Read Online Command Decision (Project Gliese 581g #1) by S.E. Smith - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: S.E. Smith
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said in an urgent voice.
“I’m going after him,” Josh replied, gripping the controls to the Jetpack. “How long does he have?”
“I’m getting a weak signal, but his respiration is low,” Mei replied.
“I’ve got him,” Josh said, reaching for Sergi’s foot. “We are coming in. Mei, be ready.”
Josh had a brief moment to see the gateway from a different angle as he turned Sergi around. They were above the first one and each was lit up and turning. It was both an incredible sight and one that scared the hell out of him. Julia’s words from almost two years ago came back to him as he turned back to the Gliese, Sergi’s limp body in his arms.
Would you still go if you knew you might not come back?
*.*.*
Josh tore off his helmet and hooked it to the shelf near the service bay door. He fumbled with the gloves and shoved them into the net next to his helmet. His right hand instinctively shot out to grab the edge of the shelf as the Gliese violently shook and groaned, even though he was floating.
“The force of the pull from the gate is going to rip the ship apart,” Julia informed him with a worried glance in his direction. She had braced herself to hold Sergi’s unconscious form steady for Mei. “What happened?”
“His lifeline caught and he was pulled into one of the gates,” Josh replied, pulling himself around Julia. Mei was placing an oxygen mask over Sergi’s nose and mouth. “I need to get to the command center.”
Julia nodded, her face pale, but composed. Josh pulled himself along the narrow tunnels that connected the payload section with the main command and living modules. It helped that this section of the Gliese didn’t have artificial gravity. It allowed him to float through the narrow area without having to pause to remove the rest of the spacesuit he was wearing.
“Ash, give me a status report,” Josh demanded as he floated through the different sections.
“You’d better get up here,” Ash’s grim voice echoed through the ship.
Josh grabbed another hand grip and pulled himself up to the last section. He rotated in the air and dropped down onto the control deck. He stumbled when the boots of his spacesuit weighted him down. With a curse, he reached down and undid the top portion of his spacesuit and bent forward. The sound of the heavy, upper section echoed loudly through the room as it fell to the floor.
“What’s happening?” Josh asked, glancing at the image displayed in front of him.
“That,” Ash stated, nodding toward the huge curved screen.
Josh turned to stare at the image in grim silence. His mind swirled at the scene in front of him. The view of the glowing gates was just as magnificent from inside the ship as it was outside. It also showed the danger they were in.
“Get us out of here,” he ordered, sliding into the chair next to Ash.
Ash’s mouth was pulled into a tight line. “The force of it is pulling us forward. If I try to get us out of here, it is going to rip us apart,” he replied.
Josh’s mind ran through all the different scenarios they had talked about. They had two choices. He could detach the front of the Gliese and let it go forward in the hope that it would release them from the pull of the gateway. If he did that, they would never make it back to Earth. It would take out half of their supplies, including food and oxygen. The other choice was to go forward and see where it took them and hoped they didn’t get ripped apart.
“Go forward,” Josh suddenly ordered.
“What?!” Ash asked in disbelief, glancing at Josh as alarms began to sound.
“Go through the gates,” Josh said in a grim voice.
“We don’t know what will happen,” Ash hissed.
Josh leaned forward and silenced the alarm. He glanced over his shoulder when he saw Julia and Mei holding a standing, but weak, Sergi between them. He knew at that moment what he needed to do.
“I’m making a command decision,” he said. “All of you get suited up
“I’m going after him,” Josh replied, gripping the controls to the Jetpack. “How long does he have?”
“I’m getting a weak signal, but his respiration is low,” Mei replied.
“I’ve got him,” Josh said, reaching for Sergi’s foot. “We are coming in. Mei, be ready.”
Josh had a brief moment to see the gateway from a different angle as he turned Sergi around. They were above the first one and each was lit up and turning. It was both an incredible sight and one that scared the hell out of him. Julia’s words from almost two years ago came back to him as he turned back to the Gliese, Sergi’s limp body in his arms.
Would you still go if you knew you might not come back?
*.*.*
Josh tore off his helmet and hooked it to the shelf near the service bay door. He fumbled with the gloves and shoved them into the net next to his helmet. His right hand instinctively shot out to grab the edge of the shelf as the Gliese violently shook and groaned, even though he was floating.
“The force of the pull from the gate is going to rip the ship apart,” Julia informed him with a worried glance in his direction. She had braced herself to hold Sergi’s unconscious form steady for Mei. “What happened?”
“His lifeline caught and he was pulled into one of the gates,” Josh replied, pulling himself around Julia. Mei was placing an oxygen mask over Sergi’s nose and mouth. “I need to get to the command center.”
Julia nodded, her face pale, but composed. Josh pulled himself along the narrow tunnels that connected the payload section with the main command and living modules. It helped that this section of the Gliese didn’t have artificial gravity. It allowed him to float through the narrow area without having to pause to remove the rest of the spacesuit he was wearing.
“Ash, give me a status report,” Josh demanded as he floated through the different sections.
“You’d better get up here,” Ash’s grim voice echoed through the ship.
Josh grabbed another hand grip and pulled himself up to the last section. He rotated in the air and dropped down onto the control deck. He stumbled when the boots of his spacesuit weighted him down. With a curse, he reached down and undid the top portion of his spacesuit and bent forward. The sound of the heavy, upper section echoed loudly through the room as it fell to the floor.
“What’s happening?” Josh asked, glancing at the image displayed in front of him.
“That,” Ash stated, nodding toward the huge curved screen.
Josh turned to stare at the image in grim silence. His mind swirled at the scene in front of him. The view of the glowing gates was just as magnificent from inside the ship as it was outside. It also showed the danger they were in.
“Get us out of here,” he ordered, sliding into the chair next to Ash.
Ash’s mouth was pulled into a tight line. “The force of it is pulling us forward. If I try to get us out of here, it is going to rip us apart,” he replied.
Josh’s mind ran through all the different scenarios they had talked about. They had two choices. He could detach the front of the Gliese and let it go forward in the hope that it would release them from the pull of the gateway. If he did that, they would never make it back to Earth. It would take out half of their supplies, including food and oxygen. The other choice was to go forward and see where it took them and hoped they didn’t get ripped apart.
“Go forward,” Josh suddenly ordered.
“What?!” Ash asked in disbelief, glancing at Josh as alarms began to sound.
“Go through the gates,” Josh said in a grim voice.
“We don’t know what will happen,” Ash hissed.
Josh leaned forward and silenced the alarm. He glanced over his shoulder when he saw Julia and Mei holding a standing, but weak, Sergi between them. He knew at that moment what he needed to do.
“I’m making a command decision,” he said. “All of you get suited up
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