Read Online Command Decision (Project Gliese 581g #1) by S.E. Smith - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: S.E. Smith
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and into an escape pod. I’m taking control of the ship.”
“What the hell?! No! I’m not getting into any coffin while you play space cowboy,” Ash said stubbornly.
“I’m not asking, Ash, I’m ordering you and the others to get suited up and into an emergency pod,” Josh ordered.
“The others can go,” Ash replied in a quiet voice. “I’m your wing man. I cover your back. I always have and I always will.”
Josh glanced at Ash before he nodded his head. “If I tell you again, no arguments,” he snapped. “Julia, you, Mei, and Sergi get suited up and into a pod.”
Julia paused before murmuring in a quiet tone to Mei. Together, the two women helped Sergi turn back the way they came. Josh’s jaw tightened and he shot a glance at his friend.
“You have two minutes to make sure they are secure and strapped in before I push us through,” Josh said.
Ash gave him a stiff nod and turned the cameras to the emergency pods. Julia was closing Sergi’s pod while Mei suited up. Julia was already wearing a survival suit. A moment later, Julia and Mei were both stepping into the long, coffin shaped boxes and closing the lids.
“Three green lights,” Ash stated in a soft voice.
Josh nodded. “Let’s do this,” he said.
Ash winced and gave Josh a crooked grin. “You know, every time you say that we end up in a world of trouble,” he retorted with a wry grin.
Josh just nodded and pressed the thrusters to full. In the distance, he could see all the gates open now. At the last minute, he remembered to hit send on the recordings that they had completed. The information would upload and relay between the communications beacons they had released. He didn’t know if the scientist back on Earth would get them, if they did, then they would know what had happened to the Gliese 581 and its crew.
“Yippee ki yay,” Ash muttered as the Gliese moved forward.
Josh could feel the moment they entered the gateway. The pull on the spaceship thrust them back against their seats. This was far worse than lifting off on the Soyuz rocket or hitting Mach speed in a fighter. For a moment, he felt for sure that the Gliese was going to be ripped apart. The ship shuddered before everything lit up around them and they were pushed forward.
“Shit!” Josh hissed out before he felt like he couldn’t breathe from the pressure against his chest.
He tried to turn his head to see if Ash was feeling the same thing, but it felt like his whole body was being held suspended. Opening his mouth, he tried to force air into his starving lungs. Dark spots danced before his eyes. He blinked, as if in slow motion, when the world shifted around him. Seconds later, the combination of the pressure and lack of oxygen were too much and he felt his grip on consciousness slipping away.
*.*.*
Josh woke to the sounds of alarms ringing in his ears. A soft groan escaped him as he shook his head to clear the sound. It took a moment to realize that it wasn’t just his ears ringing, but the alarms of the ship. Pushing off the console, he blinked to clear his vision.
Pain coursed down his neck and through his shoulders. Lifting a shaking hand, he rubbed at it as he tried to remember what the hell had happened. As his memory of going through the gateway came back to him, he quickly turned his head, wincing again when it protested his sudden movement. Ash lay against the console, unconscious.
“Ash,” Josh whispered before clearing his throat. “Ash!”
There was no response from his friend. Glancing at the controls, he grimaced. Multiple system failures were showing. His gaze went to the front screen. The virtual screen was off. Only the smaller portholes were visible.
Undoing the straps holding him into the chair, he pushed himself up, floating upward and tumbling when the world, or was it the ship, tilted and groaned. Whichever it was, he ignored it for a moment as he tried to get a visual of what was happening. He pushed himself away
“What the hell?! No! I’m not getting into any coffin while you play space cowboy,” Ash said stubbornly.
“I’m not asking, Ash, I’m ordering you and the others to get suited up and into an emergency pod,” Josh ordered.
“The others can go,” Ash replied in a quiet voice. “I’m your wing man. I cover your back. I always have and I always will.”
Josh glanced at Ash before he nodded his head. “If I tell you again, no arguments,” he snapped. “Julia, you, Mei, and Sergi get suited up and into a pod.”
Julia paused before murmuring in a quiet tone to Mei. Together, the two women helped Sergi turn back the way they came. Josh’s jaw tightened and he shot a glance at his friend.
“You have two minutes to make sure they are secure and strapped in before I push us through,” Josh said.
Ash gave him a stiff nod and turned the cameras to the emergency pods. Julia was closing Sergi’s pod while Mei suited up. Julia was already wearing a survival suit. A moment later, Julia and Mei were both stepping into the long, coffin shaped boxes and closing the lids.
“Three green lights,” Ash stated in a soft voice.
Josh nodded. “Let’s do this,” he said.
Ash winced and gave Josh a crooked grin. “You know, every time you say that we end up in a world of trouble,” he retorted with a wry grin.
Josh just nodded and pressed the thrusters to full. In the distance, he could see all the gates open now. At the last minute, he remembered to hit send on the recordings that they had completed. The information would upload and relay between the communications beacons they had released. He didn’t know if the scientist back on Earth would get them, if they did, then they would know what had happened to the Gliese 581 and its crew.
“Yippee ki yay,” Ash muttered as the Gliese moved forward.
Josh could feel the moment they entered the gateway. The pull on the spaceship thrust them back against their seats. This was far worse than lifting off on the Soyuz rocket or hitting Mach speed in a fighter. For a moment, he felt for sure that the Gliese was going to be ripped apart. The ship shuddered before everything lit up around them and they were pushed forward.
“Shit!” Josh hissed out before he felt like he couldn’t breathe from the pressure against his chest.
He tried to turn his head to see if Ash was feeling the same thing, but it felt like his whole body was being held suspended. Opening his mouth, he tried to force air into his starving lungs. Dark spots danced before his eyes. He blinked, as if in slow motion, when the world shifted around him. Seconds later, the combination of the pressure and lack of oxygen were too much and he felt his grip on consciousness slipping away.
*.*.*
Josh woke to the sounds of alarms ringing in his ears. A soft groan escaped him as he shook his head to clear the sound. It took a moment to realize that it wasn’t just his ears ringing, but the alarms of the ship. Pushing off the console, he blinked to clear his vision.
Pain coursed down his neck and through his shoulders. Lifting a shaking hand, he rubbed at it as he tried to remember what the hell had happened. As his memory of going through the gateway came back to him, he quickly turned his head, wincing again when it protested his sudden movement. Ash lay against the console, unconscious.
“Ash,” Josh whispered before clearing his throat. “Ash!”
There was no response from his friend. Glancing at the controls, he grimaced. Multiple system failures were showing. His gaze went to the front screen. The virtual screen was off. Only the smaller portholes were visible.
Undoing the straps holding him into the chair, he pushed himself up, floating upward and tumbling when the world, or was it the ship, tilted and groaned. Whichever it was, he ignored it for a moment as he tried to get a visual of what was happening. He pushed himself away
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