So that's two hundred meters cut off. And the internal diameter is only seven hundred, not a klick. Crowded is relative, but when you're a very small boat negotiating around giants . . .”
“I take your point, CM,” Dana said.
“Can't wait for the internal SAPL system to get done,” Glass said with a sigh. “Those things are killers.”
“Internal?” Dana asked, confused.
“They intend to eventually drill SAPL conduits through the walls,” Glass said. “Run them in through big collimeters on the surface and bounce them around the interior. That way they're not crossing the main bay.”
“That will be nice,” Dana said as they emerged from the tunnel. “Oh . . . my.”
“Nice, huh?” Glass said.
The shuttle up she'd been in a center seat and the Columbias didn't really have much in the way of portholes. Sarin had gone over to look out the one free one but she hadn't bothered. She wasn't really big on space, she just wanted to give the Horvath some payback.
This wasn't a porthole and it wasn't even a big screen. But it was full of stars.
Every square centimeter seemed to have some point of light in it. From Earth, most of the light from distant stars was filtered out by the atmosphere. In space, they were everywhere.
“This is what makes all the other crap worthwhile,” the Coxswain's Mate said.
“I don't understand why they call it the Dark,” Dana said, softly.
“Depends on which way you're looking,” Mutant said, enigmatically. “And now we get to work.”
He engaged standard cruise power, ninety gravities, and headed out into deep space.
“Once we are clear of the busy parts we will go through some evolutions,” CM Glass said. “We will run through some standard shipboard emergencies and you will respond to them, following all procedures and standards. If you pass this qual, you will be well on your way to being an Engineer First Class.”
“Yes, CM,” Dana said.
“And so we start,” Glass said as the lights and grav cut out. “Uh, engineer, we seem to have a failure . . . ?”
For four hours, Glass had put Dana through hell. Most of the time there was neither light nor gravity. And whoever had built the failure tests was devilishly clever. Some of them would have been damned hard to find in a repair bay!
“The inertial system is up, CM,” Dana said, finally finding the “faulty” relay.
“Good,” Glass said. “We won't be turned into glue when . . . ugh! Urk! Agh!”
He slumped over to the side theatrically.
“You noted that there is a large hole that is leaking volatiles from your coxswain's head,” Glass said, pulling out a drink bulb filled with a red liquid and puncturing it. “He appears to have been hit by a micro meteor which had other issues . . .”
The air in the compartment started to pump down, the lights and power went out, again, and Dana was left in microgravity. Then she noticed it wasn't microgravity. The ship was starting to spin causing a rather unpleasant centripetal effect. And the rate was increasing.
“That's going to get everywhere, you know!” Dana said.
“I know,” Glass replied. “And you're going to have to clean it up. I suggest a toothbrush.”
“Dammit,” she muttered. “Stupid coxswains always getting themselves killed.”
She first determined that she, in fact, had control power. But one of the maneuvering thrusters was set to full power and she couldn't kill it from her engineer's position.
Getting to the relay, with the ship spinning harder and harder, was a matter of clambering hand-over-hand across the flight compartment to the appropriate panel. She got the relay to shut down by the simple expedient of pulling it. Then she had to start working the other problems . . .
“CM Glass, all engineering issues rectified,” she said.
Glass was still slumped over to the side. He appeared to have fallen asleep.
“Uh . . . Coxswain?” Dana said.
“Your coxswain has bled out while you were fixing the ship,” Glass
“I take your point, CM,” Dana said.
“Can't wait for the internal SAPL system to get done,” Glass said with a sigh. “Those things are killers.”
“Internal?” Dana asked, confused.
“They intend to eventually drill SAPL conduits through the walls,” Glass said. “Run them in through big collimeters on the surface and bounce them around the interior. That way they're not crossing the main bay.”
“That will be nice,” Dana said as they emerged from the tunnel. “Oh . . . my.”
“Nice, huh?” Glass said.
The shuttle up she'd been in a center seat and the Columbias didn't really have much in the way of portholes. Sarin had gone over to look out the one free one but she hadn't bothered. She wasn't really big on space, she just wanted to give the Horvath some payback.
This wasn't a porthole and it wasn't even a big screen. But it was full of stars.
Every square centimeter seemed to have some point of light in it. From Earth, most of the light from distant stars was filtered out by the atmosphere. In space, they were everywhere.
“This is what makes all the other crap worthwhile,” the Coxswain's Mate said.
“I don't understand why they call it the Dark,” Dana said, softly.
“Depends on which way you're looking,” Mutant said, enigmatically. “And now we get to work.”
He engaged standard cruise power, ninety gravities, and headed out into deep space.
“Once we are clear of the busy parts we will go through some evolutions,” CM Glass said. “We will run through some standard shipboard emergencies and you will respond to them, following all procedures and standards. If you pass this qual, you will be well on your way to being an Engineer First Class.”
“Yes, CM,” Dana said.
“And so we start,” Glass said as the lights and grav cut out. “Uh, engineer, we seem to have a failure . . . ?”
For four hours, Glass had put Dana through hell. Most of the time there was neither light nor gravity. And whoever had built the failure tests was devilishly clever. Some of them would have been damned hard to find in a repair bay!
“The inertial system is up, CM,” Dana said, finally finding the “faulty” relay.
“Good,” Glass said. “We won't be turned into glue when . . . ugh! Urk! Agh!”
He slumped over to the side theatrically.
“You noted that there is a large hole that is leaking volatiles from your coxswain's head,” Glass said, pulling out a drink bulb filled with a red liquid and puncturing it. “He appears to have been hit by a micro meteor which had other issues . . .”
The air in the compartment started to pump down, the lights and power went out, again, and Dana was left in microgravity. Then she noticed it wasn't microgravity. The ship was starting to spin causing a rather unpleasant centripetal effect. And the rate was increasing.
“That's going to get everywhere, you know!” Dana said.
“I know,” Glass replied. “And you're going to have to clean it up. I suggest a toothbrush.”
“Dammit,” she muttered. “Stupid coxswains always getting themselves killed.”
She first determined that she, in fact, had control power. But one of the maneuvering thrusters was set to full power and she couldn't kill it from her engineer's position.
Getting to the relay, with the ship spinning harder and harder, was a matter of clambering hand-over-hand across the flight compartment to the appropriate panel. She got the relay to shut down by the simple expedient of pulling it. Then she had to start working the other problems . . .
“CM Glass, all engineering issues rectified,” she said.
Glass was still slumped over to the side. He appeared to have fallen asleep.
“Uh . . . Coxswain?” Dana said.
“Your coxswain has bled out while you were fixing the ship,” Glass
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