Read Online Exodus: Empires at War: Book 7: Counter Strike by Doug Dandridge - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Doug Dandridge
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hostile environment. At full charge they could supply a human with
an hour of breathing gas. And a month after charge they would still be at
ninety five percent capacity. “The last time I used the system was in
training. And we were under water.”
“Well, this is going to be very different from
water, Lieutenant,” said Satrusalya with a frown. “In fact, the one thing you
don’t need to do is hold your breath. With our augmented bones and muscles,
there’s not really much chance that you’ll rupture a lung. But, just to be
safe, blow out everything in your lungs as soon as the air starts getting
sucked out.”
“Can we lower the pressure to a vacuum before
we open the hatch.”
“Probably,” said the PO. “But it could take
some time. This kind of room was never intended to act as an emergency
airlock. It was intended to be opened to space in a more sedate manner, and
only when necessary.”
“We don’t have time for that,” agreed
Cornelius, grabbing hold of the antigrav handle. “Order the system to start
cycling the air anyway. Any reduction of pressure differential has to help.”
The other man grunted in surprised agreement as
he grabbed the handle of another antigrav. “You aren’t so dumb, for a grunt,”
said the man with a laugh as they moved the massive container toward the hatch.
“I’m not sure about that,” said Sean, returning
the laugh as they moved the bomb along slowly, not wanting to let its inertia
get out of hand. “After all, here I am on a suicide mission with a stupid
Spacehead.”
Both men laughed, the camaraderie of facing
death together drawing them closer. As they neared the hatch, they started to
swing the bomb casing until its cylindrical shape pointed down. And now it was
obvious that the bomb was not going to fit. Not by much, only a few
centimeters on each side of the slightly oblong weapon, trying to fit it
through the circular hatch.
“We’ll have to open the hatch and cut,” said
the Commando, setting the antigravs to station keeping, a setting would keep it
in place no matter the forces pulling on it, as long as they weren’t too
severe. Can you hear me on your link?
Because we aren’t going to be able to talk to
each other when this chamber evacuates, he thought. Loud and clear, he sent to
the other man.
Then bond a handhold to the deck and hold on , said Satrusalya,
doing the same himself, putting a handle shaped object that had been made for
just this purpose and setting the nanites on its ends to bond to the hull
metal.
Opening hatch now, said the Commando,
reaching over and keying in the safety code that overrid the system that was
set to keep the hatch closed with unsuited people in the chamber. The hatch
slid open swiftly and air started rushing out.
Sean opened his mouth, letting the air in his
lungs rush out as well, sliding his body along to the hole, the head of the
laser cutter in his right hand while his left kept a death grip on the
handhold. He looked through the hatch for a moment, down at the distortion in
space that was the black hole. The light of the stars behind it were bent
around, forming a ring of light circling the dead stellar mass. It was the
most frightening thing he had ever seen, a mass that could swallow a planet,
even a star.
Most black holes were surrounded by deadly
radiation, the result of their accretion discs and the matter that constantly
fell into them. This black hole had been swept clean of any and all debris
larger than molecular dust, and had very little in the way of radiation, other
than that produced by the natural virtual particles of Hawking radiation. The
station itself was protected by electromag fields.
We could have erected a cold plasma field here , he sent to the
Commando as he shifted back a little and fired up his cutter.
Not enough time , sent back the other
man, his own laser cutting into the hard alloy of the hatch frame.
Fortunately, they
an hour of breathing gas. And a month after charge they would still be at
ninety five percent capacity. “The last time I used the system was in
training. And we were under water.”
“Well, this is going to be very different from
water, Lieutenant,” said Satrusalya with a frown. “In fact, the one thing you
don’t need to do is hold your breath. With our augmented bones and muscles,
there’s not really much chance that you’ll rupture a lung. But, just to be
safe, blow out everything in your lungs as soon as the air starts getting
sucked out.”
“Can we lower the pressure to a vacuum before
we open the hatch.”
“Probably,” said the PO. “But it could take
some time. This kind of room was never intended to act as an emergency
airlock. It was intended to be opened to space in a more sedate manner, and
only when necessary.”
“We don’t have time for that,” agreed
Cornelius, grabbing hold of the antigrav handle. “Order the system to start
cycling the air anyway. Any reduction of pressure differential has to help.”
The other man grunted in surprised agreement as
he grabbed the handle of another antigrav. “You aren’t so dumb, for a grunt,”
said the man with a laugh as they moved the massive container toward the hatch.
“I’m not sure about that,” said Sean, returning
the laugh as they moved the bomb along slowly, not wanting to let its inertia
get out of hand. “After all, here I am on a suicide mission with a stupid
Spacehead.”
Both men laughed, the camaraderie of facing
death together drawing them closer. As they neared the hatch, they started to
swing the bomb casing until its cylindrical shape pointed down. And now it was
obvious that the bomb was not going to fit. Not by much, only a few
centimeters on each side of the slightly oblong weapon, trying to fit it
through the circular hatch.
“We’ll have to open the hatch and cut,” said
the Commando, setting the antigravs to station keeping, a setting would keep it
in place no matter the forces pulling on it, as long as they weren’t too
severe. Can you hear me on your link?
Because we aren’t going to be able to talk to
each other when this chamber evacuates, he thought. Loud and clear, he sent to
the other man.
Then bond a handhold to the deck and hold on , said Satrusalya,
doing the same himself, putting a handle shaped object that had been made for
just this purpose and setting the nanites on its ends to bond to the hull
metal.
Opening hatch now, said the Commando,
reaching over and keying in the safety code that overrid the system that was
set to keep the hatch closed with unsuited people in the chamber. The hatch
slid open swiftly and air started rushing out.
Sean opened his mouth, letting the air in his
lungs rush out as well, sliding his body along to the hole, the head of the
laser cutter in his right hand while his left kept a death grip on the
handhold. He looked through the hatch for a moment, down at the distortion in
space that was the black hole. The light of the stars behind it were bent
around, forming a ring of light circling the dead stellar mass. It was the
most frightening thing he had ever seen, a mass that could swallow a planet,
even a star.
Most black holes were surrounded by deadly
radiation, the result of their accretion discs and the matter that constantly
fell into them. This black hole had been swept clean of any and all debris
larger than molecular dust, and had very little in the way of radiation, other
than that produced by the natural virtual particles of Hawking radiation. The
station itself was protected by electromag fields.
We could have erected a cold plasma field here , he sent to the
Commando as he shifted back a little and fired up his cutter.
Not enough time , sent back the other
man, his own laser cutting into the hard alloy of the hatch frame.
Fortunately, they
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