 What goes wrong just as Winship makes contact with earth?
[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. Major Winship attempted unsuccessfully to communicate with Base Gagarin. "Help?" " Nyet ," said Major Winship, exhausting his Russian. "I'll try again," Major Winship said and switched to the emergency channel. At the proper moment of pressure, the inner lock slid open and Major Winship stepped into the illuminated central area. "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. 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. Major Winship said, "they should have made these things more flexible." Major Winship, please believe me. "Just leave us alone, thank you," Major Winship said and cut off the communication. "I'll be damned surprised," Major Winship said, "if they got any seismic data out of that shot....
 He is starting to lose air and needs to have it replaced.
 His communications were cut off, and he has no way to talk to Wilkin.  He is starting to lose air and needs to have it replaced.  He runs out of air and can't breathe.  The communications equipment stops working, and the people down at Earth start to worry.