question:  Why do the Americans need to ask the Russians for help?
context: 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. "When?" "Boom—boom!" said Pinov. "They've got Pinov on emergency watch this morning," he explained to the other Americans. "He's done it deliberately," said Capt. Wilkins, the eldest of the four Americans. Ultimately, Lt. Chandler said, "This is a little ridiculous. "Ah, it's all Russian. "Let's all go in," said the fourth American, Capt. Lawler. "I'll try again," Major Winship said and switched to the emergency channel. "Base Gagarin? Base Gagarin?" "Tell him, 'Help'," said Capt. Wilkins, "so he'll get somebody we can talk to." "Hell, Charlie, I feel stupid sitting out here," Capt. Lawler said. His foot was lifted for the second step when the floor beneath him rose and fell gently, pitching him forward, off balance. Air currents whisked it away and plastered it against a riveted seam of the dome. It's on your right side, midway up. Major Winship said, "they should have made these things more flexible." "No, no. After repeatedly assuring you there was no danger of a quake—and then to have something like this happen. "I'll be damned surprised," Major Winship said, "if they got any seismic data out of that shot.... Well, to hell with them, let's get this leak fixed. Capt. Lawler ascended. Squeezed in front of the massive transmitter, Capt. Wilkins had energized the circuits.
output:  They need more calking compound to fix the leak. All of what they had has already hardened.
options:  They don't understand the instructions for the compound.  They need help fixing the leak. They don't know how to use the calking compound.  They need more manpower to help fix the rest of the dome.  They need more calking compound to fix the leak. All of what they had has already hardened.