 What reason would the Russians have to drive the Americans off?
[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. "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. 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? Base Gagarin?" "Is Pinov. "Pinov's still there," Major Winship said. He crossed with the floating moon-motion to the airlock and entered, closing the door behind him. 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." The sheet began slowly to slide downward, then it fell away completely and lay limply on the floor. When no comment was forthcoming, he continued: "Perhaps we built a bit more strongly, Major." 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.... "The only way you can check is to extrude it," Lt. Chandler said, "and if it does extrude, you've ruined it." II Capt. Lawler and Lt. Chandler took the land car to Base Gagarin. The Soviet base was situated some ten miles toward sunset at the bottom of a natural fold in the surface. At that point, the best pathway angled left and made an S-shaped descent to the basin.
 They want the sole ability to conduct research on the moon.
 The two stations are much too close to one another.  They want the sole ability to conduct research on the moon.  They know the Americans are ahead of them technology-wise.  They don't trust the Americans, the same way Winship distrusts them.