23:06
He was increasingly sure that they would n't make it , and the knowledge was like the cold of space in his stomach . It would be close but not close enough . A minute would make all the difference . For a few heartbeats he almost called Koa and told him to wait that extra minute , to explode the nuclear charge at 23:06 , at the very last second . But even Planeteer chronometers could be off by a few seconds , and he could n't risk it . His men had to be given some leeway . He surveyed the asteroid .