status of our engines?” Jim asked.
“I can look, Commander, but propulsion is not my area.” Trish coughed a bit more.
“Good work, Elkin. Worthington out.” Tyrrell closed the channel.
***
The systems on the bridge came back online one at a time. Worthington and Muir moved from station to station, turning off alarms and checking systems.
“Jim, the main external sensor array is off-line,” Muir said. “Internal sensors are case by case. What is for sure is that forty percent of the ship is in a vacuum: core sections of propulsion, engineering, and the flight deck. It has even penetrated forward as far as the bulkhead behind the infirmary.”
“Let's work with all the hatches closed for now, in case additional failures happen,” Jim said.
“The Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) locker room was torn up as well. Not good,” Muir said.
“Oh, shit,” Worthington cursed. “How are we going to get everyone to the base if we need to?”
“We will make it a priority to collect and test all the pressure suits,” Muir said.
“Get some drones into the damaged areas, and survey the damage. Our priorities are to make sure we’re safe and to get eyes, out there.” He pointed at the horizon of the moon. The planet was not visible. “We need to know what's happening. Survive. Recon. Plan. Act. Assess.”
“Jim, we have some sensors functioning on the forward section. The standard sensor sweep is showing some strange results. This moon is just like Earth’s moon, Luna, in that the same side always faces the planet.”
Peter and Jim looked at each other. In their entire careers, neither of them had ever seen another moon matched so closely in its orbit.
“That means we will be hidden here from the planet.”
They both looked up at the main viewer to see Hume getting the airlock open.
“Unless they are alerted that their moon base has been entered.”
***
Hume had been trained to bypass almost any airlock control ever made. They didn't change much over the decades, but they did over the centuries. She was easily able to identify this control unit as an essential colony redoubt control. It was vintage. Over 200 years old and still working.
“Made to last,” Hume said, as the hatch swung inward. “They designed these to be unable to open unless there was a vacuum inside the airlock. And the inside hatch won't open if it's not pressurized, unlike the pinnace.”
“Why is that?” Perry asked. “Seems crazy to allow it.”
“Turns out there are lots of good reasons to allow a direct vent. Like fire suppression.” They all moved inside, as dirty lights came up and the hatch closed. “You probably never heard about the fire in the central computer farm on the Ventura . It was extinguished with a direct vent that saved all the AI systems on the Ventura . Thanks to Barcus.” Hume became quiet.
The hatch closed and the dust swirled as the large airlock began to pressurize. Weston tapped some controls on his left forearm control pad. Pressure, temperature, O 2 content, and other factors came up in his HUD. There was a loud clunk , but then nothing happened.
They waited.
“Push the hatch open,” Jim said, over the comms.
Hume let her rifle hang down on the front of her suit as she pushed. It creaked loudly, but it swung inward. They moved inside the cavernous space and turned back to close the hatch with a loud clang .
Perry said, “Well, there is sound. Where there is sound, there is atmosphere!”
“Wait. Scanning,” Weston said.
“It's breathable, but it's damn cold. Super dry and -48.3°C. It's gonna hurt,” Weston said.
“Sorry, guys, but we need to save the scrubbers in the suits. We have no idea how long we will be here,” Worthington said.
“Yes, sir,” Hume replied, and with a well-practiced flip and twist, she took off her helmet and took a breath.
“Jesus, that is cold.”
The moisture from her breath, when exhaled, froze almost instantly and fell as tiny ice
“I can look, Commander, but propulsion is not my area.” Trish coughed a bit more.
“Good work, Elkin. Worthington out.” Tyrrell closed the channel.
***
The systems on the bridge came back online one at a time. Worthington and Muir moved from station to station, turning off alarms and checking systems.
“Jim, the main external sensor array is off-line,” Muir said. “Internal sensors are case by case. What is for sure is that forty percent of the ship is in a vacuum: core sections of propulsion, engineering, and the flight deck. It has even penetrated forward as far as the bulkhead behind the infirmary.”
“Let's work with all the hatches closed for now, in case additional failures happen,” Jim said.
“The Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) locker room was torn up as well. Not good,” Muir said.
“Oh, shit,” Worthington cursed. “How are we going to get everyone to the base if we need to?”
“We will make it a priority to collect and test all the pressure suits,” Muir said.
“Get some drones into the damaged areas, and survey the damage. Our priorities are to make sure we’re safe and to get eyes, out there.” He pointed at the horizon of the moon. The planet was not visible. “We need to know what's happening. Survive. Recon. Plan. Act. Assess.”
“Jim, we have some sensors functioning on the forward section. The standard sensor sweep is showing some strange results. This moon is just like Earth’s moon, Luna, in that the same side always faces the planet.”
Peter and Jim looked at each other. In their entire careers, neither of them had ever seen another moon matched so closely in its orbit.
“That means we will be hidden here from the planet.”
They both looked up at the main viewer to see Hume getting the airlock open.
“Unless they are alerted that their moon base has been entered.”
***
Hume had been trained to bypass almost any airlock control ever made. They didn't change much over the decades, but they did over the centuries. She was easily able to identify this control unit as an essential colony redoubt control. It was vintage. Over 200 years old and still working.
“Made to last,” Hume said, as the hatch swung inward. “They designed these to be unable to open unless there was a vacuum inside the airlock. And the inside hatch won't open if it's not pressurized, unlike the pinnace.”
“Why is that?” Perry asked. “Seems crazy to allow it.”
“Turns out there are lots of good reasons to allow a direct vent. Like fire suppression.” They all moved inside, as dirty lights came up and the hatch closed. “You probably never heard about the fire in the central computer farm on the Ventura . It was extinguished with a direct vent that saved all the AI systems on the Ventura . Thanks to Barcus.” Hume became quiet.
The hatch closed and the dust swirled as the large airlock began to pressurize. Weston tapped some controls on his left forearm control pad. Pressure, temperature, O 2 content, and other factors came up in his HUD. There was a loud clunk , but then nothing happened.
They waited.
“Push the hatch open,” Jim said, over the comms.
Hume let her rifle hang down on the front of her suit as she pushed. It creaked loudly, but it swung inward. They moved inside the cavernous space and turned back to close the hatch with a loud clang .
Perry said, “Well, there is sound. Where there is sound, there is atmosphere!”
“Wait. Scanning,” Weston said.
“It's breathable, but it's damn cold. Super dry and -48.3°C. It's gonna hurt,” Weston said.
“Sorry, guys, but we need to save the scrubbers in the suits. We have no idea how long we will be here,” Worthington said.
“Yes, sir,” Hume replied, and with a well-practiced flip and twist, she took off her helmet and took a breath.
“Jesus, that is cold.”
The moisture from her breath, when exhaled, froze almost instantly and fell as tiny ice
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