in this shuttle. Sam. You come over first with
the line. Anne. You come over last so you can help the
captain.'
'I'm not some
senile geriatric,' snapped Jacobs.
'I know that,
captain,' said Friar, 'But Sam and Anne are a good twenty years
younger and in better physical condition. They're also less nervous
about space-walking. Don't argue, Jay Jay. We don't have time.'
'Coming over,'
said Clifton. He leaped out of the airlock with his line trailing
behind him. He floated gracefully across the divide, landing
expertly on his feet in the open airlock. He held on to a safety
rail to keep him from floating around.
'Come on, Jay
Jay,' Clifton said. 'Pull yourself across on my line.'
'Go,' Lee
urged. 'The clock's ticking.'
Jacobs grabbed
Clifton's line and pulled himself easily along, weighing nothing in
the vacuum of space. He was still going too slow and Lee nervously
checked her air-supply gauge which was on the orange warning bar
before the red danger bar.
'Faster,
captain.'
By the time
Jacobs was being helped into the airlock by Clifton, they only had
three minutes each of air remaining. Lee dived across so hard she
misjudged and was in danger of floating over the shuttle, but
Clifton jumped up and grabbed her as Jacobs pulled them both into
the airlock. The second they were all inside, Friar closed the
airlock and opened the inner airlock door.
'The air and
pressure will be ok in about three minutes,' Friar told them. 'Keep
your helmets on until then.'
The
life-support replaced the air lost when the airlock had been opened
and Lee, Clifton and Jacobs took small breaths as they waited,
Friar finally giving them the ok to remove their helmets.
'Welcome
aboard,' said Friar.
The three
joined Friar and buckled themselves in their seats.
'Thanks, Joe,'
said Jacobs.
'No sweat.
Looks like I'll be captain another day.'
'What about the
shuttle? We can repair it,' said Jacobs.
Clifton said,
'It should stay in orbit until the Goliath can collect it. The main
thing is we are all alive and well. Take us home, Joe.'
'My
pleasure.'
Chapter 32
'This is the
faulty unit we built?' Staples asked.
'Keep your
voice down,' said Gunther, locking his office door. 'And no. That
is the original unit I sabotaged. As you technicians worked on it,
I would later undo your efforts so none of you could repair it. I
convinced you to build a new unit, knowing that would be
impossible, especially as I would tinker with your efforts.'
'You had me
fooled. But then I'd never suspect you were conspiring against
us.'
'Believe me. I
got no satisfaction from what I did. I hope you understand why I
did it.'
Staples said,
'I understand why you think you had to do
it. You think the mission and those on the Goliath are in danger
and that General Loretti not only knows about it, but for some
reason, condones it.'
'I believe so,
yes.'
'But you
haven't warned anyone on the Goliath.'
Gunther shook
his head. 'Because I feel certain somebody on the Goliath is in on
it, too. I just don't know who.'
'And you are
hoping your daughter can find out what's going on?'
Gunther said,
'She's my only hope of getting to the bottom of all this. I could
easily play into their hands if I work without solid
information.'
'From what I
know of the general, that's a big ask for Bridget. Loretti is the
ultimate control freak.'
Gunther
chuckled and nodded. 'You got that right. And that was the main
reason our...relationship was short-lived. We were young and I was
in love with her, or so I imagined. She wanted a man and I was
available, not to mention very willing. She may be a cold hearted
bitch, but man, she's beautiful. But she likes men she can dominate
and after what could only be described as an intense and volatile
few months, I ended it.'
'You ended
it?'
'I can
understand that might surprise you. Let's just say that is how I
recall it. By then it was too late to terminate the pregnancy. That
would have been her preferred option. She was an ambitious
the line. Anne. You come over last so you can help the
captain.'
'I'm not some
senile geriatric,' snapped Jacobs.
'I know that,
captain,' said Friar, 'But Sam and Anne are a good twenty years
younger and in better physical condition. They're also less nervous
about space-walking. Don't argue, Jay Jay. We don't have time.'
'Coming over,'
said Clifton. He leaped out of the airlock with his line trailing
behind him. He floated gracefully across the divide, landing
expertly on his feet in the open airlock. He held on to a safety
rail to keep him from floating around.
'Come on, Jay
Jay,' Clifton said. 'Pull yourself across on my line.'
'Go,' Lee
urged. 'The clock's ticking.'
Jacobs grabbed
Clifton's line and pulled himself easily along, weighing nothing in
the vacuum of space. He was still going too slow and Lee nervously
checked her air-supply gauge which was on the orange warning bar
before the red danger bar.
'Faster,
captain.'
By the time
Jacobs was being helped into the airlock by Clifton, they only had
three minutes each of air remaining. Lee dived across so hard she
misjudged and was in danger of floating over the shuttle, but
Clifton jumped up and grabbed her as Jacobs pulled them both into
the airlock. The second they were all inside, Friar closed the
airlock and opened the inner airlock door.
'The air and
pressure will be ok in about three minutes,' Friar told them. 'Keep
your helmets on until then.'
The
life-support replaced the air lost when the airlock had been opened
and Lee, Clifton and Jacobs took small breaths as they waited,
Friar finally giving them the ok to remove their helmets.
'Welcome
aboard,' said Friar.
The three
joined Friar and buckled themselves in their seats.
'Thanks, Joe,'
said Jacobs.
'No sweat.
Looks like I'll be captain another day.'
'What about the
shuttle? We can repair it,' said Jacobs.
Clifton said,
'It should stay in orbit until the Goliath can collect it. The main
thing is we are all alive and well. Take us home, Joe.'
'My
pleasure.'
Chapter 32
'This is the
faulty unit we built?' Staples asked.
'Keep your
voice down,' said Gunther, locking his office door. 'And no. That
is the original unit I sabotaged. As you technicians worked on it,
I would later undo your efforts so none of you could repair it. I
convinced you to build a new unit, knowing that would be
impossible, especially as I would tinker with your efforts.'
'You had me
fooled. But then I'd never suspect you were conspiring against
us.'
'Believe me. I
got no satisfaction from what I did. I hope you understand why I
did it.'
Staples said,
'I understand why you think you had to do
it. You think the mission and those on the Goliath are in danger
and that General Loretti not only knows about it, but for some
reason, condones it.'
'I believe so,
yes.'
'But you
haven't warned anyone on the Goliath.'
Gunther shook
his head. 'Because I feel certain somebody on the Goliath is in on
it, too. I just don't know who.'
'And you are
hoping your daughter can find out what's going on?'
Gunther said,
'She's my only hope of getting to the bottom of all this. I could
easily play into their hands if I work without solid
information.'
'From what I
know of the general, that's a big ask for Bridget. Loretti is the
ultimate control freak.'
Gunther
chuckled and nodded. 'You got that right. And that was the main
reason our...relationship was short-lived. We were young and I was
in love with her, or so I imagined. She wanted a man and I was
available, not to mention very willing. She may be a cold hearted
bitch, but man, she's beautiful. But she likes men she can dominate
and after what could only be described as an intense and volatile
few months, I ended it.'
'You ended
it?'
'I can
understand that might surprise you. Let's just say that is how I
recall it. By then it was too late to terminate the pregnancy. That
would have been her preferred option. She was an ambitious
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