 What happens after the blast?
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1962. General Finogenov notified Major Winship that the underground blast was scheduled for the following morning. Major Winship, after receiving the message, discussed precautions with the three other Americans. Next morning, before the sunlight exploded, the four of them donned their space suits and went and sat outside the dome, waiting. The sun rose with its bright, silent clap of radiance. Black pools of shadows lay in harsh contrast, their edges drawn with geometric precision. "Help?" " Nyet ," said Major Winship, exhausting his Russian. "Count down. When—boom?" "Is Pinov," came the reply. "When?" "Boom—boom!" said Pinov. Major Winship cut out the circuit. One by one they clicked on their cooling systems. "Ah, it's all Russian. In the airless void of the moon, the blast itself would be silent. A moth's wing of dust would, perhaps, rise and settle beyond the horizon: no more. "I'll try again," Major Winship said and switched to the emergency channel. "Base Gagarin? He crossed with the floating moon-motion to the airlock and entered, closing the door behind him. The darkness slowly filled with air, and the temperature inside the suit declined steadily. His foot was lifted for the second step when the floor beneath him rose and fell gently, pitching him forward, off balance. For a minute or two, static blanked out the communications completely. It then abated to something in excess of normal. "Well," Lt. Chandler commented, "even though we didn't build this thing to withstand a moonquake, it seems to have stood up all right." Air currents whisked it away and plastered it against a riveted seam of the dome. It pulsed as though it were breathing and then it ruptured. Major Winship moved quickly to cut out the emergency air supply which had cut in automatically with the pressure drop. It's on your right side, midway up. "I can see more ripping loose. Major Winship said, "they should have made these things more flexible." The sheet began slowly to slide downward, then it fell away completely and lay limply on the floor. Electrical cables trailed loosely along the walls and were festooned from the ceiling, radiating from the connections to the outside solar cells. After repeatedly assuring you there was no danger of a quake—and then to have something like this happen.
 The dome is still standing but suffered a leak, making a new problem.
 The Russians are unconcerned, meaning their job went well.  The dome is severely damaged.  Static prevent the astronauts from contacting anybody anymore.  The dome is still standing but suffered a leak, making a new problem.