Space Station Crisis: Star Challengers Book 2 by Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, June Scobee Rodgers Page B
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Mira’s voice shook with emotion, and JJ thought she saw a shimmer of tears in the girl’s eyes. For a second JJ wondered what would happen to tears in microgravity, then she pushed the thought from her head.
The other girl continued. “It’s so stupid! They’ll all die for nothing. They accomplish nothing.” She breathed deeply, calming herself. “But none of it has happened yet, so there’s still a chance. I want to save as many of those lives as possible. I can’t tell you much more than that.”
“We’re keeping things on the down-low, too,” King said.
“But let’s try to help each other out when we can, okay?” JJ said.
Mira agreed. Before they could discuss anything further, Stationmaster Ansari called for them. The all-hands meeting was about to start.
***
Nine
Crewmembers entered from four separate hatches in the module, pulling themselves hand-over-hand, bumping against the wall plates with their socks, moving as comfortably in the weightlessness as fish swimming about in a school.
When all of the ISSC crew was gathered in the Mess, Ansari made introductions. The Star Challengers had briefly met the Eye in the Sky satellite team, and now Ansari properly introduced the rest of the crew. “Dr. Harlan Kloor, our science officer, has earned more PhDs than any other person on Earth. He became so insufferable that there was no choice but to send him into orbit,” she said with a rare teasing smile. “Actually, we’re quite fortunate to have his expertise on board. And this is Security Chief Suri Napali.”
“We’ve met,” the woman acknowledged. “I am here to keep the station safe, but I doubt we’ll see personal combat aboard.”
Stationmaster Ansari continued around the circle. “Communications specialist Anton Pi and our astronomer Dr. Trina d’Almeida. The other two I believe you know?”
JJ and her friends were happy to see a familiar pair: Captain Bronsky, the Russian pilot who had flown the supply ship Halley to the moonbase during their previous adventure, and Dr. Cynthia Romero, the physician and biologist from Moonbase Magellan, who had worked closely with Song-Ye.
Most of the crew was baffled as to how five more teens had simply arrived at the International Space Station Complex without a ship. Mira looked pleased that her own presence no longer seemed as surprising.
JJ touched a fingertip to a bolted-down table to keep herself balanced and steady, since even small movements could send her drifting off in slow motion in uncontrollable directions. To her it seemed strange that the members of the ISSC crew were perfectly at ease sitting in all different orientations, some grasping handholds on the “ceiling” and facing downward, others on the “floor” looking up, still others facing inward from the walls. No matter which direction they faced, the center of the room was the focal point, where Ansari and the Star Challengers were.
Ansari called the meeting to order. “Obviously, we have plenty of questions, but let’s keep discussion to a single track instead often.”
“We all want to talk about the same thing, anyway,” Bronsky said.
Dr. d’Almeida, the astronomer, shook her head. “It’s simply not possible for six people to appear like rabbits out of a hat.”
The science officer, Dr. Kloor, hung down from the top of the room. “It can’t be impossible, since they’re right in front of us. I’m eager to hear the explanation.”
“If there was a shortcut to get up here to orbit, someone should have warned me,” said Napali. “As Security Chief, I need to know if there’s a back door I need to be guarding.”
King sounded flustered. “I wish we had a scientific answer for you. But we’re here—that’s all we know.”
“You really expect us to believe that you don’t understand how you got to the ISSC?” said Lieutenant Kontis. She had generous lips, wide eyes, and glossy brown hair that she kept tightly secured in a regulation bun. Her
The other girl continued. “It’s so stupid! They’ll all die for nothing. They accomplish nothing.” She breathed deeply, calming herself. “But none of it has happened yet, so there’s still a chance. I want to save as many of those lives as possible. I can’t tell you much more than that.”
“We’re keeping things on the down-low, too,” King said.
“But let’s try to help each other out when we can, okay?” JJ said.
Mira agreed. Before they could discuss anything further, Stationmaster Ansari called for them. The all-hands meeting was about to start.
***
Nine
Crewmembers entered from four separate hatches in the module, pulling themselves hand-over-hand, bumping against the wall plates with their socks, moving as comfortably in the weightlessness as fish swimming about in a school.
When all of the ISSC crew was gathered in the Mess, Ansari made introductions. The Star Challengers had briefly met the Eye in the Sky satellite team, and now Ansari properly introduced the rest of the crew. “Dr. Harlan Kloor, our science officer, has earned more PhDs than any other person on Earth. He became so insufferable that there was no choice but to send him into orbit,” she said with a rare teasing smile. “Actually, we’re quite fortunate to have his expertise on board. And this is Security Chief Suri Napali.”
“We’ve met,” the woman acknowledged. “I am here to keep the station safe, but I doubt we’ll see personal combat aboard.”
Stationmaster Ansari continued around the circle. “Communications specialist Anton Pi and our astronomer Dr. Trina d’Almeida. The other two I believe you know?”
JJ and her friends were happy to see a familiar pair: Captain Bronsky, the Russian pilot who had flown the supply ship Halley to the moonbase during their previous adventure, and Dr. Cynthia Romero, the physician and biologist from Moonbase Magellan, who had worked closely with Song-Ye.
Most of the crew was baffled as to how five more teens had simply arrived at the International Space Station Complex without a ship. Mira looked pleased that her own presence no longer seemed as surprising.
JJ touched a fingertip to a bolted-down table to keep herself balanced and steady, since even small movements could send her drifting off in slow motion in uncontrollable directions. To her it seemed strange that the members of the ISSC crew were perfectly at ease sitting in all different orientations, some grasping handholds on the “ceiling” and facing downward, others on the “floor” looking up, still others facing inward from the walls. No matter which direction they faced, the center of the room was the focal point, where Ansari and the Star Challengers were.
Ansari called the meeting to order. “Obviously, we have plenty of questions, but let’s keep discussion to a single track instead often.”
“We all want to talk about the same thing, anyway,” Bronsky said.
Dr. d’Almeida, the astronomer, shook her head. “It’s simply not possible for six people to appear like rabbits out of a hat.”
The science officer, Dr. Kloor, hung down from the top of the room. “It can’t be impossible, since they’re right in front of us. I’m eager to hear the explanation.”
“If there was a shortcut to get up here to orbit, someone should have warned me,” said Napali. “As Security Chief, I need to know if there’s a back door I need to be guarding.”
King sounded flustered. “I wish we had a scientific answer for you. But we’re here—that’s all we know.”
“You really expect us to believe that you don’t understand how you got to the ISSC?” said Lieutenant Kontis. She had generous lips, wide eyes, and glossy brown hair that she kept tightly secured in a regulation bun. Her
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