Ser?> Alex asked.
“That you’re part rodent, Admiral. We send you out with two ships, and a half-year later, you come back with nine ships.”
Alex could hear Hezekiah’s belly laugh.
“Incomplete? How, Admiral?” Hezekiah asked.
This time Hezekiah’s laughter was so long and hard he had trouble catching his breath.
Alex waited until the station manager’s laughter had subsided, before he dropped the bad news.
“Never a dull moment with you around, Admiral,” Hezekiah said, “welcome back. So if half the people are in danger, I would hazard a guess it’s one of those massive saucers that’s in trouble.”
“The what?” Hezekiah asked.
Alex said.
“I watched your interview with your sister, Admiral—very clever manner in which to communicate your story despite our wonderful President. Well, to business … I’ll have hoses, blowers, and electrical standing by on a terminal boom. I’ll send Julien the location. Can that Our People manage a docking or should I be vacationing by the time you arrive.”
Alex sent.
“I was thinking of retiring soon anyway, Admiral,” Hezekiah replied. “Wait … you said you’re going to fix the President problem?”
Alex asked.
“General Gonzalez? Wonderful woman!” Hezekiah said. “Are you thinking of doing what I think you’re thinking of doing, Admiral?”
Alex replied.
“Oh, welcome back, Admiral, welcome back!” Hezekiah said, his voice rising in triumph.
Alex sent and closed the comm.
* * *
The flotilla made New Terra’s orbit and took up positions fifty kilometers outward from the Joaquin Station while the Unsere Menschen and Money Maker proceeded on. Per Alex’s orders, Captain Menlo positioned the Money Maker inward of the station to act as a front guard against any Strikers lifting from the planet.
If Z was capable of sweating, it would have been pouring out of his case. He was attempting to maneuver the city-ship up to the terminal’s extended boom in nearly blind conditions. With so many sensors incomplete, Z was unable to determine subtle distances. The SADEs had positioned their ships to give Z a three-dimensional view of his ship and the station’s boom, constantly transmitting telemetry to him as the distance closed. Z would pulse the maneuvering jets, wait, review the telemetry, and pulse the jets again. The last kilometer to the boom’s end took nearly two hours to complete. When the terminal’s docking boss called “All halt” to Z, both of them waited to ensure that the last pulses had cancelled the enormous ship’s forward momentum. Once his fellow SADEs affirmed zero delta-V, Z felt overjoyed.
Oxygen conditions for the people of the Unsere Menschen had been deteriorating ever since they had launched from Libre. After the city-ship had passed Niomedes, Captain Cordova had ordered the passengers and crew to their beds to conserve the remaining air supply. The Freedom had sent shuttles of compressed oxygen tanks to its sister city-ship, but the effort was akin to bailing the bilge of an ocean-going transport with a cup.
The station’s terminal boss extended the boom out five meters to
“That you’re part rodent, Admiral. We send you out with two ships, and a half-year later, you come back with nine ships.”
Alex could hear Hezekiah’s belly laugh.
“Incomplete? How, Admiral?” Hezekiah asked.
This time Hezekiah’s laughter was so long and hard he had trouble catching his breath.
Alex waited until the station manager’s laughter had subsided, before he dropped the bad news.
“Never a dull moment with you around, Admiral,” Hezekiah said, “welcome back. So if half the people are in danger, I would hazard a guess it’s one of those massive saucers that’s in trouble.”
“The what?” Hezekiah asked.
“I watched your interview with your sister, Admiral—very clever manner in which to communicate your story despite our wonderful President. Well, to business … I’ll have hoses, blowers, and electrical standing by on a terminal boom. I’ll send Julien the location. Can that Our People manage a docking or should I be vacationing by the time you arrive.”
“I was thinking of retiring soon anyway, Admiral,” Hezekiah replied. “Wait … you said you’re going to fix the President problem?”
“General Gonzalez? Wonderful woman!” Hezekiah said. “Are you thinking of doing what I think you’re thinking of doing, Admiral?”
“Oh, welcome back, Admiral, welcome back!” Hezekiah said, his voice rising in triumph.
* * *
The flotilla made New Terra’s orbit and took up positions fifty kilometers outward from the Joaquin Station while the Unsere Menschen and Money Maker proceeded on. Per Alex’s orders, Captain Menlo positioned the Money Maker inward of the station to act as a front guard against any Strikers lifting from the planet.
If Z was capable of sweating, it would have been pouring out of his case. He was attempting to maneuver the city-ship up to the terminal’s extended boom in nearly blind conditions. With so many sensors incomplete, Z was unable to determine subtle distances. The SADEs had positioned their ships to give Z a three-dimensional view of his ship and the station’s boom, constantly transmitting telemetry to him as the distance closed. Z would pulse the maneuvering jets, wait, review the telemetry, and pulse the jets again. The last kilometer to the boom’s end took nearly two hours to complete. When the terminal’s docking boss called “All halt” to Z, both of them waited to ensure that the last pulses had cancelled the enormous ship’s forward momentum. Once his fellow SADEs affirmed zero delta-V, Z felt overjoyed.
Oxygen conditions for the people of the Unsere Menschen had been deteriorating ever since they had launched from Libre. After the city-ship had passed Niomedes, Captain Cordova had ordered the passengers and crew to their beds to conserve the remaining air supply. The Freedom had sent shuttles of compressed oxygen tanks to its sister city-ship, but the effort was akin to bailing the bilge of an ocean-going transport with a cup.
The station’s terminal boss extended the boom out five meters to
Similar Books
