Metafire

Jim got on the phone to Ferguson. "We've started delivering the gas. We can't listen to them now. Too close. If you get outbound traffic, tell us."

"Nothing." Ferguson was watching his screen.

Then Scooter started talking more, "This is going fine. Just a minute now. The next maneuver isn't going to be as easy. It's going to make noise. No matter what, we can't join up with those guys without making a real racket. Let's hope the gas does the trick."

The Ferguson said, "I've got a message from Metafire. It's a message to Sante Fe. It says, 'We've got an air problem.' That's all it says."

Then Scooter released the needle assembly. The valve in the needle promptly stopped the escape of air. He move the tug, in one smooth motion around his typical 360 degree running turn and lit, lightly, hatch to hatch on the side of the capsule he had earlier serviced. With some air and latching sounds, he told Steven, "Open it, now! Steven! Go! Go! Go!"

Steven pulled himself quickly to the hatch and turned its wheel. The hatch was loose and opened easily. With one hand braced, he then pushed the other hatch. It opened easily. The special fitting had worked perfectly and had fully released the other hatch. He then looked back quickly at Jack, and, with his hand on his electric stunner, shoved himself into the Metafire colony. There were no sounds.