Read Online Space Station Crisis: Star Challengers Book 2 by Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, June Scobee Rodgers - Free Book Online Page A
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it. They had been here only an hour or so, and she hoped she would get used to it. Soon. With the emergency alarm going off, though, her gut clenched, and she had to breathe quickly through her nose to calm herself. “Is it a Kylarn attack?”
Pi reached a computer station in the Mess, scanned the screen. “There’s been a breach in Hab 1—some sort of impact. Losing atmo-sphere at a rapid rate.”
“Good thing everyone was here for the all-hands meeting,” Napali said, “or there might have been crew sleeping in that Hab Module.”
Ansari drew up beside Pi. “Has the hatch sealed?”
Pi nodded. “Automatically closed off at the node room, but we need to get the leak patched as soon as possible. Send the team out for an extravehicular activity.”
“Looks like we’ll have to suit up,” said Lieutenant Kontis. “Time for the repair crew to do an EVA.” She looked at her companions, Kimbrell and Lifchez. “A leak that bad should be readily apparent from outside. We’ll see the air leaking. Which one of you wants to go with me?”
“We’re all qualified, but.…” Lifchez drew a deep breath, and Song-Ye noticed beads of sweat on his forehead. “If it’s all the same to you, Lieutenant, I’m not feeling too well. I might not be the best choice for a spacewalk.”
Kimbrell also looked shaky and pale, but he said, “I don’t feel so hot myself, but at least I feel better than he looks.”
Lifchez groaned. Kimbrell and Major Rodgers simultaneously let out loud belches.
“None of you looks well,” said Dr. Romero. “What are your symptoms? Maybe I’d better check—”
“No time for that, Doc!” Kimbrell said. “We’ve got an emergency here. Something’s hit the station.”
“I’m not at one-hundred percent either.” Lieutenant Kontis took Kimbrell in tow. “So suck it up, and get moving. That leak isn’t going to fix itself, and Hab 1 is losing air by the minute, so let’s get to the Equipment Module and suit up.”
“I feel fine,” JJ volunteered. “We were all trained in spacesuits on the moonbase. Can we help?”
“An EVA spacesuit is different from a lunar suit,” said Ansari. “We’ll train you all—but not now.”
Lieutenant Kontis ended the discussion. “We don’t need the help—we’ll do fine. This isn’t a training mission.”
Although she was willing to suit up and had definitely enjoyed going out on the lunar surface, Song-Ye was glad she would have more time to acclimate to the station. She thought of the meteor shower that had struck Moonbase Magellan and how they had been forced to duck underground into the shelters. “Was it a meteor strike?” she asked.
“Not likely,” Ansari said as Pi continued to scan the screens. “Probably space junk.”
“At least it’s not an alien attack,” said Lifchez, then he, too, let out a loud belch. “I don’t suppose you have something to settle my stomach with you, Doc?”
“I do back in the Med Module,” Romero said.
“What space junk?” JJ asked. “You mean we’ve just been bonked by … litter?”
“Over the years, the world’s space programs left a great many discarded items scattered along the various orbits,” said Ansari. “Spent fuel boosters, dead satellites, a lost tool or two, pieces of shrapnel—anything ranging from a couple of centimeters across to large items of equipment. Depending on their orbits, these chunks of space debris can collide with relative velocities of more than 50,000 kilometers per hour.”
King whistled, and Dyl found the number impressive enough to jot it down on one of his notecards.
“According to estimates, more than half a million bits of space junk larger than ten centimeters in diameter are up here—with tens of millions of pieces smaller than that. It’s one of our greatest risks.”
During Ansari’s explanation, Pi managed to mute the sirens, and Song-Ye let out a relieved sigh. The alarm lights continued to flash, though, so none of the crew
Pi reached a computer station in the Mess, scanned the screen. “There’s been a breach in Hab 1—some sort of impact. Losing atmo-sphere at a rapid rate.”
“Good thing everyone was here for the all-hands meeting,” Napali said, “or there might have been crew sleeping in that Hab Module.”
Ansari drew up beside Pi. “Has the hatch sealed?”
Pi nodded. “Automatically closed off at the node room, but we need to get the leak patched as soon as possible. Send the team out for an extravehicular activity.”
“Looks like we’ll have to suit up,” said Lieutenant Kontis. “Time for the repair crew to do an EVA.” She looked at her companions, Kimbrell and Lifchez. “A leak that bad should be readily apparent from outside. We’ll see the air leaking. Which one of you wants to go with me?”
“We’re all qualified, but.…” Lifchez drew a deep breath, and Song-Ye noticed beads of sweat on his forehead. “If it’s all the same to you, Lieutenant, I’m not feeling too well. I might not be the best choice for a spacewalk.”
Kimbrell also looked shaky and pale, but he said, “I don’t feel so hot myself, but at least I feel better than he looks.”
Lifchez groaned. Kimbrell and Major Rodgers simultaneously let out loud belches.
“None of you looks well,” said Dr. Romero. “What are your symptoms? Maybe I’d better check—”
“No time for that, Doc!” Kimbrell said. “We’ve got an emergency here. Something’s hit the station.”
“I’m not at one-hundred percent either.” Lieutenant Kontis took Kimbrell in tow. “So suck it up, and get moving. That leak isn’t going to fix itself, and Hab 1 is losing air by the minute, so let’s get to the Equipment Module and suit up.”
“I feel fine,” JJ volunteered. “We were all trained in spacesuits on the moonbase. Can we help?”
“An EVA spacesuit is different from a lunar suit,” said Ansari. “We’ll train you all—but not now.”
Lieutenant Kontis ended the discussion. “We don’t need the help—we’ll do fine. This isn’t a training mission.”
Although she was willing to suit up and had definitely enjoyed going out on the lunar surface, Song-Ye was glad she would have more time to acclimate to the station. She thought of the meteor shower that had struck Moonbase Magellan and how they had been forced to duck underground into the shelters. “Was it a meteor strike?” she asked.
“Not likely,” Ansari said as Pi continued to scan the screens. “Probably space junk.”
“At least it’s not an alien attack,” said Lifchez, then he, too, let out a loud belch. “I don’t suppose you have something to settle my stomach with you, Doc?”
“I do back in the Med Module,” Romero said.
“What space junk?” JJ asked. “You mean we’ve just been bonked by … litter?”
“Over the years, the world’s space programs left a great many discarded items scattered along the various orbits,” said Ansari. “Spent fuel boosters, dead satellites, a lost tool or two, pieces of shrapnel—anything ranging from a couple of centimeters across to large items of equipment. Depending on their orbits, these chunks of space debris can collide with relative velocities of more than 50,000 kilometers per hour.”
King whistled, and Dyl found the number impressive enough to jot it down on one of his notecards.
“According to estimates, more than half a million bits of space junk larger than ten centimeters in diameter are up here—with tens of millions of pieces smaller than that. It’s one of our greatest risks.”
During Ansari’s explanation, Pi managed to mute the sirens, and Song-Ye let out a relieved sigh. The alarm lights continued to flash, though, so none of the crew
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