focused on Sergi. They had jumped the tethers from the Gliese to him, then to Sergi. From there, they had set up a second tether system to the first gate. They had discovered during their research that each gate was connected by a series of cables. They would use those connections to pull them from one gate to the next.
He didn’t bother turning to look at the Gliese 581. It was small in comparison to the massive devices and would be shielded from view at the moment. Instead, he gripped the thin tether and pulled himself along. He and Sergi had a propulsion pack on, but they would only use it in case of an emergency. He followed Sergi as he moved slowly up the first gate to the cable connecting it to the others.
An hour later, they were approaching the third gate. There was a large section ripped open at seven o’clock. He and Sergi worked in tandem as they pulled themselves down the side to the section that was torn open.
“This is incredible, commander,” Sergi murmured. “The metal looks different from anything I’ve ever seen. If I can find a fragment small enough to carry, I’d like to bring it back for testing.”
“Agreed,” Josh responded. “Be careful as you enter. It looks like there are some sharp edges. The last thing you want is to puncture your suit.”
Sergi gave a dry laugh. “That would not be good,” he agreed, before he grinned. “I’m sure Mei would bring me some duct tape.”
“In your dreams,” Mei replied. “Chewing gum, maybe.”
“She loves me,” Sergi teased with a loud sigh. “I’m going in.”
Josh watched as Sergi carefully entered the damaged section. He waited a few seconds before he reached out and gripped the thick edge and pulled himself through into the dark interior.
The lights on his helmet cast an eerie glow. He turned in a slow circle, making sure that Mei captured what he was seeing. Glancing up, he saw Sergi pulling himself deeper into the interior.
“This is amazing,” Sergi kept muttering under his breath. “The technology is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, but in some ways familiar.”
“What do you mean familiar?” Josh asked.
Josh watched as Sergi turned partially to look at him. For the first time, Josh saw a completely serious expression on Sergi’s face through the visor. He gripped one of the cross bars to keep from floating off.
“In the laws of physics and mechanics, some things can only work in a specific way. While this is all alien, it still has to be put together with nuts and bolts,” Sergi replied. “The circuitry has to work the same. Power comes in, power goes out, whether it is wired in either parallel or serial, it still needs a ground and a complete circuit to function. If an open, or short as many people refer to it, occurs, the power is cut and the connection won’t work.”
Josh looked at the damaged section. Deep down, he suspected he knew what Sergi was telling him. He glanced sharply at the Russian. He could see the silent question.
“You can repair this,” Josh murmured.
“Probably,” Sergi replied, turning to look around him. “I need to study the images and see if I can re-engineer what was done. If the power used to work these things is still viable, it’s possible I could repair the damage to this and complete the circuit.”
“Mei, are you getting this?” Josh demanded. He frowned when he didn’t receive a response. “Mei, come in. Shit!”
“It is the metal,” Sergi said. “It is probably preventing a signal from getting through.”
“Record everything that you can,” Josh ordered. “We’ll review it once we are back on the Gliese and make a decision then.”
Sergi nodded and turned back to start a slow, methodical review of the interior. Josh gritted his teeth and started moving downward. There was no way they would ever be able to bring something this size home. The only thing they could do was document as much as they could and send it back to Earth. Even that would have
He didn’t bother turning to look at the Gliese 581. It was small in comparison to the massive devices and would be shielded from view at the moment. Instead, he gripped the thin tether and pulled himself along. He and Sergi had a propulsion pack on, but they would only use it in case of an emergency. He followed Sergi as he moved slowly up the first gate to the cable connecting it to the others.
An hour later, they were approaching the third gate. There was a large section ripped open at seven o’clock. He and Sergi worked in tandem as they pulled themselves down the side to the section that was torn open.
“This is incredible, commander,” Sergi murmured. “The metal looks different from anything I’ve ever seen. If I can find a fragment small enough to carry, I’d like to bring it back for testing.”
“Agreed,” Josh responded. “Be careful as you enter. It looks like there are some sharp edges. The last thing you want is to puncture your suit.”
Sergi gave a dry laugh. “That would not be good,” he agreed, before he grinned. “I’m sure Mei would bring me some duct tape.”
“In your dreams,” Mei replied. “Chewing gum, maybe.”
“She loves me,” Sergi teased with a loud sigh. “I’m going in.”
Josh watched as Sergi carefully entered the damaged section. He waited a few seconds before he reached out and gripped the thick edge and pulled himself through into the dark interior.
The lights on his helmet cast an eerie glow. He turned in a slow circle, making sure that Mei captured what he was seeing. Glancing up, he saw Sergi pulling himself deeper into the interior.
“This is amazing,” Sergi kept muttering under his breath. “The technology is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, but in some ways familiar.”
“What do you mean familiar?” Josh asked.
Josh watched as Sergi turned partially to look at him. For the first time, Josh saw a completely serious expression on Sergi’s face through the visor. He gripped one of the cross bars to keep from floating off.
“In the laws of physics and mechanics, some things can only work in a specific way. While this is all alien, it still has to be put together with nuts and bolts,” Sergi replied. “The circuitry has to work the same. Power comes in, power goes out, whether it is wired in either parallel or serial, it still needs a ground and a complete circuit to function. If an open, or short as many people refer to it, occurs, the power is cut and the connection won’t work.”
Josh looked at the damaged section. Deep down, he suspected he knew what Sergi was telling him. He glanced sharply at the Russian. He could see the silent question.
“You can repair this,” Josh murmured.
“Probably,” Sergi replied, turning to look around him. “I need to study the images and see if I can re-engineer what was done. If the power used to work these things is still viable, it’s possible I could repair the damage to this and complete the circuit.”
“Mei, are you getting this?” Josh demanded. He frowned when he didn’t receive a response. “Mei, come in. Shit!”
“It is the metal,” Sergi said. “It is probably preventing a signal from getting through.”
“Record everything that you can,” Josh ordered. “We’ll review it once we are back on the Gliese and make a decision then.”
Sergi nodded and turned back to start a slow, methodical review of the interior. Josh gritted his teeth and started moving downward. There was no way they would ever be able to bring something this size home. The only thing they could do was document as much as they could and send it back to Earth. Even that would have
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