Origins by Mark Henrikson Page A

angrily. 
    Ignoring Tomal’s comment, Hastelloy asked, “What’s the status of our adversary?”
    “The Alpha ship is adrift with no power except emergency life support.  They have no weapons or propulsion either,” Gallono replied. 
    Hastelloy was quite sure he knew the answer to his next question already so he decided to make light of it to let the news hit the crew with a softer landing.  “Be a good man and tell me they’re on a collision course with the star in this system and face an imminent and scary demise.”
    “I could tell you that, but then you’d be a little shocked running into them on the planet’s surface,” Gallono answered with a touch of gallows humor.  “The fact is, their ship is five miles off our right side and is also headed for the third planet.  They’ll land approximately one hour ahead of us.”
    “Naturally.  It’s been that kind of day for us so far hasn’t it?” Hastelloy said while rubbing his face with the palm of his hands. 
    “You got that right,” Gallono added.  “About all we can do to each other now until we land is make scary faces out the window.  I’ve already got dibs on the view screen in the mess hall, so find yourselves another spot.”

Chapter 11:  Make it a Soft Landing
     
    “ Captain, the Alpha ship just entered the planet’s atmosphere,” ensign Valnor reported.
    “Well, let’s see how good their pilot is then.  With any luck, at that speed and with the back third of the ship blown off, they won’t be able to control their entry,” Gallono stated.  “Hope for the best, but plan for the worst right Captain?  What is our next move?”
    “Let’s just see where they end up,” Hastelloy responded while looking over the shoulder of his science officer at the sensor display.  “We still have some time before we attempt our own tenuous crash landing.
    “They are trying to hit a moving, rotating landing site while traveling at over 200 miles per second with nothing but emergency thrusters to adjust their course.  If they come in too steep, they will plow into the planet.  If their approach is too shallow, they will bounce off the atmosphere and hurl through space never to be heard from again.” 
    “Even if they do make the perfect entry, they will probably burn up in the atmosphere with the damage they have sustained.  I must conclude they will not survive this,” the science officer stated firmly.
    Walking over to Valnor sitting at the helm, Gallono replied with a playful tone.  “Careful there Tonwen, minus the extensive structural damage to the ship, you just described our situation as well.  If you keep it up our expert pilot here might get a little nervous.”  He gave the ensign a reassuring pat on the shoulder.  “You did take the landing on a planet at high speeds with no propulsions systems course in the academy didn’t you?”
    Taking the commander’s lead Valnor responded in kind. “Of course I did.  It was right after the course on flying through an enemy ship at ramming speed to cause its destruction.  I believe Captain Hastelloy was the guest instructor that day weren’t you sir?”  He glanced at his commanding officer; obviously hoping the humor was well received.
    It was.  Hastelloy was happy to see the crew keeping things loose and not letting the severity of the situation get the better of them.  He hated to kill the mood, but he had to deliver the bad news.  “The Alpha ship has landed.”
    “Already?”  Gallono asked.
    “They came in at a steep angle to let the nose of their ship take most of the heat during reentry.  With unbelievably perfect timing, once they got through the upper atmosphere, they flared out to a flat trajectory about ten miles off the ground and let the friction of the lower atmosphere finish the job of slowing them down,” the Captain continued.  “There was no explosion when they finally touched down so it looks like they survived.  I must say, that was the