speedster.
It was about two miles out to the low-cost landing grids and the sun was hot. The combination of the heat and the alcohol made Cap's head swim.
The walk seemed to last forever, but finally he was there, climbing into the cockpit and entering his code.
The moment Cap hit the last digit a beeper went off accompanied by a flashing red light. There was a message waiting.
What now? Couldn't it wait until he came aboard?
Cap pressed a button, heard a moment of static, followed by Melissa's voice. His daughter's obvious desperation sobered Cap up faster than a bucket of cold water.
"Daddy! Pik was outside working in the trap. Willer came and did something horrible to him. Cy's got Junk 'scontrol system torn apart and it'll be half an hour before he gets it back together.
"Cy says help's on the way, but I'm afraid they'll take too long, so I'm going after Pik myself. Daddy, I need your help but if you're sick, don't try to take off."
Cap swore, bypassed the normal start-up procedures, and went for emergency lift. The control tower was still screaming threats as the speedster screamed over the horizon and climbed toward space.
As heavy G's crushed Cap's chest and drove the blood from his brain, he could still hear her words: "Daddy, I need your help, but if you're sick, don't try to take off." Shame rolled over him like a wave and he cursed his own weakness.
Melissa bit her lip until blood came. What looked so easy when Lando did it was almost impossible for her. The tender seemed huge and awkward under her hands. It wallowed through turns, drifted to port and starboard, and punished her with flashing red lights. There were so many things to do, so many things to remember, and underlying it all the incessant tone from Lando's locator beacon.
Melissa couldn't tell whether Lando was alive or dead but his suit was functioning, and that gave her hope. She wasn't sure what Willer had done to Lando, but given the way the pilot's suit had accelerated out and away from the tender, it seemed as if the cyborg had clobbered him with a pressor beam.
Melissa tried to imagine what that would feel like. To be hit with a club so powerful it could move battleships, to be hurled into space, to be all alone.
Melissa shuddered. Well, she'd find him. She'd follow the locator signal to its source, get him into the lock, and⦠Tears began to flow.
What if Lando were dead? What if she'd killed him the same way she'd killed Lia? The thought was unbearable.
The tone was louder now, indicating she was closer. She could see it on the scanner screen, a flashing light that indicated electronic emissions, and a dwindling set of digits.
Melissa fumbled with the controls, started to fire retros, and remembered to dump power first. There⦠no, still too fast⦠fire the retros again.
Melissa's hair was wet with sweat as the tender slowed and matched speeds with Lando's suit. She'd done it! Releasing her harness, Melissa rolled up and out of her seat. Grabbing handholds, she raced for the lock.
A buzzer went off. Melissa stopped. The buzzer was part of the ship but the voice in her head belonged to Lando.
"A pilot never⦠repeat never⦠leaves the board without running a NAVCOMP sequence. There are three programs to choose from: auto run, auto standby, and auto shutdown. Each programâ¦"
Melissa gave a little cry of frustration.
She turned, pulled herself back to the control room, and tapped some instructions into the NAVCOMP. The buzzer stopped, the tender's drive and control systems went over to standby, and Melissa heaved a sigh of relief. She gave a powerful kick and headed for the lock.
Melissa had considered using the tractor-pressor beams to reach out and grab Lando but she was afraid to try. One little mistake and she could push him beyond reach or smash him against the hull. No, it was simpler and safer to suit-up and go after Lando in person.
With her suit sealed Melissa waited for the outer hatch to
It was about two miles out to the low-cost landing grids and the sun was hot. The combination of the heat and the alcohol made Cap's head swim.
The walk seemed to last forever, but finally he was there, climbing into the cockpit and entering his code.
The moment Cap hit the last digit a beeper went off accompanied by a flashing red light. There was a message waiting.
What now? Couldn't it wait until he came aboard?
Cap pressed a button, heard a moment of static, followed by Melissa's voice. His daughter's obvious desperation sobered Cap up faster than a bucket of cold water.
"Daddy! Pik was outside working in the trap. Willer came and did something horrible to him. Cy's got Junk 'scontrol system torn apart and it'll be half an hour before he gets it back together.
"Cy says help's on the way, but I'm afraid they'll take too long, so I'm going after Pik myself. Daddy, I need your help but if you're sick, don't try to take off."
Cap swore, bypassed the normal start-up procedures, and went for emergency lift. The control tower was still screaming threats as the speedster screamed over the horizon and climbed toward space.
As heavy G's crushed Cap's chest and drove the blood from his brain, he could still hear her words: "Daddy, I need your help, but if you're sick, don't try to take off." Shame rolled over him like a wave and he cursed his own weakness.
Melissa bit her lip until blood came. What looked so easy when Lando did it was almost impossible for her. The tender seemed huge and awkward under her hands. It wallowed through turns, drifted to port and starboard, and punished her with flashing red lights. There were so many things to do, so many things to remember, and underlying it all the incessant tone from Lando's locator beacon.
Melissa couldn't tell whether Lando was alive or dead but his suit was functioning, and that gave her hope. She wasn't sure what Willer had done to Lando, but given the way the pilot's suit had accelerated out and away from the tender, it seemed as if the cyborg had clobbered him with a pressor beam.
Melissa tried to imagine what that would feel like. To be hit with a club so powerful it could move battleships, to be hurled into space, to be all alone.
Melissa shuddered. Well, she'd find him. She'd follow the locator signal to its source, get him into the lock, and⦠Tears began to flow.
What if Lando were dead? What if she'd killed him the same way she'd killed Lia? The thought was unbearable.
The tone was louder now, indicating she was closer. She could see it on the scanner screen, a flashing light that indicated electronic emissions, and a dwindling set of digits.
Melissa fumbled with the controls, started to fire retros, and remembered to dump power first. There⦠no, still too fast⦠fire the retros again.
Melissa's hair was wet with sweat as the tender slowed and matched speeds with Lando's suit. She'd done it! Releasing her harness, Melissa rolled up and out of her seat. Grabbing handholds, she raced for the lock.
A buzzer went off. Melissa stopped. The buzzer was part of the ship but the voice in her head belonged to Lando.
"A pilot never⦠repeat never⦠leaves the board without running a NAVCOMP sequence. There are three programs to choose from: auto run, auto standby, and auto shutdown. Each programâ¦"
Melissa gave a little cry of frustration.
She turned, pulled herself back to the control room, and tapped some instructions into the NAVCOMP. The buzzer stopped, the tender's drive and control systems went over to standby, and Melissa heaved a sigh of relief. She gave a powerful kick and headed for the lock.
Melissa had considered using the tractor-pressor beams to reach out and grab Lando but she was afraid to try. One little mistake and she could push him beyond reach or smash him against the hull. No, it was simpler and safer to suit-up and go after Lando in person.
With her suit sealed Melissa waited for the outer hatch to
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