ut, don't burn your rockets more than
half a second at a time."

The Chief's voice came booming:

"_Right, Joe! Here I come!_"

There was a billowing of frantically writhing fumes, which darted madly
in every direction until they ceased to be. The Chief in his insect-like
contraption came bolting out of the hole which was the airlock. He was a
good half-mile away. The rocket fumes ceased. He kept on going. Joe
heard him swear. The Chief felt the utterly helpless sensation of a man
in a car when his brakes don't work. But a moment later the braking
rockets did flare briefly, yet still too long. The Chief was not only
stopped, but drifting backwards toward the Platform. He evidently tried
to turn, and he spun as dizzily as Joe had done. But after a moment he
stopped--almost. There were, then, two red-painted things in space,
somewhat like giant water-spiders floating forlornly in emptiness. They
seemed very remote from the great bright steel Platform and that
gigantic ball which was Earth, turning very slowly and filling a good
fourth of all that could be seen.

"Suppose you head toward me, Chief," said Joe absorbedly. "Aim to pass,
and remember that what you have to estimate is not where I am, but where
you have to put on the brakes to stop close by. That's where you use
your braking-rockets."

The Chief tried it. He came to a stop a quarter-mile past Joe.

"_I'm heavy-handed_," said his voice disgustedly.

"I'll try to join you," said Joe.

He did try. He stopped a little short. The two weird objects drifted
almost together. The Chief was upside down with regard to Joe. Presently
he was sidewise on.

"This takes thinking," said Joe ruefully.

A voice in his headphones, from the Platform, said:

"_That rocket from Earth is still accelerating. Still at three
gravities. It looks like it isn't defective. It might be carrying a man.
Hadn't you better come in?_"

The Chief growled: "_We won't be any safer there! I want to get the hang
of this._" Then his voice changed sharply. "_Joe! D'you get that?_"

Joe heard his own voice, very cold.

"I didn't. I do now. Brown, I'd suggest a guided missile at that rocket
coming up. If there's a man in it, he's coming up to take over guided
missiles that'll overtake him, and try to smash the Platform by direct
control, since proximity fuses don't work. I'd smash him as far away as
possible."

Brown's voice came very curt and worried. "_Right._"

There was an eruption