unpacked the crates, Rip and O'Brine inspected and
the clerk checked the items off.

The first case produced a complete chemical cutting unit with an
assortment of cutting tips and adapters. Rip looked around for the gas
cylinders and saw none. "Something's wrong," he objected. "Where's the
fuel supply for the torch?"

The supply clerk inspected the lists, shuffled papers, and found the
answer.

"The following," he read, "are to be supplied from the _Scorpius_
complement. One landing boat, large, model twenty-eight. Eight each,
oxygen cutting unit gas bottles. Four each, chemical cutting unit fuel
tanks."

"That's that," Rip said, relieved. Apparently he was supposed to do a lot
of cutting on the asteroid, probably of the thorium itself. The hot flame
of the torch could melt any known substance. The torch itself could melt
in unskilled hands.

The next case yielded a set of astrogation instruments carefully cradled
in a soft, rubbery plastic. Rip left them in the case and put them to one
side. As he did so, Sergeant-major Koa let out a whistle of surprise.

"Lieutenant, look at this!"

Corporal Santos exclaimed, "Well stonker me for a stupid space squid! Do
they expect us to find any people on this asteroid?"

The object was a portable rocket launcher designed to fire light attack
rockets. It was a standard item of fighting equipment for Planeteers.

"I recognize the shape of those cases over there, now," Koa said. "Ten
racks of rockets for the launcher, one rack to a case."

Rip scratched his head. He was as puzzled as Santos. Why supply fighting
equipment for a crew on an asteroid that couldn't possibly have any living
thing on it?

He left the puzzle for the future and called for more cases. The next two
yielded projectile type handguns for ten men, with ammunition, and
standard Planeteer space knives. The space knives had hidden blades which
were driven forth violently when the operator pushed a thumb lever,
releasing the gas in a cartridge contained in the handle. The blades
snapped forth with enough force to break a bubble, or to cut through a
space suit. They were designed for the sole purpose of space hand-to-hand
combat.

The Planeteers looked at each other. What were they up against, that such
equipment was needed on a barren asteroid?

Private Dowst opened a box that contained a complete tool kit, the tools
designed to be handled by men in space suits. Yards of wire, for several
purposes, wer