began flashing a red back-ground with white lettering reading ‘Please Proceed to the Nearest Emergency Exit’.
“PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND EVACUATE THE ELEVATOR CAR!” A recorded message featuring a gentle, but firm female voice announced. The message was repeated in four different languages thru the suit headset and speakers set into the wall.
Jennifer pushed off from across the room and stopped smoothly beside Ian. She laid a hand on his arm. “Now we go!”
USS Bernard Schriever
Earth Space
“Trident has engaged our pursuer,” Mitchell reported.
“Finally!” Pearl shouted.
Trident was a Navy outpost located at the L1 Lagrange point between the Earth and the Moon. Sitting in the neutral gravity zone created by the two massive bodies, the base was able to stay in its assigned position using very little fuel. This was good since the station was massive. Mounting two huge rail guns, Trident’s mission in life was to serve as a last line of planetary defense against small asteroids heading for Earth. In this case the magnetic mass accelerators had been aimed back toward the planet where life and death struggles were underway between human vessels and alien aggressors.
“The squids have drawn their attention,” Mitchell said.
“Bringing us around!” Maytree reported.
“Be ready to fire as soon as you have solution,” Yates ordered. He knew they might only get one shot at the attacking vessel and he did not want to waste it.
“Steady,” Mitchell said, glued to his monitor. “Steady…OCS is seeking target…”
“Reactor Two is on-line!” Pearl yelled. “Full power to offensive lasers…the ones we have left at least.”
“We’re getting emergency calls for assistance from five other ships,” Reeves said, “including the LeMay.”
“We’d be making the same call if we had a free moment,” Yates said. “Engage with all systems.”
The Schriever went into a hard turn as the OCS attempted to align the rail guns with a solid target.
“Lasers discharging,” Mitchell said.
“That got them!” Maytree shouted.
“Yeah, got ‘em mad at us,” Pearl said.
“Lost track with rails,” Mitchell said as the ship rocked from a renewed attack. “OCS is trying…”
“LeMay has been destroyed,” Reeves reported.
“Crap,” Pearl said.
Yates cleared his throat after a moment and ordered, “Get those rails in line!”
Bullard Space Elevator
Earth Space
Struggling against the shaking wall, Ian pulled himself to the nearest exit with Jennifer in hand. He wanted to hurry. With the elevator car hitting the upper atmosphere, Ian was not sure how long he and the others had. There was no way of telling how the car’s structure would behave under the new stresses it was now experiencing. He pushed one of the passengers he had helped dress toward the same hatch.
“But the attendant didn’t tell us to go yet!” the woman shouted, her voice crackling over the cheap suit microphones on the proximity net.
“Lady,” Jennifer said as she pulled herself close, “You have two choices: either get in there or I’ll shove you in myself.”
The woman looked from Jennifer to Ian. “Are you part of the crew?” She asked timidly.
Ian and Jennifer exchanged a glace.
“Yes!” They both said simultaneously. As one they pushed the woman through the air-hatch. As soon as her feet cleared the inner hatch they turned for the next person.
After helping most of the passengers and even a crew member through the air hatch, Ian turned to survey the room. Nearby was the man with the bloody nose. The Head Steward, Newton, was still arguing with the reluctant passengers on the far side of the room. “You’re next,” Ian told the man.
The man moved to the hatch and looked back. “Look, I’m really sorry, I…it’s just…”
“Don’t sweat it,” Ian said, anxious to make his own exit. The vibrations rattling through the hull had grown steadily stronger and the suit was growing hot from his
“PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND EVACUATE THE ELEVATOR CAR!” A recorded message featuring a gentle, but firm female voice announced. The message was repeated in four different languages thru the suit headset and speakers set into the wall.
Jennifer pushed off from across the room and stopped smoothly beside Ian. She laid a hand on his arm. “Now we go!”
USS Bernard Schriever
Earth Space
“Trident has engaged our pursuer,” Mitchell reported.
“Finally!” Pearl shouted.
Trident was a Navy outpost located at the L1 Lagrange point between the Earth and the Moon. Sitting in the neutral gravity zone created by the two massive bodies, the base was able to stay in its assigned position using very little fuel. This was good since the station was massive. Mounting two huge rail guns, Trident’s mission in life was to serve as a last line of planetary defense against small asteroids heading for Earth. In this case the magnetic mass accelerators had been aimed back toward the planet where life and death struggles were underway between human vessels and alien aggressors.
“The squids have drawn their attention,” Mitchell said.
“Bringing us around!” Maytree reported.
“Be ready to fire as soon as you have solution,” Yates ordered. He knew they might only get one shot at the attacking vessel and he did not want to waste it.
“Steady,” Mitchell said, glued to his monitor. “Steady…OCS is seeking target…”
“Reactor Two is on-line!” Pearl yelled. “Full power to offensive lasers…the ones we have left at least.”
“We’re getting emergency calls for assistance from five other ships,” Reeves said, “including the LeMay.”
“We’d be making the same call if we had a free moment,” Yates said. “Engage with all systems.”
The Schriever went into a hard turn as the OCS attempted to align the rail guns with a solid target.
“Lasers discharging,” Mitchell said.
“That got them!” Maytree shouted.
“Yeah, got ‘em mad at us,” Pearl said.
“Lost track with rails,” Mitchell said as the ship rocked from a renewed attack. “OCS is trying…”
“LeMay has been destroyed,” Reeves reported.
“Crap,” Pearl said.
Yates cleared his throat after a moment and ordered, “Get those rails in line!”
Bullard Space Elevator
Earth Space
Struggling against the shaking wall, Ian pulled himself to the nearest exit with Jennifer in hand. He wanted to hurry. With the elevator car hitting the upper atmosphere, Ian was not sure how long he and the others had. There was no way of telling how the car’s structure would behave under the new stresses it was now experiencing. He pushed one of the passengers he had helped dress toward the same hatch.
“But the attendant didn’t tell us to go yet!” the woman shouted, her voice crackling over the cheap suit microphones on the proximity net.
“Lady,” Jennifer said as she pulled herself close, “You have two choices: either get in there or I’ll shove you in myself.”
The woman looked from Jennifer to Ian. “Are you part of the crew?” She asked timidly.
Ian and Jennifer exchanged a glace.
“Yes!” They both said simultaneously. As one they pushed the woman through the air-hatch. As soon as her feet cleared the inner hatch they turned for the next person.
After helping most of the passengers and even a crew member through the air hatch, Ian turned to survey the room. Nearby was the man with the bloody nose. The Head Steward, Newton, was still arguing with the reluctant passengers on the far side of the room. “You’re next,” Ian told the man.
The man moved to the hatch and looked back. “Look, I’m really sorry, I…it’s just…”
“Don’t sweat it,” Ian said, anxious to make his own exit. The vibrations rattling through the hull had grown steadily stronger and the suit was growing hot from his
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