2010: Odyssey Two (Space Odyssey #2)

by Arthur C. Clarke

“Don’t try to help, and don’t be surprised at anything that happens.” Now, what does he mean by that? Curnow asked himself, while preparing to be as unsurprised as possible. Everything happened in about five seconds. Brailovsky triggered his broomstick, so that it telescoped out to its full length of four meters and made contact with the approaching ship. The broomstick started to collapse, its internal spring absorbing Brailovsky’s considerable momentum; but it did not, as Curnow had fully expected, bring him to rest beside the antenna mount. It immediately expanded again, reversing the Russian’s velocity so that he was, in effect, reflected away from Discovery just as rapidly as he had approached. He flashed past Curnow, heading out into space again, only a few centimeters away. The startled American just had time to glimpse a large grin before Brailovsky shot past him. A second later, there was a jerk on the line connecting them, and a quick surge of deceleration as they shared momentum. Their opposing velocities had been neatly canceled; they were virtually at rest with respect to Discovery. Curnow had merely to reach out to the nearest handhold, and drag them both in.

PHYSICS!