frantically searching for options. If he couldn’t stop the launch then how else could he help his friend and Kate? Both his head and his chest felt like they were going to explode.
Think Alan, think. Think it out . Then the realization dawned on him. If neither the mining crew or the CSETI team had returned, then that meant there were two ships left somewhere on the planet surface. Both of which would have enough power for the return voyage. He might not be able to stop the launch but he might be able to provide them with a means of getting home. He ran into the nearest speed lift. “Engineering maintenance,” he said.
“Complying,” came the reply.
* * * * *
“Hey, Alan,” one of the engineers said cheerily as Alan strode purposefully into the maintenance area.
“Do you have any functional portable beacon receivers in here?” Alan asked without returning the greeting.
“We have one that’s to be fitted into the system deck of the Azimuth when she arrives, that’s just been given the once-over and checks out okay.”
“Where is it?”
“Over there,” the young man said, pointing, “Just behind Charlie’s work station.”
Alan walked over to the other side of the room and picked up the beacon receiver. It was a small black box with a carrying handle. “Thanks,” he said, turning and walking out of the room.
“Hey! You can’t take that, that’s been allocated to a craft. Alan! Come back! Hey!”
But Alan was already long gone.
* * * * *
When Alan arrived at the main engineering concourse, the last remaining transport buggy was just pulling off the grid. He chased after it, one hand waving frantically. “Hey! Wait! I need that transport!”
The driver of the vehicle heard his cries and pulled the buggy to a halt, looking questioningly at Alan as he came up beside him.
“I need this vehicle,” Alan said between gasps, “And I need it now. It’s an emergency and I don’t have much time.”
“I’ll run you if you like,” said the driver, “Where are you going?”
Alan thought about it for a second. “Just give me the buggy.”
The driver did as he was told and Alan jumped in, before speeding off down the access tunnel.
* * * * *
Alan drove the buggy at full speed, willing the tiny vehicle to move faster. Even so, it seemed to take forever to reach bay 12.
When he did arrive, he immediately went to the bay door system panel. The status display informed him that the launch locks were in place. The Santa Maria was in the last half hour of launch countdown. He would have to manually override the door locks.
He pulled a bunch of cards from the pocket of his boiler suit and inserted one into a slit at the bottom of the system panel, simultaneously placing his hand on the ID plate. The display read: Ident accepted—Manual override sequence initiated. Type in authorization code . Alan furiously punched in the memorized numbers on the keypad next to the panel. When he finished the display read: Authorization code valid—Launch locks withdrawing. Override will be reversed ten minutes before scheduled launch. There was a deep rumble as the huge metal shafts slowly pulled out from their runners and then the bay door began to rise.
Alan ran into the bay and ran around the nearest leg of the Santa Maria , depressing the switch he found there. He turned and watched as the fifth slender limb descended from the underside of the craft as it had done previously for Wyatt. He walked over to it and stepped inside, looking up as it was retracted back into the great ship.
Inside the ship he stopped, thinking about the old craft he was inside. He needed to put the beacon receiver somewhere Wyatt or one of his crew would easily find it. Where? Where could he put it? The equipment store! Now, where was that? It was so long since he had been in a Caravel class craft that it took him a while to remember the layout of
Think Alan, think. Think it out . Then the realization dawned on him. If neither the mining crew or the CSETI team had returned, then that meant there were two ships left somewhere on the planet surface. Both of which would have enough power for the return voyage. He might not be able to stop the launch but he might be able to provide them with a means of getting home. He ran into the nearest speed lift. “Engineering maintenance,” he said.
“Complying,” came the reply.
* * * * *
“Hey, Alan,” one of the engineers said cheerily as Alan strode purposefully into the maintenance area.
“Do you have any functional portable beacon receivers in here?” Alan asked without returning the greeting.
“We have one that’s to be fitted into the system deck of the Azimuth when she arrives, that’s just been given the once-over and checks out okay.”
“Where is it?”
“Over there,” the young man said, pointing, “Just behind Charlie’s work station.”
Alan walked over to the other side of the room and picked up the beacon receiver. It was a small black box with a carrying handle. “Thanks,” he said, turning and walking out of the room.
“Hey! You can’t take that, that’s been allocated to a craft. Alan! Come back! Hey!”
But Alan was already long gone.
* * * * *
When Alan arrived at the main engineering concourse, the last remaining transport buggy was just pulling off the grid. He chased after it, one hand waving frantically. “Hey! Wait! I need that transport!”
The driver of the vehicle heard his cries and pulled the buggy to a halt, looking questioningly at Alan as he came up beside him.
“I need this vehicle,” Alan said between gasps, “And I need it now. It’s an emergency and I don’t have much time.”
“I’ll run you if you like,” said the driver, “Where are you going?”
Alan thought about it for a second. “Just give me the buggy.”
The driver did as he was told and Alan jumped in, before speeding off down the access tunnel.
* * * * *
Alan drove the buggy at full speed, willing the tiny vehicle to move faster. Even so, it seemed to take forever to reach bay 12.
When he did arrive, he immediately went to the bay door system panel. The status display informed him that the launch locks were in place. The Santa Maria was in the last half hour of launch countdown. He would have to manually override the door locks.
He pulled a bunch of cards from the pocket of his boiler suit and inserted one into a slit at the bottom of the system panel, simultaneously placing his hand on the ID plate. The display read: Ident accepted—Manual override sequence initiated. Type in authorization code . Alan furiously punched in the memorized numbers on the keypad next to the panel. When he finished the display read: Authorization code valid—Launch locks withdrawing. Override will be reversed ten minutes before scheduled launch. There was a deep rumble as the huge metal shafts slowly pulled out from their runners and then the bay door began to rise.
Alan ran into the bay and ran around the nearest leg of the Santa Maria , depressing the switch he found there. He turned and watched as the fifth slender limb descended from the underside of the craft as it had done previously for Wyatt. He walked over to it and stepped inside, looking up as it was retracted back into the great ship.
Inside the ship he stopped, thinking about the old craft he was inside. He needed to put the beacon receiver somewhere Wyatt or one of his crew would easily find it. Where? Where could he put it? The equipment store! Now, where was that? It was so long since he had been in a Caravel class craft that it took him a while to remember the layout of
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