the outside solar cells. The living space was more restricted than in a submarine, with the bunks jutting out from the walls about six feet from the floor.

Lt. Chandler mounted one of the bunks to give them more room. "Well," he said wryly, "it doesn't smell as bad now."

"Oops," said Major Winship. "Just a second. They're coming in." He switched over to the emergency channel. It was General Finogenov.

"Major Winship! Hello! Hello, hello, hello. You A Okay?"