It was just space luck that Terra was on the other side of the sun from the asteroid’s present position. By the time they approached, it would be in a good place, just far enough from the line to the sun to avoid changing course. Of course Rip’s planned orbit was not aiming the asteroid at earth, but at where earth would be at the end of the trip. "That means more than three weeks of radiation, then," Corporal Santos observed. "Can we take it, sir?" Rip shrugged, but the gesture couldn’t be seen inside his space suit. "At the rate we’re getting radiation now, plus what I estimate we’ll get from the nuclear explosions, we’ll get the maximum safety limit in just three weeks. That leaves us no margin, even if we risk getting radiation sickness. So we have to get shielding pretty soon. If we do, we can last the trip." Private Dominico saluted, clumsy in his space suit. "Sir, I ask permission to speak." Rip hid a smile at the little Italian’s formal manner. In space, formality was forgotten. "What is it, Dominico?" "Sir, I think we not worry so much about this radiation, eh? You will think of some ways to take care of it, sir. What I want to ask, sir, is when do we let go the bombs? Radiation I do not know much about, but I can set those bombs like you want them." Rip was touched by the Italian Planeteer’s faith in his ability to solve the radiation problem. That was why being an officer in the Special Order Squadrons was so challenging. The men knew the kind of training their officers had and they expected them to come up with technical solutions as the situation required. "You’ll have a chance to set the bombs in just a short while," he said crisply. "Let’s get busy. Koa, load all bombs but one ten KT on the landing boat. Stake the rest of the equipment down. While you’re doing that, I’ll find the spots where we plant the charges. I’ll need two men now and more later." He went back to his instrument, putting the radiation problem out of his mind—a rather hard thing to do with the colorimeter glowing pink next to his shoulder. Koa detailed men to load the nuclear bombs into the landing craft, left Pederson to supervise, and then brought Santos with him to help Rip. "The bombs are being put on the boat, sir," Koa reported. "Fine. There isn’t too much chance of the blasts setting them off, but we’ll take no chances at all. Koa, I’m going to shoot a line straight out toward Alpha Centauri. You walk that way and turn on your belt light. I’ll tell you which way to move." He adjusted his sighting rings while the sergeant-major glided away. Moving around on a no-weight world was more like skating than walking. A regular walk would have lifted Koa into space with every step. Of course the asteroid had some gravity, but it was so slight that it didn’t count.