Kris Neville

“ Major Winship said.
"Boy, you wait till we get you back to Earth. When it comes time to reup, I'm going to be there. I'm going to remind you of this one."
"You're a thirty-year man, too, Les," Major Winship said.
"Not me," Lt. Chandler said. "I've had it, dad. I'm going to sell my life story to the movies and spend the rest of my life eating popcorn and watching what an idiot I was. A man can get hurt up here."
"So you want to be a civilian?"
"You're damned right I do," Lt. Chandler said.
"We're about there," Capt. Lawler cut in. "You still okay, Charlie?" ”

“ Wilkins set about disconnecting the major from the transmitter.
"Wow!" said Major Winship when he was once more in communication. "For a moment there, I thought...."
"What?" Capt. Wilkins asked with interest.
"I could see myself asking them to ask the Russians to ask Finogenov to get on the emergency channel to ask you to charge the air bottle. I never felt so ... idiotic is not quite strong enough ... there for a minute in my whole life. I didn't know how much emergency air was left, and I thought, my God, I'll never live this down. ”

“ Capt. Lawler got down from the bunk and Major Winship mounted. "We haven't got all day."
A few minutes later, Lt. Chandler issued the triumphant cry. "Here it is! Dozen tubes. Squeeze tubes. It's the new stuff."
Major Winship got down and Capt. Wilkins got up.
"Marker showed it over here," Major Winship said, inching over to the wall. He traced the leak with a metallic finger. ”

“ Lawler, Lt. Chandler got the table unstuck. They passed it over to Major Winship, who handed it out to Capt. Wilkins. Captain Wilkins carried it around the drum of calking compound and set it down. It rested uneasily on the uneven surface.
"Now, let's go," said Major Winship.
Eventually, they accomplished the moving. They wedged the drum between the main air-supply tank and the transmitter. They were all perspiring. "It's not the weight, it's the mass," said Capt. Wilkins brightly.
"The hell it isn't the weight," said Lt. Chandler. "That's heavy." ”

“ Lawler asked.
They huddled over the instruction sheet.
"Let's see. Squeeze the tube until the diaphragm at the nozzle ruptures. Extrude paste into seam. Allow to harden one hour before service."
Major Winship said dryly, "Never mind. I notice it hardens on contact with air."
Capt. Wilkins lay back on the bunk and stared upward. He said, "Now that makes a weird kind of sense, doesn't it?"
"How do they possibly think—?"
"Gentlemen! It doesn't make any difference," Lt. Chandler said. "Some air must already have leaked into this one. It's hard as a rock. A gorilla couldn't extrude it." ”

“ How's the other little dome?"
"Other one? Oh, sorry," Capt. Lawler said. "It looks all right."
"It better be all right," Lt. Chandler said.
In the end, the eleven of them were crowded into the one remaining operational structure of the four available on the moon at sunrise.
For perhaps the tenth time, General Finogenov offered his apologies. He and Major Winship were huddled side by side in a corner. They were drinking vodka.
"Plenty of everything," General Finogenov said. "Don't concern yourself, Major. Air, food, water, we have more than enough for a prolonged siege." ”

“ You don't suppose it's a room-temperature-curing epoxy resin, do you?"
"Larry," said Major Winship, "I wouldn't know a room-temperature-curing epoxy resin from—"
"Hey!" exclaimed Capt. Wilkins. "The mixer's stopped." He bent forward and touched the drum. He jerked back. "Ye Gods! that's hot! And it's harder than a rock! It is an epoxy! Let's get out of here."
"Huh?"
"Out! Out!"
Major Winship, Lt. Chandler, and Capt. Lawler, recognizing the sense of urgency, simultaneously glanced at the drum. ”

“ Wilkins, rolling his eyes at the dome.
"That's what I told him. We don't have any little scale."
"Yeah," said Captain Lawler, "and he looked at us with that mute, surprised look, like everybody, everywhere has dozens of little scales."
"Well, anyway," Lt. Chandler continued, "he told us just to mix up the whole fifty-five gallon drum. There's a little bucket of stuff that goes in, and it's measured just right. We can throw away what we don't need."
"Somehow, that sounds like him," Major Winship said. ”

“ Wilkins tapped his shoulder to indicate the new air bottle was being inserted. Another tap indicated it was seated. Major Winship flicked the appropriate chest button and nodded in appreciation.
"However," he continued, "we did experience a minor leak in the dome, which is presently being repaired."
"The Soviet Union," came the reply, "has reported the disturbance and has tendered their official apology. You want it?"
"It can wait until later. Send it by mail for all I care. Vacuum has destroyed our organic air reconditioner. We have approximately three weeks of emergency air. ”

“ The flame was gone almost instantly.
"There went the air," Capt. Lawler commented.
"We got T-Trouble," said Lt. Chandler.
IV
During the fifteen-minute wait before they dared venture back, Capt. Wilkins, interrupted once by what appeared to be a moderately mild after-shock from the previous moonquake, explained the phenomena they had just observed.
"A room-temperature-curing epoxy liberates heat during its curing reaction. And the hotter it is when you mix it, the faster it reacts. The drum had been absorbing heat out here for several hours much faster than it could radiate it away. ”

“ He shook perspiration out of his eyes. "They should figure a way to get a mop in here, or a towel, or a sponge, or something. I'll bet you've forgotten how much sweat stings in the eyes."
"It's the salt." ”

“ Cant. Lawler deposited the air bottles. "Everyone got enough air?"
"I guess we're all okay," Capt. Wilkins said.
"Don't we look silly?" Major Winship asked plaintively. "I can't possibly describe my emotions at this minute."
"You look all right," Capt. Lawler said. "Still hot?" ”