managed to grunt under the new gee stress.
Yates met several of his crew’s eyes. Each was hoping he had some grand plan to save their collective butts.
“Then I suggest we lose them.” Not much of a plan, but it was all Yates had at the moment. He hoped it was enough.
Bullard Space Elevator
Earth Space
Ian reached out to snag Jennifer’s helmet when he was struck in the back by someone barreling out of the ladder way. He grabbed the helmet’s locking collar as he tumbled to the floor with the man clinging to his egress suit. Ian tried to push him away as he spun to face the new arrival.
“What are you doing in the way?!” The man shouted as he untangled himself from Ian. He spotted the emergency lockers and pushed off Ian to get to the nearest one. He began frantically clawing for the clearly marked release mechanism. Belatedly, the man realized Ian was already suited up. Locking eyes on Ian, he screamed “I need that suit!”
It took Ian a moment to realize the man was serious. “We’re not on the Titanic, get your own,” he said, pointing at the emergency locker the man had ripped the protective cover from.
“There’s no time!” the man said, his eyes wide with fear.
Ian tightened his grip on a nearby ladder rung as the man clumsily launched himself off the wall.
Just as he was within the man’s reach, Ian yanked his entire body out of the way while simultaneously bringing the helmet in his hand around in a tight arc. Following through, Ian was rewarded with a grimly satisfying, wet smacking noise as the helmet solidly connected with the man’s nose.
“Aaaggh!” the man bawled. He clawed at Ian fruitlessly with one hand as he spun away. His other hand was busy attempting to staunch the blood flow from his broken nose. Blobs of red were flung away in every direction as he shouted, “Whazat far?”
Ian did not wait for the man to recover. He pushed off and quickly rejoined Jennifer. A quick check of the helmet verified using it as a bludgeoning tool had not compromised its integrity.
The man continued to grumble but kept to his side of the compartment.
Nevertheless, Ian kept a wary eye on him as he twisted Jennifer’s helmet into place.
If the stranger was planning another attack, he was interrupted by a sudden influx of people through the ladder way. The room began filling up withwild-eyed passengers moving clumsily in zero-gee, grasping for hand-holds. The ninth person through was a crew member.
“If everyone could calmly move to one of the emergency lockers, please,” the crew member announced, his voice trembling. “There is no need to panic. If you would please break the seal on the nearest E-E-R-S locker and carefully remove one of the emergency suits, as we went over in the safety briefing just a few hours ago, I or another crew member will be with you shortly to help you don the egress suits.”
Ian realized most of the other passengers were staring at him and Jennifer.
The crew member, Newton by his name tag, followed the passengers’ gaze. A look of relief passed over his face. “As you can see, getting into the EERS suits is a simple procedure. Your fellow passengers are all ready to go…in the unlikely event we shall be required to exit the elevator car.”
Ian smiled back at the crowd and gave a little wave. “Hey.”
After fumbling with a locker, Newton finally got a suit package in hand. He said, “Please begin suiting up. If an evacuation is necessary, follow the white lights on the floor or ceiling to the red lights marking one of the four egress hatches. There, a crew member will assist you in exiting through one of the clearly marked emergency exits.” As he spoke, Newton included a smooth, well-practiced wave of his free hand which took in the small lights set in the floor and ceiling and the exits bordered by thick red hash marks.
Ian pulled Jennifer toward the nearest hatch. It was basically a one-way airlock, allowing quick egress without cycling through
Yates met several of his crew’s eyes. Each was hoping he had some grand plan to save their collective butts.
“Then I suggest we lose them.” Not much of a plan, but it was all Yates had at the moment. He hoped it was enough.
Bullard Space Elevator
Earth Space
Ian reached out to snag Jennifer’s helmet when he was struck in the back by someone barreling out of the ladder way. He grabbed the helmet’s locking collar as he tumbled to the floor with the man clinging to his egress suit. Ian tried to push him away as he spun to face the new arrival.
“What are you doing in the way?!” The man shouted as he untangled himself from Ian. He spotted the emergency lockers and pushed off Ian to get to the nearest one. He began frantically clawing for the clearly marked release mechanism. Belatedly, the man realized Ian was already suited up. Locking eyes on Ian, he screamed “I need that suit!”
It took Ian a moment to realize the man was serious. “We’re not on the Titanic, get your own,” he said, pointing at the emergency locker the man had ripped the protective cover from.
“There’s no time!” the man said, his eyes wide with fear.
Ian tightened his grip on a nearby ladder rung as the man clumsily launched himself off the wall.
Just as he was within the man’s reach, Ian yanked his entire body out of the way while simultaneously bringing the helmet in his hand around in a tight arc. Following through, Ian was rewarded with a grimly satisfying, wet smacking noise as the helmet solidly connected with the man’s nose.
“Aaaggh!” the man bawled. He clawed at Ian fruitlessly with one hand as he spun away. His other hand was busy attempting to staunch the blood flow from his broken nose. Blobs of red were flung away in every direction as he shouted, “Whazat far?”
Ian did not wait for the man to recover. He pushed off and quickly rejoined Jennifer. A quick check of the helmet verified using it as a bludgeoning tool had not compromised its integrity.
The man continued to grumble but kept to his side of the compartment.
Nevertheless, Ian kept a wary eye on him as he twisted Jennifer’s helmet into place.
If the stranger was planning another attack, he was interrupted by a sudden influx of people through the ladder way. The room began filling up withwild-eyed passengers moving clumsily in zero-gee, grasping for hand-holds. The ninth person through was a crew member.
“If everyone could calmly move to one of the emergency lockers, please,” the crew member announced, his voice trembling. “There is no need to panic. If you would please break the seal on the nearest E-E-R-S locker and carefully remove one of the emergency suits, as we went over in the safety briefing just a few hours ago, I or another crew member will be with you shortly to help you don the egress suits.”
Ian realized most of the other passengers were staring at him and Jennifer.
The crew member, Newton by his name tag, followed the passengers’ gaze. A look of relief passed over his face. “As you can see, getting into the EERS suits is a simple procedure. Your fellow passengers are all ready to go…in the unlikely event we shall be required to exit the elevator car.”
Ian smiled back at the crowd and gave a little wave. “Hey.”
After fumbling with a locker, Newton finally got a suit package in hand. He said, “Please begin suiting up. If an evacuation is necessary, follow the white lights on the floor or ceiling to the red lights marking one of the four egress hatches. There, a crew member will assist you in exiting through one of the clearly marked emergency exits.” As he spoke, Newton included a smooth, well-practiced wave of his free hand which took in the small lights set in the floor and ceiling and the exits bordered by thick red hash marks.
Ian pulled Jennifer toward the nearest hatch. It was basically a one-way airlock, allowing quick egress without cycling through
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