you’re ready
go ahead and send it.”
She turned. Worry
etched her face. “I already did.”
Everyone watched the
main screen while nothing happened.
That confirms
it. The gate doesn’t work. He sighed.
“What are we going
to do?” Naomi asked.
Justin waved his
hand for her to stop. “I’m thinking.” Anti-matter fuel is all but exhausted
so we can’t jump to another system. We can try to fix the gate. Surfeit
has a skiff. He shook his head. No spacesuits—we can’t fix it.
The objects ahead
now filled the main screen. “Mara, reduce the display magnification.”
“Display
magnification set to normal and reducing approach velocity to 10,000 KPH.”
As Mara continued to
slow their approach, Justin attempted to come up with a workable plan and
failed. He glanced at both of them, but not wanting them to see the worry that
he felt, avoided eye contact. He walked to the food table and, while nibbling
on anything that presented itself, he continued to formulate plans in vain.
“Why is it warm?”
Naomi asked.
Confused, Justin
turned and saw Naomi holding her pendant in her hands.
“Because it’s been
against your skin,” Mara sneered.
Naomi rolled her
eyes. “No. It is warmer than that.” She cupped it in her hands and stared down
at it. Her head popped up. “Surfeit lights, off.” Again she looked down into
her cupped hands and, for a moment, her face was illuminated by a golden
glow. Slowly she pulled her fingers away revealing the pulsating pendant.
Justin
watched. Not only was it pulsating, it grew brighter with each pulse. He
returned the lights to normal.
Mara’s eyes
went from Justin to Naomi, “What is that thing?”
“I don’t know.
Dr. Galen gave it to me and empathically told me to keep it.” Naomi took it
from her neck and laid it on her lap.
Justin stared at the
glowing orb. “We can be sure of two things: Dr. Galen gave it to you for a
reason, and somehow it’s connected with this gate.” He walked about the bridge,
deep in thought, then stopped and watched the pendant for several
moments. “It pulsates every two seconds.”
Mara gave him a
perplexed look. “So?”
With a shrug he
continued his walk about the bridge. Why would it start warming and
pulsating only when we got here?
Mara turned to
Justin, “We’re about as close to the gate as I want to get.”
Without pausing his
slow walk about the bridge he mumbled, “Put us in orbit around the point.”
Seconds later Mara
announced, “Forward momentum zero. Thrusters at
station-keeping.”
He finished another
unhurried lap around the bridge as a smile spread slowly. “How many ways
can you send energy from one place to another?”
Both women shrugged.
He waved his hand
toward the pendant. “Less than an hour ago we thought it was just jewelry, but
it’s not. Energy, in some form, has activated it.”
Mara leaned back in
her chair. “You’re thinking either the gate or ship is sending it power?”
“Yes. I’m sure Dr.
Galen knew the pendant would activate when they approached….”
“Look!” Naomi
pointed to the screen, her eyes wide. Lights flashed on the derelict.
“Sensors indicate environmental
systems are turning on,” Mara declared. “I’m detecting infrared
radiation.”
As the derelict’s
docking bay opened. The lights of the ship and the pendant now pulsated in
unison. “Apparently someone wants us to pay them a visit.”
Chapter
11
Mara pulled Justin
aside before he entered the skiff’s airlock. “I’m not sure this is a good
idea.”
He sighed and
stepped inside the hatch. “We already talked about it. I thought we should take
the pendant to the ship and Naomi insisted she go with it.”
“No,
not that…well really more than that.” She paused. “Is going over there a good
idea?”
He smiled weakly.
“It’s a lot better than sitting here until our food and fuel runs out.” But
I wish I had a weapon for this trip. He squeezed her hand.
go ahead and send it.”
She turned. Worry
etched her face. “I already did.”
Everyone watched the
main screen while nothing happened.
That confirms
it. The gate doesn’t work. He sighed.
“What are we going
to do?” Naomi asked.
Justin waved his
hand for her to stop. “I’m thinking.” Anti-matter fuel is all but exhausted
so we can’t jump to another system. We can try to fix the gate. Surfeit
has a skiff. He shook his head. No spacesuits—we can’t fix it.
The objects ahead
now filled the main screen. “Mara, reduce the display magnification.”
“Display
magnification set to normal and reducing approach velocity to 10,000 KPH.”
As Mara continued to
slow their approach, Justin attempted to come up with a workable plan and
failed. He glanced at both of them, but not wanting them to see the worry that
he felt, avoided eye contact. He walked to the food table and, while nibbling
on anything that presented itself, he continued to formulate plans in vain.
“Why is it warm?”
Naomi asked.
Confused, Justin
turned and saw Naomi holding her pendant in her hands.
“Because it’s been
against your skin,” Mara sneered.
Naomi rolled her
eyes. “No. It is warmer than that.” She cupped it in her hands and stared down
at it. Her head popped up. “Surfeit lights, off.” Again she looked down into
her cupped hands and, for a moment, her face was illuminated by a golden
glow. Slowly she pulled her fingers away revealing the pulsating pendant.
Justin
watched. Not only was it pulsating, it grew brighter with each pulse. He
returned the lights to normal.
Mara’s eyes
went from Justin to Naomi, “What is that thing?”
“I don’t know.
Dr. Galen gave it to me and empathically told me to keep it.” Naomi took it
from her neck and laid it on her lap.
Justin stared at the
glowing orb. “We can be sure of two things: Dr. Galen gave it to you for a
reason, and somehow it’s connected with this gate.” He walked about the bridge,
deep in thought, then stopped and watched the pendant for several
moments. “It pulsates every two seconds.”
Mara gave him a
perplexed look. “So?”
With a shrug he
continued his walk about the bridge. Why would it start warming and
pulsating only when we got here?
Mara turned to
Justin, “We’re about as close to the gate as I want to get.”
Without pausing his
slow walk about the bridge he mumbled, “Put us in orbit around the point.”
Seconds later Mara
announced, “Forward momentum zero. Thrusters at
station-keeping.”
He finished another
unhurried lap around the bridge as a smile spread slowly. “How many ways
can you send energy from one place to another?”
Both women shrugged.
He waved his hand
toward the pendant. “Less than an hour ago we thought it was just jewelry, but
it’s not. Energy, in some form, has activated it.”
Mara leaned back in
her chair. “You’re thinking either the gate or ship is sending it power?”
“Yes. I’m sure Dr.
Galen knew the pendant would activate when they approached….”
“Look!” Naomi
pointed to the screen, her eyes wide. Lights flashed on the derelict.
“Sensors indicate environmental
systems are turning on,” Mara declared. “I’m detecting infrared
radiation.”
As the derelict’s
docking bay opened. The lights of the ship and the pendant now pulsated in
unison. “Apparently someone wants us to pay them a visit.”
Chapter
11
Mara pulled Justin
aside before he entered the skiff’s airlock. “I’m not sure this is a good
idea.”
He sighed and
stepped inside the hatch. “We already talked about it. I thought we should take
the pendant to the ship and Naomi insisted she go with it.”
“No,
not that…well really more than that.” She paused. “Is going over there a good
idea?”
He smiled weakly.
“It’s a lot better than sitting here until our food and fuel runs out.” But
I wish I had a weapon for this trip. He squeezed her hand.
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