Read Online Sanctuary by Christopher Golden - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christopher Golden
Tags: Science-Fiction, adventure, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comics & Graphic Novels, mutant, X-Men
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as well, and he could feel the disorienting fatigue that extreme heat always seemed to bring on. He wondered for a fleeting moment if his face would blister, even through the force shield, this close to the sun.
He didn't intend to find out. They'd been very careful to make certain none of them would have to discover the effects of such exposure. Twenty minutes of complex navigational maneuvers, without the real power to make them, combined with brute force to allow them to turn the Starjammer so that the area where they would be working was not directly in the path of the sun's burning glare.
An additional half hour had passed, and they toiled away in the shade provided by the Starjammer itself. Tethered together like mountain climbers, with Raza tethered to the ship itself, they used their respective knowledge and skills to make what repairs were possible to the hull and warp drive of the vessel.
"Cyclops," Ch'od's voice slithered into his ears from the comm-link in their suits. "Raza and I seem to be doing fine here, perhaps you and Rogue ought to attempt to repair some of the more serious structural damage."
"You're sure you don't need the backup?" he asked, doubtful.
"You are out here, if we really need the help," Ch' od asked. "That is enough. While you are repairing, you should also look for any stress points that look as if they might lead to a pressure breach."
"You got it," Cyclops said, listening to the tinny sound of his own voice filtered back to him. "Rogue, you catch that?"
"Sure did, Cyke," she said. "I s'pose it's time for a little spot-weldin', huh?"
Cyclops was floating free of the ship, drifting along with it, secured only by his tether to the others. The slightest motion was magnified by the gravity-free environment of space, so Scott was very careful and measured with his actions. He had dealt with anti-gravity in other situations as well, and not just in space.
Rather than kick his feet as if he were in a swimming pool, which had been his inclination the first time he'd experienced the sensation, he performed a slow, forward somersault. A few moments later, he came around to face Rogue only a few feet from the Starjammer's hull.
As he had expected, she reached out a hand to arrest his motion, and reeled him in.
"This ain't the time for showin' off, Cyclops," Rogue admonished, and Scott smiled despite their plight.
She might not be able to conduct herself as though this were all business as usual—not that anyone could have—but at least she was trying. Scott had to give her credit for that.
Together, they examined the section of the hull that had experienced the worst damage.
• • •
Rogue felt particularly parched. Dehydration was no fun, but she knew they wouldn't get a break until they'd finished what they'd come on their little space walk to do. It was hard for her to deal with their situation. Not merely the danger of it, but the entire reality of space travel, space walking. Of course, the danger was there too, helping keep her mind off of Remy.
She didn't want to think about it. Couldn't. Rogue kept telling herself that if they could just get home, get back to Earth, that Gambit would be okay. She kept reassuring herself, but a little voice inside her head called her a liar every time. Truth was, she didn't know if he'd be okay or not. It was all in God's hands, now, she figured. Rogue had never been much for prayer, but she'd always believed in God. She figured, out there in the middle of space they had to be closer to him than ever, and hoped that meant he'd hear the prayers that were screaming through her head right then.
"Watch it, Rogue!" Cyclops snapped at her side, and she looked up to see the warning in his eyes, then back down at what she was doing. They'd been working together, her trying to bend back into shape portions of the hull that had been damaged, so that Cyclops could attempt to weld these breaches closed with his optic blasts. But when she looked down,
He didn't intend to find out. They'd been very careful to make certain none of them would have to discover the effects of such exposure. Twenty minutes of complex navigational maneuvers, without the real power to make them, combined with brute force to allow them to turn the Starjammer so that the area where they would be working was not directly in the path of the sun's burning glare.
An additional half hour had passed, and they toiled away in the shade provided by the Starjammer itself. Tethered together like mountain climbers, with Raza tethered to the ship itself, they used their respective knowledge and skills to make what repairs were possible to the hull and warp drive of the vessel.
"Cyclops," Ch'od's voice slithered into his ears from the comm-link in their suits. "Raza and I seem to be doing fine here, perhaps you and Rogue ought to attempt to repair some of the more serious structural damage."
"You're sure you don't need the backup?" he asked, doubtful.
"You are out here, if we really need the help," Ch' od asked. "That is enough. While you are repairing, you should also look for any stress points that look as if they might lead to a pressure breach."
"You got it," Cyclops said, listening to the tinny sound of his own voice filtered back to him. "Rogue, you catch that?"
"Sure did, Cyke," she said. "I s'pose it's time for a little spot-weldin', huh?"
Cyclops was floating free of the ship, drifting along with it, secured only by his tether to the others. The slightest motion was magnified by the gravity-free environment of space, so Scott was very careful and measured with his actions. He had dealt with anti-gravity in other situations as well, and not just in space.
Rather than kick his feet as if he were in a swimming pool, which had been his inclination the first time he'd experienced the sensation, he performed a slow, forward somersault. A few moments later, he came around to face Rogue only a few feet from the Starjammer's hull.
As he had expected, she reached out a hand to arrest his motion, and reeled him in.
"This ain't the time for showin' off, Cyclops," Rogue admonished, and Scott smiled despite their plight.
She might not be able to conduct herself as though this were all business as usual—not that anyone could have—but at least she was trying. Scott had to give her credit for that.
Together, they examined the section of the hull that had experienced the worst damage.
• • •
Rogue felt particularly parched. Dehydration was no fun, but she knew they wouldn't get a break until they'd finished what they'd come on their little space walk to do. It was hard for her to deal with their situation. Not merely the danger of it, but the entire reality of space travel, space walking. Of course, the danger was there too, helping keep her mind off of Remy.
She didn't want to think about it. Couldn't. Rogue kept telling herself that if they could just get home, get back to Earth, that Gambit would be okay. She kept reassuring herself, but a little voice inside her head called her a liar every time. Truth was, she didn't know if he'd be okay or not. It was all in God's hands, now, she figured. Rogue had never been much for prayer, but she'd always believed in God. She figured, out there in the middle of space they had to be closer to him than ever, and hoped that meant he'd hear the prayers that were screaming through her head right then.
"Watch it, Rogue!" Cyclops snapped at her side, and she looked up to see the warning in his eyes, then back down at what she was doing. They'd been working together, her trying to bend back into shape portions of the hull that had been damaged, so that Cyclops could attempt to weld these breaches closed with his optic blasts. But when she looked down,
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