tunnel walls.
“How’s it looking down there?” Roberts asked.
“We took a reading about ten feet in and it was unreadable. Steele thinks that means it was up against a beam or something else that was too wide to read,” Lentz said.
“I think we’ve got it now,” Conner said, showing Lentz the 3.21 reading on his device.
“We found a three-inch wall,” Lentz said.
Conner started up his cutting torch again, then brought the flame to the curved wall of the shaft. The metal bubbled up quickly, then exploded into the shaft with a sudden burst of white gas. Conner involuntarily screamed as he pulled the torch away. A gas, obviously not flammable, continued to jet into the ventilation shaft through the small nickel-size hole Conner had punched into the wall.
“What’s going on? Are you two okay?” McKenzie called.
“I’m fine,” Conner said, “I think we breeched a gas line here. Is there anyone who can tell me what we’re venting down here?”
McKenzie quickly searched his bag, taking careful measures to keep things from floating free of the bag and into the void. He found what he had been searching for. He entered the shaft and met the two who were still being faced with a steady stream of unknown gas. He reached in front of Conner and placed his device against the stream of gas. After a couple seconds, it returned with a reading.
McKenzie brought the object close to his helmet and then chuckled.
“We’re venting their atmosphere in there. Oxygen, Nitrogen, and a little Argon,” McKenzie said, “Congratulations, Steele! You just verified that the ship has a breathable atmosphere inside.”
“So, what should I do? Keep cutting?” Conner asked.
“We might as well,” McKenzie said, “We’ve got to find out why these aliens aren’t responding to any of our attempts at communication . It’s the only way we’ll get to examine their intentions.”
Conner sighed, the n brought the torch back to life.
“Stay back in case we get more than we bargained for,” Conner said, bringing the flame back to the wall.
He continued cutting through the metal, noting that by the time he had made an “L” shaped cut, the atmosphere beyond had stopped venting into the shaft. Two minutes later, he finished the cut, leaving it attached by only a hairline sliver of metal. Conner handed the torch to Lentz, then drew his P90 from the special leg holster he’d manufactured. He chambered the first round, then kicked the metal plate inward.
To his shock, the heavy plate slammed against the floor inside as though gravity had somehow existed inside the small room. He kept his weapon aimed inward; examining the dimly lit room that he was now faced with. The hole he had cut ended up being located approximately three feet above the floor in the room.
“It looks clear from this viewpoint,” Conner said, “I’m going in.”
Conner made a frightening mistake that would have proven fatal had there been a hidden foe waiting for him inside the room. He entered the room assuming the same zero G that existed inside the shaft would also exist inside the room. He “swam” into the room headfirst with his weapon ready, but by the time his waist passed over the threshold, gravity had gained enough of a hold on his upper body to force him rapidly to the floor. For those inside the shaft, it appeared as though something had overpowered Conner Steele and swallowed him up.
“Steele !” Roberts shouted, ducking his head into the ventilation shaft with his MAC-11 cocked and ready.
“I’m alright. We’ve got gravity in here and it to ok me by surprise,” Conner replied.
He rose quickly from the ground with his weapon ready. The room was no larger than ten feet by fifteen and it appeared to serve no purpose, as it contained no furniture. There were two metal crates in the corner and four metal drums that resembled black beer kegs lined up against one of the walls.
“When I h it the floor, I think I heard what could
“How’s it looking down there?” Roberts asked.
“We took a reading about ten feet in and it was unreadable. Steele thinks that means it was up against a beam or something else that was too wide to read,” Lentz said.
“I think we’ve got it now,” Conner said, showing Lentz the 3.21 reading on his device.
“We found a three-inch wall,” Lentz said.
Conner started up his cutting torch again, then brought the flame to the curved wall of the shaft. The metal bubbled up quickly, then exploded into the shaft with a sudden burst of white gas. Conner involuntarily screamed as he pulled the torch away. A gas, obviously not flammable, continued to jet into the ventilation shaft through the small nickel-size hole Conner had punched into the wall.
“What’s going on? Are you two okay?” McKenzie called.
“I’m fine,” Conner said, “I think we breeched a gas line here. Is there anyone who can tell me what we’re venting down here?”
McKenzie quickly searched his bag, taking careful measures to keep things from floating free of the bag and into the void. He found what he had been searching for. He entered the shaft and met the two who were still being faced with a steady stream of unknown gas. He reached in front of Conner and placed his device against the stream of gas. After a couple seconds, it returned with a reading.
McKenzie brought the object close to his helmet and then chuckled.
“We’re venting their atmosphere in there. Oxygen, Nitrogen, and a little Argon,” McKenzie said, “Congratulations, Steele! You just verified that the ship has a breathable atmosphere inside.”
“So, what should I do? Keep cutting?” Conner asked.
“We might as well,” McKenzie said, “We’ve got to find out why these aliens aren’t responding to any of our attempts at communication . It’s the only way we’ll get to examine their intentions.”
Conner sighed, the n brought the torch back to life.
“Stay back in case we get more than we bargained for,” Conner said, bringing the flame back to the wall.
He continued cutting through the metal, noting that by the time he had made an “L” shaped cut, the atmosphere beyond had stopped venting into the shaft. Two minutes later, he finished the cut, leaving it attached by only a hairline sliver of metal. Conner handed the torch to Lentz, then drew his P90 from the special leg holster he’d manufactured. He chambered the first round, then kicked the metal plate inward.
To his shock, the heavy plate slammed against the floor inside as though gravity had somehow existed inside the small room. He kept his weapon aimed inward; examining the dimly lit room that he was now faced with. The hole he had cut ended up being located approximately three feet above the floor in the room.
“It looks clear from this viewpoint,” Conner said, “I’m going in.”
Conner made a frightening mistake that would have proven fatal had there been a hidden foe waiting for him inside the room. He entered the room assuming the same zero G that existed inside the shaft would also exist inside the room. He “swam” into the room headfirst with his weapon ready, but by the time his waist passed over the threshold, gravity had gained enough of a hold on his upper body to force him rapidly to the floor. For those inside the shaft, it appeared as though something had overpowered Conner Steele and swallowed him up.
“Steele !” Roberts shouted, ducking his head into the ventilation shaft with his MAC-11 cocked and ready.
“I’m alright. We’ve got gravity in here and it to ok me by surprise,” Conner replied.
He rose quickly from the ground with his weapon ready. The room was no larger than ten feet by fifteen and it appeared to serve no purpose, as it contained no furniture. There were two metal crates in the corner and four metal drums that resembled black beer kegs lined up against one of the walls.
“When I h it the floor, I think I heard what could
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